CDC Director: Masks are ‘the most important, powerful public health tool we have’

‘The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention again urged Americans during a Wednesday Senate hearing to wear face masks, in contrast to President Donald Trump’s lax attitude. “These face masks are the most important, powerful public health tool we have. ... If we did it for six, eight, 10, 12 weeks, we would bring this pandemic under control,” Robert Redfield said. “We have clear scientific evidence they work.” 

‘He added that it was unlikely that a vaccine would be available to the general public until mid-late 2021. This comes as the federal government rolls out a COVID-19 vaccine plan, aiming to make the vaccine free to all Americans. Trump publicly slapped down Redfield later, saying he was wrong about a vaccine timeline and the effectiveness of masks.’

Read here (Huffington Post, Sept 16, 2020)

Meet the generation changed by lockdown

“We should not trivialize [teenagers’] stressors or grief in the context of the larger issues playing out during this pandemic,” Beth Marshall, associate director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Adolescent Health, said during a Johns Hopkins faculty roundtable in May. “Their grief over what they are experiencing — or not getting to experience — is real.” But out of stagnation often comes transformation.

‘To be a teenager is to be in a state of constant growth and transition; to form values, priorities and plans that will affect your life for years to come. And for a generation of young adults who have seen their lives upended by a global pandemic and then witnessed their communities lit up by grassroots activism, this year might prove crucial in determining how they see the world and their home country as they grow up and gain power.’

Read here (Huffington Post, July 22, 2020)

Coronavirus is the practice run for schools. But soon comes climate change

‘By finding ways to continue learning through the pandemic, the education system will be better equipped for a future marked by severe weather emergencies... Schools are still scrambling simply to cope with the immediate coronavirus crisis and meet students’ basic needs, but the next school year could present opportunities to rethink how remote learning happens... One big step forward would be universal broadband access... Another is making sure teachers receive training on distance learning, through programs that prepare them for the profession as well as through ongoing professional development... Education systems will also have to adjust how they assess students and schools. Measures like seat time and attendance just won’t work the same way in a world facing so much disruption.’

Read here (Huffington Post, May 23, 2020)

A wave of radicalised influencers is mainstreaming Covid-19 conspiracy theories

‘A growing group of Instagram models, influencers and so-called mommy bloggers have outed themselves as coronavirus skeptics or deniers. Akin to celebrities in the eyes of their audiences — with whom they’ve built up trust over time through streams of intimate, relatable content — these women are uniquely well-positioned to open people’s minds to dubious and false information. It’s a sobering sign of far-right ideologies creeping in from the fringes of social media amid a colossal “infodemic” that’s causing real-life harm.’

Read here (Huffington Post, May 19, 2020)