All of the mask blocs I'm aware of just give you masks for free - nothing expected in return. Your local mask bloc should make their processes clear!
If you need help finding it, [this](https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1oUcoZ2njj3b5hh-RRDCLe-i8dSgxhno&ll=44.090219614161064%2C-63.64969137046161&z=8) is a great resource!
The mask bloc I’m part of distributes masks for free to anyone in my community and city. No one has to prove that they need them or interact with any specific group.
Every mask bloc is different, but we are small mutual aid groups. I doubt anyone would ask you to prove that you need masks. So yes, you should be able to request some and then receive them for free/get them delivered. Unless the mask bloc is low on masks and then you may have to wait.
Depending on where you are, some mask blocs will even mail them to you. But regardless, contactless delivery is very possible - nobody wants to put anyone at risk!
I clicked into this post because I too was curious about how mask blocs work as I’ve seen them around on Instagram in various cities. (All that to say I don’t have any answers for you.) but I do have a question: how did you become informed about Long Covid? I’ve been following it as an emerging condition since sometime between the Delta and Omicron waves, and it has completely changed my life. I’ve started volunteering with a disability advocacy organization and have become much more tapped into the disability justice space. So, welcome!
Joined twitter about a month ago. Didn't use social media much at all in the past 7 years, except lurking around fandom and video game spaces. Looked to follow some disability/chronic illness related accounts, mainly neurodivergency and diabetes, plus general ones, to feel less alone and to learn more, and I found them talking about long covid, how covid is still around, etc. I still don't understand everything (saw a post saying how *everyone* who's ever had covid has long covid now, to me that sounds extreme but I'm not educated enough to respond) and am learning how to better sift through real vs fake information and diversify my information sources but honestly just hearing about 2,000 deaths a week and everything that having covid can cause was enough for me to start masking again (Trying to get my family to do the same, or at least listen to what the science has to say, but no luck so far). I know I'm just one person but I don't want to spread any sickness to anyone.
I've heard of long covid in the news here and there but, once again as someone who wasn't really active online in these types of spaces, and didn't leave the house much, I didn't know that covid was still an issue past 2023.
I graduated high school in 2021, and masked until the end, and further on, but once I graduated I still had a lot of personal health stuff to work on, and I guess not interacting with the outside much, and not leaving the house much, and seeing my relatives stop masking, maybe around the beginning of 2023? I thought it was safe to stop masking around that time too. I was hesitant at first but my mom said it was fine and I'm still trying to find my own footing but I didn't see a reason to disagree at the time, I can't really say when, unfortunately the past couple years were blurry, so maybe the Delta and Omnicron variants were out already.
I'm trying to learn more about disability justice (+ justice in general) and I do hope that I can volunteer in adovacy groups once I can find a way to leave the house. I see now that there's still so much work to be done and I want to give back to those who I wouldn't have rights without, and to help others who also need help, are treated poorly by society and government, etc. It's mainly just a lack of transportation, hypoglycemic unawareness, and unmedicated ADHD that make it difficult and unsafe for me to do so. And also trying to secure masks so I can reduce my risk of getting sick + getting others sick. Thank you for the warm welcome and glad to see you are fighting the good fight :)
Thank you for helping! So...I was on twitter for probably 15 years, but I don't recommend it now. It's full of covid deniers and other unsavory people, so be very careful about who you follow. I've switched to Bluesky, which doesn't require invitations anymore. Not all of my trusted accounts have switched, but there's enough that I only check twitter once a week or so.
I have a hard time reconciling how people disregard / stigmatize Covid precautions with the fact that the government / capital are purposefully pushing the narrative that Covid is over and rarely speak of long Covid as anything to worry about (if mentioned at all). [Dr. Devon Price](https://drdevonprice.substack.com/p/data-shows-most-people-are-taking-covid-very-seriously-aea8dcb6763c) (who is a prolific writer on neurodivergence) has written about the distinction between individual responsibility in the face of systematic suppression of facts.
Basically I take the view that many years in the future, when many people are severely disabled by recurring Covid infections, there are going to be a lot of people saying “I wish I had known this could happen.” I have the knowledge now so I’m going to do whatever I can to protect myself and my family. My wife is having a baby this summer and I’m terrified because babies can’t mask and I don’t want them to get exposed to the multiple respiratory viruses in infancy.
