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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

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

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

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

ME Action Network Joins MaskTogetherAmerica to Save the Home Test2Treat Program

ME Action Network co-sponsors our letter campaign to US officials

The ME Action Network has joined in our fight to encourage US officials to expand the Home Test2Treat Program instead of shutting it down!

Home Test2Treat was designed for people who are uninsured, or have Medicaid, Medicare, Indian Health Service or VA coverage to get free tests then obtain free treatment without ever leaving home. The program also allowed anyone testing positive to access free treatment, even if they have insurance with a private plan. The program is set to end on April 16th and the free tests have already run out.

We’re so grateful to have ME Action Network co-sponsor our letter campaign – and we need your help, too! Click here to tell the federal government to save this life-saving program!

Inform the Government

The Test to Treat Program saves lives. Help us save it!

The U.S. government is set to end Test to Treat on April 16th, but we are fighting back

MaskTogetherAmerica knows America can’t afford to lose its Home Test to Treat program, so we created a letter campaign to fight back.

This wonderful program provides people who are uninsured or have Medicaid, Medicare, or Indian Health Service or VA coverage with FREE tests, telehealth and treatment for COVID and flu.

Enrollees are initially mailed at-home rapid tests for both COVID and flu (LUCIRA® by Pfizer COVID-19 & Flu Home Test), and they can receive antiviral treatments if eligible.

In addition, anyone in the US testing positive might be able to get free treatment! If sick, regardless of your insurance, you could get free telehealth care and at-home treatment for COVID or flu. As long as you test positive, you can receive care. BUT IT ALL ENDS April 16!

Our government has abruptly decided to shut it down! We can’t let that happen. It’s reckless to let COVID run rampant by cutting isolation, access to tests, and treatment for those who need it most.

Please join us in telling leaders to continue Test to Treat. Saving this program means saving lives!

Click here.

Click Here

Long Covid Demands Change

MaskTogetherAmerica at the Long Covid March 2024

On March 15, MaskTogetherAmerica’s Dr. Marjorie Roberts, Dr. Robi Tamargo, Julie Lam, Dr. Angelique Corthals and Dr. Linda Green spoke at the Long Covid March in Washington, D.C. They called on the US government to provide adequate funds to address Long Covid and commit to actually ending this continuing public health crisis. MaskTogetherAmerica volunteers met with lots of patients and allies at the March, many who drove across the country to get there. It felt important to represent those too ill to make it in person.

Millions of Long Haulers need our love, support, and advocacy! MaskTogetherAmerica continues to raise awareness – not just on Long Covid Awareness Day but every day. We oppose the CDC’s approach that fails to emphasize prevention, minimizes the risks of COVID, downplays isolation for infectious people, and dismisses the impact of ongoing repeat infections. We stand in solidarity with everyone devoted to ending this pandemic on Long Covid Awareness Day and beyond.

The live recording is available on YouTube. Watch our speakers in this edited video.

Media coverage of our speakers at the Long Covid rally included MedPage Today, Gray Television Washington News Bureau and the Times Union.

Watch the March    Watch the Speakers

Tell President Biden to Protect Public Health and Stop the CDC from Forcing Infection on Americans

On February 13th, 2024, media outlets like the Washington Post reported that the CDC is considering proposed guidance to eliminate the recommended 5-day isolation period for those infected with COVID-19, despite that experts acknowledge there’s been no change in the science to indicate people are any less contagious during those five days.

In response to news of these proposed changes, we wrote a letter to President Biden on February 17th, asking him to stop the CDC from forcing infection on Americans. Please follow the link or scan the QR code to tell President Biden not to support this cut in isolation!

It’s simply reckless to let the virus go unconstrained in our public transportation systems, workplaces, schools, stores, and senior community centers. The Washington Post claimed CDC’s proposed weaker isolation policy would not apply to healthcare settings “with more vulnerable populations.” But the truth is: we are ALL vulnerable to COVID and Long COVID! Another truth is that even those the CDC considers the most at risk from acute infection are not hidden away, safe and separate from everyone else – nor should they be. They’re part of society!

Learning to live with COVID shouldn’t mean simply ignoring it. We need to handle it, instead. We need paid sick leave. Cutting isolation forces people to work while sick. The CDC is ignoring a huge loss of life as well as an escalating Long Covid crisis. The President has the power to veto this cut and every letter you send shows how furious we are.

Long COVID is mass disabling Americans. Millions have been put out of work. We must end this health crisis. And you can help! The CDC will take public feedback in April, but we can’t wait to take action. We must urge the White House to veto CDC’s attempt to normalize COVID-19 and Long COVID now.

In September of 2020, Biden promised he’d do everything he could to “contain the virus.” He said at the same time, “I’ll always put your health and safety first.” Let’s tell Biden to affirm his commitment to public health and to the health of every American.

Remember that mitigation is about love, survival, and community!

Q&A Webinar featuring Akiko Iwasaki, PhD “What are the possible root causes of Long Covid?”

March 11, 4:00 PM - 4:45 PM EST

On March 11th, MaskTogetherAmerica hosted esteemed immunologist Professor Akiko Iwasaki of Yale School of Medicine in a webinar on the possible root causes of Long COVID.

Akiko Iwasaki, PhD is Sterling Professor of Immunobiology at the Yale University School of Medicine and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator since 2014. Prof. Iwasaki’s research focuses on the mechanisms of immune defense against viruses at mucosal surfaces, which are a major site of entry for infectious agents.

Prof. Iwasaki has received many awards and honors including the 2023 Else Kröner Fresenius Prize for Medical Research. She has been a leading scientific voice during the COVID-19 pandemic and is also well known for her Twitter advocacy on women and underrepresented minorities in the science and medicine fields and has been named to the 2023 STATUS list of the ultimate list of leaders in life sciences.

Prof. Iwasaki is the director of the Center for Infection and Immunity and is at the forefront of several Long COVID investigations including the Mount-Sinai Yale Long COVID study, Yale LISTEN study, and Yale Paxlovid trial.

The Expert Forum was hosted by our advisor Dr. Robi Tamargo and MaskTogetherAmerica Coordinator Sarah Cahill.

Watch the recording on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

Watch on YouTube    Watch on Facebook