Social Distancing During Pandemics

"What is it?
 Social distancing, also known as physical distancing, is the practice of maintaining physical distance from others and avoiding large gatherings, with the intent of reducing the rate of transmission of infectious diseases. COVID-19 has brought social distancing practices to the forefront worldwide as a means of controlling local spread of the disease.

How does it work?
Practicing social distancing reduces the rate of new infections by limiting person-to-person transmission. This in turn can “flatten the curve,” by reducing the peak number of patients to levels the health care system can better manage, ultimately saving lives (fig. 1).

The success of social distancing depends on factors such as the distance that infectious particles can spread from a contagious person. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recommends a 2 meter (about 6 feet) separation between people, while the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 1 meter (about 3 feet).

The scientific basis for these recommendations comes from studies in fields such as fluid mechanics, epidemiology, and microbiology. For example, several studies estimated the velocity and distance traveled by droplets of different sizes expelled by sneezing, coughing, and breathing. These studies showed that sneezing and coughing can propel droplets more than 2 meters, with sneezing possibly propelling them further, and breathing less than 1 meter (fig. 2)..."
Social distancing

Bing Cherries: A Natural Health Remedy that Grows on Trees?

"There are many amazing things in nature, and a USDA scientist in California is exploring evidence that Bing cherries contain some wonderous health possibilities.

“We’re testing whether the consumption of sweet cherry juice can improve human health across several cognitive and physiological systems in the body,” said Kevin Laugero, a systems physiologist and research nutritionist with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Western Human Nutrition Research Center in Davis, CA. The study explores evidence that Bing cherries contain bioactive compounds that improve human health. Fresh cherries aren’t available all year, so demonstrating the effects of cherry juice would potentially circumvent limited access to the benefits of this otherwise seasonal fruit.

The overall goal of Laugero’s study is to test the effects of sweet cherry juice on cardiovascular disease risk factors and cognitive functions in at-risk persons, specifically examining biomarkers that indicate conditions associated with metabolic syndrome..."
Cherries

All Hands on Deck! Geospatial Mapping in Outbreaks

"The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry’s (ATSDR) Geospatial Research, Analysis, and Services Program (GRASP) and National Center for Environmental Health’s (NCEH) Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) produced a video that explains the vital role geospatial science and technology can play in supporting cruise ship outbreak investigations. The video (All Hands on Deck!), featuring Dr. Amy Lavery and Dr. Jared Rispens, showcases the collaborative work of ATSDR and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to stop illness from spreading from one voyage to another.

 A Novel Partnership and Application of GIS in Public Health

Gastrointestinal illnesses (GI) can be challenging to control on cruise ships because of the close living quarters, shared dining areas, and rapid turnover of passengers. After an initial epidemiological health investigation in 2018, which looked at consecutive outbreaks to identify the cause of the illness on a vessel and stop it from spreading, the source remained unknown. VSP partnered with GRASP to use geospatial mapping to visualize the spread of illness..."
Geospatial mapping

Stop Ticks to Avoid Lyme and Other Tickborne Diseases

"Ticks carry germs that can cause Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Use EPA-registered repellents to reduce the chance of being bitten by a tick.

In addition to using repellents, check for ticks and shower after being outdoors to reduce your chance of getting a tickborne disease. Get medical attention if you have a tick bite followed by a fever or rash.

Ticks Can Cause Serious Diseases

A tick bite can cause serious disease such as:

• Anaplasmosis
• Babesiosis
• Ehrlichiosis
• Lyme disease
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever
• Southern tick-associated rash illness
• Tick-borne relapsing fever
• Tularemia

Other diseases that you can get from a tick in the United States include Colorado tick fever and Powassan virus infection..."
Ticks and lyme disease

Campus scene, Kent State University

"

• 
  
• Printable PDF version
• 
  
• Hi-Resolution Download
• 
  
• Larger Version
• 
  

Campus scene, Kent State University

Campus scene, Kent State University (OH) 05/04/1970 ; Photographs and other Graphic Materials; Records of U.S. Attorneys and Marshals; Record Group 118; National Archives.

On May 4, 1970, several days of anti-war protests at Kent State University ended tragically when four students were killed and several wounded by Ohio National Guardsmen.."
Kent State University

About Pets & People

"There are many health benefits of owning a pet. They can increase opportunities to exercise, get outside, and socialize. Regular walking or playing with pets can decrease blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels.  Pets can help manage loneliness and depression by giving us companionship. Most households in the United States have at least one pet.

Studies have shown that the bond between people and their pets can increase fitness, lower stress, and bring happiness to their owners. Some of the health benefits of having a pet include:

• Decreased blood pressure
• Decreased cholesterol levels
• Decreased triglyceride levels
• Decreased feelings of loneliness
• Increased opportunities for exercise and outdoor activities
• Increased opportunities for socialization

However, pets can sometimes carry harmful germs that can make us sick even when the pet appears healthy. The diseases people get from animals are called zoonotic (zoe-oh-NOT-ic) diseases. Below are some tips to help you and your family stay healthy while enjoying pets..."
Pets

Do you think about air quality?

