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Behind the mask is Dr. Asher Williams (@dr_asherwilliams_), Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at Columbia University. Read the interview that Mask Together America did with Dr. Asher.

Monthly Newsletter, June 26, 2026

Greetings, public health PHANs! We hope you're having a healthy and safe June so far. 

 

As we mark the end of Pride Month, we want to extend our love and friendship to those in the LGBTQ communities. Pride is about recognizing the humanity in everyone, sharing love, and fighting for everyone's dignity and right to a happy and healthy life. PHAN celebrates love and community care, and we stand in solidarity with our LGBTQ friends.

 

This week we have news of an upcoming Zoom discussion on Sunday, June 28 about the precautionary principle; another Zoom discussion on Thursday, July 2 about long COVID in kids and accessibility issues for those children; our most recent podcast episode with long COVID patient and advocate Adam Van Bavel; a spotlight on a COVID-safe summer camp hosted by Boston Private Tutors; events related to COVID and clean air; and news about COVID, other airborne pathogens, and clean air. 

 

If you have news or events that you think would be useful for our newsletter, or just feedback on the newsletter or PHAN's work, email us at info@phan.global. We would love to hear what you think!

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On Sunday, June 28 at 7:30pm ET, PHAN and Air Support Project will present a live Zoom discussion: “Precautionary Principle”. We'll discuss what it is, how it came into practice, and how it's been virtually abandoned by the healthcare community and by many government public health agencies. Our guest speakers will be Sarah Masih, MBA, MD, executive director of Air Support Project, and Dr. Jonathan Howard, author of We Want Them Infected, the story of how several public health speakers gained power by discarding the precautionary principle. Register in advance. You'll need a free Zoom account in order to register. This event will be recorded and we'll make it available on our YouTube channel.

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We're very pleased to announce that on July 2nd, we'll co-host a Zoom discussion along with Air Support Project about long COVID in kids and issues around accessibility for learning for those children. Our special guest speaker will be Megan Carmilani, founder and president of Long Covid Families. Megan also serves as a voting member of the NIH RECOVER Pediatric Coordinating Committee and contributes to the RECOVER Community Engagement Group to make sure families are able to help shape national research. She'll talk about how kids and families are being affected by long COVID, how families with children with long COVID can make their kids' education and activities safe and accessible, and what resources are available for them. Register in advance. You'll need a Zoom account in order to register. This event will be recorded and we'll make it available on our YouTube channel.

We're podcasting! Our third episode with long COVID advocate Adam Van Bavel is available on YouTube and Spotify.

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Our latest podcast episode with noted long COVID advocate Adam Van Bavel is now available on YouTube and Spotify. Adam is a fierce advocate for long COVID patients and the founder of Maryland Indoor Air Quality Advocates, an organization working for clean air in schools in Maryland. We talked at length about his Long COVID journey and struggles, and how he's working to improve indoor air quality in Maryland schools.  

 

Our second episode of Breathe This is also available on YouTube and Spotify, with our guest Dr. Jonathan Howard, physician and author of We Want Them Infected and Everyone Else is Lying to You. We talked about his experience at Bellevue Hospital in New York City when COVID first hit the U.S., and about his documentation of the disinformation about public health that has run rampant. 

Boston Private Tutors hosting a COVID-safe summer camp July 13-17 in Framingham, MA

Boston Private Tutors will host an in-person, mask-required summer camp for COVID-cautious youth ages 6+, July 13-17 in Framingham, MA called “Build, Be Bold, and Belong". This program is built around the idea that kids deserve both safety and connection, and it is designed to give kids a place to connect, create, try new things, build confidence, and feel like they truly belong without giving up the precautions that matter to their families. Campers will spend the week building, creating, playing games, doing STEM projects, exploring theater and arts, practicing teamwork, and connecting with other kids who still take COVID precautions seriously. High-filtration masks are required. 

 

Boston Private Tutors was founded by MIT engineer and educator Stephanie Schmit. She lives with chronic illness and deeply understands the need for community that prioritizes safety. Building COVID-safe spaces where children can learn, socialize, and thrive has become her life's work.

Registration for the summer camp closes June 28 and a few spots are still available, including financial aid and sliding scale options. Learn more and register here. They'll host a question and answer session on Zoom this Saturday, June 27, at 1:15 pm ET.
Register for the Q&A session.  If you have any questions, email Stephanie at stephanie@bostonprivatetutors.com

 

June 28, 2026: PHAN and Air Support Project present a live Zoom discussion: “The Precautionary Principle”. See item above.

 

June 29, 2026: WHN will host “Clean Air Panel Discussion 2: Safer Schools” from 11 AM to 1 PM ET, where you can hear from a panel of experts working to improve air quality in educational settings. Learn why clean air in schools matters, what solutions are available today, and how we can create healthier learning environments for students, educators, staff, and families in the future. Guest speakers include: Ruth Brooker, founder and director of Clean Air for Kids UK; Liesl McConchie, education and brain science advocate in California; Lisa Greenfield, Midwest regional program manager for the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council; and Mary Jo Nabuurs, spokesperson for Ontario School Safety. Register in advance.

 

July 2, 2026: PHAN and Air Support Project present a live Zoom discussion: “Long COVID in Kids and Accessibility”. See item above.

South Bay Masked Events hosts an in-person masked hangout 

on the last Saturday of every month in Los Gatos, CA

Once a month, airborne-aware folks in the South Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area meet at 15980 Blossom Hill Rd in Los Gatos for games, puzzles, coloring, and socializing. Email SouthBayMaskedEvents@gmail.com for details and to be added to the mailing list.

 

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.

 

Every Monday & Sunday: Rising Hope meetings on Zoom

Rising Hope is a community of COVID-conscious supporters that meet Monday evenings, plus Sunday mornings for church services. Contact them via Reddit.

