Blog
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CA Dept. of Public Health Releases Resources on Mold Complaints and Enforcement
The California Department of Public Health’s Indoor Air Quality Section has released several resources dedicated to the issue of mold. First, they’ve created a searchable database on who to contact for mold complaints in each jurisdiction within the state. The database covers each county, as well as any cities there is specific information for within…
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Inequitable Access to Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic
With the expansion of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, public health leaders have hoped that this method of care would increase the ability to reach vulnerable populations. However, a number of challenges have arisen. On October 2, 2020, researchers Thromson et al published an invited commentary titled, “The Pandemic of Health Care Inequity” in the…
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Research Shows Disproportionate Rate of Coronavirus Deaths in Polluted Areas
COVID-19 can be made more serious by a specific type of industrial emission called hazardous air pollutants, or HAPs, according to peer-reviewed research by ProPublica and researchers at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, published on September 11, 2020 in Environmental Research Letters. Their focus on HAPs builds upon…
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Asthma Management Academy Releases Recording on How California Asthma Home Visiting Programs are Adapting to COVID-19
On June 4th, 2020, the Asthma Management Academy, run by California Breathing, the state’s asthma program, hosted a webinar featuring presenters from four organizations with asthma home visiting programs. The presenters shared how community health workers are providing home visits during the COVID-19 pandemic, how these programs support their clients remotely, and their implementation successes…
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AAAAI Research Summary Finds No to Little Risk for Asthma and Severe COVID-19 Outcomes
On September 4, 2020, the American Association of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology (AAAAI) published a summary of research to date on asthma and COVID-19. In describing the article, the authors write, “There have been many studies looking at the relationship between COVID-19 and asthma. Thus far, the vast majority of these studies have found no…
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Childhood Asthma, COVID-19 and Returning to School
While most California schools have begun the year with remote learning, many children have returned to school in other parts of the country. As school staff, parents and students grapple with the many considerations of returning to school during a pandemic, people with asthma may have additional considerations. Fortunately, some great resources and guidance have…
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Additional Data on Asthma in Pediatric Patients with COVID-19
Data from the Mass General Hospital Pediatric COVID-19 Biorepository were published online in The Journal of Pediatrics on August 19, 2020. “Children ages 0-22 years with suspected severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection presenting to urgent care clinics or being hospitalized for confirmed/suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) were…
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Wildfire Smoke and COVID-19
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released guidance for the public on staying healthy while simultaneously facing wildfire smoke and the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors state, “Wildfire smoke can irritate your lungs, cause inflammation, affect your immune system, and make you more prone to lung infections, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that…
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New Wildfire Smoke Resources
Almost overnight, most of California’s air is now thick with wildfire smoke. The wildfire season is here. Last month we shared several wildfire resources to assist asthma stakeholders as they support families and individuals with asthma. We now want to share a few more. First, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has updated its AirNow maps…
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Thunderstorm-Related Respiratory Illnesses Among Older Adults
JAMA Internal Medicine released a research letter on August 10, 2020, examining emergency visits for thunderstorm-related respiratory illnesses among older adults. The study was designed “to determine whether increases in emergency department (ED) visits for acute respiratory illnesses occur among Medicare beneficiaries in the days surrounding thunderstorms across the continental US.” The researchers note this…
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ASHRAE Releases Report on Damp Buildings, Human Health and HVAC Design
ASHRAE, formerly known as the American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, has released a report titled “Damp Buildings, Human Health and HVAC Design.” The report take an in-depth look at dampness-related health risks in buildings and provides details of symptoms of dampness. It also provides suggestions to improve HVAC systems and describes the…
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Economic Cost of Respiratory Conditions for Adults in America
In Morbidity and Mortality Week Report’s July 2020 edition, an article examines the economic cost of respiratory conditions for adults in America. The study focuses on asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and looks at employed adults over 18 between the years of 2011 and 2015. Researchers found that “the annualized total medical expenditures,…