r/ZeroCovidCommunity

I currently wear a 3m Aura n95. I’m getting tired of constantly worrying about the seal, as well as the cost of continually buying disposable masks.

I want to upgrade to wearing an elastomeric, but I’m not sure it’s the right choice.

If I do, I’ll be wearing a 3m half mask. Does anyone on here wear industrial respirators in public?

Hoping someone might be willing to share their experience.

I just want to be safe. I’m not sure I can handle looking so different.

hi!! yesterday went to a small party at my friends house unmasked with 4 other people. i plan on hanging out with someone in my house unmasked tomorrow for idk like 7 hours maximum.

is it too soon to test? the person im hanging out with tomorrow isn’t CC, but i still don’t want to get him sick. or get him sick and then he spreads it to other ppl 🥲 but i don’t know if that’s my really responsibility 😭😭

also for context i feel okay doing this because im not a high risk individual, i mask everywhere else, and live in a place where covid rates are still “very low” 🪲👍🏻

i live in a rural community where 80% of people are very conservative and think me masking is weird. i've been told that i'm poisoning myself by masking. i love humanity so much but why don't they love me back? i just want someone to care about me. someone who checks in on me. i want a genuine friendship. but nobody masks and will mask to protect me and themselves. my younger sibling and my bf are the only ones in my life who mask. my younger sibling is dating someone long distance with MECFS, they are very wonderful. but right now my boyfriend is hours away for the summer and i'm stuck with myself for the summer. i am very thankful to have a job but otherwise i am sad and lonely every day.

i just want people who care. being CC is so draining.

Because many NWMP sites aren't keeping up to date with sample submission, it can be useful to look at the sites that actually reported in the most recent sample week, and compare to their previous report (assuming they reported in the previous sample week) to see if things are trending up/down, or holding. So I went through, and did a comparison.

13 sites of 44 reported new data for the 2026-06-21 sample week. Of those 10 were low, 3 were moderate, and 0 were high.

13 SITES COMPARED:

1. Halifax Halifax: Low
2. Kingston Cataraqui Bay: Low
3. London Greenway North: Low
4. London Greenway South: Low
5. Peel G.E. Booth: Low
6. Regina: Moderate
7. St. John's: Low
8. Toronto Ashbridges Bay: Low
9. Toronto Humber: Low
10. Vancouver Annacis Island: Moderate
11. Vancouver Iona Island: Moderate
12. Winnipeg North End: Low
13. Winnipeg South End: Low

For the 2026-06-14 sample week (meaning the previous report), for JUST those same sites, 1 was undetected, 8 were low, 3 were moderate, and 1 was high.

13 SITES COMPARED:

1. Halifax Halifax: Moderate
2. Kingston Cataraqui Bay: Low
3. London Greenway North: Low
4. London Greenway South: Low
5. Peel G.E. Booth: Low
6. Regina: Low
7. St. John's: Low
8. Toronto Ashbridges Bay: High
9. Toronto Humber: Low
10. Vancouver Annacis Island: Moderate
11. Vancouver Iona Island: Moderate
12. Winnipeg North End: Not Detected
13. Winnipeg South End: Low

This would suggest that COVID-19 levels in Canada are low, but somewhat unstable. For example, 30% of these sites experienced a change in state between sample weeks. In some cases it was a good change is state, and in some it was bad. It will be interesting to see if things get more, or less, stable as the summer progresses?

Data used in this post was sourced from the NWMP ( https://health-infobase.canada.ca/wastewater/ ) on either 2026-06-25 or 2026-07-05.

TL;DR - I got Covid and every doctor I interacted with had fundamental misconceptions about treatment and when to stop isolation.

...

I somehow got Covid out in the woods. I was the only one, including my close contacts. I'm not dwelling on it, aside from increasing my vigilance outdoors.

The crappy part was dealing with the health care system after.

