Undernotification of SARS-CoV-2 infections has been a major obstacle to the tracking of critical quantities such as infection attack rates and the probability of severe and lethal outcomes. We use a model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and vaccination informed by epidemiological and genomic surveillance data to estimate the number of daily infections occurred in Italy in… Continue reading The decline of COVID-19 severity and lethality over two years of pandemic
Category: Environment
Duration of Shedding of Culturable Virus in SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (BA.1) Infection
TO THE EDITOR:The B.1.1.529 (omicron) variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has a shorter incubation period and a higher transmission rate than previous variants.1,2 Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended shortening the strict isolation period for infected persons in non–health care settings from 10 days to 5 days after… Continue reading Duration of Shedding of Culturable Virus in SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (BA.1) Infection
Tourism as a dementia treatment based on positive psychology
AbstractNo research in tourism or medicine has addressed the potential relationship between travel and the medical treatment of dementia. Given tourism's increasingly important role in society, a cross-disciplinary team of tourism and dementia experts provide insight into the potential benefits of tourism for individuals with dementia. This conceptual effort critically reviews the tourism and dementia… Continue reading Tourism as a dementia treatment based on positive psychology
Light at night in older age is associated with obesity, diabetes, and hypertension
Light at night (LAN) has been associated with negative health consequences and metabolic risk factors. Little is known about the prevalence of LAN in older adults in the U.S. and its association with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. We tested the hypothesis that LAN in older age is associated with higher prevalence of individual CVD… Continue reading Light at night in older age is associated with obesity, diabetes, and hypertension
Passage of exogeneous fine particles from the lung into the brain in humans and animals
There are still significant knowledge gaps in understanding the intrusion and retention of exogeneous particles into the central nervous system (CNS). Here, we uncovered various exogeneous fine particles in human cerebrospinal fluids (CSFs) and identified the ambient environmental or occupational exposure sources of these particles, including commonly found particles (e.g., Fe- and Ca-containing ones) and… Continue reading Passage of exogeneous fine particles from the lung into the brain in humans and animals
Carbon dioxide rises beyond acceptable safety levels in children under nose and mouth covering: Results of an experimental measurement study in healthy children
AbstractNose and mouth covering (NMC) has been made compulsory for children in many countries during the Covid-19 pandemic. We wanted to determine the average CO2 levels in inhaled air with NMC in children between age 6 and 17. We used short term measurements under surgical masks and FFP2 masks according to European norm EN 149,… Continue reading Carbon dioxide rises beyond acceptable safety levels in children under nose and mouth covering: Results of an experimental measurement study in healthy children
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Incident Hypertension in Multi-Racial/Ethnic Women: The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous synthetic chemicals that may disrupt blood pressure controls; however, human evidence to support this hypothesis is scant. We examined the association between serum concentrations of PFAS and risks of developing hypertension. Methods:This study included 1058 midlife women initially free of hypertension from the multiracial and multiethnic SWAN (Study… Continue reading Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Incident Hypertension in Multi-Racial/Ethnic Women: The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation
Trajectories of asthma symptom presenting as wheezing and their associations with family environmental factors among children in Australia: evidence from a national birth cohort study
Objectives Asthma is one of the greatest health burdens, yet contributors to asthma symptom trajectories are understudied in Australian children. We aimed to assess the trajectories of asthma symptom and their associations with several family environmental factors during the childhood period in Australia. Design Secondary analysis from a cross-sequential cohort study. Setting Nationwide representative data… Continue reading Trajectories of asthma symptom presenting as wheezing and their associations with family environmental factors among children in Australia: evidence from a national birth cohort study
Revisiting Pediatric COVID-19 Cases in Counties With and Without School Mask Requirements—United States, July 1—October 20 2021
Background: There has been considerable debate around mask requirements in schools in the United States and other countries during the Covid-19 pandemic. To date, there have been no randomized controlled trials of mask requirements in children. All analyses of the effectiveness of school mask mandates have relied on observational studies. The Centers for Disease Control… Continue reading Revisiting Pediatric COVID-19 Cases in Counties With and Without School Mask Requirements—United States, July 1—October 20 2021