us-healthcare

Pandemic Action International

pandemicaction@outlook.com

Keep masks required in healthcare & high risk settings.

February 2023

Governor,

I am writing to request the state keep it's mask requirement in all healthcare settings as long as covid is active. The mandate must be in place to keep the sick from contracting covid and other conditions when being treated for the illness they sought medical care for, prevent more from developing long term conditions and keep all staff as safe and healthy as possible.

As you know, covid is a serious threat to the health of the population, with a growing number developing long term conditions, many serious post infection / recovery. As well, many people who are over 50, disabled or children are at higher risk for more severe cases of covid. By removing this most essential of all measures you are preventing those at high risk and the general population from going to a medical center to be safely treated by medical professionals.

There is growing ongoing research and findings of an increase in heart attacks since the corona virus arrived with a sharp increase for people from 25-44 years found by a study at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. There is also a growing number of people who are suffering long term, about 1 in 5 at present.

University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center is working on an ongoing study for long term covid.

They have so far found, the virus is detected in people for two weeks while in enters the body, tests then come out negative, but it is not gone. Rather that is just the beginning as it moves well into the body and hides, so tests are unable to detect when after a month or more the infected person starts to receive poor health. This includes ongoing illness, making people unable to work or complete simple tasks, many bedridden, others have strokes and brain damage. The damage depends what part of the body the covid virus is hiding in. This is a very serious and smart illness that must be reduced.

I also want to ask that a requirement be put in place for transit to allow people without cars access to reach medical settings or get to work without contracting a life altering illness. As well as in schools so children, our future can learn safely and not develop a preventable disability before they grow up and in supermarkets because everyone has a right to shop for food in a safe environment.

Thank you for keeping healthcare safe and for making schools, transit and supermarkets safe as well.

Contacts for governors

California

Governor Newsom

Tomás J. Aragón, MD, Director and State Public Health Officer

cdph.internetadmin@cdph.ca.gov

Colorado

Governor Polis - Governorpolis@state.co.us

Department of Public Health & Environment - cdphe.information@state.co.us

Connecticut

Governor Lamont

Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD, Department of Public Health