MASK BLOC MKE

Mask up Milwaukee! COVID is still a pandemic.
Take precautions to protect your health & the health of your neighbor. We're a volunteer-run, community-funded mask bloc distributing N95 masks & rapid COVID-19 tests to SE WI.
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Contact us at
[email protected] or fill out this form (also linked below) to receive free N95 masks & rapid tests.

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If you'd like to help contribute to MBM's work, our Cashapp is $maskblocmke & our Venmo is @maskblocmke. If you'd like to get involved with us, check out this page!
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Check out our sibling organization MaskBloc414 for free high-quality masks & more local COVID-19 information!

This is a work in progress & we appreciate all the knowledgable contributers that have heped us compile this resource! If you see something that needs updating or correcting, let us know.
Info here is not intended as medical advice.

EXPOSURE

I.) TEST FOR COVID-19 (C19) IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU ARE EXPOSED TO IS EXPERIENCING-🤧 Cough
🤒 Sore throat
🤧 Runny nose, congestion
🤒 Fever
🤧 Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing
🤒 Loss of taste or smell
🤧 Headache, body aches
🤒 Fatigue
🤧 Vomiting, diarrhea
🤒 Rash, new skin changes
🤧 Sores in mouth, discoloration on tongue
🤒 Swollen, discolored toes
‼️It's important to recognize when your illness is becoming severe & get care immediately. Information on C19-related health emergencies is here. If you think you're having an emergency, call 911 or seek emergency care.‼️➡️ Symptoms of C19 may vary depending on the variant. Track what variants are dominant in WI here.➡️ Keep in mind, for some therapeutics, there is a limited time between when you first develop symptoms to when you are no longer eligible. Test as soon as you notice symptoms, or have reason to believe you've been exposed.II.) TESTING FOR COVID-19➡️ At the first sign of illness, seek out a rapid or, ideally, PCR test. You may not test positive for C19 until your fourth or fifth day of being sick, but you are still infectious. Testing for multiple consecutive days helps catch false negative results, which can be common with rapid tests.➡️ If you test positive & can't stay home, wear a well-fitting respirator in public spaces and keep distance from others. Consider letting people know you're C19 positive so they can keep distance as well. Assume you're contagious for 10-14 days, or as long as you're symptomatic; whichever is longer.➡️ Document your positive C19 test. If you develop Long COVID (LC), this can help you more easily access potential clinical trials, treatments & accommodations.III.) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
😷 Further information on prevention
😷 Monitor state & local wastewater data
😷 The CDC & Covariants also track what variants are most active nationally
😷 Worker's Compensation & C19/LC in WI

