Vanessa Cruz, 43, from Chicago, contracted the coronavirus in March. Already living with rheumatoid arthritis, her symptoms were severe and myriad. Along with the usual fever and cough, she had a swollen face, nausea, and crippling fatigue. In April, the breathing problems began. In isolation from her children, her only contact with a doctor was via a “telehealth visit” by phone. Her Facebook feed was full of conspiracy theories, claiming the virus was not real. 

“A lot of people in my area, especially in Illinois – they were very doubtful about it. All I would see on social media was that it was a hoax, it wasn't that serious,” she told me during a telephone call.

Then she found a sanctuary — a Facebook group that differed from many of the platform’s pseudoscience and conspiracy pages. It was full of people like her, who were also experiencing the ravages of the virus. She posted about her symptoms, people responded saying they had been through the same things. 

“I can tell you, the first time that happened to me, I believe I cried. I felt very validated. I had a huge list of symptoms, and I thought I was going crazy,” Cruz said.