Greetings, public health PHANs! We hope you're having a healthy and safe February so far. This is our monthly newsletter for February 27, 2026, with some updates on our work, highlights of Long COVID Awareness Month events in March, plus news and articles about COVID, other airborne pathogens, and clean air. We're developing some great software tools, hosting twice monthly public Zoom meetings, producing a podcast, and making connections with people around the world. 

 

You can manage your subscriptions from the “manage preferences” link at the bottom of this email. You can support us by liking, sharing, and commenting on our social media posts on Bluesky, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. 

A call for proposals that will make a difference for Reducing Airborne pathogens

We're excited to announce that we are issuing a call for proposals that will make a difference with reducing airborne pathogens. We're inviting proposals for high impact projects designed to produce measurable and verifiable reductions in indoor airborne pathogen transmission. Respiratory pathogens such as COVID 19, flu, RSV, and other airborne threats continue to expose structural weaknesses in indoor air systems across schools, workplaces, healthcare facilities, and congregate environments.

 

This Request for Proposal seeks implementable, scalable interventions that directly reduce measurable transmission risk. We are focused on solutions that move beyond guidance and recommendations and instead create operational change with documented outcomes.

 

All selected projects must deliver a deployable prototype or implementation in 2026 and demonstrate measurable impact in 2027. For purposes of this RFP, 'prototype' refers broadly to a functional, deployable implementation appropriate to the proposed solution.

The deadline for submissions is March 31st, 2026. 

 

You can read our blog post for why we're doing this, and you can read the full request and submit proposals on our Request for Proposals page. Questions about the proposals process can be sent to proposals@phan.global.

 

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The recording of our recent Zoom discussion on Sunday, Feb 22, 2026, which we co-hosted with the good folks at Air Support Project on the topic of COVID and cancer, is now up on YouTube. Ruth Brooker of Clean Air for Kids UK spoke about her personal experience with one of her children developing leukemia just before the pandemic, and the struggles and successes her family has had with getting him treatment safely and keeping him safe in her hometown of Bristol. Arijit Chakravarty, a pharmaceutical researcher by day and wonderful COVID educator and advocate by night, discussed some of the science around the intersection of COVID and cancer. You can see more videos from Arijit about COVID and cancer on his YouTube channel. We loved chatting with both of them and we're grateful to everyone who tuned in.

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We're co-hosting two Zoom discussions in March on Long COVID with the folks from Air Support Project. The first event will be on March 5, when we'll have a discussion about living with Long COVID, with Long COVID survivors Becky Ancira Robertson and Amanda Finley. Becky is a founding member of Mask Together America, and Amanda started and moderates the COVID-19 Long Haulers Discussion Group on Facebook, with over 17,000 members. Becky is also a moderator in the group. The group now has over 100 countries represented and hosts regular town halls on a variety of subjects related to COVID and disability. Both Amanda and Becky are “long haulers”, i.e. they became infected with COVID in 2020 and have had to live with all the issues it causes for nearly six years. They'll talk about how Long COVID has affected them, what they've done about it, and what keeps them going. The discussion will take place at 12 noon ET / 5pm GMT. Registration is required and you'll need a Zoom account in order to register.

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Then on Thursday, March 19, we'll host a discussion on Long COVID and Young Adults, with guest speakers Ariana Zwern and Marisa Swanson, both of whom were infected by COVID in their early 20s and are now virtually disabled by it, before their adult lives have really even begun. They'll talk about how Long COVID has affected them, what they've done about it, and what keeps them going. The event takes place at 12 noon ET / 5pm GMT. Registration is required and you'll need a Zoom account in order to register.

Makers' Spotlight!

Chris Covell is a creator and Long COVID survivor who makes wonderfully cheeky and bold art related to Long COVID. We are delighted that for the rest of February and all of March, he's donating a portion of his profits from his store to PHAN! You can check out his Instagram account for his store and purchase any of his Long COVID and other designs on his website. 

It's bingo time! To round out Black History Month, the Black Long COVID Experience is hosting a Black Long COVID Bingo event on Saturday, February 28 as a fundraiser. Purchase and download up to three bingo cards in advance, then at 3pm ET, watch a recording on their website of bingo squares being picked. The first person to reply with “BINGO” on The Black Long COVID Experience's Instagram post with a bingo card will win $50, and the proceeds will help fund The Black Long COVID Experience. We were delighted to speak with the founder of The Black Long COVID Experience, Chimére L. Sweeney, earlier this month in a Zoom discussion, and we're excited about seeing the organization reach more people.