PREVENTION

Preventing even one case of C19 means that someone is able to go in to work, safely care for their immunocompromised child, or help their elderly parents with chores around the house. In fact, C19 prevention was so effective, a common influenza B strain has disappeared since early-pandemic protections were put temporarily in place.Here is a link debunking some common myths about prevention, as well as some tips below.I.) MASKING:
➡️ Wear a well-fitting, high-quality mask (such as a KN95, N95, KF94 or, P100) indoors, in crowded spaces, or if you're sick & have to be out around others. Here's a video on why N95 respirators & your standard surgical mask are very different!
➡️ Finding a good fit often depends on multiple factors -- face shape, size, whether or not you have facial hair, etc. Here's a video on performing your own DIY fit test!➡️ Duckbill-style N95s are the most effective at preventing transmission, with head-strap boat or bifold N95s being comparably effective, but other respirator-style masks (like ear-loop KN95s) can also help prevent catching or spreading C19.➡️ N95 or higher-quality masks can be reused so long as they are not damp, visibly soiled, or damaged, & the straps are intact. Be sure to give the mask a day or two to "rest" in a paper bag before reuse -- ideally have multiple on hand to switch out every couple days.➡️ Mask tape, paper medical tape or rolls of thin stick-on window/door insulation foam foam can help improve the fit of your N95 mask by preventing gaps where unfiltered air can get in or out.➡️ If you can't access these styles of mask, request some from us! Otherwise, here is a guide to improve the fit of surgical masks, as well as a small device that gives your surgical masks a closer fit. Ensure you wash cloth masks between uses.➡️ Take masks when offered! Like many free services, organizations often take note of how many people use them to determine whether to continue.II.) CLEAN AIR:
➡️ When possible, bring social gatherings outside or keep the space well-ventilated, either by opening up windows or using HEPA filtration inside.
➡️ Keep in mind, HEPA filtration alone isn't enough to prevent C19! Use multiple layers of prevention, as the "Swiss-Cheese model" reccommends.➡️ If you don't have access to HEPA filtration, you can DIY a CR Box to help clean the air in your space!➡️ Flush out spaces after occupancy! SARS-CoV-2 can linger in the air even after comeone who is C19 positive has left.➡️ Here's a link to a spreadsheet with discounts & rebates on air purifiers by state!III.) VACCINATION & PEMGARDA:
➡️ Stay up-to-date on current vaccinations!
➡️ If you're uninsured & need help covering the cost, you may qualify for the bridge access program.
... (Information in Spanish & Hmong)
➡️ Many pharmacies that provide testing options also provide vaccinations. Call ahead to be sure they carry specific brands, if you have a preference!➡️ Locate other vaccination sites here!➡️ Pemgarda is an investigational preventative monoclonal antibody taken by IV infusion at an infusion center. It is authorized for high-risk patients under an Emergency Use Authorization, & (per the manufacturer website's infusion site locator) can be found at one clinic in Milwaukee. If you have a physician & are eligible, talk to them about a referral if interested.IV.) ILLNESS HYGIENE:
➡️ If you can, stay home & cancel any plans to visit with others when sick!
➡️ If you are attending or planning a large gathering, here are two guides on how to make them C19-safer -- 1 & 2.➡️ Before gatherings, have everyone invited C19 test in the 24-48 hours prior.➡️ After a large event, consider serial testing for the next 3-5 days regardless of if you have symptoms, as many cases of C19 are asymptomatic.V.) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
😷 Preparing your COVID+ Plan
😷 Talking to Loved Ones About COVID
😷 Tips for Talking About COVID
😷 Explaining COVID Precautions to Your MD
😷 COVID Caution Printable Zine (ENG)
😷 COVID Caution Printable Zine (ESP)
😷 Infographics on COVID (ENG&ESP)
😷 COVID-Safer Flying
😷 COVID-Safer Sex Work
😷 COVID Caution at Conventions
😷 Mask-Positive Coloring Pages

TREATMENT

*information subject to addition & non-comprehensive

In some cases, a COVID-19 positive person may be eligible for medications to help decrease the chance of developing more severe symptoms or requiring hospitalization. It's important to reach out for treatment quickly, as some treatments will only be prescribed <5 days of your symptoms starting.Currently in patients who are not hospitalized, Paxlovid & molnupiravir are the primary drugs used in treating C19, and work by preventing the virus from continuing to replicate in a person's body.Remdesivir is an IV infusion that can be given outpatient to folks who aren't able to receive other treatments.I.) OBTAINING A PRESCRIPTION
As soon as you test positive, if you are potentially vulnerable to severe C19 symptoms, seek medical attention. Ideally this will be through a primary care doctor; check to see if your doctor has telehealth options available if you don't have any symptoms you need assessed in-person.
Some treatments must be started within a certain timeframe of symptoms starting & for most payment assistance programs, you'll need a provider to write you a prescription. If you don't currently have a primary doctor, some telehealth services can help you get a prescription for C19 treatments with a co-payment of around $50-150 &/or a membership fee depending on the service.Examples of this are SesameCare, GoodRx Care, or PlushCare (we are not endorsing or dissuading folks from using these specific services, just giving examples to help begin your search.) Test to Treat is a government program that offers telehealth prescribing at some sites; see if there is a location near you with this tool available.Additionally:
➡️ Paxlovid eligibility screening tool
➡️ Therapeutics locator; where to pick up your prescription
➡️ Another therapeutics locator on healthdata.gov
➡️ Here is a very comprehensive guide to in & outpatient drugs that are either being used by providers or in clinical trials to treat C19
II.) PAYMENT ASSISTANCE
➡️ Paxlovid cost assistance for insured & uninsured folks
➡️ Pfizer's Paxlovid access support program (must be privately insured)
➡️ Molnupiravir coupon for cost assistance
➡️ MerckHelps molnupiravir cost assistance (ENG) & (ESP)
➡️ Remdesivir financial assistance
➡️ Gilead Advancing Access portal