My symptoms started early Sunday morning, and I got into urgent care less than 12 hours later. The only guidance the doctor gave me was "these days Covid is mild, but it could stick around for 7-10 days." Nothing about isolation, testing to exit, etc. No consideration of long Covid.

I asked for Paxlovid. She was initially reluctant but eventually agreed. She didn't seem to think Paxlovid does anything, which obviously flies in the face of numerous studies. Even if you're not focused on alleviating symptoms, it cuts the length of time you're sick and reduces your viral load. It reduces household attack rate. They give wealthy people 10 days of it.

I sent the prescription to a 24-hour Walgreens that stocks lots of antivirals. They were out, along with 95% of other locations. No surprise given the government stopped mandating it be covered. Moved it to CVS and was able to use the $1000 off coupon, which made it $131 with my work insurance. I started taking it that night.

The next day, I reached out to my doctor's office to get Metformin. My doctor was on vacation, so I did a video visit with a different doctor I had seen one before. He said literature supports Metformin for overweight people, and though I am not, he was willing to try it. Then he said "as soon as you're feeling better, you can go back to your normal life." Again nobody seems to understand the concept of testing out of isolation.

I had lots of time on my hands, so in between world cup games, I started reading papers on Paxlovid. Turns out the optimal time to start Paxlovid was day 3, and I had a very high likelihood of symptoms returning.

So I started trying to get a second Paxlovid prescription. My doctor's office was closed for the holiday. Urgent care refused to do it because it's not indicated. I asked a friend of a friend who's a doctor if she would prescribe; she admitted to not knowing much about it (she's a pediatrician) but checked with a friend she called her Covid expert. That person also came back saying it was not indicated, but was ok with me taking it for "placebo effect."

It took a while to get an answer, so I ended up using Dr B to get a prescription. AI bots in medicine will prescribe you anything.

I am also on my wife's insurance, and the 2nd Paxlovid was free. (My work health insurance sucks.)

So on day 7 after the first symptoms, I finally tested negative on a rapid test. I always do a throat + cheeks + under tongue + nasal swab. Tomorrow morning when I test negative again, I can at least be confident it's ok to be around people while wearing an N95. The last Paxlovid dose is Wednesday morning, so I'll start testing again then and hopefully still be negative.

It really sucks that everyone seems to be indifferent to Covid. I can understand doctors not having information when it was a relatively new phenomenon. But we are approaching 7 years now.

Please do not respond with unsupportive comments about how can I possibly be attracted to someone who isn't CC or whatever. I have spent 6 years CC and 6 years contemplating whether it was worth the romantic/sexual loneliness and I've decided I need to find an in between because the effects on my mental health are too severe. If that upsets you, you can journal about it. Shaming me for it is not going to do anything besides hurt someone that is part of your community.

I am dating/having sex again and surprise surprise none of the apps have CC people (yes I've tried the CC apps but I live in a country/city with like 5 people on each of them). I have met someone that I am considering having sex with and am not sure how to proceed.

I've decided I'm unwilling to kiss (and unwilling to not mask if we have sex indoors). But I don't know how to naturally transition from something like cuddling to sex without kissing. I could of course just say "I want to have sex now" (and at some point I would verbally ask for consent because active consent is important yada yada, but that's a lot different when it's obviously headed that direction as opposed to when you have no idea if that's even on this person's mind cuz you guys are just watching TV on the couch). But that violates a social norm and knowing that I'm already violating two (not kissing and masking), I'm worried about violating anymore. Does anyone have experience making this transition without kissing and without being extremely blunt and have advice on what worked or what didn't work?

Not a furry, but am in Pittsburgh this weekend and stopped by anthrocon. I haven’t seen this many masked people in years. I don’t know if it’s Pittsburgh or this community, but it is incredible to see.