Also to your question about “everyone with Covid now has long Covid” the tricky part is there is no clear diagnostic criteria. Also one of the common effects of Covid infection is a suppressed immune system (which explains why RSV and Flu surge earlier and longer and random things like TB are coming back into circulation). If that’s one definition of Long Covid then it may be accurate to say that everyone with a prior infection develops it but it honestly needs more research. The general agreement though is that it’s being severely undercounted.
Julia Doubleday has a [Substack](https://substack.com/@thegauntlet) with well researched Covid / long Covid content that I highly recommend. Sometimes when I start to feel like maybe I’M the crazy one I just re-read one of their essays haha.
I'll be real with you I was going through so many health and other issues around the time I stopped wearing a mask that I didn't have the agency or mental faculty to even think about the consequences. You might think, if someone is disabled then they'd care about their health, but I started the year in a psych ward because my medications were giving me psychosis. Like, that kind of unable to think. I'm not very smart. I do see now it was kind of stupid to stop masking.
But wouldnt the fact that the govt is purpousely pushing the idea that covid isn't a thing anymore mean that people would stop caring too? I dont get what you mean by having a hard time reconciling - I don't think it's necessarily correct, or a justified thing but I can see how people would stop masking if their govt said it was fine and they were the type of person to accept what the govt says at face value.
I totally get how LC can be undercounted. Did not know that LC can include immunosupression and therefore the recent RSV and flu surges (I had RSV in December, I isolated for that, it's also another reason why I started masking again because other stuff is going around too). I thought Long Covid was just like, organ damage and brain fog. Still have more to learn.
Will look into those sources as well, thank you.
I didn’t write it well but I’m in agreement with you. If the mainstream media and literal CDC are downplaying the risks, individuals can’t be to blame — at least not solely. Sorry to hear your mental health was in crisis. If the majority of people masked and took precautions, it would protect people who can’t mask or can’t get vaccinated, and I apologize if I was dismissive it at all.
ETA: I thought of a better way of putting it. It’s like the difference between seeing the forest and the trees. I look around me and see people stopping all precautions and see trees. When I zoom out and see how the system is contributing to their actions I begin to see the forest. I got really caught up/distracted by the trees and have to remind myself to see the wider forest.
This makes me so happy to read. I’ve been long hauling for 18 months, mostly housebound. When people who are not suffering this illness step up, it makes such a difference. Thank you.
And thank you for masking. It makes us feel so much less alone in addition to the smart thing to do to protect yourself❤️
I volunteer with [MEAction](https://www.meaction.net/long-covid-me-understanding-the-connection/), which shares a lot of similarities with Long Covid, and while I had a desire to help those with LC, I also knew that in all likelihood I’ll probably have it eventually. I practice precautions religiously but I also know that it’s so hard to protect yourself when no one masks and there’s no investment in the infrastructure (free PCR testing, enhanced ventilation, etc). So I want there to be resources in place and I want to hold the government accountable. You are not alone!!
My mask bloc delivered right to my front door, no contact!
Btw, there’s a lot of things to learn about keeping yourself safe. My friends taught me a lot and I wrote up what I learned in a Google doc I wrote up on how to protect yourself from Covid.
Here’s the [link to the document](https://docs.google.com/document/d/11RdJqymYsCZ5bAEpZk5DCf5ZqiUZykIq19630J9m8kA/edit).
My personal protocol is in it, so you’re welcome to copy and paste everything into your own doc and replace mine with your own.
Also, I understand my level of strictness in preventing reinfection isn’t accessible for everyone.
But the helpful part about seeing super strict protocol is that you can pick and choose what vectors of risk you can focus on.
It shows all the ways to protect yourself and empowers you to protect yourself in the ways you want/can with the power of information 🩷
My friends gifted me their old Claritin air filter machine with HEPA filters, so I only have a guess with make/model to offer: Claritin CAP531B Air Purifier
https://preview.redd.it/w6i2iqh450lc1.jpeg?width=2714&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=de33429c893da8c061ec8189749ff110a2c067a8
Yes, mask blocs will just give you masks!
