CVID or, “Common variable immune deficiency” is a disease that is almost barely known to other people as only 1-25,000 people are born with said diagnosis. 

Having CIVD is rough as many would put it–especially when COVID-19 gets confused with CVID–but we CVID people or Zebra’s as doctors put us (The term Zebra comes from a quote that is, “When you hear hoof beats behind you, don’t expect a Zebra. As we are the surprise of the doctor community), struggle with sickness and illnesses much more than the average person. For example: The common cold doesn’t go away in a few days, instead the cold stays within our bodies for more than a week or so. Making it seem like we have the flu instead of the common cold because we don’t have the antibodies to fend for ourselves against the cold.

Antibodies are the cells that kill or defend against the germs that invite sickness also known as “Immunoglobulin”. We zebras don’t have much of that immunoglobulin so instead we get infused shots or an IV that gets filled every 6 weeks.

The CVID community doesn’t have the luxury of being completely and or almost safe from diseases or healing better/quickly than normal humans, thanks to our immune systems.  So I think we should have cleaner areas in cities and towns at most, a place where you can wash and clean yourself up before working or always have hand sanitizer on your person so it can prevent more sickness from spreading around.

If we don’t start cleaning up the community not only will the CVID community be affected so will the rest of the people, getting sick constantly is terrible but having areas full of germs is even worse. Little kids have weaker immunity to illness as they haven’t gotten it before we CVID people are just like those kids and even if we are a small part of the community we still matter just like those kids.