"Today’s the day to start thinking about air quality.

What can you do? Pay attention to the Air Quality Index (AQI)external icon. The AQI is a tool that tells you when high levels of air pollution are predicted and tells you how air pollution affects your health. Finding the AQI is easy. It’s on the Web, on many local TV weather forecasts, or you can sign up for free e-mail tools and appsexternal icon. The AQI is easy to use. If the AQI predicts a “Code Orange” (unhealthy for sensitive groups) day don’t cancel your plans—use the AQI to help you plan a better time or place for them.

The AQI tells you about five major air pollutants in the U.S. that are regulated by the US Environmental Protection Agency, including ozone and particle pollution. Ozone and particle pollution may harm the health of hundreds of thousands of Americans each year.

Use the new AirNowexternal icon to know when to expect high levels of air pollution and how to protect yourself..."
Air Quality

The Arthritis-Mental Health Connection

"If you or someone you know has arthritis and is feeling down or worried, learn about programs that can improve mood and well-being, and ease arthritis symptoms.

About 1 in 5 US adults with arthritis has symptoms of anxiety or depression. These symptoms are more common in women, younger adults, those who identify as LGBT+, those with chronic pain or other co-occurring chronic conditions, and those who are disabled, unemployed, or otherwise unable to work.

Arthritis, anxiety, and depression can all have negative effects on overall health and quality of life. Feelings of sadness or worry can interfere with a person’s ability and motivation to care for themselves properly and manage daily life, let alone manage their arthritis or other health conditions. That’s why it’s important for people who have arthritis to take care of their mental health symptoms as well as their arthritis symptoms.."
Arthritis and mental health

You Can Control Your Asthma Español (Spanish)

"You can control your asthma! When you control your asthma, you will breathe easier, be as active as you would like, sleep well, stay out of the hospital, and be free from coughing and wheezing. Learn about controlling your asthma at CDC’s asthma site.

Asthma is one of the most common lifelong chronic diseases. One in 13 Americans (nearly 25 million) lives with asthma, a disease affecting the lungs and causing repeated episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing.

Although asthma cannot be cured, you can control your asthma successfully to reduce and to prevent asthma attacks, also called episodes. Successful asthma management includes knowing the warning signs of an attack, avoiding things that may trigger an attack, and working with your doctor to develop your personal Asthma Action Plan. CDC’s National Asthma Control Program has worked to help millions of people with asthma in the United States gain control over their disease since 1999. CCARE, Controlling Childhood Asthma and Reducing Emergencies, is the program’s new objective of preventing 500,000 Emergency Department (ED) visits and hospitalizations due to asthma by August 31, 2024.

Asthma deaths have decreased over time and varied by demographic characteristics. The rate of asthma deaths decreased from 15 per million in 2001 to 10 per million in 2018. Deaths due to asthma are rare and are thought to be largely preventable, particularly among children and young adults..."
Asthma

How the Pacific's marine heat wave came back

"Weakened wind patterns likely spurred the wave of extreme ocean heat that swept the North Pacific last summer, according to new research funded by the National Science Foundation and led by the University of Colorado Boulder and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

The study was conducted at NSF's California Current Ecosystem Long-Term Ecological Research site.

The marine heat wave, named the "Blob 2.0" -- after 2013's "the blob," a large mass of relatively warm water in the Pacific -- likely damaged marine ecosystems and hurt coastal fisheries. Waters off the U.S. West Coast were a record-breaking 4.5 degrees F (2.5 degrees C) above normal.

"Most large marine heat waves have historically occurred in the winter," said Dillon Amaya, a researcher at CU Boulder and lead author of the study in Nature Communications. "This was the first summer marine heat wave in the last five years, and it's also the hottest -- a record high ocean temperature for the last 40 years.".."
Pacific marine heat wave

Prevent Lyme disease

"Before gardening, camping, hiking, or just playing outdoors, make preventing tick bites part of your plans.

Lyme disease is spread by the bite of an infected tick. In the United States, an estimated 300,000 infections occur each year. If you camp, hike, work, or play in wooded or grassy places, you could be bitten by an infected tick.

People living in or visiting New England, the mid-Atlantic states, and the upper Midwest are at greatest risk. Infected ticks can also be found in neighboring states and in some areas of Northern California, Oregon and Washington. But you and your family can prevent tick bites and reduce your risk of Lyme disease.

Protect Yourself from Tick Bites

Know where to expect ticks. Blacklegged ticks (the ticks that cause Lyme disease) live in moist and humid environments, particularly in and near wooded or grassy areas. You may get a tick on you during outdoor activities around your home or when walking through leaves and bushes. To avoid ticks, walk in the center of trails and avoid walking through tall bushes or other vegetation.

