Coronavirus
Technology Solutions
Masks Still
Required on
London Transit
Masks
Recommended at
Disney World
COVID Cases Soar
in Springfield
MO
German Retailers Support Mask Wearing in Their Stores
Views About Mask
Attractiveness
Have Changed
Kansas School Children will not be Required to
Wear Masks
NYC Installing More Than 100,000 Air Purifiers
Germany to Start Classes With Not Enough Air Filters
______________________________________________________________________________
Face coverings must be worn on London's transport network despite restrictions easing on 19 July, London's mayor says. Sadiq Khan said he was not prepared to put Tube, bus and other transport users at risk by relaxing the rules on face coverings. Face masks have been mandatory on public transport for the past year to reduce the spread of the virus. But those rules will be replaced with government guidance advising passengers to wear masks only on busy services. England is removing most of its Covid restrictions next Monday, and while Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he expects masks to be worn in crowded places, such as on a busy Tube train, their use will no longer be compulsory.
London was the
first English
city to insist
on face
coverings after
Covid
restrictions
ease.
Other metro
mayors have
also joined calls for masks to be
worn on public
transport.
Masks Recommended at Disney World
The mayor of Orange County, Florida—where
Orlando and Walt
Disney World are
located—issued a
“strong
recommendation”
Monday that
everyone in the
county wear
masks in crowded
places indoors
regardless of
their
vaccination
status, as the
major tourist
destination sees
a new spike of
Covid-19
infections as
summer travel
brings more
visitors to the
area.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said he
would not
reissue a new
mask mandate at
this time after
lifting the
county’s mask
order in June,
but was strongly
recommending
people wear
masks indoors
when in crowds.
The county’s Covid-19 positivity rate has
gone up from
4.28% in late
June to 7.78% as
of Monday,
Demings said,
and Orange
County is “now
considered by
the CDC the
high-risk
category for
community
transmission.”
COVID Cases Soar
in Springfield
MO
The COVID-19
crisis in and
around
Springfield,
Missouri, where
hospitals are
now flooded with
coronavirus
cases, is likely
a preview of
what's in store
for the rest of
the state as the
delta variant
continues to
spread.
That's the
belief of Steve
Edwards, CEO of CoxHealth,
a key health
care system in
southwest
Missouri. Cox is
currently
treating 127
patients,
similar to the
number it had
during last
winter's
horrific surge,
and nearly a
tenfold increase
from the 14 such
patients seven
weeks ago.
Edwards said he
hopes people in
other parts of
Missouri, whose
vaccination rate
ranks in the
bottom 20 among
states, "begin
to realize that
we're kind of a
harbinger for
the rest of the
state."
Not only has the
number of
patients grown
significantly,
but their ages
are much lower,
with the average
dropping 12
years since the
winter. More
concerning, they
often have
severe disease
despite a lack
of underlying
conditions.
German Retailers Support Mask Wearing in Their Stores
German retailers still support the wearing of face masks in stores as
they worry about
another wave of
the coronavirus
pandemic
possibly leading
to new
restrictions, an
industry
association said
on Wednesday.
"We must do everything possible so we don't get another lockdown," Stefan
Genth, managing
director of the
German
association of
retailers (HDE)
told a news
briefing.
Asked for his reaction to the decision by the German state of Saxony to
lift the
obligation to
wear masks in
stores, Genth
said: "We warn
against giving
up such things
too early."
Germany reported 1,548 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, 563 more than
a week ago, to
bring the total
to 3.74 million.
The death toll
rose by 28 to
91,287.
Chancellor Angela Merkel warned on Tuesday that more people needed to be
vaccinated
against COVID-19
before
restrictions
could be lifted,
following news
that England
will scrap
nearly all curbs
from next week.
German retailers expect to record a 1.5% rise in sales in 2021, assuming
no further
lockdowns, the
HDE forecast on
Wednesday,
driven by a 3.1%
increase in food
sales, while the
rest of the
sector is set to
record a 4.2%
decline.
