(WREX) � Some of the frontline workers during the coronavirus pandemic want everyone to mask up again.
The nurses union, National Nurses United, wrote a letter to the CDC urging them to update their coronavirus guidance which includes everyone wearing a mask again.
The union cases of the virus have been rising in more than 40 states within the past two weeks while hospitalizations are up in more than 25 states. The nurses also cite the Delta and Lambda variants as reasons for everyone to wear a mask again.
“The threat of this virus remains very real. To protect public health, we call upon the CDC to reinstate the recommendation for everyone to wear masks when in public or in physical proximity to others outside their own household.�
National Nurses United
Here’s a full list of what the nurses want the CDC to update their guidance to include:
- Reinstate the recommendation for everyone to wear masks when in public or in physical proximity to others outside their own household.
- Update health care infection control and other COVID-19 guidance to fully recognize aerosol transmission.
- “Over the past 16 months of the pandemic, the CDC’s refusal to fully recognize aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has led to weak guidance, leaving workers and the public unprotected,� the union says.
- Require tracking and transparent reporting of COVID-19 infections among health care workers and other essential workers.
- The union says there is still no uniform national framework to track and report COVID infections among healthcare workers and other essential workers. The union says reports of at least 3,956 healthcare workers who have died from COVID-19 as of July 9, 2021.
- Track infections in people who are fully vaccinated, including mild and asymptomatic infections.
- The union says there’s too many unanswered questions about vaccines. For instance, the union says it remains unclear how effective COVID-19 vaccines are for immunocompromised individuals, how long protection may last, and how well COVID-19 vaccines prevent asymptomatic and mild infections and transmission of the virus.
You can read the full letter below.
