Lehigh Valley Mask Bloc

This is your regular reminder that Covid is airborne.

It’s not over. It’s still killing and disabling people.

It’s a novel virus and we still don’t know the full long term effects, but what we do know is not encouraging.

Wear a mask. Clean the air. Stay home when sick.

Protect one another.

a picture of kids KF94 masks

Do you know in addition to the variety of adult masks we also offer masks for kids? Whenever we get a request for masks we ask if any children need masks as well.
We are here to provide free masks for folks of all ages in the Lehigh Valley. Need a mask? Reach out to us here via DM!

911 outage in PA! If you’re local and in need of emergency services, please call your local county non emergency numbers. Below are the ones for Lehigh County. Northampton County is (610) 759-2200

a picture of the disability pride flag

July is Disability Pride Month. Disability Pride is for folks to be proud of who they are with their disability.
This month the LV Mask Bloc celebrates by providing free respirator masks and COVID tests to those who need them.

If you or anyone you know needs masks you can reach us here via DM! 🤍

A COVID-19 awareness poster by WHN (World Health Network), featuring a detailed close-up image of a SARS-CoV-2 virus particle in the background—gray with red spike proteins and orange nodules. At the top left, a row of six colorful dots (pink, red, green, light blue, teal, dark blue). Top right: whn.global (white text with a pink dot) Centered white and bold text reads: Like all COVID variants, Nimbus spreads through the air. Wear a mask. Bottom left in smaller white text: whn.global/why-mask-campaign

The new variant NB.1.8.1, nicknamed “Nimbus” is here — and it spreads through the air.Just like every COVID variant before it.

A high-quality mask protects.
Simple. Effective. Worth it.

Learn more at: whn.global/why-mask-cam...

#WhyMask #COVIDisAirborne #NimbusVariant #COVID #COVID19

Screenshot from r/panda express which reads Mask policy didn't last long oops!!! TO: PIC/SM/GM/ACO/RDO/VPOs ACTIONS REQUESTED: Effective Immediately. • BE AWARE that the mask policy communicated on 4/15/25 will no longer apply • The health and wellbeing of our associates will always come first • If associates prefer to wear a mask, whether it's for health, family-related, or religious reasons, they may still do SO • As always, if an associate is sick, they should follow our Illness Policy provided in our Associate Handbook (SEE attached for reference) • REMOVE the policy that was communicated on 4/15/25 immediately (titled " New Mask Policy - Not Applicable in California) if posted in the store

Panda Express walked back their employee mask ban in response to public outcry.

Starbucks is also attempting to prohibit their employees from masking unless they have a doctors note.

Get loud. Call, email & boycott. These ableist decisions are reversible, we just need to keep up the fight!

a picture that shows a cardboard box. above it says “free masks”. in the box has dozens of 3m aura masks and atop of that is a KN95 box full of masks

If you were at the Punk Rock Flea Market in Bethlehem today, you might have noticed these free masks that were provided by us! If you ever need any masks and live in the Lehigh Valley, please reach out!! 🤍

'Lab Leak,' a flashy page on the virus' origins, replaces government COVID sites The new page emphatically promotes a theory that many scientists question. Meanwhile, basic information about COVID testing and vaccines has disappeared.

NPR: ''Lab Leak,' a flashy page on the virus' origins, replaces government COVID sites'

"..would be a terrible shame if such efforts distracted from essential work to help prevent further infections and treat people suffering from COVID-19 & long COVID"

www.npr.org/sections/sho...

Say No to Mask Bans in New York Please take action!

NO ONE should fear that wearing a facial covering could lead to being stopped, ticketed or arrested by police.

Masks keep people safe - from illness, from doxxing, from targeted mass surveillance, and much more.

Tell the Governor and the NY legislature to reject a statewide mask ban:

If you want to help disabled people fight New York's proposed mask ban... wear a mask.

If more people would mask up in solidarity, these important accessibility tools would be harder to ban.

Help us normalize masking and protect your health in the process!

This day is a reminder and reinforcement of why we mask and why we do this work of distributing free masks to our community. Mask up to stay healthy, protect yourself, and your community! Need masks? Reach out via DMS! 🩵🩶🖤

Today, March 15th, is Long Covid Awareness Day. On this day we honor those still enduring long covid, celebrate those who recovered, and remember those who died as a result of long covid.

Blox Direct has a sale on their N95 masks right now! Feel free to check out the sale or DM if you need masks and are in the LV, we just bought over 400 masks for the bloc 🤍

bloxdirect.com/products/blo...

COVID-19 Testing The free at-home COVID-19 test distribution program is not currently accepting orders. At-home COVID-19 tests are sold at pharmacies, grocery stores and many other retailers nationwide. Tests ordered before 8:00 PM EDT, Sunday, March 9, 2025, will be shipped. If you have an issue with an order you placed, such as a lost or damaged package, please contact USPS by calling 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777).

You can no longer order free COVID tests from the government. Despite still having $500 million worth of COVID tests stockpiled, covidtests.gov is closed.

Long COVID has impacted about 1M in Pa. But what do we know about it? Practices for treating long COVID have evolved as researchers and physicians learn more.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: 'Long COVID has impacted about 1M in Pa. But what do we know about it?'

'Practices for treating long COVID have evolved as researchers and physicians learn more'

www.post-gazette.com/news/health/...