Fashion stores have been particularly hard hit, with sales still expected
to be down 37%
in 2021 compared
to 2019 before
the pandemic
hit.
"Spending is
bouncing back
but shopper
traffic in the
inner cities is
not back to
pre-crisis
levels," Genth
said.
Views About Mask Attractiveness Have Changed
“Because the
impact of
COVID-19 is so
strong, we
wondered if the
mask-wearing
that became an
ordinary
behavior would
alter our
perception of
attractiveness.
We thought it
would be
interesting if
we compare the
present data
with the one
that we measured
before
COVID-19,” said
study author Jun
Kawahara, a
professor at
Hokkaido
University.
In a study published in 2016, the researchers examined how sanitary masks impacted perceptions
of
attractiveness
in a pilot
survey and
several
experiments. The
initial survey
asked 202
Japanese women
and 84 Japanese
men whether they
believed that
female facial
attractiveness
was increased or
decreased by
wearing a
sanitary mask.
They also
indicated
whether they
thought wearing
a sanitary mask
made a person
seem healthy,
unhealthy or
neither. After
the COVID-19
outbreak, the
researchers
conducted a
similar survey
of 153 men and
133 women from
June 26, 2020,
to December 4,
2020.
Approximately
44% of
participants
said wearing a
white sanitary
mask increased
the wearer’s
attractiveness
prior to the
pandemic,
compared to 70%
of participants
amid the
pandemic.
Kawahara and his
colleagues also
found that the
number of
participants who
thought mask
wearers were
unhealthy
decreased and
the number of
respondents who
thought mask
wearers were
healthy or
neutral
increased in the
wake of the
pandemic.
Replicating
some of their
previous work,
the researchers
also conducted a
web-based
experiment from
May 19, 2020, to
July 30, 2020,
in which
participants
rated the
attractiveness
of 66 young
Japanese female
faces, half with
and half without
masks. A similar
experiment,
conducted on
January 15,
2021, asked
participants to
rate the
healthiness of
the facial
images rather
than their
attractiveness.
Kawahara and his colleagues found that
masks increased
the
attractiveness
of female faces
when their
baseline
attractiveness
rating was low
and decreased
the
attractiveness
of female faces
when their
baseline
attractiveness
rating was high.
The findings
indicate that
“the modulation
of
attractiveness
by mask-wearing
is related to
the occlusion of
critical
features,” the
researcher said.
That is, masks
can hide the
negative
features of
unattractive
faces while also
hiding the
positive
features of
highly
attractive
faces.
But mask
wearing had no
significant
impact on the
attractiveness
of average
female faces.
The researchers
also found that
masked faces
were perceived
as less
unhealthy during
the COVID-19
pandemic
compared with
before the viral
outbreak.
“People don’t
have to worry
about how they
are seen by
others. The data
suggests that
the average
person may not
be seen more
attractive or
less attractive.
Just wear masks,
if not
vaccinated yet,”
Kawahara told
PsyPost.
But the study —
like all
research —
includes
limitations.
“We don’t know
whether the same
effect would
occur when
different kinds
of persons are
tested,”
Kawahara said.
“The present
study used young
Japanese female
images
with/without
masks and raters
were young
Japanese male
and female
participants. We
are currently
measuring the
effects across
different groups
of populations
(cultures and
age groups.)”
“We may be able
to measure the
progress of
overcoming
COVID-19 by
examining the
effect of
mask-wearing on
perceived
attractiveness,”
he added. “If
people forget
about the
mask-wearing
behavior, then
its effect on
attractiveness
will return to a
similar pattern
that we measured
in 2016.”
The Delta variant, a more transmissible -- and
potentially more
dangerous --
strain of
coronavirus, now
makes up more
half of all new
infections in
the United
States, according
to the US
Centers for
Disease Control
and Prevention.
This variant,
combined with
low rates of
vaccination in
many parts of
the country, is
leading to new
surges in
Covid-19 cases,
which has led
to Los Angeles
County and St.
Louis-area health
officials
encouraging even
people who are
fully vaccinated
to wear masks
indoors.
