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Behind the black KN95 is @DrewEmpire_, Hip-Hop Artist based in NYC, at a @PositiveDevianceNYC mask-required event.

Monthly Newsletter, July 3, 2026

Greetings, public health PHANs! We hope you're having a healthy and safe July so far.  Happy Disability Pride Month!

 

This week we have news of recordings of two recent Zoom discussions, one from Sunday, June 28 about the precautionary principle, and from Thursday, July 2 about long COVID in kids and accessibility issues for those children; an upcoming Zoom discussion about stress management for those with Long COVID or trying to avoid it; 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, PHAN and Air Support Project presented a live Zoom discussion: “The Precautionary Principle”. This event was recorded and we've made it available on YouTube. Our guest speakers were 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. 

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On July 2nd, we co-hosted a Zoom discussion with Air Support Project about accommodations for kids with long COVID, with guest speaker Megan Carmilani, founder and president of Long Covid Families. This event was recorded and is now available on  YouTube. Carmilani 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 talked 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.

 

July 26, 2026: PHAN and ASP will co-host a Zoom discussion about stress awareness especially for those dealing with Long COVID and trying to avoid getting COVID in the first place. Our guest speaker will be Amy Stewart, LCSW.  Register in advance. A Zoom account is required in order to register. More details in our next newsletter!

 

August 26-29, 2026: ISLC-PAIS Conference. International Society for Long COVID and Post-Acute Infection Syndromes. Amsterdam (the Netherlands). ISLC is an international, interdisciplinary platform that brings together researchers, clinicians, policymakers and patient representatives to accelerate knowledge exchange and real-world impact.

Building on this collaborative foundation, the conference will also mark the launch of a new International Society for PAIS Research and Care. Speakers will include: David Putrino, Professor & Director of Rehabilitation Innovation at Mount Sinai, and a leading researcher in rehabilitation and Long COVID, focusing on translating scientific insight intro real-world clinical care for people with PAIS; and Ziyad Al-Aly, Director of Clinical Epidemiology (VA Saint Louis Health Care System) & Professor (Washington University School of Medicine). Dr. Al-Aly is an influential epidemiologist whose large-scale population studies have defined the long-term, multi-organ risks of COVID-19, and a member of the board of Public Health Action Network.

Making Masked Theater meets online and in-person in Greenfield, MA on the second Friday of every month to discuss how to create performances while wearing a respirator

NEW! Every 2nd Friday of the month: Making Masked Theater - Techniques for Creating Performance in a Respirator. Molly was a professional actor and clown for 30 years in Chicago, and has had fellowships as well as guest lecture and teaching artist positions all over the country. She hosts an in-person and remote class once a month about how to create theatrical performances in a respirator. Sign up for her mailing list to get the remote link.

 

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.

 

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.

 

CSL publishes a weekly list of COVID-safe events and performance in the San Francisco Bay Area

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 29, 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 10 hot spots. There are major outbreaks in Central/Southeast Texas (High/Very High) and Guam (Very High).”

 

June 23, 2026: From The Sick Times: FDA approves COVID-19 antiviral Xocova as post-exposure prophylactic. “'It’s 'a great addition to our toolbox' for COVID-19 prevention, said epidemiologist Ziyad Al-Aly, director of the Clinical Epidemiology Center at the VA St. Louis Health Care System.”

 

June 26, 2026: From CIDRAP: Adults with long COVID experience more productivity loss on the job and are more likely to leave the workplace altogether compared with people who recover from COVID or never develop persistent symptoms, according to a study published this week in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases.

 

June 26, 2026: From University of Cambridge: What’s causing so many disease outbreaks - and can we stop them in time? 

 

July 1, 2026: From The New American: Kennedy Ends Covid EUA Declarations, but PREP Act Shield Remains.

 

July 3, 2026: The World Health Organization (WHO) has created a global youth video contest for short videos on influenza and COVID-19 prevention and control. Participants must be students or young professionals between the ages of 18 and 35. The competition and the submission form open on Monday, 3 August 2026. All submissions must be received through the designated Microsoft Forms by Sunday, 13 September 2026 at 23:45 CEST. 

 

on the lighter side…

Credit: The Vertlartnic

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