After the successful campaign by Clean Air LA and other organizations to get the city of Los Angeles to recognize March 15 as International Long COVID Awareness Day, a new petition campaign has been started to get the city of New York to also recognize March 15 as International Long COVID Awareness Day. PHAN is proud to be a designated co-sponsor of this campaign. If you're a New York resident, you can sign the petition online.

On Wednesday, March 4, 2026, Mask Together America will present Long COVID Defense Series III, 2026, 4:30pm-9pm ET. Register in advance. Guest speakers will include:

We are so grateful to Mask Together America for hosting these important forums that help educate about Long COVID and remind us of its continuing devastating effects. 

Next month, Long COVID Awareness is sponsoring two Die-in Demonstrations in their campaign to Take Action Against Long COVID. The first Die-in Demonstration will take place on March 9 at the Maryland State Capital in Annapolis, MD, at 11am, and the second will take place on March 11 at the Washington State Capital, north steps, in Olympia, WA, at 11am. Long COVID Awareness is working to get people active in fighting for Long COVID tests, treatments, and cures. Find out more at their website. 

The third and final installment of Keith Muise's story of traveling across Canada shortly after the pandemic started has been posted to our website. Keith is a tireless advocate for educating people about COVID and taking proper mitigations, and he describes several incidents in his trip from Alberta to his new home in Newfoundland where he took measures to prevent getting infected and with interacting with other people who seemed blissfully unaware that they were in the middle of a pandemic. Look for more writing and resources coming from Keith next month.

 

Ongoing Meetings

Every Saturday evening: Pandemic Pals meetings on Zoom. Every Saturday at 5 pm PT/8 pm ET, the Pandemic Collaborative hosts a Zoom call with several breakout rooms based on age groups, life situations, and special interests. Check their Google Document the day of the call for that week's Zoom link.

 

Every Saturday: The Little Zoom Writers Room hosts a weekly co-writing space open to all COVID realists. Check their welcome page for more info.

 

Every first Tuesday and third Saturday of the month: COVID Creative Coalition Sessions. Tuesdays meetings are at 6PM ET, and Saturday meetings are at 11AM ET. These will be virtual gatherings where we co-work, plan projects, center disability justice, and hold optional check-ins. Full info at Celebrate845.com/COVIDCreativeCoalition. 

 

Every Sunday: The COVID-Safe Art Collective holds an online gathering every Sunday at 4:30pm until 6pm CT for COVID-safe adults to create art or just chat and be with other aware folks. Zoom link.

 

Every Monday & Sunday: Rising Hope meetings on Zoom. Rising Hope is a community of COVID-conscious folks that meet Monday evenings, plus Sunday mornings for church services. Contact them via Reddit.

 

Daily: The World Health Network hosts COVID-aware community meetings every day. Community care starts with conversation! Their Welcome page explains how to connect with their meeting groups.

All PHAN events are listed on our Events page and can be added automatically to your calendar app of choice.

 

February 28, 2026: The Black Long COVID Experience will host a Black Long COVID Bingo Night at 3pm ET! See item above and check for more details on their website.

 

March 1, 2026: COVID Memorial Day Collective Memory and Mourning. 12 pm PT / 3pm ET. Monica K. Allen and Jenn of Forest Floor Findings will host a free showcase on Zoom, centering creators who are COVID bereaved, have Long COVID, and/or are from another most-impacted community. Creators are highly encouraged to share projects related to COVID memorialization or pandemic grief. This event is for the COVID-bereaved community, but members of the public are encouraged to attend and bear witness. Register in advance.

 

March 2, 2026: The Society for Disability Studies hosts an event at 12pm EST with advocate and researcher Deborah Lefkowitz, who will present "Navigating Disability: Living, working, and surviving financially with long COVID". A 40-minute talk will be followed by a break and 35 minute Q&A. Email any questions to admin@disstudies.org. Register in advance.
 

March 4, 2026: Mask Together America presents Long COVID Defense Series III, on Wed, March 4, 2026, 4:30pm-9pm ET. See details above.. Register in advance.

 

March 5, 2026: PHAN and Air Support Project will host a discussion on Living with Long COVID, more details in our item above. Register in advance.