The World Health
Organization has
issued similar
guidance (the CDC has continued to say that vaccinated people do not need to wear masks
under most
circumstances).
To clear up confusion about masking,
CNN reported the
comments of
Medical Analyst
Dr. Leana Wen.
CNN: Are there circumstances in which vaccinated people should
return to
wearing masks
indoors?
Dr. Leana Wen: Yes. Masks
are still
required in some
settings, such
as airports, on
planes and
trains, and in
hospitals. If a
business
requires masks,
you should still
wear a mask, so
it's a good
practice to
carry a mask
around with you
in case you need
it.
The more difficult question becomes, what about settings where
you don't have
to wear a mask
-- when might
you choose to
wear one? Here
are the factors
I'd consider.
First is your health and the vaccination status of those in your
household. If
you are
immunocompromised,
you should be
wearing a mask
in all indoor
settings where
you could be
exposed to
unvaccinated
people.
If you live with someone who is immunocompromised or with young,
unvaccinated
children, you
might still want
to take
additional
precautions.
Your chance of
contracting
Covid-19 and
passing it on to
your family is
much lower once
you're
vaccinated, but
it's not zero.
Consider wearing
a mask in
high-risk
settings, such
as crowded
grocery stores
or indoor church
services.
Leverage your
breathing for
less stress and
more focused
calm
Second is the
level of
coronavirus
infection and
the rate of
vaccination in
your community.
These two are
generally
correlated: The
areas with
higher rates of
vaccination also
tend to have
lower levels of
infection.
If you're living
in an area where
over 80% of
adults are
vaccinated, and
the Covid-19
rates are very
low, your
chances of
encountering an
unvaccinated,
infected person
is greatly
reduced. You are
probably safer
going without a
mask there
compared to,
say, if you're
living in an
area with less
than 30% of
adults
vaccinated and
where the Delta
variant is
surging.
CNN: Some people reading this will ask, "Why are we even talking
about masks
again, when the
vaccines are
supposed to work
so well?"
Wen: The Covid-19
vaccines we have
in the US do
work very well.
But no vaccine
works 100% of
the time. Think
of the vaccine
as a very
effective
raincoat. If
it's drizzling,
you'll be
protected. If
the rain is
coming down
hard, you might
still be fine.
But if you are
going in and out
of rainstorms
all the time,
you could end up
getting wet.
Risk is cumulative. If you have
multiple
encounters every
day with
unvaccinated
people, and
there is a high
level of
community
transmission in
your area, your
chances of
having a
breakthrough
infection after
vaccination will
increase. You
can reduce that
risk by wearing
a mask in the
highest risk
settings.
CNN: What if you're going to work and everyone in your office is
vaccinated? Do
you still need
to wear a mask
if there's no
distancing?
Wen: Good
question. We
know that
vaccination
dramatically
reduces your
likelihood of
becoming
infected and of
being an
asymptomatic
carrier who
could transmit
the virus to
others. Your
chance of
becoming
infected from a
vaccinated
person, if
you're also
vaccinated, is
virtually zero.
Going to an
office where
everyone around
you is known to
be vaccinated,
even without
masks and
distancing, is
very safe.
CNN: What about the reverse -- what if you have to be back at
work, but
vaccinations
aren't required?
Should you mask
up?
Wen: That depends on the other factors we
discussed.
Consider your
health, then the
likelihood that
someone at work
could be
infected based
on community
transmission and
vaccination
rates in your
area. Also
consider the
circumstances at
work. Are the
people you are
in close contact
with vaccinated?
Let's say that
your workplace
doesn't have a
vaccination
policy, but the
two people who
share your
office or the
three people
with cubicles
closest to you
are fully
vaccinated. That
would be a
pretty safe
environment, and
you probably
don't need to be
wearing a mask
at your desk.
On the other hand, if you are asked to go into cramped, poorly
ventilated
conference rooms
with people who
you doubt are
vaccinated,
consider wearing
a mask there,
or, better yet,
see if you could
attend the
meeting
virtually.
CNN: Does the type of mask matter?
