Feature Channels: Public Health

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Communicating effectively during an outbreak can be tricky for government agencies charged with protecting the public, according to Glen Nowak, former director of media relations at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and professor of advertising and public relations at the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.

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Wearing a surgical mask is unlikely to protect healthy people from the novel coronavirus that originated in China, and influenza likely poses a much greater threat to Americans, according to José Cordero, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics in the University of Georgia’s College of Public Health.

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Healthcare personnel working on the front lines to contain and prevent the spread of the new coronavirus that originated in China need to take special, yet common, precautions to keep themselves and others safe.

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By figuring out how a common virus hides from the immune system, scientists have identified a potential vaccine to prevent sometimes deadly respiratory infections in humans.

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Using results of a survey of more than 2,700 self-reported users of the herbal supplement kratom, sold online and in smoke shops around the U.S., Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers conclude that the psychoactive compound somewhat similar to opioids likely has a lower rate of harm than prescription opioids for treating pain, anxiety, depression and addiction.

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Researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have discovered a fundamental mechanism that regulates gene activity in cells. The newly discovered mechanism targets RNA, or ribonucleic acid, a close cousin of DNA that plays an important role in cellular activity.

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La trata de personas es un problema creciente de la salud pública internacional. Se calcula que en Estados Unidos, hay 400 000 personas afectadas y hasta el 88 por ciento de ellas ha visto a un profesional de la salud mientras era víctima de la trata de personas.

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A team of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researchers has developed a preliminary set of predictive three-dimensional protein structures of the coronavirus to aid research efforts.

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A plant-based diet may be key to lowering risk for heart disease. Penn State researchers determined that diets with reduced sulfur amino acids — which occur in protein-rich foods, such as meats, dairy, nuts and soy — were associated with a decreased risk for cardiovascular disease.

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Recently, 25 people were hospitalized for carbon monoxide poisoning at a vacation rental home in Idaho. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, half of all reported cases of carbon monoxide poisoning occur during the winter, with travelers especially at risk due to varying regulations on carbon monoxide (CO) alarms across states. Diane Calello, executive and medical director of the New Jersey Poison Control Center at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School’s department of emergency medicine discusses how to stay safe from carbon monoxide poisoning at home and when traveling.

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Breaking research in AACC’s Clinical Chemistry journal shows that two new tests accurately diagnose coronavirus infection in about 1 hour. These tests could play a critical role in halting this deadly outbreak by enabling healthcare workers to isolate and treat patients much faster than is currently possible.

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Authors caution that given the lack of a robust and detailed timeline of records of suspected, probable, and confirmed cases and close contacts, the true size of the epidemic and its pandemic potential remains unclear.

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As the world nears poliovirus eradication, the vaccines themselves have become the greatest threat. In response to a global demand for an effective, safer-to-handle and less costly polio vaccine, scientists at the Uniformed Services University (USU) have developed a new one that could help secure a polio-free world.

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State laws that regulate e-cigarette sales and usage may lower their use in states where those laws have been implemented, according to a new observational study from the University of Iowa published this week by the journal JAMA Network Open.

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In response to the youth vaping crisis, experts at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) developed CATCH My Breath, a program to prevent electronic cigarette use among fifth – 12th grade students. Research published in Public Health Reports reveals the program significantly reduces the likelihood of e-cigarette use among students who complete the curriculum.

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Published: January 30, 2020 | 12:39 pm | SHARE: A new strain of coronavirus that was first identified in Wuhan, China, has prompted a massive public health effort to contain the pathogen and treat patients.These Florida State University experts are available to comment on coronavirus and the public health challenges it presents.

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New research from a team of Florida State University scientists shows that rapid weather variability as a result of climate change could increase the risk of a flu epidemic in some highly populated regions in the late 21st century.

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Nearly 37 percent of electronic dance music (EDM) party attendees test positive for ketamine use when samples of their hair are tested—despite only 14.6 percent disclosing that they have used the drug in the past year.

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The first type of influenza virus we are exposed to in early childhood dictates our ability to fight the flu for the rest of our lives, according to a new study from a team of infectious disease researchers at McMaster University and Université de Montréal.

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A new study led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis offers a genetic road map detailing the similarities and differences in immune responses to TB across three species — mice, macaques and humans. According to the researchers, the insight into the immune pathways that are activated in diverse models of TB infection will serve as a valuable tool for scientists studying and working to eradicate the disease.

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– Over the past year, at least seven children have died from diseases including influenza while being detained by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency. Infectious disease experts at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) called for protections like influenza vaccinations to prevent serious outbreaks.

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People who eat or drink more foods with the antioxidant flavonol, which is found in nearly all fruits and vegetables as well as tea, may be less likely to develop Alzheimer’s dementia years later, according to a study published in the January 29, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Infectious disease scientists identified strains of group A streptococcus that are less susceptible to commonly used antibiotics, a sign that the germ causing strep throat and flesh-eating disease may be moving closer to resistance to penicillin and other related antibiotics known as beta-lactams.

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People who cycle to work have a lower risk of dying, a New Zealand study has found.

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There may be some healthy choices on restaurant menus, but most of what Americans are eating while dining out is of poor nutritional quality, according to a new study from researchers at Tufts. Disparities based on race, ethnicity, income, education also worsened over the 14-year study period.

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Experts in population mapping at the University of Southampton have identified cities and provinces within mainland China, and cities and countries worldwide, which are at high-risk from the spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

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Virtual assistants don't yet live up to their considerable potential when it comes to providing users with reliable and relevant information on medical emergencies, according to a new study from University of Alberta researchers.

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Michael Anestis, a public health psychologist and expert on firearms and suicide risk, has been appointed as executive director of the New Jersey Center on Gun Violence Research led by Rutgers University.

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In addition to being the first hospice in Chicago, Horizon Hospice helped pass the Illinois Hospice Licensing Law in 1983. The University of Illinois at Chicago has receive its archives.

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The Ph.D. degree will launch this fall, and prospective students are already inquiring about the program, said Dr. Donald Warne, director of the Indians Into Medicine (INMED) and Master of Public Health (MPH) programs at UND, who led the push for the new program. “There is a need for well-trained administrators with a deep understanding of Indigenous health issues,” Warne said. “There is nothing like that in the world.”

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A pair of biomarkers of brain function — one that represents “listening effort,” and another that measures ability to process rapid changes in frequencies — may help to explain why a person with normal hearing may struggle to follow conversations in noisy environments, according to a new study led by Massachusetts Eye and Ear researchers. The researchers hoped the study could inform the design of next-generation clinical testing for hidden hearing loss, a condition that cannot currently be measured using standard hearing exams.

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“Under-representation of Asian populations in genetic studies has meant that medical relevance for more than half of the human population is reduced,” one researcher said.

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As human trafficking evolves as a health concern, medical schools are starting to include the topic in education. However, it’s still in the early stages, says a Mayo Clinic study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The research was led by third-year medical student at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, Jennifer Talbott, who suggested that human trafficking training be included in the curriculum at the school.

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