Blog
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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…
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CA Department of Public Health Releases “The Burden of Chronic Disease, Injury, and Environmental Exposure, California, Second Edition”
The California Department of Public Health has released a report on “The Burden of Chronic Disease, Injury, and Environmental Exposure, California, Second Edition.” The report looks closely at the burden of dealing with chronic conditions, injuries, and environmental exposures and how you can work toward successes in creating health communities. The report examines 15 chronic…
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EPA Adds More Indoor Air Quality Questions and Answers to Its COVID-19 FAQ Webpage
RAMP and partners working to reduce the burden of asthma have long recognized the importance of healthy indoor air quality. Whether we’re talking about improving air filtration and ventilation (through HVAC systems or portable air purifiers) or avoiding things that make the air quality worse (like environmental tobacco smoke or harmful cleaning products), we educate…
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CDC and AAAAI Differ on Asthma Management at School During COVID-19 Pandemic
On June 3, 2020, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated their FAQs on students returning to school in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically related to students with asthma, the FAQs address: asthma treatments with inhalers/spacers, the use of nebulizers, and the use of peak flow meters. The CDC provides the…
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The Struggle Against Systemic Racism
Like so many of you, our hearts are filled with sadness and anger over the outrageous deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and many, many others. As we started to write this post on June 1st, police officers were tear-gassing peaceful protesters in Washington DC. That was just one of many acts of…
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Asthma, Spirometry and COVID-19
In late May, 2020, two articles were published on the use of lung function testing during the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 29th, the Lancet published “Lung function testing in the COVID-19 endemic” by James H Hull et al. On May 24th, the Italian Journal of Pediatrics published “Italian Pediatric Respiratory Society Recommendations on Pediatric Pulmonary Function Testing During…
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Data on COVID-19 Mortality by Race and Ethnicity Underscore Disparities
New figures compiled by the non-partisan APM Research Lab and released on May 20th, 2020, provide further evidence of the staggering divide in the COVID-19 death rate between black Americans and the rest of the United States population. Authors were able to gather and analyze data on race and ethnicity for 88% of COVID-19 deaths…