 

March 9 2026: Take Action Against Long COVID Demonstration in Annapolis, MD. Die-in demonstration at the Maryland state capital in Annapolis, 11am-1pm. See details above.

 

March 11, 2026: Take Action Against Long COVID Demonstration in Olympia, WA. Die-in demonstration at the North Steps of the Washington State Capital in Olympia, WA, 11am-1pm. See details above.

 

March 15, 2026: International Long COVID Awareness Day. Events will be happening around the world.

 

March 19th, 2026: PHAN and Air Support Project will host a discussion on Long COVID in young adults. More details in our item above. Register in advance.

From the Irish Independent, February 20, 2026: Dutch gold-medallist speed skater Femke Kok, right, arriving masked to the Winter Olympic Games in Italy

February 23, 2026: US Weekly COVID update from the Pandemic Mitigation Collaborative (PMC). Transmission has increased in the South, while stable across much of the U.S. For additional data, visit the PMC Data website, and follow PMC Data author Mike Hoerger on Bluesky.

 

December 26, 2025: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of 97 million individuals shows that SARS-CoV-2 infection increases the risk of autoimmune diseases, particularly those affecting vascular and connective tissue. 

 

January 26, 2026: Moderna announced that it plans no new late-stage vaccine trials because of policy uncertainty in the United States. Moving forward, Bancel told Bloomberg that Moderna will no longer put money into late-stage vaccine studies, though it remains unclear if the CEO was speaking of all vaccines or just those for infectious diseases.

 

January 27, 2026: Patients who have had COVID are found to have increased risks of chronic rhinosinusitis, asthma, and allergic rhinitis.

 

February 16, 2026: A large population-based study from the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control suggests that COVID-19 infection is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in unvaccinated and severely ill patients, with elevated risk persisting for up to 3 years after infection.

 

February 17, 2026: COVID-19 genetic material was frequently detected in hospital air during community outbreaks, even in well-ventilated settings, according to a new study published in Respiratory Medicine.

 

February 20, 2026: A ProPublica investigation found that South Carolina doesn’t require hospitals to report when they admit patients with measles-related illnesses, and some infectious disease experts fear significant under-reporting. 

 

February 24, 2026: Measles outbreak reported in Columbus, OH. Six children under the age of 5 are sick with the measles in Columbus, according to Columbus Public Health. 

 

February 24, 2026: As measles cases climb, these nine other vaccine-preventable diseases are threatening to make a comeback. "'“Measles is the most contagious disease that we have, period,” [Katrine Wallace, an epidemiologist and adjunct assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health] said. “So as soon as we start to see measles, we know that the [vaccination] rates in that county or state are starting to drop, and so other diseases will follow on to that, but they just take longer to rip through the communities.'” Spoiler alert: the nine other vaccine-preventable diseases are pertussis (whooping cough), meningitis, polio, rotavirus, RSV, tetanus, rubella, hepatitis B, and diphtheria.

 

February 25, 2026: Avian flu has been detected in seven northern elephant seal pups in California at the Año Nuevo State Park on the central California coast. This marks the first time the disease, also known as HPAI H5N1, has been detected in marine mammals in California. The disease decimated southern elephant seals, a related species, in Argentina in 2023, killing more than 17,000 of the animals and 97% of their pups. 

 

February 25, 2026: How COVID Quietly Re-Wires the Brain. This is an excerpt in Bloomberg from a book that will be released next week called “After Covid: The Health Impacts That Will Last Generations”. It's an unfortunately titled book implying that we are somehow “post COVID”, but the excerpt is devastating and we hope that it gets seen and noticed by people who may not have been paying much attention to Long COVID. 

 

“Doctors call it Ondine’s curse—a catastrophic failure of the brain stem in which breathing no longer happens automatically, especially during sleep. It’s extremely rare, typically seen only in infants with genetic mutations or adults after severe trauma, and for a long time it wasn’t something doctors associated with viral infections…After [Avindra Nath, clinical director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke] and his team examined the brains using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging and microscopes, the problem came into focus: Tissue in regions of the brain stem that control breathing had lost neurons. The finding unsettled Nath enough that he began warning colleagues COVID might not only be damaging the lungs—it might be disrupting the brain’s control of breathing.”

on the lighter side…

Credit: Amanda Finley

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