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MaskTogetherAmerica Expert Forum II

Concerned about Ending the COVID-19 Emergencies? You are not alone. MaskTogetherAmerica stands with United States residents who are marginalized in this pandemic. No one gets left behind. We cannot tolerate cutting funding for research, virus surveillance, preventive measures and treatment in a country where healthcare isn't free for all.

Join our Expert Forum II

April 12, 7:00pm EST

Featuring

Dr. Dhavel Desai, MD

Dr. Jonathan Levy

Dr. Camille Clare, MD, MPH

Dr. Yaneer Bar-Yam 

Dr. Angelique Corthals

Discussion Topics:

Outcomes of removing the emergencies

Actions we can take for both activism & personal safety

How we can help end this global health crisis

If you haven’t done it, please sign and share our petition to save the Emergency Declarations.

Join the Forum    Sign the Petition

MTA EXPERT FORUM

The pandemic is not over in the U.S. We are still losing thousands of lives every week. The population of people suffering from #LongCovid is growing and exploding. May 11 is too early to terminate the national and public health emergency declarations that guarantee access to tests, shots and treatments for all.

Join MTA Expert Forum, Friday, March 10, 7:00 P.M. EST

Come chat with our speakers —

Dr. Helen Pesola Nurse Practitioner affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs Manhattan Campus

Dr. Angelique Corthals Associate Professor at John Jay College, affiliated with Doctors Without Borders MSF

Dr. Robi Tamargo Clinical Psychologist, specializes in trauma, consultant to the Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Florida

Discussion Topics:

Outcomes of removing the emergencies

Actions we can take for both activism & personal safety

How we can help end this global health crisis

Email us your questions and concerns.

Email Us

Mask Together America on CBS Chicago

Ending C19 emergencies, a.k.a. ending universal free access to tests, shots and treatments, endangers millions of Americans. CBS Chicago recognizes the immunocompromised community’s alarm, consulting UIC epidemiologist Dr. Katrine Wallace and MaskTogetherAmerica founder Julie Lam.

We’re grateful to Producer Mikayla Rose and Chris Tye, host of this news show for the shout-out. CBS’s recognition of our joint petition with Marked By Covid is a boost to our 3-year-long fight – please sign and share!

Please watch How ending COVID emergency declarations will impact Americans.

Please sign the petition.

Sign Here

Please Sign This Petition

Many thousands of people STILL become disabled every week from Long COVID. At least 15,000 Americans died from COVID during January 2023 alone. Clearly, this pandemic is still an emergency.

Sign our petition urging President Biden to extend the 2 pandemic emergency declarations and to promote comprehensive prevention. That will ensure continued access to COVID-19 tests, shots & treatment for everyone – and especially the most vulnerable people.

Sign Here

~100 million people in the U.S. are at risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 in the U.S. today!

We invite you to sign this Joint Petition Urgently Requesting Indoor Mask Requirement to Protect the Most Vulnerable Among Us

Sign here

Mask Together America: A Call to Activism

Artist and public health activist Julie Lam returns to the How Now? Podcast to share her COVID experience and to talk about her continued efforts to promote mask awareness as new variants of COVID continue to emerge. How Now? Podcast with Kim Martin-Raymond features guests from all walks of life to express their emotions and experience during the pandemic. It’s a wonderful platform that promotes learning, understanding and empowerment during this troubling time.

Watch the show.

Julie invites you to read her personal COVID story published in New York Voice on Medium: Abandoning Masks Puts >100 million Americans at Risk of Severe Illness or Death. Me included.

“I suck at this. When I get nervous, I can’t speak. But this is not the time to hold back. We are universally sick and tired of our broken healthcare system in the U.S. You can’t get sick if you are unemployed, uninsured or underinsured. You can’t stay home without paid sick leaves. Our public policies do not care about people who are immunocompromised due to fighting chronic illnesses. It’s up to us now. Protect the marginalized community that is vulnerable to severe outcomes from COVID-19 infection and reinfection and Long COVID. Share your mask selfies and stories with #masktogetheramerica. Please join us.”

Julie Lam founded MaskTogetherAmerica.org. The social media campaign was launched in May, 2020, with Julie taking masked portraits and sharing her street photography, as part of an advocacy community that has been tirelessly supporting the frontline.

Abandoning masks literally means putting 100 million people at risk of severe illness or death

Please co-sign a letter we wrote for policymakers.

