I had a full-blown freak-out on the phone with my sister last night while talking about thanksgiving plans. I said some nasty shit that I didn't mean, but it was an emotional wake-up call that I want to try to explain here on twitter. (1/10)

cases are rising everywhere in the U.S. hospitals are now overwhelmed in the midwest, yes, but we are *all* seeing this surge. I would not be surprised if we hit 200k new cases in a day this week or next week, and that kind of record takes increases *everywhere*. (2/10)

I know these numbers because I am living inside these numbers. I've been doing data entry shifts since April; I've been watching the figures in every state rise, and fall, and rise, and rise, and rise. I like this work. I like being useful -- (3/10)

-- and I like contributing to our national understanding of the pandemic. but the numbers take a toll on you. 131k new cases is 131k people. thousands of families, thousands of communities. many of whom will die or become irreparably marked by this disease. (4/10)

so much loss is coming in the next few weeks, on a level that seems incomprehensible. and yet, the pandemic headlines are buried past the election news. people go to restaurants, to gyms, to football games. the supervisor at my poll site won't keep his mask on. (5/10)

my cousin goes on a vacation across the country. my roommates' offices are open. my dad calls me ridiculous for worrying about his health. it feels like I'm being gaslit by a nation that doesn't see the tragedy around us. (6/10)

I am no public health official, of course, I'm just a journalist. but I need people to understand that this pandemic is hitting our country harder than it ever has. it is a real problem, and we need to *care* about it. we need to care about *each other.* (7/10)

take a moment and think about how scared you were in March. think about how you spoke to your family, donated to mutual aid funds, watched the numbers in your community. can you do that again? can you be that careful, that caring? (8/10)

I am an optimist, despite the fact that my job since March has been reporting on tragedy. I believe that people can keep each other safe, as we've been shouting in the streets all summer. I just need all of you to believe it with me. (9/10)

I am gonna end this thread with some resources on holiday safety. if you have questions, my DMs (and newsletter comment sections) are open. (10/10)
- https://sites.bu.edu/covid-corps/covid-holidays/
- https://www.popsci.com/story/health/thanksgiving-holiday-safe-covid/
- https://elemental.medium.com/new-science-suggests-how-to-shorten-quarantine-7cad61243428?gi=83d40bb3c4b1
- https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-minimize-covid-risk-and-enjoy-the-holidays/