hat supports the instructions, and introduces CDC’s Life Is Better with Clean Hands social marketing campaign materials to support dissemination of this important public health information. Many materials/contents are suitable for direct teaching to K-12 students.
Use of Cloth Face Coverings to Help Slow the Spread of COVID-19: Provides practical information and guidance (updated 08/12/21) about the use of cloth face coverings to slow and prevent the spread of infections like COVID-19, including particular considerations for children, and for people with special health care needs. The CDC cites this information from the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Division of Viral Diseases in its Readiness and Planning Tool.
Mask Exemptions: Which Students Really Need Them and How Are Parents Getting Them?: Discusses different perspectives of parents, health care providers and public health officials about masking mandates for students and school staff, and presents a state-by-state “school mask mandates at a glance” table. The American Academy of Pediatrics [AAP] and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] recommend universal masking indoors for grades K-12, based on “new evidence” about the highly contagious delta variant. The AAP recommends masks “because a significant portion of the student population is not yet eligible for vaccines, and masking is proven to reduce transmission of the virus and to protect those who are not vaccinated.” Children under 12 are not yet eligible for the COVID vaccine.
Governor's School Mask Directive (Montana): Directs wearing of face coverings in certain indoor and outdoor settings, including public and private K-12 schools, with limited flexibility in specified circumstances when social distancing can provide sufficient protection. This example of a statewide directive about face coverings was extended and adapted by Montana’s Governor on 8/27/20 for the duration of the public health emergency.
Do Face Shields Protect Against COVID-19? A Mask and Shield Explainer: Explains how mask wearing has been shown to reduce the spread of the virus, particularly in conjunction with social distancing and regular hand and surface cleaning. This Education Week product references CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations, and acknowledges and addresses drawbacks in educational settings, offering practical guidance to educators based on the most recent available science.
Masks for Prevention of COVID-19 in Community and Healthcare Settings: A Living Rapid Review: Informs practice pointers developed by the American College of Physicians with up-to-date evidence through regular search of the literature and review of findings of emerging studies. The US DHHS Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [AHRQ] established this “rapid evidence product” in recognition that the field is currently struggling with urgent questions about how to respond to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Health and service systems, clinicians, policymakers, and the general public want timely, credible evidence to inform critical decisions. In the face of a rapidly changing field amid an ongoing pandemic, AHRQ’s Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) will continue to update this review when report findings change as a result of new research.
FDA Advises Consumers Not to Use Hand Sanitizer Products Manufactured by Eskbiochem: Advises consumers to avoid hand sanitizer products sold by this manufacturer, whose products can be toxic when absorbed through the skin, or ingested. The Food and Drug Administration [FDA] issued this advisory on 6/29/20.
What Bus Transit Operators Need to Know about COVID-19: Offers official guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] for bus operators about how COVID can spread, ways to protect themselves, and cope with stress.
Order: Wearing of Face Masks While on the Conveyances and at Transportation Hubs: Provides detailed requirements from CDC that can guide implementation of the Return to School Roadmap’s key step, Help Students and Fa