by Agueda Pacheco Flores
While COVID-19 and its variants might not be making daily headlines like they used to, the pandemic and all its ramifications are still impacting people every day. And People of Color, including transgender people, who were most impacted by the pandemic early on continue to be the most impacted still.
Continue reading Meet a BIPOC-Led Initiative: Pandemic Solidarity for the Long Futureby Kevin Schofield
You may recall that in the summer of 2022 there was a global outbreak of mpox (originally called “monkeypox”). It spread rapidly across the United States, disproportionately impacting gay and bisexual men. At the time, many health experts expected it to follow the same pattern as COVID-19 (though not at the same scale): an initial outbreak that eventually started to subside, followed by further spikes as people let their guard down and stopped practicing good hygiene and other behaviors that help stem the spread of the disease. And then, last summer, mpox quietly fizzled out. This weekend’s read is an article penned by representatives of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the White House, and the Brown University School of Public Health explaining why that happened, and the lessons learned by the public health community that helped them control the mpox outbreak. Those lessons are a counterpoint to what happened with COVID-19, and the positive outcome gives us hope that we can learn from our past mistakes.
Continue reading Weekend Reads | Lessons From Our Recent Viral Outbreak (and I Don’t Mean COVID-19)by Vee Hua 華婷婷
by Sally James
The new COVID-19 vaccine is not quite available in Seattle today, even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended it for almost all ages last week. State health authorities say plenty of this new vaccine will be here within a few weeks.
Continue reading What to Expect in King County in the Upcoming COVID-19 Vaccine Rolloutby Vee Hua 華婷婷
by Luna Reyna
In May, Seattle’s Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) acknowledged the impact on youth mental health of social isolation due to remote learning and gun violence and responded to Seattle students’ demands for mental health services with the creation of the Student Mental Health Supports Pilot. In collaboration with schools, students, community organizations, Seattle Public Schools (SPS), and Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC), DEEL selected five pilot schools to receive $125,000 each to implement services through August 2023. Now, up to four additional schools can apply for funding for the fall 2023 school year.
Continue reading Student Demands for Mental Health Services Are Being Met With New Investmentsby Jesse Kennemer
For a food service worker, even a mild case of COVID in the “post-pandemic era” can lead to critical loss of personal income or even losing a job. This is before even taking into consideration the potential health impact of the infection itself, especially in the long-term.
Continue reading OPINION | Working With COVIDby Vee Hua 華婷婷
by Jesse Kennemer
Imagine that you’ve just started a new job serving at a bustling Seattle restaurant. After six months of full-time work, you become an essential member of the front-of-house staff. Your managers depend on you and customers adore you. Until suddenly you fall ill. It’s significant, and you are unable to work for the foreseeable future while you attend to your health. If your employer is following the minimum requirements set out by the Paid Sick and Safe Time (PSST) ordinance here in Seattle, it’s likely you’ll have exactly 26 hours of paid time as a safety net after working 40 hours per week for 26 weeks. You were making between $30 and $40 per hour including tips, but your leave will be paid out at the $16.50 minimum wage for a total of $429 before tax. By the end of your first week off the floor, you’re shit out of luck and better hope there’s something in your savings for rent.
Continue reading OPINION | Seattle Can Lead the Way Again in Paid Sick and Safe Time to Protect Retail and Food-Service Workersby Kevin Schofield
If you’re like me, then several times over the past three years, you’ve said to yourself, “Someday, the pandemic will be over, and we’ll be able to look back and know what actually worked and what was just nonsense.” While COVID isn’t entirely behind us yet, most of the emergency declarations are expiring, and the public health community is now finally getting around to understanding who responded well, who didn’t, and what made a difference.
Continue reading Weekend Reads | COVID Responses Across the U.S.: What Worked, What Didn’t, and What Made a Difference
