Should You Mask Up On A Roller Coaster?

Self-Destructing Mosquitoes; Tanzania's Vaccine Dilemma [View this email online]( [NPR]( Goats and Soda editor's note Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images I just ordered a new box of KN95 masks. Like many people who are fully vaccinated and living in areas where new case counts are low, I was feeling as if I could relax my mask wearing. Now with the highly contagious Delta variant on the rise around the world, the importance of masks to prevent transmission is back in the headlines. This week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidelines on whether the fully vaccinate need masks. So like many folks, I'm a bit confused about when to mask up and when it's probably low-risk to go mask-free. Our sister blog "Shots" has a [map to help Americans sort out the situation in their state.]( And we published a guide that is helpful everywhere in the world: Do you need to mask up in grocery stores? On an outdoor run? On a roller coaster? [Read the guide here.]( Oh, and if you're curious about coasters: True, you are outdoors (where risks of transmission are low) but you're surrounded by screaming people. And there's no way to truly know their vaccination status. Our specialist, Virginia Tech epidemiology professor Charlotte Baker, said, "I would wear a mask." Marc Silver Editor, Goats and Soda --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- in the news Dunpharlain/Wikimedia Commons [How An Altered Strand of DNA Can Cause Malaria-Spreading Mosquitoes To Self-Destruct]( For the first time, scientists have shown that a new kind of genetic engineering can crash populations of malaria-spreading mosquitoes. But some critics are wary. [Tanzania's Dilemma: It's Not So Easy To Go From Vaccine Denier To Vaccine Embracer]( The African country, previously credited for high childhood vaccination rates, was 1 of 4 countries to reject COVID vaccines. Now they've done a 180. It's unclear if its citizens will go along. global teen leaders Giovanna Basso, Mofiyin Onanuga, Emma Fetzer, Joanne Lee [Teen Girl Leaders In A Pandemic: Fight For What's Right, Then Groove To BTS]( Four attendees of the Girl Up Leadership summit share how they balance their passion for social justice issues with self-care, from tuning out the news to binging Harry Potter. postcard from Sierra Leone Jason Beaubien/NPR [Sunday On The Beach With Soccer Players]( "Our beach is a God-given thing," exclaims one Sierra Leonean. "We have to make use of it!" That means walking, working out ... and lots of soccer in the sand. links we like - Afghan girls and women are [cheering on cyclist Ali Zada of the Refugee Olympic Team]( reported by The Guardian. - From the BBC: Sri Lankan workers stumbled upon [the world's largest sapphire cluster]( in a backyard. - Devex looks at vaccine data to see which countries defy the trend of [more women than men getting their jabs.]( Among them: Bangladesh and India. - Hidilyn Diaz, a female weightlifter from the Philippines, won the country's [first-ever gold medal in the Olympics.]( NPR reports. --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. --------------------------------------------------------------- What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [goatsandsoda@npr.org](mailto:goatsandsoda@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Health, Daily News, Code Switch and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Goats and Soda emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]