COVID-19 has been among the top three causes of death in the United States for most of the last two years. If rushing to normalcy means killing and sickening millions of people, that's not normal at all. Destigmatize and normalize mask-use will save millions of lives. We need to minimize the threat of serious adverse outcomes for a huge group of people. Abandoning masks literally means putting 100 million people at risk of severe illness or death. Please co-sign a letter we wrote for policymakers.

Here is a link to facts on COVID-19 death.

View Facts

Upgrade Our Masks for Omicron

“We need to upgrade our masks for OMICRON!” said Pediatrician Dr. Clara Lee.

Dr. Lee has taken care of many children and families affected by the COVID pandemic. A mother herself, with 2 kids, 5 years old and 2 years old, Dr. Lee is also a covid survivor. She had COVID in November, 2020. Her two young children never had COVID because they are really good at wearing masks.

Dr. Lee recommends KF94 masks for adults and children. They are made in Korea of four layers of material that filter up to .4 microns. When purchasing KF94 masks, be sure to look for the KFDA and FDA clearance on the website. The masks should also display the DuPont logo.

Led by researchers from The ABC Science Collaborative at Duke Clinical Research Institute, a study published in PEDIATRICS finds Universal Masking contributed to a 72% reduction of secondary transmission of COVID, compared with optional masking.

1,112,899 students and 157,069 staff attending 61 K–12 school districts in North Carolina, Wisconsin, Missouri, California, Washington, Georgia, Tennessee, Kansas, and Texas participated in this national study.

In a peer-reviewed paper, authored by Virginia Tech Engineering Professor Linsey Marr and UCSF Infectious Disease Physician Dr. Monica Gandhi, we learn how masks, made out of multiple layers of nonwoven or tightly woven fabrics, filter out viruses that are carried in aerosols, with the amount varies depending on the fit, seal, design and the materials used.

A viral particle doesn't travel alone. It’s usually contained in larger particles of saliva, salt, and proteins, spreads from an infected person when this person exhales, sneezes or coughs. Particles less than 0.3 microns move in “Brownian motion” — a zigzag way, which explains why they are trappable by charged fibers. Not all masks provide the same level of protection. Some masks can filter smaller particles. It's important to measure the risk and choose the right masks, and we need to do this together to stop the spread. With Omicron BA.2 rising in cases, it's important to mask up in indoor environments to prevent another wave in the U.S.

The following are brands recommended by Dr. Lee:

Happy Day

Evergreen Cleantop

You and I

Good Day

Cocomong

Blue tiger

ANYGUARD

Dr.Puri

SUMFREE

Additionally, Dr. Lee also recommends Nanofiber-Based masks from Happy Masks

Can KN95 and N95 masks be reused?

Yes! But it must be done safely. Dr. Kaitlin Sundling recommends air drying your N95 or KN95 masks for 5 days and you can reuse them again.

Dr. Sundling rotates between 5-7 masks. She keeps her high filtration masks in separate brown paper bags after each use. Potential virus contamination dies off in over 5 days. Rotate your masks so that you have one available for each day.

Replace your masks if the straps break, the fit is poor, they look dirty or smell bad. In non-healthcare settings, you can safely reuse your mask for at least 40 hours of wear time.

Here is what NOT to do: Don't spray your N95 or KN95 with anything, including alcohol. Don’t wash it. Don’t bake it. Don’t do anything that will degrade the respirator filter which can capture over 95% of the particles from the air that passes through it.

Where to get your High-Quality Masks?

Beware of Counterfeit Respirators! The CDC has a page on their website which helps you identify counterfeit respirators. 60% of the KN95 masks in the market are counterfeit. A KN95 that meets an international standard, through validation by 47 authorized labs in China would be stamped with “GB2626-2019”, an accreditation scope code.

Real N95s have been inspected by NIOSH. The exterior markings should have the NIOSH logo, a TC-Approval number, including N95, the filter efficiency level.

KF94, Korean made masks, are seriously regulated, therefore, reliable. Real KF94 masks are individually wrapped inside the package that says “Made in Korea”.

Check before making your online purchase. Best to get your high quality masks from a trusted organization like Project N95 or order directly from the manufacturers including 3M, Honeywell and Demetech. You will find lots of Made-in-America masks and respirators from members of AMMA (American Mask Manufacturer's Association).

We will continue to investigate and provide more information. If you have any questions or suggestions, please let us know.

