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The CDC reduced COVID isolation time and people are joking about the 'bad advice' that'll come next

The CDC reduced COVID isolation time and people are joking about the 'bad advice' that'll come next
via Pexels

The CDC changed its COVID-19 isolation guidelines on Monday in a move that confused a lot of people. The CDC now recommends that asymptomatic people infected with COVID-19 isolate for five days, instead of 10.

It also recommends that after isolation, those who were infected wear a mask for five days while around others.

The move comes at a time when there has been a major rise in cases across the country due to the omicron variant. The decision has a lot of people asking, “Why are we sending people who’ve been infected out in public sooner when the number of cases is on the rise?”

There has also been anxiety among the business community that an increase in isolated employees may lead to staffing shortages across the country. So is the CDC just bowing to the business community or is there a good reason for us to be more relaxed about a deadly disease?

“The Omicron variant is spreading quickly and has the potential to impact all facets of our society. CDC’s updated recommendations for isolation and quarantine balance what we know about the spread of the virus and the protection provided by vaccination and booster doses,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement.

“These updates ensure people can safely continue their daily lives,” she added. “Prevention is our best option: get vaccinated, get boosted, wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial and high community transmission, and take a test before you gather.”

There are a lot of people out there who think reducing isolation periods at a time when infections are on the rise is a really bad idea. So a group of people on Twitter decided to do the only thing we can in such crazy times, have a laugh.

The Twitter users have been speculating on other pieces of bad advice the CDC may come out with in the future. Here are 16 of the funniest.

No, don't get bangs.

People are a little suspicious that the CDC is kowtowing to business interests.

The worst piece of advice you'll ever get in high school.

Vizzini begs to differ.

You can eat the packet that says "DO NOT EAT" if your boss says it's ok.

No comment.

In 2022, Don Henley will become the CDC director.

The CDC pinky swears it will.

The CDC is so needy these days.

You can run with scissors, as long as you're wearing a mask.

No one can watch their dog stretch without making a comment. It's impossible.

The CDC only cares about your boss these days. Your health? Not so much.

What about ivermectin?

The CDC is now a dad in the '70s.

Vicks cures everything.

Clean toasters make healthy toast.

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Cargill
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Women working in Africa’s cocoa farms have received business education programs for 15 years. Here’s how that benefits the entire world.

All images provided by CARE & Cargill

The impact of the CARE and Cargill partnership goes beyond empowering cocoa farmers

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Cocoa, the key ingredient found in your favorite chocolate bar, has been a highly revered food product throughout human history. It’s been used for religious ceremonies in Peru, royal feasts in England and France, traded as currency for the ancient Mayans. And considering that many of us enjoy chocolate on a regular basis (mochas and candy bars, anyone?) it seems like that love is still going strong even today.

And if you are someone who looks forward to that sweet chocolate pick-me-up on a regular basis, you likely have the women of West Africa to thank.

Women like Barbara Sika Larweh, a mother of six who works as a cocoa farmer in Larwehkrom, a community located within the Sefwi Wiawso Municipality in the Western North Region of Ghana.

care, cargillMama Cash now empowers other women to gain independence

Nearly 60% of the world’s cocoa comes from both Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, where Barbara and other mothers make up over half of the labor force. These female cocoa farmers shoulder the same physical burden as their male counterparts—all while also running households and paying for their children to go to school. And yet, they typically don’t receive equal income. Nor do they have access to the resources that could help them achieve financial independence.

Thankfully, positive changes are taking place. Barbara’s story exemplifies the impact of programs offered by CARE and Cargill, such as Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA), which are small groups that offer low-interest loans to individuals living in poverty, helping them to build savings without going into devastating debt.

Through these initiatives, women, like Barbara, are equipped with vital knowledge like financial literacy to improve household incomes, sustainable agriculture practices that improve yields, and nutrition education to diversify their family’s diets.

“They came and trained me on the VSLA. I dedicated myself and volunteered so that I would be able to train my people, too,” Barbara explains.

Within the first year of using the programs, Barbara and the people she trained profited—earning her the nickname of “Mama Cash.”

This is no isolated event. In cocoa-growing communities supported by CARE and Cargill programming between 2019-2022, the number of households living below the national poverty line decreased by nearly 32% in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana - as a direct result of increasing and diversifying income through using these programs.

Like Barbara, who today is an executive member of the Community Development Committee, more than 2.4 million women have used their success as entrepreneurs to transform into leaders and decision-makers within their communities. Whether it’s giving most of their earnings back to their families, reducing child labor, or exponentially increasing overall farm yields, the rippling effect is profound.

The impact of the CARE and Cargill partnership goes beyond empowering cocoa farmers. The joint initiatives have fostered progress on complex global issues related to social justice, such as gender equality, climate change, and food security. By improving access to quality nutrition, water, and hygiene, the joint programs have positively influenced the cocoa communities’ well-being.

Suddenly there’s a lot more to think about the next time you eat a candy bar.

Find out more about the important partnership between CARE and Cargill here.
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