CoViD-19: CDC Updates Camp Guidance; Expected To Update Outdoor Mask Guidance | Vaccines Must Meet People Where They Are | Census Changes Congress |

Masked Up at Bowlegged BBQ (Taken 4.22.21)

President Biden is expected to announce an update to CDC guidance for outdoor mask wearing so of course journalists have been non-stop reporting on this, questioning why it hasn't happened already and why it took so long so I'll say the answer Jen Psaki an Dr. Walensky and Dr. Fauci can't say: because Americans are stupid. Vast swaths of our population can't understand nuance. You can go outside without a mask on, but if you come within range of other people, the courteous thing to do is to mask up whether you're vaccinated or not. If you're vaccinated and around other vaccinated people, you can drop the masks. If you have kids around, everyone should still mask up because those little vectors can't yet be vaccinated and you're a grown up and need to set a goddamn example. This shouldn't be this hard. 

• COVID-19:
• 1 in 3 Americans fully vaccinated against COVID-19 & 13 more CDC stats to know - Becker's Hospital Review (4.26.21)
• Real-world studies find COVID vaccines cut infection, hospitalization. One study showed 91% protection for 1 dose of the Pfizer vaccine. -CIDRAP (4.26.21)
• Vaccinations are plateauing. Don’t blame it on ‘resistance’ - STAT (4.27.21)
• Patterns of SARS-CoV-2 Aerosol Spread in Typical Classrooms (Preprint) - medRxiv (4.26.21)
  Although current industry guidelines to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) have adopted a six-foot (~1.8m) spacing between individuals indoors, recent evidence suggests that longer range spread is also responsible for infections in public spaces. The vehicle for long-range spread is smaller droplets or particles, termed bio-aerosols, or aerosols for short, which have a large surface area to volume ratio such that aerodynamic drag is much larger than gravity forces. The aerosols remain suspended in air for extended time periods and they essentially move with air currents.
• WHO Director-General COVID-19 media briefing on 26 April:
• Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to intensify. Cases have now increased for the ninth straight week, and deaths have increased for the sixth straight week. Many countries are still experiencing intense transmission, and the situation in India is beyond heartbreaking. WHO is doing everything we can. 
• Today marks the start of World Immunization Week. With the theme ‘Vaccines bring us closer’, World Immunization Week shows how vaccination connects us to the people, goals and moments that matter most – helping improve the health of everyone, everywhere throughout life. 
• Today, we are launching a bold new plan. The Immunization Agenda 2030 is an ambitious new global strategy to maximize the lifesaving impact of vaccines over the next decade. If fully implemented, the Immunization Agenda 2030 could avert over 50 million deaths over the next decade. 
• Science has always been at the heart of WHO’s work. Last year we decided to establish a WHO Science Council to provide advice on high-priority scientific issues that could have a direct impact on global health. The Council will hold its first meeting tomorrow.
• Politics: 
• Governor Newsom Statement on U.S. EPA’s Move to Restore California’s Clean Car Waiver 
• White House: 
• In fight against virus, Biden looks for path back to normal - AP News (4.27.21)
• News:
• Vaccinated U.S. Travelers Will Be Allowed To Visit Europe Again Starting This Summer - npr (4.26.21)
  It is not yet clear when the EU will open up — von der Leyen did not provide a specific timeline, and individual EU member states are permitted to enforce stricter rules than the bloc as a whole. It is also unclear how countries will determine if travelers have been fully vaccinated...
• CDC Updated Guidance For Operating Youth and Summer Camps During COVID-19 (Updated 4.24.21)
• CDC Offers Safer Ways to Celebrate Spring Events and Holidays (Updated 4.21.21)
• Rush to hospitals, big gatherings worsen India COVID crisis - WHO - Reuters (4.27.21)
• Census Bureau announces 331 million people in US, Texas will add two congressional seats - CNN Politics (4.26.21)
• Other Reading:
• Why Republicans Are Passing Laws Protecting Drivers Who Hit Protesters - Slate (4.25.21)