Future pandemics require a comprehensive response to protect the health and wellbeing of the people of the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) has revised some policies to the International Health Regulations regarding pandemic responses that expand core capacities for preparedness and response, strengthen coordination and collaboration, and establish mechanisms to address equity in access to health products and financing during public health emergencies. The WHO provided specific details revising the definition of a pandemic emergency with the intent to promote cooperation. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK) and US Health and Human Services (HHS) have rejected these new policies. This is the wrong decision. As we learned with the COVID pandemic, global and united responses are necessary to prevent unnecessary death and serious illness.
We also condemn RFK’s potential plan to end the current U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The US Preventive Services Task Force has had an important role since 1984 in establishing guidelines for healthcare services in prevention and evidence-based medicine. For example, they establish guidelines for diseases such as cancer including age of range for screening and how often one should get screened for cancer. Without this taskforce, many healthcare facilities will no longer have clear guidelines for making decisions on preventive services.
The Weather
The CDC-based wastewater map was updated on July 24. It shows four states and territories with “Very High” or “High” levels of SARS-CoV-2 in the wastewater, six states at “Moderate,” 30 states and territories at “Low” levels, and 11 states at “Very Low” levels. Guam, Indiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma have limited coverage, meaning that data from those states are based on less than 5% of the population. There is no data for North Dakota and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The CDC has determined that national levels are at low levels. Note, due to technical difficulties this week, the map colors were not revised.
As always, remember that the determination of the categories of “Very High,” “High,” “Moderate,” and “Low,” can be independent of any relationship to community transmission. Remember that even if your state’s overall levels look low, certain areas within it may have higher levels. In the last report, we discussed the differences between wastewater surveillance for the CDC and WastewaterSCAN. We continue to encourage you to check your local region here to see more detailed local data. And, we continue to recommend as many layers of protection as some regions are experiencing an increase in wastewater levels.
Wastewater trends are Moderate in the West with a slight increase in the Midwest and the Northeast regions of the US. Other regions have slightly decreased but remain higher than levels since April of 2025.
Emergency Room Use
The CDC is showing a slight increase in the proportion of Emergency Room visits that are diagnosed as COVID. The gradual increase has slowed this past week.
Variants
Due to the lack of updated data available at the CDC we will not be reporting on variant surveillance during this current report.
Take Action
NIOSH, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has protected worker safety for over 50 years. Healthcare workers especially rely on NIOSH to ensure safe working conditions. We join National Nurses United’s call to action to support the reinstatement of NIOSH after RFK Jr. cut NIOSH several months ago. Write to Congress using this letter to demand full funding of NIOSH, programs, and workforce.
OSHA is also seeking public comment on reporting COVID exposures in healthcare settings. We will provide a comprehensive set of instructions in a few weeks to address this policy change to ensure healthcare acquired COVID infections are prevented and reported. Submit a written public comment to OSHA via the Federal Register no later than September 2, 2025 at 11:59 pm Eastern Daylight Time.
COVID vaccines must also remain universally accessible. RFK Jr. has limited access to this important layer of protection from COVID infections. He must be held accountable for his intentional destruction of public health services. Write to Congress to demand universal access to COVID vaccines and to have them hold a public hearing with RFK Jr. and find him accountable for his destructive actions toward public health. You can submit a letter to your representatives in Congress, both the House and the Senate, via our Action Network or contact members Congress using their contact information, keeping our letter in full or editing it as you wish.
RFK Jr. also wants to limit access to invaluable public health services that include COVID testing and vaccines to only certain people in the US. Health and Human Services (HHS) is seeking public comments on a new policy that would limit access solely based on immigration status. This is a racist action intended to limit access to healthcare services. It is important to speak up against this as the foundation of public health is built on ensuring everyone has readily available access to healthcare services and programs. Oppose this proposal and submit a public comment in support of public health services accessible to everyone in the US. Submit a written public comment to HHS opposing this proposed policy via the Federal Register no later than August 13, 2025 at 11:59 pm Eastern Daylight Time.
Our friends in Canada are advocating for N95s and other respirators as the national standard in healthcare. Canadians, submit your support by August 19, 2025 in support of this standard to protect healthcare workers and patients using these instructions.
With the ongoing spread of infectious disease including COVID, flu, measles, and TB in the US, we need to keep ourselves and our communities safe using KF94/KN95/N95 masking and as many layers of protection as possible. Our Safer Gathering Guide provides recommendations for safer meetings and gatherings. Please continue to share it!
Notes: 1) The numbers in this report were current as of 7/26/2024. 2) Check out the links throughout & see our website for more at https://peoplescdc.org. 3) Subscribe to our newsletter: People’s CDC | Substack.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The People’s CDC is a coalition of public health practitioners, scientists, healthcare workers, educators, advocates and people from all walks of life working to reduce the harmful impacts of COVID-19.
We provide guidance and policy recommendations to governments and the public on COVID-19, disseminating evidence-based updates that are grounded in equity, public health principles, and the latest scientific literature.
Working alongside community organizations, we are building collective power and centering equity as we work together to end the pandemic. The People’s CDC is volunteer-run and independent of partisan political and corporate interests and includes anonymous local health department and other government employees. The People’s CDC is completely volunteer run with infrastructure support being provided by the People’s Science Network.
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