scholarly journals Emergency responder and public health considerations for plastic sewer lining chemical waste exposures in indoor environments

2021 ◽  
pp. 126832
Author(s):  
Yoorae Noh ◽  
Brandon E. Boor ◽  
Jonathan H. Shannahan ◽  
Cary D. Troy ◽  
Chad T. Jafvert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Indoor Environments ◽  
Chemical Waste ◽  
Emergency Responder

scholarly journals Asthma Disparity Photovoice: The Discourses of Black Adolescent and Public Health Policymakers

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Andrew Evans-Agnew
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Health Care Quality ◽  
Black Adolescents ◽  
Asthma Management ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Indoor Environments ◽  
Marginalized Youth

Background. Policies in U.S. public schools that address asthma management for Black adolescents may not sufficiently transform sociocultural determinants of disparities. A critical analysis of public health policy maker and adolescent discourses on asthma management using an ecological framework could inform policy development. This study describes the discourses of asthma management disparities of school and other public health policymakers and Black adolescents with asthma during a statewide asthma planning activity. Method. I conducted a qualitative critical discourse analysis on transcripts and phototexts from a photovoice project with Black adolescents with asthma (n = 19), an asthma-planning meeting with school and public health policymakers (n = 12), and an observation of a photovoice dissemination event that included the same adolescents and policymakers. Results. Policymakers did not discuss sociocultural discourses concerning asthma management disparities such as racism and discrimination, but the adolescents did. The only shared discourses between adolescents and policymakers were on the management of indoor environments, health care quality, inadequate housing, and outdoor air pollution. Conclusions. Including Black adolescents in policymaking activities concerning asthma management disparities furthers the identification of differing and shared discourses. School policies should include multilevel strategies that address structural inequities. Photovoice presents an opportunity for including the voice of marginalized youth in policy-planning processes.

scholarly journals Educating First Responders to Provide Emergency Services to Individuals with Disabilities

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 533-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan B. Wolf-Fordham ◽  
Janet S. Twyman ◽  
Charles D. Hamad
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Emergency Services ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Emergency Planning ◽  
Online Program ◽  
Individuals With Disabilities ◽  
Emergency Responders ◽  
Emergency Responder ◽  
Post Test

AbstractObjectiveIndividuals with disabilities experience more negative outcomes due to natural and manmade disasters and emergencies than do people without disabilities. This vulnerability appears to be due in part to knowledge gaps among public health and safety emergency planning and response personnel (responders). We assessed the effectiveness of an online program to increase emergency responder knowledge about emergency planning and response for individuals with disabilities.MethodsResearchers developed an online course designed to teach public health, emergency planning and management, and other first response personnel about appropriate, efficient, and equitable emergency planning, response, interaction, and communication with children and adults with disabilities before, during, and after disasters or emergencies. Course features included an ongoing storyline, exercises embedded in the form of real-life scenarios, and game-like features such as points and timed segments.ResultsEvaluation measures indicated significant pre- to post-test gains in learner knowledge and simulated applied skills.ConclusionAn online program using scenarios and simulations is an effective way to make disability-related training available to a wide variety of emergency responders across geographically disparate areas. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;8:533-540)

Factors That Affect Emergency Responder Wellbeing: Considerations for Public Health Responders

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Tsega Gebreyesus ◽  
Julia Cohen ◽  
Bobby Rasulnia ◽  
Sachiko Kuwabara
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
The Body ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Emergency Responders ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Emergency Responder ◽  
Public Health Emergency Response

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify key risk factors that could negatively affect public health emergency responders’ health and wellbeing. We seek to use this information to provide recommendations and strategies to mitigate such risks. Design/Methodology/Approach: A narrative review of the peer-reviewed literature on wellbeing of military personnel and other responders was conducted. Data was grouped and categorized according to overarching domains. Findings: Factors associated with wellbeing were categorized into 5 domains: (1) demographics; (2) mental health concerns; (3) social networks; (4) work environment; and (5) postdeployment life. The strategies identified to promote wellbeing included mental health assessments, preparedness trainings, debriefs in the field, postdeployment debriefs, resources in the field, and further postdeployment decompression strategies. Originality/Value: This study provides a unique understanding of the risk factors associated with poor health and wellbeing outcomes in public health emergency response work by extending the body of knowledge that focuses on other types of emergency and military response.