Never underestimate the power of wearing a mask. It’s a simple and safe act of compassion, resistance & self care

Sick of being sick? Wear a mask.

Want to keep a vulnerable loved one safe? Wear a mask.

Want to show solidarity with disabled people? Wear a mask.

Want to fight fascism? Wear a mask.

"Anosmia can also be a safety issue" "Without the ability to smell, you are unable to detect dangers like smoke, gas leaks, spoiled food, etc."

“Currently there are no cures for anosmia. One way to significantly reduce your risk of getting anosmia is by wearing a high quality mask such as an N95”

Fun fact: Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen has anosmia. Cohen’s condition is the reason why Ben and Jerry’s ice cream is known for its creative, intense combinations and often chunky texture as Cohen has to rely on “mouth-feel”

Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482152/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7488171/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9305264/ https://www.wytv.com/news/daybreak/anosmia-impacted-ben-jerrys-ice-cream/

Anosmia is something I don’t directly deal with as much anymore (although there are some things I can’t smell at all still) and rather deal with parosmia, which is a DISTORTED sense of smell rather than none at all. (2/2)

"February 27th ANOSMIA AWARENESS DAY. Did you know covid can cause anosmia?" All slides have a gradient pink, blue, and yellow background.

a graph showing the correlation between Yankee Candle negative reviews on Amazon for "no smell" to the daily covid cases in the US

"Anosmia is the loss of smell and could be long-lasting or permanent. Other causes of anosmia: nasal polyps, medication, radiation therapy, traumatic brain injury (TBI)

"Anosmia can worsen the quality of life by causing emotional distress and depression" "Taste and smell are directly linked and without the sense of smell, you lose the ability to properly enjoy the flavors of food"

Today, February 27th, is Anosmia Awareness Day! Did you know covid can cause anosmia? Smell issues are something I still deal with since getting covid in 2020! (1/2)

It's never too late to start masking again. This will help you navigate tricky social situations when you do: linktr.ee/covidbook

apparently this decision was reversed and the program is staying… that being said definitely get them still while you can!

get your free covid tests if you’re eligible!!! rumor is the website is going to be shut down after tonight and the remaining covid tests will be destroyed special.usps.com/testkits

U.S. weighs destroying $500 million in stockpiled covid tests The government is reviewing proposals to shut down the program that ships free covid tests to American households and is considering destroying 160 million tests.

US Folks, if you didn't order your gov Covid RATs last fall, do it NOW. They intend to destroy them.

160 million tests, worth > 1/2 billion $, & "Only a small fraction of the tests are expired, according to the officials."

Cutting gov waste, huh.

www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

The entire archive of CDC datasets can be found here.

HUGE shoutout to data archivists- this work is important 👏🙌🏻

archive.org/details/2025...

Hello everyone! We have an offer for 300,000 N95 masks, most of which expire at the end of July. 😷

If there are any mutual aid groups interested in these, please DM us your email and we will send you more information.

On the top left shows a doodle of a soup pot that says "food not bombs" next to it on the right is a book doodle that says "rent is theft" and on the left a soup ladle (?) "Food Not Bombs" What: Free farm fresh produce and bread starting Nov 4, 2023, free hot food Where: 2nd and Liberty, in front of Sheridan Elementary When: during daylight savings: 4:30 PM during standard time: 3:00PM

free food and masks tomorrow!!

For the price of an N95 (which you can also get for free from a mask bloc) you can send a clear message that you care about the lives of others.

You can show that you value your health and don’t want to be responsible for making someone else sick.

You can protect the most vulnerable around you.

"ACTIONS I’M TAKING TO STAY SAFE FROM BIRD FLU AS A CHICKEN, DOG, AND CAT OWNER" with an image of a dog, cat, and chicken. All slides have a gradient pink, blue, and purple background and have white or dark blue text.

"- Keep chickens inside a covered run, no free ranging! - When going to tend to chickens, wear appropiate PPE (i.e. a well fitting mask and eye equipment) - Put away chicken feed every night. Mice can carry disease (including H5N1) and get into it"

“- Wear boots you wear ONLY to tend to your chickens around them and in their run. Shoes carry disease! Sanitize daily - Keep all shoes outside in a garage / mudroom / closet if possible to keep away from other pets - Change clothes after interacting with chickens immediately and wash them"

Fourth slide: "- Mop and sanitize entry ways often - Wipe dogs paws when coming in from - Keep cats indoors and other animals as much as possible - Sanitize surfaces daily, especially after grocery shopping and bringing in packages, etc."

some actions I’m taking against bird flu to stay safe as a chicken, dog, and cat owner #birdflu #h5n1

I’m not an expert or a professional in any way ofc but these are some things I’ve been doing for the past ~2+ months !! (1/2)

Please DM if you need masks or are able to donate any. Thank you everyone in advance for your generosity in supporting us!! ♥ (2/2)

A picture of a cashapp QR code. It links to 'Elle V. Bloque' $lvmaskbloc

Please help support the LV Mask Bloc by donating to our cashapp: $lvmaskbloc

Every donation goes towards buying masks to give to those in need locally! In addition to monetary donations we accept mask donations as well.
Masks must be:
- unopened
- respirator masks only (N95, KN95, KF94, etc.) (1/2)