ME/CFS 2021
PPE and Awareness Action
In 2020, ME/CFS San Diego had planned a Continuing Medical Education (CME) event for our annual Awareness Action. COVID-19 forced us to reconsider and we set up an Awareness Action with help from wonderful volunteers and donors which provided thousands with ME/CFS-themed PPE with informational flyers. Because COVID-19 is still very much a world-wide pandemic, ME/CFS San Diego is going to keep going with providing ME/CFS-themed PPE with priority to healthcare workers.
"Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) is a systemic neuroimmune condition characterized by post-exertional malaise (a reduction in functioning and a severe worsening of symptoms after even minimal exertion). It causes dysregulation of the immune, nervous, and energy metabolism systems. It is often triggered in susceptible people after viral infections." (https://www.meaction.net/about/what-is-me/) Currently, there are no cures or medical therapies to treat ME/CFS and only about 5% of people ever recover.
Alarmingly, medical professionals predict an increase in the number of people disabled by ME/CFS will increase in with new cases as a result of COVID-19. (https://solvecfs.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/COVID19-MECFS_Sci_Review.pdf ) We already have an estimated 2.5 million Americans and 17 million people worldwide struggling with this complex, painful neuroimmune disorder.
ME/CFS San Diego is committed to raising awareness of ME/CFS and, at the same time, providing PPE (masks and caps) with priority to healthcare workers. A local company, BBD Embroidery,has generously offered to print our ME/CFS design. With the support of the community, our ME/CFS San Diego visibility action will provide thousands of masks with priority for healthcare workers while simultaneously bringing much needed awareness to ME/CFS.
Come see our wonderful volunteers!
Resources
If you are with a healthcare organization and are interested in receiving ME/CFS Awareness-themed masks and caps, please fill our our PPE Request form.
To request mask or scrub cap kits for sewing, please fill out our Sewing Kit form. Volunteers from the San Diego area are invited to join our ME/CFS 2020 PPE and Awareness Action Facebook group.
If you have ME/CFS (or are a caretaker of someone with ME/CFS) from the San Diego area, please apply to join ME/CFS San Diego's facebook group.
Please consider donating to help us provide ME/CFS Awareness- themed PPE with priority for healthcare workers.
