Post by Nadica (She/Her) on Oct 29, 2024 2:21:45 GMT
Orange Is The New Black star Matt McGorry details how long COVID has 'massively impacted' his life - Published Oct 28, 2024
By Deirdre Durkan-simonds
Orange Is The New Black star Matt McGorry detailed revealed how contracting long COVID has changed his life in a vulnerable video, uploaded to Instagram.
On Monday, the 38-year-old actor revealed that over the past year and a half his life has been 'massively impacted' by the lingering illness, which has caused him to suffer from 'debilitating' fatigue, brain fog, insomnia and various other ailments.
'Long COVID is a truly f**ked up condition that I’ve been dealing with for over 1.5 years & it has massively impacted my life,' he captioned the post. 'LC can have up to 200 symptoms and can affect every organ of the body and the only way to avoid getting Long COVID, is to not get COVID at all or to limit the amount of times that you do get it.'
He continued: 'I don’t share this to scare people, but bc I now recognize that I was living in denial bc of how badly I wanted COVID to be over. I hope that you can learn from my experience.'
The New York native, known for his role as Asher Millstone in the ABC legal thriller series How to Get Away with Murder, also stressed the importance of masking in public places 'where all disabled people have to be' like medical settings, grocery stores and public transit.
McGorry noted that masking makes sense 'to protect yourself' and as an 'act of solidarity that truly matters.'
He went on to explain that it feels that society has had an apathetic reaction to 'infections that are still killing and disabling people every day' - especially the 'most vulnerable.'
Within two hours, he received more than 11,549 likes likes.
Under the post, hundreds of his 1.5 million Instagram followers expressed their condolences and sympathies.
'Thank you so much for sharing this. It’s heartbreaking to know LC got you as well but the advocacy and outreach you’re doing is so important and so invaluable. Thank you!' one wrote.
Another commented: 'I'm so proud of you for sharing and I’m so sorry this is your reality.'
'I appreciate your transparency and vulnerability, as well as the incredibly advocacy work you’ve been doing on here. Sending much love,' a third added.
Others shared their own stories battling long COVID, with one saying they still have 'some some residual symptoms' but are '80% recovered.'
Prior to raising awareness on long COVID, McGorry has been an advocate for a number of causes, including Black Lives Matter.
In 2018, he was even arrested and charged with disorderly conduct during a non-violent protest in New York.
'I wasn't scared during my arrest. For one, I know I am on the side of justice. I'm honored to share the lineage of those who have fought to make this country better by putting their lives on the line,' he said, at the time.
McGorry continued: 'Also, I am white. I have witnessed how people of color are often treated in these same situations, and I know my race would not be held against me in the forms of violence or additional abuse.'
Additionally, McGorry pointed out his status as a public figure offers him certain protections as well.
'I am a public figure and as such, I know I would not disappear into the system the way too many poor and working class folks do. These are just some of the privileges that allow me to choose to be in this situation, without having to consider a different set of possibilities that likely would have had a much more dangerous outcome.
'Without these privileges, people of color have always put their bodies on the line to advance the cause of racial justice. The determining factor of social progress is a matter of political will, determined by people who are not complacent.
'As white people, it is long overdue that we summon the courage and political will to follow the lead of people of color and show up for racial justice.'
By Deirdre Durkan-simonds
Orange Is The New Black star Matt McGorry detailed revealed how contracting long COVID has changed his life in a vulnerable video, uploaded to Instagram.
On Monday, the 38-year-old actor revealed that over the past year and a half his life has been 'massively impacted' by the lingering illness, which has caused him to suffer from 'debilitating' fatigue, brain fog, insomnia and various other ailments.
'Long COVID is a truly f**ked up condition that I’ve been dealing with for over 1.5 years & it has massively impacted my life,' he captioned the post. 'LC can have up to 200 symptoms and can affect every organ of the body and the only way to avoid getting Long COVID, is to not get COVID at all or to limit the amount of times that you do get it.'
He continued: 'I don’t share this to scare people, but bc I now recognize that I was living in denial bc of how badly I wanted COVID to be over. I hope that you can learn from my experience.'
The New York native, known for his role as Asher Millstone in the ABC legal thriller series How to Get Away with Murder, also stressed the importance of masking in public places 'where all disabled people have to be' like medical settings, grocery stores and public transit.
McGorry noted that masking makes sense 'to protect yourself' and as an 'act of solidarity that truly matters.'
He went on to explain that it feels that society has had an apathetic reaction to 'infections that are still killing and disabling people every day' - especially the 'most vulnerable.'
Within two hours, he received more than 11,549 likes likes.
Under the post, hundreds of his 1.5 million Instagram followers expressed their condolences and sympathies.
'Thank you so much for sharing this. It’s heartbreaking to know LC got you as well but the advocacy and outreach you’re doing is so important and so invaluable. Thank you!' one wrote.
Another commented: 'I'm so proud of you for sharing and I’m so sorry this is your reality.'
'I appreciate your transparency and vulnerability, as well as the incredibly advocacy work you’ve been doing on here. Sending much love,' a third added.
Others shared their own stories battling long COVID, with one saying they still have 'some some residual symptoms' but are '80% recovered.'
Prior to raising awareness on long COVID, McGorry has been an advocate for a number of causes, including Black Lives Matter.
In 2018, he was even arrested and charged with disorderly conduct during a non-violent protest in New York.
'I wasn't scared during my arrest. For one, I know I am on the side of justice. I'm honored to share the lineage of those who have fought to make this country better by putting their lives on the line,' he said, at the time.
McGorry continued: 'Also, I am white. I have witnessed how people of color are often treated in these same situations, and I know my race would not be held against me in the forms of violence or additional abuse.'
Additionally, McGorry pointed out his status as a public figure offers him certain protections as well.
'I am a public figure and as such, I know I would not disappear into the system the way too many poor and working class folks do. These are just some of the privileges that allow me to choose to be in this situation, without having to consider a different set of possibilities that likely would have had a much more dangerous outcome.
'Without these privileges, people of color have always put their bodies on the line to advance the cause of racial justice. The determining factor of social progress is a matter of political will, determined by people who are not complacent.
'As white people, it is long overdue that we summon the courage and political will to follow the lead of people of color and show up for racial justice.'