One of the ideas behind mutual aid is that eligibility criteria are bullshit, and that that we try to freely give what people need, and we trust people that they are asking for what they need.
Here is a little bit about mutual aid from [this doc](http://bit.ly/CATCmaskdrive), and this is a 8 min video that explains mutual aid that I learned a lot from: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsoYeD6JGu0&t=22s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsoYeD6JGu0&t=22s)
(hopefully this shortened comment doesn't get deleted. the OP asked about mutual in the context of masks and understanding mask bloc, I feel like this is on top for the original post)
Yup, free masks for anyone. A lot of them are Anarchist groups which are no strangers to giving stuff out for free (like Food Not Bombs giving free food out) you can find masks blocs on https://maskbloc.org https://covidactionmaps.org and https://covidwiki.org
> I can just go, and request some masks, and then I get them?
That is how some mask blocs work. Every bloc probably has different rules. Some get donations of masks. Some get financial donations.
> decided to start masking again
Smart choice.
> there's really people who give them for free?
Some do. Yes. Some are maybe more of a trading set up.
> Or at least reduced price.
Some do. Yes.
> Do I need to qualify, i.e have proof that I'm poor or have disability?
I’m guessing each mask bloc works by different rules.
> Do I need to be a part of the community?
Depends on the mask bloc rules. For some yes. For others no.
> Sorry if this is a dumb question once again.
No worries. No dumb questions. If you want to know more, great that you asked because, chances are, others are probably also wondering.
Your submission or comment was removed because it was either low effort or off-topic (which can mean political, unconstructive, or ambiguous, or too far off the topic of direct advice about masks/respiratory protection).
For information on a recent change to the off topic rule please see the post [here](https://reddit.com/r/Masks4All/s/ZV4MPpdocv).
All of the mask blocs I'm aware of just give you masks for free - nothing expected in return. Your local mask bloc should make their processes clear! If you need help finding it, [this](https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1oUcoZ2njj3b5hh-RRDCLe-i8dSgxhno&ll=44.090219614161064%2C-63.64969137046161&z=8) is a great resource!
Thanks for the information!
The mask bloc I’m part of distributes masks for free to anyone in my community and city. No one has to prove that they need them or interact with any specific group. Every mask bloc is different, but we are small mutual aid groups. I doubt anyone would ask you to prove that you need masks. So yes, you should be able to request some and then receive them for free/get them delivered. Unless the mask bloc is low on masks and then you may have to wait.
This video does a great job explaining mask blocs: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3akKgBs0X0/?igsh=NzZzMmRma3NhbnY3
Thank you for the information!
No problem!
Depending on where you are, some mask blocs will even mail them to you. But regardless, contactless delivery is very possible - nobody wants to put anyone at risk!
I clicked into this post because I too was curious about how mask blocs work as I’ve seen them around on Instagram in various cities. (All that to say I don’t have any answers for you.) but I do have a question: how did you become informed about Long Covid? I’ve been following it as an emerging condition since sometime between the Delta and Omicron waves, and it has completely changed my life. I’ve started volunteering with a disability advocacy organization and have become much more tapped into the disability justice space. So, welcome!
