Weekly Update: February 28 – March 6, 2022

The CDC released new guidelines on Friday based on COVID-19 Community levels, which are ranked as low, medium, or high. These rankings are based on:
- COVID-19 hospital admission,
- the number of hospital beds in use for COVID-19 patients,
- and the number of new COVID-19 cases in the last week.
While the CDC specifically recommends wearing a mask in communities where transmission is high, the CDC also reminds everyone that anyone can choose to wear a mask, and that individuals who have symptoms, test positive, or were exposed should always wear a mask. Check on your community level here.
One of our PPP partners, Migrant Clinicians Network (MCN), recently highlighted this excellent article, available in English and Spanish, from the New York Times, that highlights how long-term COVID-19 symptoms affect the body, complete with many illustrations.
Not all vaccines against COVID-19 that are applied in Mexico or other countries are approved by the United States. Check out this recent blog on Contratados.org to make sure you know the current vaccination requirements to enter the United States.
A new study estimates that at least 5.2 million children around the world have lost a parent or other caregiver to Covid-19 in the first 19 months of the pandemic.

(% of population ≥ 5 years of age fully vaccinated)

Multiple cases of avian flu, specifically highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A (H5N1), have been reported in wild bird and domestic poultry populations in Delaware. The CDC believes the risk of human infection to be low, but some groups of people, like poultry workers, are at increased risk of exposure when outbreaks in wild birds and domestic poultry occur. The CDC is providing updated guidance, available in English and Spanish, regarding the current outbreak.
The masking mandate for Delaware schools ended at 6 PM ET today, March 1, a month earlier than expected, and the Delaware Division of Public Health is encouraging families to make sure that children are protected by making sure their vaccinations are up-to-date (two doses plus a booster if eligible). Find a community vaccination clinic near you.

Do you have questions about whether any formula you have has been part of the recent recall? The Dorchester County Department of Health created these bilingual graphics to help you determine if any formula you have might be affected.
To commemorate Black History Month, one of our PPP partners, CATA, re-shared a series of Spanish-language audio clips they recorded in 2020-21 that highlight issues faced by both Latinx and Black communities.
The statewide mask mandate for Maryland schools is no longer in effect. School districts can now decide their own policies related to masking.

The Virginia Department of Health published these bilingual graphics to help families understand if any formula they have has been affected by the recent recall.

The North Carolina Department of Health created these bilingual graphics in English and Spanish to help immunocompromised people understand the CDC’s new guidance for booster shots to protect against COVID-19, which now includes a fourth dose for immunocompromised individuals.
JMPROTV is a nonprofit news organization that provides information and resources in Spanish, Mam, and Kiche. They produce a weekly bulletin with local information on where to access free food pantries, COVID-19 testing and other health and education resources.

PASOs recently produced this informative Spanish-language video about how to use the WIC smart phone application to make the most of WIC benefits.

A PPP partner, Sur Legal Collaborative, recently published this series of graphics in English and Spanish for people who missed work for reasons related to COVID-19 between April and December 2020 and whose employers did not pay them for that time. Affected individuals can file a claim with their local Wage and Hour Division Office.

Data Sources:

The New York Times. (2020). Coronavirus (Covid-19) Data in the United States. Retrieved [02/28/2022], from https://github.com/nytimes/covid-19-data.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). COVID Data Tracker: COVID-19 Integrated County Vie. Retrieved [03/01/2022], from https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view.