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Patient Advocacy Groups Press CDC to Implement Inclusive COVID-19 Isolation and Prevention Guidelines

CDC Engages in Discussion on How to Protect High-Risk Communities with Pan End It!, MaskTogetherAmerica and Long COVID Justice

Leaders of Pan End It!, MaskTogetherAmerica, and Long COVID Justice met recently with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials to discuss urgent recommendations on COVID-19 isolation and prevention guidelines. In our meeting and letters to the CDC, we expressed deep concerns about the CDC’s March 2024 Respiratory Virus Guidance which has abandoned most recommendations for isolation, testing, and masking. We stressed that a science-based strategy is vital to protect people who are disabled, immunocompromised, or otherwise medically vulnerable; workers; students; and everyone (in recognition that Long COVID is common among people with no specific prior vulnerabilities). Together, we will continue to demand that the CDC set appropriate recommendations in light of recent infection levels, including the growth of H5N1, and establish a better foundation for public health in the future. Read our joint press release.

Read the Press Release

Nassau County Mask Ban Advances in New York

The Mask Transparency Act would be the first mask ban in NY since the pandemic, but we don’t have to give up!

The Nassau County Mask Ban in New York, which would set fines for masking at up to $1000, has advanced. If the Mask Transparency Act is passed, it will become the first mask ban in NY since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Candice Ferrette covered the legislation for Newsday. Ferrette included a quote from MaskTogetherAmerica advisor, Dr. Angelique Corthals, a biomedical researcher and professor at John Jay College, who explained that “banning masks is not actually an efficient crime-fighting tool” and pointed out that sunglasses do more to conceal identity than health-related masks.

It’s not too late to fight back and there’s lots you can do! Vacationers who travel to the area can reach out to Nassau County Tourism and share concerns about the unwelcoming signal this sends to high-risk visitors. Those already in the area can attend the The Nassau Mask Ban Hearing on 08/05 where the Nassau County Legislature will vote on the Mask Transparency Act.

Please see our Action Toolkit to speak up and stay informed! Our toolkit has even more ways to fight back and get involved, including open letters to sign, ways to contact government officials, and more!

Action Toolkit

Airborne Aerosols 1O1 Expert Forum

Don’t miss MaskTogetherAmerica’s upcoming expert forum to learn about the importance of clean air

MaskTogetherAmerica will hold a free expert forum on July 25th from 6pm to 9pm EDT. The forum will discuss airborne aerosols, COVID infection, and how to stay safe.

6:00pm: Dr. Allen Haddrell, Aerosol scientist from Bristol University Ambient CO2 concentration correlates with SARS-CoV-2 aerostability and infection risk. A risk analysis discussion.

7:00pm: Dr. Angelique Corthals, SARS-CoV-2 Biomedical Researcher and Associate Prof. at City University of New YorkHow to protect each other from common airborne diseases? A pandemic response discussion.

8:00pm: Aaron Collins, Mechanical Engineer with a background in aerosol science Let's clear the air on COVID: A clean air discussion (3rd Round)

Registration for this free event is now open!

Here are links recording of the event for those unable to attend on Facebook and YouTube.

Watch on Facebook    Watch on YouTube

USA TODAY ARTICLE ON MASK BANS

MaskTogetherAmerica Founder Julie Lam spoke with USA TODAY about the danger of mask ban legislation

Eduardo Cuevas interviewed MaskTogetherAmerica founder Julie Lam for this USA TODAY article about the mask bans popping up around the US. The article raises concerns about the serious implications of mask bans being initiated by leaders in states like NC, CA, NY, and IL – even from Democrats!

Julie is deeply concerned about infection control, health equity, and civil rights and realizes the risk that mask bans pose in all those areas. In the article, Julie tells Cuevas she doesn’t need anyone other than her doctor telling her how to protect her health and that it is nobody else’s business, especially not the police. It’s a free speech issue, a civil rights issue, and a public health issue!

As Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University states in the article, the last thing we want is to “inhibit one of the options that public health has to reduce the impact of pandemics in our population.”

Be sure to read the entire USA TODAY article here.

View the Article

Forbes Covers Recent Mask Bans

MaskTogetherAmerica founder Julie Lam was featured in Forbes article about the mask bans sweeping the US

MaskTogetherAmerica founder, Julie Lam, was mentioned in this fantastic Forbes’ article by Dr. Judy Stone on July 10th. The article is a powerful pushback to the anti-mask bills cropping up around the US. Dr. Stone recognizes Julie as a “tireless advocate for masking and protecting immunocompromised people” and includes information about our action toolkit and letter campaign to government officials!

Dr. Stone’s article warns about the danger of spreading COVlD-19 while government officials fight to restrict lifesaving mitigation tools rather than actually promote mitigation.

We really wish our elected officials would fight to provide free tests, mitigation tools, paid sick leave, and clean indoor air! We wish they’d fight for our health and our future. But we’re grateful for the journalists covering these issues when our leaders do not!

Check out the full Forbes’ article here.

Read the Article

Stop Mask Bans

MaskTogetherAmerica Creates Letter Campaign and Action Toolkit to Tell Officials to Stop Mask Bans as COVID-19 cases rise in the U.S.

MaskTogetherAmerica has started a letter campaign and Action Toolkit to fight the mask bans cropping up around the country. Instead of uniting to beat a rapidly mutating virus that continues to claim lives and disable even the young and healthy, politicians are misusing their power to ban masks, claiming masks can conceal the identities of criminals. Mask bans won’t stop crime, but they WILL further erode our country’s ability to stop contagious disease!

