Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz had a meltdown on Twitter after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) relaxed many of its coronavirus guidelines.
Released Thursday, the new guidelines make a variety of changes that would have been unthinkable a year or even six months ago, including a lift on mandatory quarantines for individuals exposed to the virus, an end to screening people with no symptoms, and the elimination of testing recommendations after potential exposure. Contact tracing will also be limited to hospitals and high-risk groups living in nursing homes. As reported by NPR, the most surprising change is perhaps the CDC ending the differentiation between vaccinated and unvaccinated.
“It also brings the recommendations for unvaccinated people in line with people who are fully vaccinated – an acknowledgment of the high levels of population immunity in the U.S., due to vaccination, past COVID-19 infections or both,” reported the outlet.
According to Taylor Lorenz, who famously identified the woman who runs the popular Libs of TikTok Twitter account, the new guidelines essentially allow the world to move on while immunocompromised people like herself are left hanging in the wind.
“Literally what is the plan for high risk/medically vulnerable and disabled people? Just let us die while the world marches on??” she tweeted.
“The same ppl complaining non stop abt the ‘mental health’ cost of lockdowns (even though we never had full lockdowns) & having to wear masks, are perfectly happy to force disabled ppl to stay locked away forever or keep an N95 glued to their face every time they step into public,” she added.
The same ppl complaining non stop abt the “mental health” cost of lockdowns (even though we never had full lockdowns) & having to wear masks, are perfectly happy to force disabled ppl to stay locked away forever or keep an N95 glued to their face every time they step into public
— Taylor Lorenz (@TaylorLorenz) August 11, 2022
Lorenz went on to say that Americans with disabilities “shouldn’t have to risk their lives to participate in society” and said the move to open up all of society is “horrific on such a massive scale.”
“Disabled/medically vulnerable ppl shouldn’t have to risk their lives to participate in society, nor are most even given that choice. Disabled people also have to work, go to school, grocery shop, go to the doctor’s office. We are human beings in the world just like everyone else,” she said.
“As someone working in media who’s immunocompromised and medically vulnerable I really wish we as an industry hired more disabled writers and did more to center vulnerable people in our coverage, esp on COVID. What’s happening right now is so horrific on such a massive scale,” she concluded.
As someone working in media who’s immunocompromised and medically vulnerable I really wish we as an industry hired more disabled writers and did more to center vulnerable people in our coverage, esp on COVID. What’s happening right now is so horrific on such a massive scale
— Taylor Lorenz (@TaylorLorenz) August 11, 2022
Several blue checkmarks joined Taylor Lorenz in her outrage, including comedienne Kathy Griffin.
Yeah that sounds like it’s basically the plan ?
— Scott Kominers (@skominers) August 11, 2022
This makes me so angry.
— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) August 11, 2022
???
— Taylor Lorenz (@TaylorLorenz) August 11, 2022
Apparently so.
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) August 11, 2022