Wen: If you are immunocompromised and are
in a high-risk
setting, you
should be
wearing an N95
or KN95 mask or
double-masking.
Otherwise, a
well-fitting
3-ply surgical
mask should be
sufficient,
though if you're
comfortable with
the N95 or KN95,
there is no harm
to wearing that
in crowded
indoor settings.
CNN: Are there any outdoor settings where you'd recommend a
vaccinated
person wear a
mask?
Wen: Not at the moment. The ventilation
that comes with
being outdoors
reduces
transmission so
much, as does
vaccination. A
person who is
severely
immunocompromised
may still wish
to wear a mask
at crowded ball
games or
concerts, but
otherwise,
outdoor masking
should not be
needed for
vaccinated
people.
CNN: What if people assume that you're unvaccinated because
you're putting
on a mask?
Wen: A lot of people who are vaccinated
and want to be
extra cautious
are wearing
masks. It could
even be that the
people wearing a
mask in public
places are
actually
vaccinated, and
it's the people
who are
unvaccinated who
are walking
around unmasked.
You should focus
on doing what
makes you
comfortable. If
you'd feel more
comfortable
wearing a mask
in some
settings, you
should do that.
CNN: How does the Delta variant affect your recommendation?
Wen: Now that more than half of new
infections in
the US are
caused by this
variant, you
should assume
that if you were
to come into
contact with
someone with
Covid-19, it's
the Delta
variant you're
encountering.
This variant is
more
transmissible
than any of the
previous
variants. There
is some evidence
that those
infected with
the Delta
variant also
carry more
virus, thus
making them more
likely to infect
others. The
vaccines we have
do appear to be
effective
against the
Delta variant,
though less
effective than
they are against
other strains.
CNN: To be clear, unvaccinated people still need to wear masks?
Wen: Right. The
guidance for
unvaccinated
people has not
changed. If
unvaccinated
people are
around other
people who are
unvaccinated --
or people who
are of unknown
vaccination
status -- they
should be
wearing masks
indoors.
Outdoors, the
risk of
transmission is
low, so no masks
are needed
there. This
applies to kids
too, so children
under the age of
12 who are not
eligible to be
vaccinated
should still be
wearing masks
indoors when
around other
unvaccinated
kids.
With the Delta variant on the rise, I would be even more vigilant
than before. If
there is a
situation where
you're on the
fence about
whether to put
on your mask, I
would err on the
side of caution
and just do it.
Kansas School Children will not be Required to Wear Masks
Most Kansas
schoolchildren
and teachers,
regardless of
whether they’ve
been vaccinated
against
COVID-19, won’t
be required to wear face masks next
school year.
Schools find
themselves under
pressure to
return to more
normal,
pre-pandemic
operations. But
officials say
they stand ready
to pivot —
including
reinstating mask
mandates — if
the pandemic
worsens
dramatically.
“Should
adjustments to
our plan be
required,” said
Alicia Thompson,
superintendent
of the state’s
largest school
district in
Wichita, “we
will bring our
pandemic
leadership team
back together to
recommend
adjustments.”
She said her
district weighed
current data on
infection rates,
along with
guidance from
local health
officials and
feedback from a
community
survey, to craft
the district’s
plan.
Starting this
month in Wichita
schools, masks
are optional.
Vaccinations are
not required.
And regular
activities will
resume,
including
volunteers and
visitors in
schools.
NYC Installing
More Than
100,000 Air
Purifiers Every New York City public school classroom will have two air purifiers by the start of the 2021-2022 school year, according to a recent report by Chalkbeat.
Chalkbeat
reported that
the city
Department of
Education (DOE)
has already
distributed
100,000 air
purifiers to
schools and are
now working to
ensure each of
the city’s
56,000
classrooms have
two air
purifiers before
schools reopen
to all students
for in-person
learning in the
fall.
They are
high-efficiency
particulate air
filters, or HEPA
filters, that
lower the risk
of exposure to
the coronavirus
(COVID-19).