The United States should have normalized masking after the flu pandemic of 1918. Imagine how many lives and livelihoods might have been saved had Americans known to wear a mask when COVID began. It’s time to move forward – not back. We are in a summer surge for COVID-19. Mask bans are not only a step in the wrong direction. Mask bans are disability injustice, blatant discrimination, and a violation of human rights!

Let’s defend our right to mask protection! Click here to tell U.S. officials to prohibit mask bans and provide mitigation tools instead. Use our Action Toolkit to speak up and stay informed!

Send a Letter    Action Toolkit

Julie Lam and Natalie Bencivenga Talk About "Mask Together America" (6/22/24)

MaskTogetherAmerica Founder Julie Lam joins Natalie Bencivenga on KDKA radio on her new show, “In Conversation with Natalie Bencivenga,” to talk about #StopMaskBans, Long COVID, Test2Treat and health equity.

Their captivating discussion was LIVE on KDKA radio (100.1 FM /1020 AM) 6/22/24, now available on demand. Listen here.

Listen Here

MaskTogetherAmerica Writes to NIH to Restore Life-Saving Test2Treat Program and Receives Support from Numerous Organizations

You can show your own support by signing our letter!

MaskTogetherAmerica has written a letter to NIH Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, urging the NIH to restore the Home Test to Treat program and make it permanent. The program was designed to reduce disparities for at-risk populations by offering free tests, telehealth, and treatment for both COVlD and flu. It enabled people who are uninsured, or have Medicaid, Medicare, Indian Health Service or VA coverage to enroll for free tests, then obtain free treatment without ever leaving home. The program also allowed anyone positive to access free treatment, even if insured with a private plan. Yet it ended in April, 2024 – despite 100 million people being eligible!

This year alone, COVID killed over tweny six thousand Americans and resulted in two hundred sixty five thousand hospitalizations. Long Covid is negatively impacting the health of an estimated 22 million Americans, including 5.8 million children. If our government is serious about reducing deaths and preventing Long Covid, Home Test to Treat should be restored, promoted, and expanded as a critical layer of public health protection for all!

Please join MaskTogetherAmerica and our co-sponsors by signing this letter and telling the NIH to restore Home Test to Treat. This program saves lives, so let’s fight for it!

Sign the Letter

MaskTogetherAmerica Founder Julie Lam featured on PBS NewsHour

PBS News Covers the Plight of Those Left Behind in the Move to “Move On” from COVID

Sixty one million adults in the US are living with a disability. CDC is aware of this, yet it dropped isolation for infected patients, making public spaces, schools, and workplaces unsafe and inaccessible. PBS gave some of those 61 million adults a chance to speak out!

Andrew Corkery featured MaskTogetherAmerica founder Julie Lam and other disabled and immunocompromised people in a recent segment of PBS NewsHour. Julie and fellow community members opened up about the struggles they face trying to avoid COVID, what it feels like to be left behind, and what those around them can do to help.

We hope the PBS story will inspire more people to protect each other and support awareness. It’s up to us to care about other people!

MTA shared the PBS broadcast, combining a clip of the introduction and the last section on Instagram and Facebook. You can view our video on Facebook or Instagram.

Go here to watch the full recording!

Watch the Video

Expert Q&A on How We Prepare for H5N1, Measles and COVID, May 9, 2024

At MaskTogetherAmerica’s Expert Q&A on May 9th, biomedical researcher and epidemiologist Dr. Angelique Corthals shared her recommendations on how to prepare for H5N1, Measles, and COVID-19, hosted by MaskTogetherAmerica coordinator Sarah Cahill and Founder Julie Lam. Watch on YouTube.

Watch on YouTube

Forbes Reports on Government Plan to End Test2Treat Program and MaskTogetherAmerica’s Fight to Stop Them

Forbes Senior Contributor Dr. Judy Stone exposes the dangers of losing yet another tool in the COVID toolbox

A recent article in Forbes covers our government’s plans to shutter its national Home Test2Treat program. In the article, senior contributor and infectious disease specialist Dr. Judy Stone highlights the implications of losing the program and MaskTogetherAmerica’s fight to save it.

Dr. Stone reports that 63K people, mostly uninsured or underinsured, have enrolled in the program. She interviews real people to uncover the barriers they faced trying to obtain timely testing and treatment and the role Test2Treat played in helping them access life-saving care.

Dr. Stone points out since the program was part of the government’s intent to “reduce disparities for those underserved and vulnerable populations who are disproportionately affected by” COVID, dropping the program is a strange way of demonstrating commitment to that goal.

Test2Treat should be expanded, yet our government plans to shut it down by April 16. We can’t fight COVID by taking away the tools! We must speak up! Write to leaders here!

Write to Leaders Here

MaskTogetherAmerica on Conversations with Dawn Karima

“Let’s save Home Test to Treat. Please write to your government officials on ME Action Network Founder Julie Lam was interviewed on “Conversations with Dawn Karima.” Dr. Karima and Julie had a terrific talk about sickness prevention and Julie urged everyone to help save Test2Treat.org. This program provides FREE tests, telehealth service and treatments for COVlD and Flu. Dr. Dawn Karima is an indigenous artist and scholar who has won many awards including a NAMMY and a Global Music Award. When she heard that Test2Treat will close 4/16.

Dr. Karima invited Julie to her podcast a second time. This interview was featured on Talktainment Radio and Spotify.

Listen on Spotify.

Listen on Talktainment Radio.

MaskTogetherAmerica also posted a reel on Instagram.

Listen on Spotify    Listen on Talktainment Radio