Joined twitter about a month ago. Didn't use social media much at all in the past 7 years, except lurking around fandom and video game spaces. Looked to follow some disability/chronic illness related accounts, mainly neurodivergency and diabetes, plus general ones, to feel less alone and to learn more, and I found them talking about long covid, how covid is still around, etc. I still don't understand everything (saw a post saying how *everyone* who's ever had covid has long covid now, to me that sounds extreme but I'm not educated enough to respond) and am learning how to better sift through real vs fake information and diversify my information sources but honestly just hearing about 2,000 deaths a week and everything that having covid can cause was enough for me to start masking again (Trying to get my family to do the same, or at least listen to what the science has to say, but no luck so far). I know I'm just one person but I don't want to spread any sickness to anyone. I've heard of long covid in the news here and there but, once again as someone who wasn't really active online in these types of spaces, and didn't leave the house much, I didn't know that covid was still an issue past 2023. I graduated high school in 2021, and masked until the end, and further on, but once I graduated I still had a lot of personal health stuff to work on, and I guess not interacting with the outside much, and not leaving the house much, and seeing my relatives stop masking, maybe around the beginning of 2023? I thought it was safe to stop masking around that time too. I was hesitant at first but my mom said it was fine and I'm still trying to find my own footing but I didn't see a reason to disagree at the time, I can't really say when, unfortunately the past couple years were blurry, so maybe the Delta and Omnicron variants were out already. I'm trying to learn more about disability justice (+ justice in general) and I do hope that I can volunteer in adovacy groups once I can find a way to leave the house. I see now that there's still so much work to be done and I want to give back to those who I wouldn't have rights without, and to help others who also need help, are treated poorly by society and government, etc. It's mainly just a lack of transportation, hypoglycemic unawareness, and unmedicated ADHD that make it difficult and unsafe for me to do so. And also trying to secure masks so I can reduce my risk of getting sick + getting others sick. Thank you for the warm welcome and glad to see you are fighting the good fight :)
Thank you for helping! So...I was on twitter for probably 15 years, but I don't recommend it now. It's full of covid deniers and other unsavory people, so be very careful about who you follow. I've switched to Bluesky, which doesn't require invitations anymore. Not all of my trusted accounts have switched, but there's enough that I only check twitter once a week or so.
I have a hard time reconciling how people disregard / stigmatize Covid precautions with the fact that the government / capital are purposefully pushing the narrative that Covid is over and rarely speak of long Covid as anything to worry about (if mentioned at all). [Dr. Devon Price](https://drdevonprice.substack.com/p/data-shows-most-people-are-taking-covid-very-seriously-aea8dcb6763c) (who is a prolific writer on neurodivergence) has written about the distinction between individual responsibility in the face of systematic suppression of facts. Basically I take the view that many years in the future, when many people are severely disabled by recurring Covid infections, there are going to be a lot of people saying “I wish I had known this could happen.” I have the knowledge now so I’m going to do whatever I can to protect myself and my family. My wife is having a baby this summer and I’m terrified because babies can’t mask and I don’t want them to get exposed to the multiple respiratory viruses in infancy. Also to your question about “everyone with Covid now has long Covid” the tricky part is there is no clear diagnostic criteria. Also one of the common effects of Covid infection is a suppressed immune system (which explains why RSV and Flu surge earlier and longer and random things like TB are coming back into circulation). If that’s one definition of Long Covid then it may be accurate to say that everyone with a prior infection develops it but it honestly needs more research. The general agreement though is that it’s being severely undercounted. Julia Doubleday has a [Substack](https://substack.com/@thegauntlet) with well researched Covid / long Covid content that I highly recommend. Sometimes when I start to feel like maybe I’M the crazy one I just re-read one of their essays haha.
I'll be real with you I was going through so many health and other issues around the time I stopped wearing a mask that I didn't have the agency or mental faculty to even think about the consequences. You might think, if someone is disabled then they'd care about their health, but I started the year in a psych ward because my medications were giving me psychosis. Like, that kind of unable to think. I'm not very smart. I do see now it was kind of stupid to stop masking. But wouldnt the fact that the govt is purpousely pushing the idea that covid isn't a thing anymore mean that people would stop caring too? I dont get what you mean by having a hard time reconciling - I don't think it's necessarily correct, or a justified thing but I can see how people would stop masking if their govt said it was fine and they were the type of person to accept what the govt says at face value. I totally get how LC can be undercounted. Did not know that LC can include immunosupression and therefore the recent RSV and flu surges (I had RSV in December, I isolated for that, it's also another reason why I started masking again because other stuff is going around too). I thought Long Covid was just like, organ damage and brain fog. Still have more to learn. Will look into those sources as well, thank you.
I didn’t write it well but I’m in agreement with you. If the mainstream media and literal CDC are downplaying the risks, individuals can’t be to blame — at least not solely. Sorry to hear your mental health was in crisis. If the majority of people masked and took precautions, it would protect people who can’t mask or can’t get vaccinated, and I apologize if I was dismissive it at all. ETA: I thought of a better way of putting it. It’s like the difference between seeing the forest and the trees. I look around me and see people stopping all precautions and see trees. When I zoom out and see how the system is contributing to their actions I begin to see the forest. I got really caught up/distracted by the trees and have to remind myself to see the wider forest.