For example, adhd increases the risk for early death, but medicating it actually cuts some of that risk, which gives hope. Does that same logic work for things to do to treat / mitigate certain conditions at risk for COVID or not really? Looking for some hope.In addition to masking to avoid getting it in the first place, ofc. But sometimes I truly feel like a sitting duck if covid ever gets through my mask or if I catch it at the dentist or something. For years I felt secure w just my mask, but now we know covid is around forever probably, it’s so scary knowing there’s a disease out there to which I am uniquely primed to be susceptible and statistically before I die may get through my mask.

Furthermore, I don’t feel people are very sympathetic to my risk factors (even though I already had “mild” LC in the form of pain in hands and feet, which thank god went away in 6 mos w magnesium and LDN.

Basically, ive got the usual cornucopia of being a woman in my 20s w ADHD, maybe autism, environmental and dust allergies, and maybe some other mast cell issues too, we aren’t sure. I also have CPTSD and wouldn’t be shocked if I have some kind of connective tissue or hypermobility issue, since I seem to have kind of loose knee joints and easily sore wrists. Basically, mild (mostly, for now) versions of one of the main phenotypes long covid preys on. It’s been a jarring experience for me bc im not immunosuppressed, and in fact pre covid I would rarely get sick and usually very mildly. But covid just lovessss to lock in to my vasculature with its unique and horrible spikes.

Is there anything in particular I can do to mitigate my increased risks of getting LC specifically given these issues, in addition to masking? Like to add after dentist or if I do get covid? I already do the general stuff like air purifiers, Novavax twice a year, saline rinses, and probiotics in case they help. Doctor has said I could go back on LDN, bc it might “regulate” my immune system ahead of time to make it less likely to have an abnormal inflammatory response if I do catch Covid again. Additionally, does the daily Allegra pill I take blunt any of the abnormal responses im likely to have if I get Covid, and would allergy shots decrease my risk? Or im just screwed and it doesn’t matter at all if im treating my conditions? I guess that’s my question. Similarly idk what exact mechanisms cause adhd and cptsd to make one high risk for LC, or if the fact im treating my anxiety / adhd w meds and therapy helps.

Similarly, ive been pondering whether to prioritize having metformin or paxlovid if i get covid. Ive heard metformin is better, but i am very thin w low blood sugar and a fast metabolism, and if the main benefit is blood sugar regulation i dont know that it will help me. Im inclined to do pax again bc when i had covid, I did get LC but i didnt get me/cfs type, and I tolerated the pax well and i only took it a few days in, so who knows, maybe it would’ve been more effective earlier on.

I just want to make sure im doing all I can. I know it’s a crapshoot and hopefully I’ll never get it again int eh first place, but I want to be prepared for my specific phenotype in case it has unique demands. Thanks!

i’m single, queer, and monogamous. my luck in dating has been pretty slim because of my picky dating preferences and parts of my identity. most of my cc friends are poly with a nesting partner and i have a few single acquaintances that are non-maskers (monogamous mostly) who have frequent dates and hookups with people. recently, i’ve started to get annoyed at both parties and it’s making me feel like a horrible friend. the reasons being: a.) i’m tired of hearing someone who already has someone super locked in with them tell me their crush doesn’t like them back. and b.) someone didn’t get a chance to fuck someone they liked because they haven’t had sex in a *whopping* three months.

i have put up boundaries around the frequency in which we have conversations about their problems, because i want to be supportive. but increasingly i find myself not wanting to hear it at all because i simply don’t give a fuck. i am devoid of empathy for their relational problems. i’ll catch myself thinking “at least you have someone/at least you can have casual sex/at least you have someone courting you.” while i’m sure it’s a normal human experience of jealousy, i hate how it makes me feel and i‘m unsure when to address it with my friends (i want to). any advice is appreciated!

Hi, I'm looking at buying new air purifiers

I'm looking at the Levoit Core 400s - it has a lot of what I'm looking for (app control, quiet, no ioniser, affordable price)

My concern is the controversy around the HEPA certification - and my question is how much does this matter for its effectiveness in filtering covid? Is it still considered a suitable option?