scholarly journals Aspergillus species in indoor environments and their possible occupational and public health hazards

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bita Mousavi ◽  
Mohammad T Hedayati ◽  
Newsha Hedayati ◽  
Macit Ilkit ◽  
Seyedmojtaba Syedmousavi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Hazards ◽  
Aspergillus Species ◽  
Indoor Environments ◽  
Public Health Hazards

scholarly journals A Look Behind the Scenes at COVID-19: National Strategies of Infection Control and Their Impact on Mortality

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (15) ◽  
pp. 5616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samir Haj Bloukh ◽  
Zehra Edis ◽  
Annis A. Shaikh ◽  
Habib M. Pathan
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Indoor Environments ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Economic Resilience ◽  
Hydroxyvitamin D ◽  
Public Data ◽  
Containment Measures ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
Public Health Strategies

(1) Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) began spreading across the globe in December and, as of 9 July 2020, had inflicted more than 550,000 deaths. Public health measures implemented to control the outbreak caused socio-economic havoc in many countries. The pandemic highlighted the quality of health care systems, responses of policymakers in harmony with the population, and socio-economic resilience factors. We suggest that different national strategies had an impact on mortality and case count. (2) Methods: We collected fatality data for 17 countries until 2 June 2020 from public data and associated these with implemented containment measures. (3) Results: The outcomes present the effectiveness of control mechanisms in mitigating the virus for selected countries and the UAE as a special case. Pre-existing conditions defined the needed public health strategies and fatality numbers. Other pre-existing conditions, such as temperature, humidity, median age, and low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations played minor roles and may have had no direct impact on fatality rates. (4) Conclusions: Prevention, fast containment, adequate public health strategies, and importance of indoor environments were determining factors in mitigating the pandemic. Development of public health strategies adapted to pre-existing conditions for each country and community compliance with implemented policies ensure the successful control of pandemics.

scholarly journals Exploring Integrated Environmental Viral Surveillance of Indoor Environments: A comparison of surface and bioaerosol environmental sampling in hospital rooms with COVID-19 patients

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie Dietz ◽  
David A Constant ◽  
Mark Fretz ◽  
Patrick F Horve ◽  
Andreas Martinez-Olsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Air Sampling ◽  
Indoor Environments ◽  
Sample Type ◽  
Environmental Surveillance ◽  
Air Sampler ◽  
Healthcare Environments ◽  
Air Surveillance ◽  
Important Addition ◽  
Viral Surveillance

The outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has dramatically transformed policies and practices surrounding public health. One such shift is the expanded emphasis on environmental surveillance for pathogens. Environmental surveillance methods have primarily relied upon wastewater and indoor surface testing, and despite substantial evidence that SARS-CoV-2 commonly travels through space in aerosols, there has been limited indoor air surveillance. This study investigated the effectiveness of integrated surveillance including an active air sampler, surface swabs and passive settling plates to detect SARS-CoV-2 in hospital rooms with COVID-19 patients and compared detection efficacy among sampling methods. The AerosolSense active air sampler was found to detect SARS-CoV-2 in 53.8% of all samples collected compared to 12.1% detection by passive air sampling and 14.8% detection by surface swabs. Approximately 69% of sampled rooms (22/32) returned a positive environmental sample of any type. Among positive rooms, ~32% had only active air samples that returned positive, while ~27% and ~9% had only one or more surface swabs or passive settling plates that returned a positive respectively, and ~32% had more than one sample type that returned a positive result. This study demonstrates the potential for the AerosolSense to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in real-world healthcare environments and suggests that integrated sampling that includes active air sampling is an important addition to environmental pathogen surveillance in support of public health.

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