 

WHN hosts weekly Zoom “Kids' Connect Zone” meetings on Tuesdays and Sundays for kids, teens, and families who want to connect through COVID-conscious activities, games, and discussions. Find out more at the WHN website.
 

Join Celebrate845 on Zoom for COVID Creative Coalition community meetings on Saturdays at 11AM ET. No artistic experience required. Great for visual artists, writers, graphic designers, or those interested in Street Team efforts. “Non-Hudson Valley supporters are welcomed to attend, connect & get inspired, but we'll be centering building our efforts in the HV. We are down to host breakout rooms by locale!” More info at Celebrate845.com/COVIDCreativeCoalition. 

 

Every Saturday: 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.

 

The organizers at The Little Zoom Writers Room host a weekly co-writing space open to all COVID realists. Check their welcome page for more info or their account on Instagram.

 

The COVID-Safe Art Collective holds an online gathering every Sunday at 2:30pm PT / 4:30pm CT / 5:30pm ET until 4pm PT / 6pm CT / 8pm ET for COVID-safe adults to create art or just chat and be with other aware people. Check their Instagram bio for the current Zoom link.

Singer/songwriter phytocene will host a mask-requested in-person and online album release party and concert in Paris on June 25

Ongoing weekly online open-mic events with Nina Wildflower: Ben Collins, who performs as Nina Wildflower, hosts a weekly online open mic for COVID-informed performers. Each show has a designated theme but all themes are optional, as they are just a way to keep things interesting for regular performers. If you play one song that is on-theme, then you are on-theme! He's hosting these performances via the Facebook group "Still Coviding - Virtual Meetups" (private group, apply for membership). Sign up for weekly emails at ninawildflower@yahoo.com.

 

Weekly COVID-safe events in the Bay Area: Every week, the CSL3 Patreon page publishes a list of COVID-safe events and performances in the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

Every month in San Francisco: SF Neo-Futurists hosts Infinite Wrench mask-required performances on the first Saturday of each month. Infinite Wrench is a set of 30 plays in 60 minutes, new plays every week. While audience members will be required to stay masked throughout the show, performers may invite select audience members to unmask for plays that involve audience participation. All performers test weekly for COVID-19 and extra masks will be available for those who need them. Upcoming masked shows: June 6, August 1, Sept 5, Oct 3, Nov 7.

 

June 30, 2026: The Sick Times will host a Pride event, “Virtual Pride with The Sick Times” at 5pm PT/8pm ET. This virtual variety show, hosted by Sick Times writer Khalil Dennis, will feature drag artists and other performers with Long COVID. While many in-person events aren’t accessible to people with Long COVID and related diseases and disabilities, join The Sick Times from home as they celebrate queer performance art. ​After several acts, the artists will take your questions about performing and organizing while prioritizing COVID-19 safety. Performers will include: ​Khalil Dennis (Host), ​Taipei Queen, and ​King Lotus Boy. Register in advance.

June 15, 2026: From the Pandemic Mitigation Collaborative: the PMC reports that SARS-CoV-2 transmission remains at its lowest levels nationwide since mid-July 2021. This map is now interactive. "Recent levels are at their lowest since July 2021, but the US has 9 hot spots. There are major outbreaks in Central/Southeast Texas (High/Very High) and Guam (Very High).”

 

June 12, 2026: From WHN/Becky Ancira Robertson: "The Multi-systemic Reality: Beyond the Fine Line". COVID-19 is not just a respiratory event; it is a profound neuropsychiatric and multi-systemic disruptor. Research indicates that survivors face a significantly higher risk of mental health challenges, ranging from substance use disorders to severe anxiety. While it is undeniably true that the trauma of a pandemic can exacerbate preexisting conditions, we must be vigilant against the “fine line” of psychologizing what is fundamentally a biological assault on the body.

 

June 18, 2026: Plum Stone, founder and CEO of The Safer Air Project, reported on her experience at Indoor Air 2026 in Singapore. “One thing that struck me throughout the week was the lack of representation from patient organisations and the people they represent. There are real people carrying the burden of poor indoor air quality and the cost of inaction is not just an abstract number, it’s the inability to participate fully and safely in everyday life because we’ve not yet found the ability to move forward towards better, safer air for all.”

 

June 18, 2026: By Carl Zimmer for the New York Times: The U.S. government is funding a $150 million initiative into creating healthy buildings that will eliminate airborne pathogens. One program under this initiative, known as BREATHE, for Building Resilient Environments for Air and Total Health, aims to detect airborne pathogens and have the building immediately respond much like how sprinklers are automatically turned on when smoke is detected. Learn more at Breathe2026.org.

 

June 19, 2026: From bioRxiv: Researchers found that SARS-CoV-2 RNA persisted in multiple organs for at least 8 weeks, despite the development of virus-specific human T-cell responses.  Human T cells appeared to mount a response that was antigen-specific yet dysfunctional—while simultaneously suppressing the body’s innate interferon defenses. This article is a preprint and has not been certified by peer review. 

 

June 23, 2026: From the BBC: France has confirmed its first case of Ebola, a doctor who had returned from a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The doctor was admitted to a specialized facility and is in stable condition according to the French health ministry said on Wednesday.

 

June 24, 2026: The Intercept Fund is a new $500 million philanthropic initiative aimed at developing broad-spectrum preventatives and air cleaning technologies in order to make respiratory infections like colds and flu a thing of the past.

 

June 25, 2026: From CIDRAP: Two new reports examining recent measles outbreaks conclude that early collaboration with trusted community members could help support more effective public health interventions.

 

on the lighter side…

Credit: The Vertlartnic

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