If not, does anyone have a recommendation for another model that meets my criteria (app control, quiet, no ioniser, appropriate filtration & not too pricey)

Thank you :)

I saw the recommendation to use 3M cavilon spray for preventing the rash/irritation caused by fabric straps - but the spray bottle I got kind of sprays an unpredictable area - i think I would end up using one bottle for 8-10 usages.

is there any recommendation to apply this without wastage?

I'm trying to find accurate information on how to properly ventilate my living space after outpatient surgery. My partner is. transplant recipient and therefore immune compromised. After much discussion, he wants me to be in the livingroom while I recover and he'll be passing through (masked) when he comes out to make food for us both. We'll be testing as well. I'm trying to figure out what the best way to ventilate our spaces to minimize exposure for at least 10 days post surgery. Is it just opening windows and having air purifiers running? Do we use fans as well? Where can I get more accurate info?

Can confirm about 10-20 people I know got covid within 48 hours of going to World Cup indoor games. Guess it’s not surprising when tens of thousands of people from different countries gather together for hours.

hi! i unfortunately had to go to the ER yesterday for chest pain and had to unmask twice very briefly while there. the rest of the time i was in an aura 9210+. there were a surprisingly good amount of people in the ED with surgicals on, i’d say 1/3 or so. some folks with respiratory symptoms, but not many.

first unmask was at triage so they could take my temperature. the nurse who was triaging me had a surgical over nose and mouth. they triage in the waiting room, and at the time there were three other people there: one with intermittent respiratory symptoms who was correctly wearing a surgical, one with no respiratory symptoms who was unmasked. i held my breath while they took my temperature orally and then re-donned my mask and exhaled forcefully.

second unmask was for a covid test, ironically. they let me self sample, i pulled my mask down for ~10 seconds to swab. i was in a room with one other patient, a nurse, and my friend who was n95’d while this happened. i tried to hold my breath here too, but am worried i inhaled a little bit involuntarily because of the discomfort of swabbing.

obviously going to the ER is stressful, especially being CC. wondering if any of you could weigh in on how dangerous these two small instances of unmasking were. for context i’m on the west coast of the US and wastewater levels in my area are reported as being very low. thoughts?

hey guys,

i am supposed to do both an upper and lower endoscopy next week, but it requires anesthesia, so i’d have to be unmasked due to that and due to part of the procedure itself. texas is having a massive wave rn and the hospital i’ll be at is in sugarland so south west houston, closer to the red zone in the wastewater data map. is this too risky to do right now? it’s not technically urgent but i need to get it done asap. at my doctor appointment a few days ago, even my doctor seemed sick but had on a surgical mask.

i voiced my concerns and told her i stay up to date about covid levels and am worried about exposure during the procedure, but she said she understood and that all staff would be masked in the room, but again they only wear surgicals. it would be eight days since my appt so im not sure if that’s long enough for her to recover from whatever she has going on, as she’s the one doing the procedure. i really don’t know if i should cancel and reschedule or if this is actually the best time to do it in case things get even worse with this wave here. any advice or support would be really appreciated

Just got an angry “Do you have Covid or something?” in a grocery store while wearing an N95, and I hate how much it gets under my skin. It’s scary to be harassed in public places when I’m just minding my own business, and I’m also bewildered by the ignorance. Like if I *did* have covid or any other respiratory illness, I’d of course stay home, but assuming that for some reason I absolutely had to be here, me wearing this high quality mask and wearing it well would be incredibly effective at preventing you from getting it, it’s really a best case scenario. It’d be a different situation if I were coughing in a baggy surgical mask, but a person in a well fitting N95 is usually a pretty good sign. And of course if I had been sneezing sniffling and hacking all over the grocery store without a mask I’d have never gotten a second glance, which really blows my mind. Any amount of other people masking protects you more than everyone rawdogging the air; when did things get so twisted?