Protect your heart and brain from Long Covid

Clinical Psychologist Dr. Robi Tamargo is a long hauler who had COVID 4 times. She tells everyone to mask up because she is proof that immunity is not reliable.

A resident of Florida, Dr. Tamargo first contracted COVID on May, 7, 2020 from her patient. Then she got Delta in New York during her one-year-long participation in Long Covid studies - to seek Post Covid treatment. When she returned to Florida, she was infected with Delta a second time by her mother. After having Delta twice, she was infected with Omicron on February 1, 2022.

During her relapse over Christmas, 2021, Dr. Tamargo was diagnosed with an acute neurological disorder, Guillain Barré Syndrome, and lost her mobility. Today, she still cannot lift her body up, after 40 days of hospital care, even though she is severely underweight. With over a month of testing and treatment, the team of doctors have yet to figure out how to treat her blood clots or protect her from the next episodes of attacks since her white blood cell count remains dangerously low.

In an effort to unveil the truth about COVID-19, Dr. Tamargo has been sharing her prolonged suffering. Upon returning home from Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital, she was interviewed by Kate Amara from WBAL TV and Will Stone from NPR.

Aired on February 17, 2022, the WBALTV interview gave Dr. Tamargo a stage to talk about her COVID-induced sleeping disorder. With Insomnia and Malignant Wakefulness, Dr. Tamargo requires four medications, just so she can sleep with oxygen, a CPAP and a sleep apnea oral appliance for 6 hours each night. Her experience helps validate a study that shows COVID survivors 46% more likely to be diagnosed with mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, substance misuse, cognitive impairment, PTSD, insomnia and suicidal thoughts. Dr. Tamargo strongly supports experts’ call to make mental health care resources accessible to Covid-19 survivors.

Aired on February 23, 2022, the NPR interview allowed Dr. Tamargo to retell her battle starting with a blood clot in her brain, which soon developed into a serious heart condition called atrial fibrillation. Whenever her heart acted up, the cardiac monitor stuck to her chest would ask her to get to the hospital.

Besides inflicting damage to her heart and brain, COVID has also ruined Dr. Tamargo’s immune system, gut, kidneys, voice and now her mobility. Once an athlete, healthy and active, she is now home-bound, relying on her caretakers and a cabinet of medicine to survive.

Dr. Tamargo’s doctors ask her to wear a surgical mask over an N95 even at home. Anyone around her is required to wear a mask. Dr. Tamargo is grateful to mask wearers because their action provides a wall of protection for people like her.

Mask Recommendations for Children

Children can get COVID-19 and infect others. They are also susceptible to long term health issues due to Long Covid.

Hospitalizations have risen sharply for children, especially newborns. It’s not just because the little ones can’t receive the vaccines. “The omicron variant attacks the airways more than the lungs, and younger children have smaller airways,” Dr. Andrew Pavia, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist with Primary Children’s Hospital explained. “Children develop a croup-like cough. Children under 2 cannot wear masks or get a COVID-19 vaccine. We need to mask up around infants and young children to protect them.”

As of Feb. 17, 2022, over 12.5 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic. Reported by American Academy of Pediatrics, COVID-19 cases among children have spiked dramatically in 2022 during the Omicron variant surge; over 4.6 million child cases have been reported since the beginning of January.

In the State-Level Data Report on AAP.ORG, a message urges medical providers to collect more age-specific data to assess the severity of illness related to new variants as well as potential longer-term effects. We need to identify and address the immediate effects on children’s health and the long-lasting impacts on their physical, mental, and social well-being.

Additionally, parents should be aware of MIS-C. Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children is a COVID complication that occurs two to eight weeks after an infection or exposure to SAR-CoV-2. In addition to ongoing fever, dizziness, bloodshot eyes, stomachache, rash, diarrhea, vomiting are key symptoms. Children showing these signs should be medically evaluated. Early treatments will prevent hospitalizations and deaths

MIS-C is serious. Since mid-May, 2020, the CDC has been tracking MIS-C cases. As of January 31, 2022, the CDC reported 6,851 cases and 59 children have succumbed to this illness. 98% had tested positive for COVID-19. Over 40% of the cases were in the age group 5-11.

A CDC study found that two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had a 91% effectiveness rate against MIS-C. To protect children from MIS-C, it’s critical to stop the spread. Face masks and respirators have been proven to lower the risk of infection. A CDC study shows respirators superior to cloth masks in filtering virus-sized particles. Children 2 and up are recommended to wear a mask indoors in public.