Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

We don't have a natural ability to infer emotions from body language, for a start. We have to learn to actively pay attention to it. Replacing natural instinct that a neurotypical person has with an active thought process is tiring, for a start.

Add to that most ASD people have trouble with emotional control, need to actively think about their own facial expressions, and often have social quirks that are unacceptable like nail biting which must be actively repressed... and being around others for hours on end is exhausting.

On top of this, most ASD people also have ADHD, and in the modern open office environment between the social aspect and never ending barrage of distraction, and the workplace is hostile, actively hostile to folks with ASD.

This combination of factors leads to having no where to unmask and relax until they get home. When they do, they are so exhausted from being something they are not for 10 hours (commute has to be included as its all public space) that when they get home they just shut down. They don't call family or friends usually, they don't get things around the house done. They have to turn off and try to re-energize themselves for doing it all again tomorrow.

I know all this as I am ASD and ADHD

Being able to work from home has brought actual balance to our lives as we can unmask the moment the camera goes off, we have rooms at home where we can close the door and remove distractions (well except mandatory work chats, but its a matter of muting that for focus) and at the end of the day we still have energy for our actual lives. In other words, this is the true work-life balance that I had always heard of but never truly felt I had.

That happens to almost anyone on a long enough timeline. You have to let yourself be uncomfortable while you rebuild those social skills.

I miss having free time without the impending pressure to do things.

now find it completely weird and disorienting to deal with people in public now.

This is what I've been hearing (and experienced). And that it's not a preference, it's more that the nervous system has struggled to recalibrate; or there was not enough opportunity for it to do so and that has led to a feedback loop

Currently seeing some decent effects from low dose naltrexon, although it seems to shift my energy more than it increases it. The further I'm from having taken my daily (evening) dose the better i feel, but in the mornings I'm extra tired and can't really focus my eyesight.

But it's hard to separate the side effects from the multiple other treatments I'm building the dosages for.

I got really lucky to get the right expert as my new doctor, since the upcoming clinic would only treat about 1000 patients a year with an estimated 60k waiting for treatment.

"he means the ones just staying at home. Not the ones covid killed. "

as far as I can tell, yes.

you call people killed by covid "those left behind"?

I hope we continue to manufacture vaccines in the future, rather than e.g. outlaw them. I wonder what would happen if government research into which strains are most prominent (needed to make the vaccines every year/season) were to be halted? Private companies may have to pick up the slack, like maybe you'll get your choice of a Google vs. Microsoft vs. Apple vs. Facebook vaccine? Maybe, if every accusation really is a confession, this time there really will be trackers embedded in them?

I say all that to emphasize that what "we" (all) know is in flux - e.g. if you were to ask RFK what he knows vs. the common man on the street vs. a scientist - and what will happen is heavily dependent upon the current status quo remaining in place. Which seems unlikely.

But maybe RFK will say something to anger Trump and be gone in a week or two, like so many before him. Who knows?