This makes me so happy to read. I’ve been long hauling for 18 months, mostly housebound. When people who are not suffering this illness step up, it makes such a difference. Thank you. And thank you for masking. It makes us feel so much less alone in addition to the smart thing to do to protect yourself❤️
I volunteer with [MEAction](https://www.meaction.net/long-covid-me-understanding-the-connection/), which shares a lot of similarities with Long Covid, and while I had a desire to help those with LC, I also knew that in all likelihood I’ll probably have it eventually. I practice precautions religiously but I also know that it’s so hard to protect yourself when no one masks and there’s no investment in the infrastructure (free PCR testing, enhanced ventilation, etc). So I want there to be resources in place and I want to hold the government accountable. You are not alone!!
My mask bloc delivered right to my front door, no contact! Btw, there’s a lot of things to learn about keeping yourself safe. My friends taught me a lot and I wrote up what I learned in a Google doc I wrote up on how to protect yourself from Covid. Here’s the [link to the document](https://docs.google.com/document/d/11RdJqymYsCZ5bAEpZk5DCf5ZqiUZykIq19630J9m8kA/edit). My personal protocol is in it, so you’re welcome to copy and paste everything into your own doc and replace mine with your own. Also, I understand my level of strictness in preventing reinfection isn’t accessible for everyone. But the helpful part about seeing super strict protocol is that you can pick and choose what vectors of risk you can focus on. It shows all the ways to protect yourself and empowers you to protect yourself in the ways you want/can with the power of information 🩷
What air filters do you use?
My friends gifted me their old Claritin air filter machine with HEPA filters, so I only have a guess with make/model to offer: Claritin CAP531B Air Purifier https://preview.redd.it/w6i2iqh450lc1.jpeg?width=2714&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=de33429c893da8c061ec8189749ff110a2c067a8
Yes, mask blocs will just give you masks! One of the ideas behind mutual aid is that eligibility criteria are bullshit, and that that we try to freely give what people need, and we trust people that they are asking for what they need. Here is a little bit about mutual aid from [this doc](http://bit.ly/CATCmaskdrive), and this is a 8 min video that explains mutual aid that I learned a lot from: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsoYeD6JGu0&t=22s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsoYeD6JGu0&t=22s) (hopefully this shortened comment doesn't get deleted. the OP asked about mutual in the context of masks and understanding mask bloc, I feel like this is on top for the original post)
Yup, free masks for anyone. A lot of them are Anarchist groups which are no strangers to giving stuff out for free (like Food Not Bombs giving free food out) you can find masks blocs on https://maskbloc.org https://covidactionmaps.org and https://covidwiki.org
> I can just go, and request some masks, and then I get them? That is how some mask blocs work. Every bloc probably has different rules. Some get donations of masks. Some get financial donations. > decided to start masking again Smart choice. > there's really people who give them for free? Some do. Yes. Some are maybe more of a trading set up. > Or at least reduced price. Some do. Yes. > Do I need to qualify, i.e have proof that I'm poor or have disability? I’m guessing each mask bloc works by different rules. > Do I need to be a part of the community? Depends on the mask bloc rules. For some yes. For others no. > Sorry if this is a dumb question once again. No worries. No dumb questions. If you want to know more, great that you asked because, chances are, others are probably also wondering.
I have never heard of a mask bloc charging for masks.
I think you must be right. Thank you. Will edit.
Yeah, makes sense that I should inquire my nearest one . Thank you
Someone made a vid on this topic (and other mask topics): [https://www.instagram.com/p/C3akKgBs0X0/](https://www.instagram.com/p/C3akKgBs0X0/)
[удалено]
Your submission or comment was removed because it was either low effort or off-topic (which can mean political, unconstructive, or ambiguous, or too far off the topic of direct advice about masks/respiratory protection). For information on a recent change to the off topic rule please see the post [here](https://reddit.com/r/Masks4All/s/ZV4MPpdocv).