captain's blog.

zine titled: Mask Up, Fight back

primarily black text on a white background

1. zine title page reads: "Mask Up, Fight back" with a pink triangle behind the block lettering.

There is a doodle of an N95 mask in the top right corner

2. Text reads :

"ACT UP, fight back, fight AIDS is a phrase coined by the AIDS Coalition To Unlock Power (ACT UP) in the 1980s. It became a battle cry protesting the government sanctioned cruelty enacted on vulnerable populations during the AIDS crisis

we need to carry this energy into fighting the ongoing covid 19 pandemic and the accompanying HIGHLY successful disinformation campaign that left us misinformed , financially devastated, disabled, and detached . millions of lives lost.

This airborne illness continues to kill and disable people at alarming rates.

As always, the US government will use any tools at its disposal to control its people

The spread of disease is a hallmark tool of colonization.

Taking care of our health becomes a revolutionary act in a society that values our labor and output over our collective well-being"

3. Text reads: "the most marginalized communities are the most impacted by public health emergencies like pandemics

People of Global Majority, queer, disabled, & poor people are at the highest risk of disablement and death from the unmitigated spread of disease

ACT UP knew this

covid, measles, the flu, & other viral illnesses can spread through respiratory droplets AND aerosols, and can do so before symptoms present. you could be spreading just by breathing and talking dangerous pathogens. so what can we do?

mask up, fight back!

wear a well-fitted respirator mask to reduce the spread of illness"

There is a pink triangle behind the words "Mask up, fight back"

4. Gray and white striped background

Text reads:

"here are some things to know:

approximately 50% of covid infections are asymptomatic , but these cases are still contagious and can cause lasting damage

rapid antigen tests are known for giving false negative results

it spreads via aerosols which hang in the air like smoke, especially in places with poor ventilation

since 2020 car accidents are increasing in frequency as people struggle with cognition and focus at alarming rates

airline pilots response times are delayed due to repeated covid infections and long covid

people who are otherwise healthy are dropping dead from heart attacks and strokes as a result of infection

accessing care for long covid is INCREDIBLY difficult. the medical field has not caught up to the science, leaving millions of ppl behind

personally, I went from working a full time job to being mostly bedridden in 3 years

& medical care has been extremely hard to access"

5. Title reads "HIV vs COVID 19"

Below, it reads

"the AIDS pandemic deeply affected the queer community. we were killed in droves as a direct result of government neglect and anti LGBTQ rhetoric

despite key differences, the similarities between these are stark"

Below there are two columns comparing HIV and Covid

Text reads "HIV: can cause AIDS

no vaccines available

pre exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) available (& 99% effective!)

spreads through contact with certain bodily fluids

not airborne

treatment: antiretrovirals (ARV) for long term management

COVID 19:

can cause long covid

vaccines available

spreads via aerosols, respiratory droplets, and contaminated surfaces

treatment: Paxlovid for acute infection, no long term treatment available

both:

-viruses that spread between people

-vascular illnesses

-can cause long term damage

-affect the immune system

-accompanied by misinformation leading to disablement and death of millions

marginalized communities are the most impacted

important note:

folks on PrEP have shown lower rates of post-viral illnesses including covid.

prep is free for all US residents, get on prep, another layer to protect your health"

6. Text reads: "there are many ways to fight back, why mask up?

anti surveillance? wear a mask

the government uses facial recognition software, ai, and video surveillance (in collaboration with tech giants like Microsoft, Apple, Planatir, and Google)

to keep tabs on us without consent

the data and surveillance gathered using these methods are used against the most vulnerable populations: poor folks, immigrants, queer people, POGM, disabled people, folks experiencing homeless, and so on"

In the center of the page, there is a drawing of a person wearing a mask and flipping off a security camera and a face-tracking software saying "no match detected"

7. Text reads:

"anti eugenics? wear a mask

"vulnerable populations are going to die anyway, why bother protecting them?"

"I have to live my life, I can't think about public health'

"it's not my job to fix this"

"I can assess my own risk"

-->

-disabled people deserve protection

you can live your life with a mask on. doing so protects your entire community

-humans are notoriously bad at risk assessment. until there are regulations for clean air, we need to protect each other and our health

disabled, aging, poor, immunocompromised, queer, POGM, & young children are at highest risk of numerous complications from covid 19, up to and including death. protect the vulnerable"

8. Text reads

"do whatever you can! here are some best practices

M- minimize exposure

A- Air filtration

S- stay home when sick

K- kn95+ masks

U- up to date vaccines and boosters