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Due Process for People, Precaution for Pathogens

By Naomi Bar-Yam Discussions of public health precautions for emerging diseases like Andes hantavirus, often include, “We shouldn’t overreact before we have definitive proof.” Sometimes this idea is framed explicitly or implicitly through one of the foundational principles of criminal law: innocent until proven guilty. That principle is essential in human justice. However, viruses are … Continued

Open Letter to WHO: Hantavirus Outbreak

Editorial Note (May 8, 2026): This letter was sent to the World Health Organization on May 7, 2026. After this letter was sent, we found that the World Health Organization press release had been updated to replace “droplet precautions” with “transmission-based precautions during close contact.” The guidance, however, still does not recommend airborne precautions or respirator … Continued

Spaces Event on International Long COVID Awareness Day 2026

About this recording The International Long COVID Awareness Day 2026 Marathon was an independently organized public community event that brought together participants from across the Long COVID community over the course of the day. The World Health Network (WHN) is hosting the recording in recognition of the importance of the effort and the voices it … Continued

When Children Are Sick, Schools Must Adapt

What COVID and Chronic Illness Have Taught Us About Education, Health, and Inclusion For many families, the phrase “remote learning” conjures memories of the early pandemic, unplanned shifts to online instruction that were often confusing, uneven, and frustrating for students, families, and educators alike. But it’s important to remember that what most children experienced in … Continued

A Brief History of Changing Work Environments

By Naomi Bar-Yam This article complements WHN’s “Update on Working from Home,” which focuses on current data, productivity, and public health impacts of remote work. Much of today’s debate about working from home is framed as if it were unprecedented—an anomaly caused by the pandemic that must be corrected. But history tells a different story. … Continued