ALT Covid safety isn’t an anxiety disorder: A diagnosis for a specific phobia in the DSM 5 requires “the fear or anxiety is out of proportion to the actual danger posed.” Fear responses are an adaptive behavior that can keep us safe. 75.4% of U.S. adults had >1 increased-risk condition (Ajufo et al., 2021). CDC defines high-risk: “racial and ethnic minority groups,” pregnant people, infants, age 65 , developmental disabilities, mood disorders, diabetes, autoimmune, etc. AMA: at least 20-30% of patients will develop LC 200 potential symptoms, across all organ systems Risk increases with each infection (Bowe et al., 2022). 70% of individuals with LC exhibited evidence of damage to at least 1 organ (Li et al., 2023). Covid shows many similarities to HIV/AIDS. It is very reasonable to take steps to avoid infection. The best way to prevent long Covid is to prevent infection. Taking precautions like masks, avoiding large gatherings & limiting time indoors are rational and proportional to risk.