🧵Some personal news: I’m taking a 6-month sabbatical, starting now. These past 3 years have been the most professionally meaningful of my life, but they’ve also deeply broken me. The pandemic isn’t over, but after a long time spent staring into the sun, I need to blink. 1/
I’ve talked openly about the mental health challenges of pandemic reporting—e.g. x.com/edyong209/stat… & traumastewardship.com/2022/02/ed-yon… I know stepping away is a huge privilege most people don’t have. Persistence matters, but it has limits, and I’ve long since reached mine. 2/
I’ve talked openly about the mental health challenges of pandemic reporting—e.g. x.com/edyong209/stat… & traumastewardship.com/2022/02/ed-yon… I know stepping away is a huge privilege most people don’t have. Persistence matters, but it has limits, and I’ve long since reached mine. 2/
When I’ve interviewed healthcare workers & others about burnout, there are basically 3 roads they take. 1) Double down on duty and mission. 2) Find community. 3) Step away. I’ve done the first for as long as I can. I’m now doing the third to focus on the second. 3/
I’m not giving up. But I understand that we’re in this for the long haul, and I refuse to burn out completely so soon. If I've learned anything from the chronic illness communities whom I cover and care about, it’s that pacing matters. 4/
I’ve been intentional about this last month. The brain fog & ME/CFS pieces have been on my list for a while and I’m happy they’re out. And I wrote this thread about how I approach these kinds of stories in the hope it’ll inspire others while I’m away. x.com/edyong209/stat… 5/
I’ve been intentional about this last month. The brain fog & ME/CFS pieces have been on my list for a while and I’m happy they’re out. And I wrote this thread about how I approach these kinds of stories in the hope it’ll inspire others while I’m away. x.com/edyong209/stat… 5/
And this final pandemic piece is a distilled shot of the argument I’ve been brewing for 3 yrs. This has been soul-crushing work. We constantly forfeited the chance to do better. But that chance still exists, and we can’t afford the luxury of nihilism. 6/ theatlantic.com/health/archive…
I have tried, across 55-ish long features, to help readers make sense of a crisis that usually defied sense; to bear witness to immense suffering; and to expand our moral imagination to show that a better future is still possible. Because, despite everything, it still is. 7/
@edyong209 The problem is, you missed the basic point that the vaccines are detrimental to millions. There are even studies that now claim that risk from the vaccine itself is greater than risk from Covid. I will add to that claim that the awful mandated treatments have killed even more.
@edyong209 All of this will happen again, our society does not have the character or virtue to deal with a pandemic like this and this is very sad, as I noted at the pandemic's height here realcontextnews.com/coronavirus-ex…
@edyong209 So so grateful to you for your work. Wishing you rest and renewal in your sabbatical.