COVID-19 &
LONG COVID

COVID-19 (C19) is an illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It's spread person-to-person through the air, like smoke, & through respiratory droplets. Symptoms can take 2-14 days to begin after being exposed, & many people don't test positive until their third or fourth day of having it. Some people have no symptoms at all but are still contagious.➡️ The symptoms can vary depending on how recently you've been vaccinated, whether or not you have certain health conditions, & the amount of virus you're exposed to. Some people are more vulnerable to severe symptoms during their acute infection, & may be eligible for certain treatments if they test positive.‼️If you are experiencing severe symptoms, you may be having a C19-related emergency. Call 911 or seek emergency care immediately.‼️➡️ C19 is unique. It is particularly contagious compared to seasonal respiratory viruses, which allows for it to more easily reproduce new lineages (or variants) that can evade the immunity we developed from past infection or vaccination. C19 also is not seasonal, like other common viruses, and cases can surge throughout the year.➡️ An acute C19 can impact nearly every system in the body, whether or not you have symptoms. After your acute infection, consider discussing surveillance health monitoring with your primary care provider to prevent Long COVID (LC) from going unnoticed.Long COVID is an umbrella term for a wide variety of persisting symptoms or new conditions that can result from a SARS-CoV-2 infection. While post-viral syndromes are not unique to C19, the rate at which they occur is high, with 1 in 10 C19 infections resulting in LC.➡️ Learn more about LC & LC statistics from patients with LC.➡️ Check out the Pulse Household Survey dashboard on rates of LC in the US➡️ There are currently no FDA-approved treatments for LC & because LC can look so different between patients, there is not a firm agreement in the medical field on what about a C19 infection causes persisting symptoms -- if there is even one specific cause, as opposed to multiple.➡️ The most effective way to prevent LC, is by avoiding a SARS-CoV-2 infection in the first place!Our state & federal governments are no longer aiding workers in avoiding infection at their jobs, children in avoiding infection in schools, & the medically vulnerable in avoiding infection in hospitals. In continuing to partake in C19 protection measures, despite the lack of urgency on the part of our politicians, we practice community care & strengthen our solidarity in keeping each other safe.

TESTING

I.) EXPOSURE/SYMPTOMS:
➡️ Seek a PCR test OR serial test for 5 days.
II.) PRE-EVENT SURVEILLANCE TESTING:➡️ Test 24-48 hours prior to the event, & test daily for 3-5 days following the event. If symptomatic, or another attendee reports a positive COVID test, follow exposure protocols.➡️ Consider performing a combined swab from your throat & nares when taking a rapid test to improve accuracy when using certain brands. Some tests such as the InteliSwab (the test we carry) have had anecdotal reports of false positives when performing dual swabs.➡️ If you test negative, especially on a rapid test, continue testing for 3-5 days after your exposure, or if symptoms develop. Test daily if possible, so you can catch the positive result right away, & give yourself a chance to request treatments like Paxlovid.➡️ Rapid tests are particularly vulnerable to false negatives -- serial testing, or performing daily tests for multiple days after exposure, is the best way to ensure you're getting an accurate result!➡️ Alternatively, consider getting a PCR test if it's accessible to you.III.) PCR TESTS:
😷 Walgreens
😷 CVS
😷 Hayat Pharm
😷 Summit Clinical Labs
😷 Carbon Health
😷 Quest Dxs
😷 North Shore Pharm
IV.) ALTERNATIVES:
➡️ Search a database of local health centers that may be able to help you access a test; check their websites out first before to make sure they stil offer this service!
➡️ Search 211 WI's website for COVID-related services near you.➡️ The CDC has a similar tool for uninsured folks to locate free testing servicesV.) RAPID TESTS:
😷 Request some from us!
➡️ The expiration date of some rapid tests have been extended. Check the link to see if yours are still viable!➡️ Like masks, it's important to take free tests whenever they're offered! This shows the organization or government service offering tests that we want to keep our communities safer & healthier.