The pledge to
ensure every
classroom has at
least two air
purifiers
confirms what
Kevin Moran,
chief operating
officer for
school
operations, told Staten Island families
during an
information
session last
month.
This upcoming
year, the DOE is
going one step
further, he
said, by
bringing a
second round of
air purifiers
into the mix to
make sure there
are multiple
units in each
classroom. The
city will also
put MERV-13 air
filters on air
conditioning
units and window
units for use
during the
summer.
He explained
that the DOE
began a
multi-layer
approach when
looking at
well-ventilated
classrooms for
the start of the
current school
year.
“We took a real
multi-layered
approach to how
we fix these
things and how
we supplemented
them, so every
classroom has an
air purifier,
every classroom
has operable
windows,” said
Moran. “If it
doesn’t have our
windows, we
bring in outside
air, fresh air,
and if it had to
be recirculated
during the
colder months or
the warmer
months, we use
MERV-13 filters
-- as
recommended.”
Custodians also
work with
principals in
each building to
make sure the
structure is
functioning as
designed, and
“if there’s a
concern, we will
handle it, and
we’ll get to the
building and
visit and make
the necessary
repairs,” Moran
said.
Before the start of the
2020-2021 school
year,
the DOE made
improvements to
its HVAC systems
to improve air
circulation, as
well as replace
regular air
filters with
higher
efficiency
filters. Air
filters in
building ducts
were checked and
changed to
high-efficiency
filters.
Additionally, air conditioning units will be identified and
repaired,
and other
physical
adjustments will
be made to
buildings in
order to
increase
airflow.
The changes were
made after New
York State
encouraged
schools to
increase their
fresh air
ventilation rate
to maintain a
healthy indoor
air quality.
Under the
guidance from
the state
Education
Department, the
mandatory
requirement was
that schools
must maintain
adequate,
code-required
ventilation --
natural or
mechanical -- as
designed.
There are many
different types
of ventilation
systems, natural
or mechanical,
that may be
limited for
increasing
ventilation
outside air due
to available
heat or
fan/relief
airflow
capacity,
according to the
guidance.
Schools were
able to consider
installing a
higher
efficiency
filter, which
may require a
larger filter
housing and will
create greater
resistance to
airflow. The fan
and HVAC system
may have
required
rebalancing to
maintain the
code-required
ventilation
rate.
Germany to Start
Classes With Not
Enough Air
Filters
Despite the
spread of the
Delta variant,
Germany's
schools will
start classes
after the summer
vacations with
too few air
filters. "The
implementation
status after the
summer vacations
- in terms of
new
installations -
cannot be
reliably
estimated at the
current time,"
reads a response
from the Federal
Ministry of
Economics to
Green Party
faction leader
Katrin
Göring-Eckardt,
obtained by the
Daily Mirror.
The reason, he
said, is that
the amended
subsidy program
did not go into
effect until
June 11, 2021.
And depending on
whether new
installation of
decentralized
systems for
classrooms or
centralized
systems for the
entire school
building is
planned, there
are different
costs and
implementation
times, he said.
According to the
Federal Ministry
of Economics and
Technology, 176
applications for
new installation
under the new
program had been
received by July
1, and 84
commitments with
a volume of
around 21
million euros
have been sent
out so far.
However,
scientists have
been calling for
an offensive
here for a year.
The states
criticize the
federal
government for
launching a 500
million euro
funding program
too late. The
federal
government, for
its part, says
it is giving
money, but that
the states and
municipalities
are responsible
for
implementation.
Actually,
classrooms with
sufficient air
filters should
be offered
especially for
pupils under 12
years, who
cannot be
vaccinated, in
order to reduce
the aerosol
load, over which
the Coronavirus
can be
transmitted.
"The fact that
the federal
government can
neither manage a
clear statement
nor a promise as
to whether its
air filter
promotion
program will
have an effect
by the time
school starts
after the
vacations is
shocking and
makes me
stunned,"
Göring-Eckardt
told the Daily
Mirror. There
are many Sunday
speeches by
ministers, she
said.
