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Newsletter for November 6, 2026

World Ventilate Day is November 8

 

 

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

 

November 8 is World Ventil8 Day! Better air needs action. This World Ventil8 Day, choose something you can improve about ventilating the indoor air around you, put it into practice, record what changed, and share the impact of your action. From homes and schools to workplaces and public buildings, every action should have a clear purpose and a way to check its impact.The positive impacts of ventilation: it helps you sleep, reduces sickness absence, reduces exposure to pollutants, can reduce respiratory infection, helps you perform better, and improves sick building syndrome. If you're putting something into practice to improve ventilation around you, post it to any social media platform with #WorldVentil8Day. 

 

News and highlights this week:

 

Upcoming Zoom Discussions in Nov & Dec

Zoom discussion on IAQ and preventing illness with kids in schools on November 12, 2026

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On Thursday, November 12: we'll delve into the topic of indoor air quality (IAQ) and preventing illness with kids in schools, with guests speakers Mary Jo Nabuurs, an advocate for clean air in schools with Ontario School Safety and other projects in Ontario, Canada; and Ruth Brooker, founder of Clean Air for Kids UK. Register in advance.

 

On Thursday, November 19, we'll have a thoughtful discussion about death and Long COVID with Miles Griffis, co-founder of The Sick Times. Register in advance.

 

On Thursday, November 26, Thanksgiving Day in the U.S., we'll host a Thanksgiving Day Hangout with PHAN, a casual Zoom chat for anyone who wants to spend time with COVID-aware folks. Bring your songs, poetry, stories, jokes, artwork, or anything else you want to share. We'll have some fun games and songs to share as well. Register in advance.

 

On Sunday, December 13, we'll host a discussion with guests Amy Stewart and Dr. Michael Hoerger about being COVID-safe around families and holiday gatherings. Register in advance.

 

On Friday, December 25, Christmas Day, we'll host another hangout with PHAN for anyone who wants to spend time with COVID-aware folks. Bring your songs and art to share. Register in advance.

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Last week, the Safer Air Project hosted the Safer Shared Air: Indoor Air, Health & Productivity Conference, in Canberra, Australia. The full-day conference included over a dozen public health and policy experts who spoke on indoor air quality as a silent driver of chronic disease; the economic opportunities that exist; and how we can translate the evidence in policy reforms. Safer Air Project has posted several videos from the conference to their YouTube channel.

 

The Safer Air Project also launched their “Making the Invisible Visible” campaign, to encourage businesses and organizations around the world to do two simple things: 

 

We spend around 90% of our lives indoors, yet the air we share in workplaces, schools, healthcare settings, and other public buildings is rarely monitored or understood. Healthy indoor air is an accessibility issue, and Safer Air Project is on the forefront of fighting for accessibility for everyone who needs clean healthy indoor air. 

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We are delighted to announce that PHAN has arranged for the shipment of 85,000 masks from Safe & Clear to the Chicago Clean Air Resilience Network (Chi-CARN) project as well as several other warehouses affiliated with Toolbank USA. Our SUPPLY software tool lets organizations claim a portion of these masks then arrange and track their shipments.

 

Chi-CARN is holding a fundraising campaign to pay for an intern and more supplies, and to acquire a bigger warehouse space. You can donate at their GiveButter page.

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The 2026 formulation for the COVID vaccine is now available throughout the U.S. The vaccine takes about two weeks to reach full effect, so public health experts are recommending you get the vaccine now if you have not already gotten it, in order to protect yourself throughout the winter holidays. Unfortunately the CDC's vaccine-finder website, vaccines.gov, is still not working, but you can find locations with the vaccine via any of the links below, or check with your local pharmacist or clinic:

December 3: Webinar on Airborne Aerosols, 

Hosted by Mask Together America

On December 3, Mask Together America will host a webinar on airborne aerosols with special guests Dr. Allen Haddrell, Research Fellow, University of Bristol; Jill Heins-Nesvold, MS, MBA, National Director of Lung Health, American Lung Association; Dr. Michael Hoerger, PhD, MSCR, MBA, Professor, Tulane University; Mish, Mask Fit Testing Expert, Mask Together Colorado (presented by Professor Maria Gillespie); and Georgia Lagoudas, PhD, Senior Fellow, Pandemic Center, Brown University, co-founder of Air Club, who will provide closing remarks. We encourage all PHAN supporters to attend this webinar and to learn more about airborne pathogens and aerosol science with Mask Together America's explainer. Register in advance.

The Pandemic Mitigation Collaborative (PMC) creates a weekly COVID-19 “heatmap” based on CDC wastewater data and levels (U.S.). The PMC is led by Michael Hoerger, PhD, MSCR, MBA.

 

November 2, 2026: From the Pandemic Mitigation Collaborative: “Atypical COVlD Surge: The US has at least 47 states and territories with COVlD outbreaks, an increase from last week. Estimated levels are higher than this time of year in any prior year."
 

Top news stories from the past week:

 

October 26, 2026: The World Health Organization (WHO) invites member states, partners and interested stakeholders to provide feedback on the draft Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) framework for the strategic plan for coronavirus disease threat management. 

 

October 29, 2026: From Ozarks First: Springfield-Greene County Health Department reports suspected avian flu in the county.

 

October 30, 2026: From The Sick Times and Mother Jones: Long COVID has disabled millions of workers in the largest mass disabling event since the Americans with Disabilities Act was instituted in 1990.

 

October 30, 2026: From CIDRAP: US measles cases top 4,800 as the disease surges in multiple states

 

November 2, 2026: From Parade Magazine: Doctors are urging people to get the COVID vaccine now.

 

November 3, 2026: From CIDRAP: Child dies of measles in New York state, the first such death in thirty years.

 

 

COVID-Cautious “Get Ready for the Holidays” Party in Chicago on November 15 - masks and pre-event testing required

 

Every week theater journalist Charles Lewis III publishes a comprehensive list of COVID-safe events and performances in the San Francisco Bay Area on his Patreon.

 

San Francisco Transgender Film Fest, November 12-14. Attendance will be both online and in-person, with the latter audiences required to be masked with KN95 (masks provided by staff).

 

Last Saturday of every month in the SF Bay Area: Masked Hangout. 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.

 

Monthly in San Francisco: Infinite Wrench. 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 2026 Masked Shows: Nov 7, Dec 5.

 

NEW: November 12, 2026: Join The Sick Times, Sabr Tooth Tiger Magazine, and Undercurrent for a night of live poetry, nonfiction, and fiction readings from writers with Long COVID, ME, and other disabilities. Register in advance.

 

Streaming online through November 28, 2026: Hystericalfest: women+ ACT out.

A series of short comedies on Women+ & Invisible Disabilities. Tickets available with a suggested donation of $10. With ASL and closed captioning options. Produced by Violet Surprise Theatre, Terri Lynne Hudson (consulting), & Hysterical Productions/Paula Kamen. This is a recording of a live performance that ran Friday, August 28, 2026.

 

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, via the Facebook group "Still Coviding - Virtual Meetups" (private group, apply for membership). Sign up for weekly emails at ninawildflower@yahoo.com.

 

COVID Safe Art Collective meets online every Sunday for pro-mask adults who want to make art together.

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. 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 Linktree for the current Zoom link.

 

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.

on the lighter side…

Credit: The Vertlartnic

Volunteering with PHAN!

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