Advocacy & awareness

A big part of keeping our community safe from COVID-19 is continuing to advocate for protections.This can look like contacting our representatives to demand continued funding directed towards C19 protections & LC research, advocating for public services & businesses to provide or require masks, joining an advocacy org, or simply talking with the people around you about the present threat of COVID-19, Long COVID, & how it impacts all our lives.I.) ADVOCACY ORGS:
😷 COVID Action Map
😷 Mask Bloc Directory
😷 COVID Advocacy Groups Directory
😷 Clean Air Lending Libraries
😷 Covid Safe Campus
😷 Marked By COVID
😷 Longhauler Advocacy Project
😷 Senior and Disability Action
😷 The People's CDC
😷 World Health Network
😷 The People's Medicines Alliance
😷 Mask Together America
😷 Guide on How to Start a Mask Bloc
II.) COVID INFORMATION:
🦠 Milwaukee County COVID Dashboard
🔬 WI DHS wastewater & hospitalizations
🦠 CDC (USA) wastewater data
🔬 CDC (state) wastewater data
🦠 Biobot wastewater data
🔬 Walgreens COVID index
🦠 CDC National Variant Proportions
🔬 CDC Trends: Hospitalizations & Deaths
🦠 CoVariants Variant Tracker
🔬 WI Genomic Dashboard
🦠 WHO COVID Dashboard
🔬 National Respiratory Pathogen Trends
🦠 LITCOVID Scientific Literature Hub
🔬 Extensive database of COVID-related publications & articles
🦠 History of COVID's Politicization
🔬 Archived NIH COVID19 Treatment Guidelines (Original web source inaccessible as of 08/16/2024)
In addition, staying up-to-date on the current state of COVID-19 is important, as is sharing that information with the people around you. It can be difficult or complicated to talk to our loved ones about COVID safety, but this resource may make it a bit easier. As well, we have some helpful resources for explaining COVID safety to the people in your life here.The better prepared we are for danger, the better we can keep each other safe from it!

How can I get involved with Mask Bloc MKE?

We began our online presence late in 2023, but have been distributing masks & C19-related information to the community since 2021! As we began to aggregate more information online to share with our neighbors, we wanted to help make the tools to put that information into practice more accessible.If you'd like to help support our work, any donations go a long way! As of July 2024, we have received over $300 to purchase 480 rapid tests & over 2,000 N95 masks to distribute to our neighbors.➡️ You can donate to MBM via Cashapp: $maskblocmke or Venmo: @maskblocmke➡️ Contact us at
[email protected] if you are interested in donating physical items!
We most immediately need:
😷 Small & child sized N95s
😷 XL N95s
😷 "Clear" or windowed N95s to accommodate for lip-reading
😷 Unopened, unexpired test kits of any variety
😷 Mask tape
😷 Bubble mailers
😷 Plastic or paper 'grab-bags' for distribution events
Other items needed:
😷 Unused glasses shields, face shields
😷 Mouthwash containing cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) (especially 'airplane-sized' bottles)
😷 Boxes of nitrile gloves (no latex)
😷 Hand sanitizer (especially mini-bottles)
😷 Printer paper (standard, glossy or cardstock)
😷 Glossy sticker paper
😷 Paper sandwich bags
➡️ If you'd like to volunteer your time, we are looking to connect with folks able to drive masks out for drop-offs & anyone who would like to table with us for distro events to connect with the community in discussing how COVID & Long COVID impact MKE.➡️ If you are an artist willing to donate a piece for auction, promotional art, or are someone who has experience with zines; we are planning an art auction in late August 2024 to raise money for supplies -- reach out if this is of interest to you!➡️ If you have up-to-date information on C19/LC not included in this guide or would be interested in helping complete the unfinished pages, we would greatly appreciate the revision assistance.