MaskTogetherAmerica

“I’m COVlD-cautious (although I like to think of myself as just being sensible about infectious disease in general) so you will be seeing masks on my page.”—Behind the CAN99 respirator is Skye Tin Chan ().

“I LOVE all things musical theatre, music, art of all sorts, baking, and studying psychology too!” A q***r autistic woman, Skye is an ambulatory wheelchair user and wears orthotics due to likely hEDS and associated comorbidities like ME, dysautonomia, and gastroparesis. Both hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS) involve fluctuating energy and systemic pain.

“Being part of different marginalized communities (especially the disability community!) and masking are interconnected for me, and it is marginalized communities that are being hit the hardest by the unmitigated spread of illnesses. It’s taken a while to be proud of both being disabled and masking, but I’ve learnt so much about the strength of community care during this time.”

Despite these physical barriers, Skye’s vibrant, creative, and fun-loving spirit shines through everything she does. “Masking lets me engage in the things I love, like theatre, while protecting myself and others. It lets me show up and keep doing the best that I can. Some people may see masking as a barrier, but I see it as a commitment to my future and a commitment to my community. I hope more people can join the movement whether that is through masking or cleaning the air, because we all deserve to live safely. I have the privilege of having testing devices and wearing fit-tested masks, but not everyone does, and chronic illnesses like Long COVlD are just devastating.”

Skye met Julie Lam at a mask-required event hosted by Breathe Easy London (). She is sharing her story with to support the normalization of prevention and to promote accessibility. Skye’s medical conditions put her at high risk for Long COVlD. Community masking makes gatherings and public spaces accessible for everyone.

🦓😷🏳️‍🌈 🎭

Long COVlD Nerve: What Can Nerve Damage Lead To? Even asymptomatic COVlD-19 can trigger a constellation of pain conditions in Long COVlD (LC) patients (Clinical Pain Advisor, 2022)

🔬 The Hard Proof: Small-Fiber Neuropathy
Skin biopsies provide physical proof of Small-Fiber Neuropathy (SFN; The Harvard Gazette, 2022). SARS-CoV-2 damages microscopic nerves near the skin surface, triggering neuropathic pain. Because these small fiber nerves regulate heart rate and blood flow to the brain, this structural damage can spiral into systemic, cognitive, and autonomic dysfunction.

Post-Viral Blueprint
COVlD-19 can trigger severe peripheral nerve issues like Guillain-Barré syndrome or chronic inflammatory nerve damage (CIDP). Historically, these are triggered by viruses like Shingles, Flu A, HIV, EBV, and Zika (PAIN Reports, 2021).

⚠️ Common LC Nerve Symptoms
• Extremity Pain: Burning, tingling, numbness, or feeling like walking on glass.
• Extreme Sensitivity: Pain from light touch like clothing.
• Myofascial Pain: Active trigger points, deep muscle knots, stiffness, and weakness.
• Neurological Fatigue, Brain Fog, & Sleep Disturbances.
• Dysautonomia: Dizziness, orthostatic intolerance, and temperature dysregulation.

The Scale of the Crisis
• 55% of LC patients report persistent nerve pain; biopsies confirm SFN in 56.5% (Dell Med. School, 2025).
• 34.3% is the overall pooled prevalence of nerve pain in Long COVlD (J Clin Med. 2023).
• 1 in 4 patients still suffer from nerve pain 12 months later, based on 15.8M+ cases (Science Direct, 2026).
• LC adults face a 48% higher individual risk of chronic pain, driving 13% of the total US national pain increase (Ovid, 2026).

What’s Driving the Damage?
• Chronic Inflammation: An overactive immune response causes chronic inflammation that strips away nerve coatings (demyelination).
• Viral Persistence: Viral fragments or uncleared viruses keep the nervous system in a state of constant irritation (Pain Management 2024).
• Vascular Damage: Microvascular blockages cut off blood and oxygen (ischemia), causing nerves to wither and misfire (Yale School of Medicine).

Protect your body. Avoid infections.

✍🏼: Julie Lam