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masked teacher sitting on floor showing masked students something on a tablet
Does Science Support Lifting School Mask Mandates?
The CDC has given the OK to lift indoor mask mandates in much of the US, and a growing number of states no longer require face coverings in schools. But most experts agree that masks slow school spread of SARS-CoV-2, and whether now is the right time to allow teachers and students to unmask is a matter of debate.
Does Science Support Lifting School Mask Mandates?
Does Science Support Lifting School Mask Mandates?

The CDC has given the OK to lift indoor mask mandates in much of the US, and a growing number of states no longer require face coverings in schools. But most experts agree that masks slow school spread of SARS-CoV-2, and whether now is the right time to allow teachers and students to unmask is a matter of debate.

The CDC has given the OK to lift indoor mask mandates in much of the US, and a growing number of states no longer require face coverings in schools. But most experts agree that masks slow school spread of SARS-CoV-2, and whether now is the right time to allow teachers and students to unmask is a matter of debate.

respiratory virus

Woman waiting in line at the airport, carrying a bag and standing next to two other suitcases. She is wearing a N95 face mask.
SARS-CoV-2 in the Air: What’s Known and What Isn’t
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Feb 18, 2022 | 9 min read
Evidence suggests that COVID-19 is primarily an airborne disease. Yet the details of how transmission occurs are still debated and frequently misunderstood.
illustration of blue coronavirus particles with snowflakes in the background
Is COVID-19 Seasonal?
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Nov 10, 2021 | 7 min read
While the weather isn’t currently the dominant factor driving SARS-CoV-2 transmission, experts say that in the future COVID-19 may become a disease of winter.
masked boy sitting in classroom raising his hand
Shrinking Quarantine
Rachael Moeller Gorman | Oct 15, 2021 | 9 min read
The CDC now suggests that only children who were within 3 feet, not 6 feet, of an infected student should quarantine, provided they were masked in a classroom. Does the science support this change?
Coronavirus Closeup, 1964
Ashley Yeager | Sep 1, 2020 | 3 min read
Electron microscopy revealed that a deadly disease of birds was not a form of flu, but a different type of virus entirely.
Disturbed Microbes Contribute to Lung Damage from Oxygen Treatment
Ruth Williams | Aug 12, 2020 | 3 min read
In humans, higher oxygen levels during ventilation are tied to an altered bacterial composition in the lungs, and mouse experiments show a causative link.
gold spots on a blue background
A Brief History of Human Coronaviruses
Shawna Williams | Jun 2, 2020 | 5 min read
Milder, cold-causing members of this pathogenic viral family long remained under the radar, although they aren’t entirely harmless.
The COVID-19 Coronavirus May Travel in Aerosols
Amy Schleunes | Apr 3, 2020 | 2 min read
Several studies have indicated that SARS-CoV-2 might be spread through air, but not all experts are convinced.
Outrage and Grief Follow Death of Coronavirus Whistleblower
Amy Schleunes | Feb 7, 2020 | 2 min read
Authorities had silenced Li Wenliang after he spoke out about the virus, now known as 2019-nCoV, in the early days of the epidemic.
Cause of Viral Pneumonia Outbreak in China Unknown
Catherine Offord | Jan 6, 2020 | 2 min read
Health authorities have ruled out the usual suspects, leading to fears that a novel virus is causing the infections in Hubei Province.
Enterovirus Spreads Among US Kids
Molly Sharlach | Sep 10, 2014 | 2 min read
A previously rare respiratory virus is landing hundreds of children in hospitals.
Airborne H7N9
Kate Yandell | Jul 19, 2013 | 2 min read
Chinese scientists confirm that the avian flu virus subtype can spread through the air between ferrets.
Dogs May Guard Against Asthma
Hayley Dunning | Jul 3, 2012 | 1 min read
Mice become immune to a virus associated with childhood asthma when exposed to dust from homes that have dogs.
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