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August REALM research briefing and new video resources

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Perspectives from the museum and library fields

Frederic Bertley, President and CEO of the Center of Science and Industry (COSI), and Jennie Garner, Director of the North Liberty Library, share how their respective organizations have navigated the pandemic, including changes to services and operations.

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Vaccines, variants, and ventilation research briefing

An updated briefing, prepared by Battelle, looks at research available on vaccines, variants, and ventilation. Highlights include: 

  • Ventilation: A study focusing on mitigation of classroom transmission found that ventilation changes were effective at reducing mean transmission risk by 25 percent, while increasing social distancing from 1.5 to 3 meters decreased transmission risk by 65 percent (slide 31).
  • Ventilation: Experts recommended that exhaust fans in restrooms should operate at all times. They also noted that windows in restrooms should not be opened, as exhausted air may reenter (slide 38).
  • Vaccines:  Equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines among racial and ethnic minorities is a key concern, as Hispanics and Blacks are less likely to have had at least one vaccine dose compared to Whites and Asians. Researchers have identified that COVID-19 continues to disproportionally impact the Black community, further worsening health disparities already present due to racism and its effects on social and economic factors. Efforts also need to be made to improve access among persons in low socioeconomic areas and persons with disabilities (slide 16).

Learn more about the latest research on these topics in the updated research briefing.

View the briefing

Communities for Immunity

A new initiative invites museums and libraries to submit proposals for funding efforts that support vaccine confidence where it matters most―at the local level. Funding awards will be provided to museums and libraries to leverage their deep relationships with local communities to improve vaccine confidence. Communities for Immunity is led by the Association of Science and Technology Centers and the American Alliance of Museums with support from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

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