"But when it
comes to finally
acting with
foresight and
commitment in
this ongoing
exceptional
situation at
daycare centers
and schools,
they once again
go into hiding,
dilly-dally and
shift
responsibility
to the states
and
municipalities."
This cannot be
allowed to
continue,
"otherwise it
will mean
another
education and
childcare crisis
in the fall."
Children, young
people and
families must
finally become
the focus of
politics. In
addition to more
air filters,
more proactive
vaccination
offers are
needed for
parents,
educational
staff and young
people who are
willing to be
vaccinated.
According to the
will of the
state ministers
of education and
cultural
affairs,
schoolchildren
in all grades
are to be taught
in full groups
and in their
classrooms as
far as possible
after the summer
vacations,
despite warnings
of a spread of
the highly
contagious delta
variant. But in
a survey by
Daily Mirror
Background on
"Precautions to
Ensure Classroom
Attendance at
Schools," there
is a striking
lack of clue
about the status
of practical
preparations,
such as the
installation of
air filtration
systems - with
the exception of
the state of
Bremen - up and
down the
country.
Bavaria's Prime
Minister Markus
Söder (CSU) is
threatening
Bavarian
municipalities
as school
authorities with
a state
directive if
necessary. "We
have almost
100,000
classrooms and
practice rooms,
but the
municipalities
have only
purchased or
ordered 14,000
filter systems.
That's not
enough," he
criticized.
The SPD health
expert Karl
Lauterbach
stated: "At the
beginning of
school there
will again be no
air filters".
Since the
Standing
Commission on
Vaccination (Stiko)
would also
"unfortunately
probably not
make a
recommendation"
for vaccination
of 12- to
18-year-olds,
only regular
corona PCR tests
of entire
classes and
strict
quarantine rules
would remain -
virologists also
suggest regular
Gugel and Lollit
tests, in order
to secure school
operations.
Bavaria's
Minister
President Markus
Söder (CSU) said
the Stiko should
urgently
consider "when
to recommend
vaccinating
young people."
This would
increase
protection for
all, he said.
"And we give
freedoms back to
a generation
that had to do
without a lot."
The most
effective means
against the
delta variant,
he said, is
schoolchildren's
vaccination.
From Bavaria's
point of view,
face-to-face
teaching is the
"most effective
way of
learning"; in
planning the new
school year, the
state is guided
by the
recommendations
of the German
National Academy
of Sciences
Leopoldina. Two
weeks ago, the
Leopoldina, in
its role as
policy advisor
to the German
government,
issued an ad hoc
statement
calling for
measures to
ensure regular
instruction.
The Leopoldina's
reasoning was
the
psychological
and physical
damage to
children and
young people as
a result of an
education policy
which, in the
one and a half
years of the
pandemic - apart
from banishing
children to home
schooling under
the mistaken
assumption that
they could
acquire
knowledge and
social behavior
virtually
through
self-study - had
come up with
little that was
imaginative in
many places to
even come close
to meeting the
diverse needs of
children and
young people.
This slap in the
face has
obviously had an
effect on those
responsible for
education
policy: The
education
ministries of
Baden-Württemberg,
Bavaria,
Brandenburg,
Bremen, North
Rhine-Westphalia,
Saarland, Saxony
and Saxony-Anhalt,
all of which
responded to the
Daily Mirror
survey, agree
that the sole
focus on the
number of
infections
should no longer
be the sole
indicator of
whether schools
should open or
close at the
start of the new
school year,
given the rising
vaccination
rates and the
resulting
protection of
vulnerable
groups in
particular.
"With all due
caution, I do
not think it is
appropriate to
stir up fears -
especially since
people with an
increased risk
of a severe
course of
disease will be
vaccinated to
the greatest
possible extent
by the new
school year,"
says, for
example, the
Minister of
Education of the
Saarland,
Christine
Streichert-Clivot
(SPD), Daily
Mirror
Background.The
number of
infected persons
would "then no
longer provide a
reasonable
picture of the
situation."
"There we must
also look at
other criteria
that provide
information
about the burden
on our health
system."
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