Where’s your mask? You know, that single-use PPE that you used yesterday? What about the one before that, or the one from last July, or the one you had at the restaurant that night? Hard to say, right? It turns out that one of Covid’s most heinous side effects is environmental.

A recent study found that since the early days of the pandemic and up until August of this year, more than 9 million tons of Covid-specific plastic waste had been produced, and almost 30,000 tons of that has already found its way to the ocean. That number is expected to climb as the pandemic continues and the effects on all things aquatic will be long-lasting.

It’s hard to argue the need for all due protection during what is undeniably a life-threatening time but we probably should have seen this one coming.