COVID-19 and the forgotten disability community
The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare how profoundly devalued disabled lives and experiences are. The latest article from the Disability in Health team — of which I am a proud member — has been published in Healthy Debate: “People living with disabilities have long been accustomed to asking for inclusion without results: We needed telehealth…
When apathy is deadlier than COVID-19
The pandemic has had a devastating impact on long-term care homes. In this article for the new publication Nature Aging, our team of four Canadian women who’ve created Disability Equity in Health looks at the factors leading to this situation: “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many have disregarded worry since the virus “only kills old and…
COVID Diary: The Kindness of Strangers
We live in strange times in everyday life has become a difficult. COVID-19 has revealed the of the underbelly of a lot of things in our society, but the pandemic has also shown just how wonderful people can be. If you need a reminder of the good in the world, check out my new column…
RA and COVID-19: Can We Go Back to Normal?
In the past week, some countries have started to relax COVID-19 restrictions and there is increasing talk about loosening things up. They call it deconfinement, which sounds oddly benign, like a Victorian lady starting to visit acquaintances for tea again after having produced the spare to the heir. But it’s not benign. I have rheumatoid…
My Name is Lene, and I’m at High Risk for COVID-19
My rheumatoid arthritis puts me in danger of developing serious complications from COVID-19. It’s a really scary place to be. In my new column for HealthCentral, I talk about what it’s like and! interview the amazing Molly Schreiber, who co-founded the #HighRiskCOVID19 campaign that’s making a real difference: “Just about the only comforting news we…
Denied: Disability and Life-Saving Treatment in the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic is a scary time for all. When you have a disability, it’s downright terrifying to know that your life is a risk, not just from the virus, but also from the very real potential of being excluded from lifesaving measures. The devaluation of our lives that used to be covered with a…
Answered: Your Questions About Chronic Illness and COVID-19
Updated March 17, 2020 If you are a member of a vulnerable population, what you need to do and what you need to worry about in relation coronavirus and COVID-19 (the illness you get from coronavirus) may be entirely different than what’s general available. Finding the answers isn’t always easy. I asked my readers to…