Blog
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Philanthropy’s Response to COVID-19 and Inequalities
In a Viewpoint published on July 23, 2020 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the president of the Ford Foundation, Darren Walker, connects the disproportionate impacts on low-income communities and communities of color from COVID-19 with broader inequities and racism in our economy, policing and other systems. He calls on philanthropic and other wealthy organizations…
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Largest Cohort Study Yet Affirms No Increased Mortality with COVID-19 in Asthma Patients
Published on July 8, 2020, in the journal Nature, authors Elizabeth J. Williamson et al, reviewed results of the largest cohort study conducted by any country to date. They looked at risk factors connected to 10,926 COVID-19 deaths in the UK. They found that “COVID-19-related death was associated with: being male…; older age and deprivation…
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Prevalence of Asthma in Children with Developmental Disabilities
JAMA Network Open features an article in its June 2020 edition estimating asthma prevalence “by various disability categories and developmental delays in a diverse sample of the US pediatric population.” In order to do so, researchers collected data from a population-based cross-sectional study of 71,811 families with children. They found that “U.S. children with various…
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Study Examines Effects of Antibiotic Use in Children on Asthma Incidence
The March 2020 edition of The Lancet includes an article examining the connections between antibiotic use in infancy and risk of asthma. Researchers used administrative data “on annual rates of antibiotic prescriptions and asthma diagnoses to assess the association between antibiotic prescribing” at less than one year of age and asthma prevalence at ages one…
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Scientists Advocate for More Attention on the Role of Airborne Transmission of COVID-19
On July 6th, authors Lidia Morawska and Donald K. Milton published, “It is Time to Address Airborne Transmission of COVID-19.” Signed by 239 scientists, the stated purpose of the publication is: “We appeal to the medical community and to the relevant national and international bodies to recognize the potential for airborne spread of COVID-19. There…
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Caring for Pregnant Patients With Asthma During the COVID-19 Pandemic
On July 1, 2020, the American Academy of Asthma Allergy and Immunology updated its information sheet on Caring for Pregnant Patients with Asthma During the COVID-19 Pandemic. The authors explain that “Few data exist to indicate that having asthma is associated with an increased risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 or a more severe course…
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COVID-19 and Asthma Toolkit for Schools
Update: In May 2021, AAFA updated its toolkit to incorporate resources to help schools better manage asthma while addressing COVID-19 prevention. The updated information includes: New CDC guidance on vaccines, physical distancing, cleaning procedures, and the American Recovery Plan New protocols for quick-relief medicines from the updated asthma guidelines Additional mask guidance, and more Update:…
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Additional Research Suggests Asthma is Not a Risk Factor for Poor COVID-19 Outcomes
A research letter published online in CHEST on June 6 by Lieberman-Cribbin W. et al noted that among the 11,405 patients within the Mount Sinai Health System in New York City who had a COVID-19 related hospital encounter, “asthma was not associated with a higher risk of mortality.” The authors also noted a low prevalence of asthma…
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Study Finds Neither a Diagnosis of Asthma nor Use of Inhaled Corticosteroids was Associated with an Increased Risk of COVID-19-related Hospitalization
In a study published in the June 2020 edition of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, authors Chibba et al assess the prevalence of asthma in hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients with COVID-19 through reviewing over 1,500 patient charts across 10 hospitals. Of 1,526 patients identified with COVID-19, 220 (14%) were classified as having asthma.…
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National Healthy Homes Month: Healthy Housing for All
Advocating for healthy housing has long been a key strategy in RAMP’s effort to reduce the inequitable exposure to asthma triggers in low-income communities and communities of color. As one of the founding members of the California Healthy Housing Coalition, we are proud to join our healthy housing partners and colleagues across the country in…
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Asthma Management Academy Releases “How California Asthma Home Visiting Programs are Adapting to COVID-19”
The Asthma Management Academy (AsMA) has released the recording of their webinar, “How California Asthma Home Visiting Programs are Adapting to COVID-19.” Originally hosted on June 4, 2020, the webinar shares how community health workers are providing home visits during the pandemic and how they can better support their clients remotely. It also delves into…
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NRDC Releases “Clearing the Air: The Benefits of the Clean Air Act”
NRDC has released a brief titled “Clearing the Air: The Benefits of the Clean Air Act” to explore the public health and economic benefits of the Clean Air Act. Previously, NRDC commissioned Industrial Economics, Inc. to create a report, “The Benefits and Costs of US Air Pollution Regulations.” The findings of that report were summarized…