Though Lyme disease cases have been reported in nearly every state, cases are reported from the infected person’s county of residence, not the place where they were infected. More Lyme disease data >

Repel ticks on skin and clothing. Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, or 2-undecanone. EPA’s helpful search tool can help you find the product that best suits your needs. Always follow product instructions. Parents should apply this product to their children, avoiding hands, eyes, and mouth. Use products that contain permethrin on clothing. Treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks and tents with products containing 0.5% permethrin. It remains protective through several washings. Pre-treated clothing is available and may be protective longer..."
Lyme disease

The Best Ways to Kill Coronavirus in Your Home

[Rutgers]
"Your kitchen cabinet may already be stocked with cleaning agents that can kill coronavirus. But not all chemicals will work, and none are as gentle on your skin as commercial hand sanitizers, according to Rutgers University experts.

Siobain Duffy, an Associate Professor of ecology with expertise in emerging viruses and microbial evolution, and Donald Schaffner, a Distinguished Professor and extension specialist in food science with expertise in microbial risk assessment and handwashing, offer the following tips for cleaning to kill the pathogens that cause COVID-19 and other deadly diseases.

“Not many scientific studies have asked which are the most effective disinfecting agents to use against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, because it was discovered so recently,” Duffy said. “So scientists are assuming that what works against other coronaviruses can work against this one.”

Schaffner said, “Each disinfecting chemical has its own specific instructions. But an important general rule is that you shouldn’t immediately wipe a cleaning solution off as soon as you’ve applied it to a surface. Let it sit there long enough to kill viruses first.”

General disinfecting guidelines:

• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends daily disinfection for frequently touched surfaces such as tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets and sinks.
• The CDC also recommends the use of detergent or soap and water on dirty surfaces prior to disinfection.
• If someone in your home is sick with flu-like symptoms, consider regularly disinfecting objects in your home since SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to survive for 16 hours on plastics.
• Whatever cleaning solution you use, let it remain in contact with the surface long enough to kill viruses and other pathogens. The time needed will depend on the chemical.
• Don’t use different cleaning agents at the same time. Some household chemicals, if mixed, can create dangerous and poisonous gases..."
  Killing coronavirus at home

Recommendation Regarding the Use of Cloth Face Coverings, Especially in Areas of Significant Community-Based Transmission

"CDC continues to study the spread and effects of the novel coronavirus across the United States.  We now know from recent studies that a significant portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms (“asymptomatic”) and that even those who eventually develop symptoms (“pre-symptomatic”) can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms.  This means that the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity—for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing—even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms.  In light of this new evidence, CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

It is critical to emphasize that maintaining 6-feet social distancing remains important to slowing the spread of the virus.  CDC is additionally advising the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others.  Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure.

The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators.  Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.

This recommendation complements and does not replace the President’s Coronavirus Guidelines for America, 30 Days to Slow the Spreadexternal icon, which remains the cornerstone of our national effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.  CDC will make additional recommendations as the evidence regarding appropriate public health measures continues to develop.."
Face masks

Eight Ways to Protect Meat Processing Workers from COVID-19

"Protecting the safety and health of essential workers who support America’s food security—including the meat, poultry, and pork processing industries—is a top priority for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

OSHA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued additional guidance to reduce the risk of exposure to the coronavirus and keep workers safe and healthy in the meatpacking and meat processing industries —including those involved in beef, pork, and poultry operations.

This new guidance provides specific recommendations for employers to meet their obligations to protect workers in these facilities, where people normally work closely together and share workspaces and equipment.

Here are eight ways to help minimize meat processing workers’ exposure to the coronavirus:

• Screen workers before they enter the workplace.
• If a worker becomes sick, send them home and disinfect their workstation and any tools they used.
• Move workstations farther apart.
• Install partitions between workstations using strip curtains, plexiglass, or similar materials.
• To limit spread between groups, assign the same workers to the same shifts with the same coworkers.
• Prevent workers from using other workers’ equipment.
• Allow workers to wear face coverings when entering, inside, and exiting the facility.
• Encourage workers to report any safety and health concerns to their supervisors..."
  Meat processing workers

The Economics of Injury and Violence Prevention

"Health economics examines the costs and consequences of health issues, connecting public health science to real-world applications. It is used to develop policies and programs that promote healthy lifestyles and positive health outcomes that are also cost-effective for individuals, states, and the nation. 

CDC’s Injury Center applies health economics to the study of opioid overdoses, suicide, child abuse and neglect, intimate partner violence, older adult falls, traumatic brain injury, motor vehicle crashes, and other causes of injuries and violence. We use health economics to identify, measure, value, and compare the costs and consequences of injuries and prevention strategies.

Understanding the Costs and Consequences of Injuries and Violence

Unintentional and violence-related injuries cause more than 240,000 deaths among people of all ages in the United States each year. Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for people ages 1-44.

A greater number of people experience nonfatal injuries each year. Nonfatal injuries can cause life-long mental, physical, and financial problems.

Fatal and nonfatal injuries are costly. A recent CDC study estimated the medical care cost of U.S. fatal and nonfatal injuries by type of injuryexternal icon..."
Economics of injury