"Searching for answers to his condition, he joined Twitter (now known as X). From his San Francisco home, he shared his experiences online, hoping more people would take long COVID seriously. But after two years, "I came to the realization that otherwise good and reasonable people are still completely unfazed by the fact that their next COVID infection could cause extreme harm to them or their family," he said."
"He started to feel rage at the injustices he saw. "People disabled by this virus and those already disabled prior to the pandemic were being completely disregarded and considered disposable by the general public," he said. Preparing for cuts While others recommended he temper his emotions online, Wong encouraged McCone to lean into them. They met in person for the first time in 2023 over tea and soon got to work: over the next year, their online network launched a massive social media campaign to pressure federal lawmakers to address the needs of those with long COVID."
Before contracting COVID in 2020, McCone, 35, had never experienced a serious health problem and regularly biked 10 miles a day. Long COVID permanently altered his life, leaving him housebound, unemployed and without clear medical answers from the medical system. He joined Twitter (now X) from his San Francisco home to share experiences and to urge greater attention to long COVID. Frustrated by public indifference and the perceived disposability of disabled people, he mobilized with encouragement from Wong. Their online network’s social media campaign pressured lawmakers, contributing to a January 2024 Congressional hearing and Democratic proposals for $10 billion for research, treatment and education.
Read at Kqed
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