Germs notoriously do not discriminate. They hitch rides any way they can. And they can make a home quickly on virtually any surface, any piece of equipment. We must be aware of this always, being diligent in our approaches to combat them to prevent the spread of infection. In hospitals, cells phones and tablets have [...]
Particulate matter (PM), also being referred to as particles and aerosols, are present in the air we breathe in different microenvironments, including indoors and outdoors. The sum of all PM we inhale in different microenvironments constitutes our total PM inhalation exposure. To identify the microenvironments contributing the most to the cumulative exposure, we must quantify [...]
Nearly three dozen engineers and doctors in Ontario are calling on the Health Ministry to better inform the public about the risks of airborne transmission of COVID-19, and improve ventilation standards across the province. In a letter, 21 doctors and 12 engineers and other scientists call on Ontario to update the province’s COVID-19 guidelines, regulations and communication to [...]
Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) offers an agnostic approach for emerging pathogen detection directly from clinical specimens. In contrast to targeted methods, mNGS also provides valuable information on the composition of the microbiome and might uncover coinfections that may associate with disease progression and impact prognosis. To evaluate the use of mNGS for detecting severe acute [...]
Abstract Small island developing states in the Caribbean are among the most vulnerable countries on the planet to climate variability and climate change. In the last 3 decades, the Caribbean region has undergone frequent and intense heat waves, storms, floods, and droughts. This has had a detrimental impact on population health and well-being, including an increase [...]
Objectives Congenital heart defects (CHD) are the most prevalent congenital anomalies. This study aims to examine the association between maternal occupational exposures to organic and mineral dust, solvents, pesticides, and metal dust and fumes and CHD in the offspring, assessing several subgroups of CHD. Methods For this case–control study, we examined 1174 cases with CHD from EUROCAT [...]
Asingle fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) cured nearly all patients with Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in a study published in Gastroenterology. The study reported outcomes from the first 259 pediatric and adult patients at 20 North American clinics enrolled in the FMT National Registry. Participants, for whom standard anti-CDI therapy had failed, mostly had moderate or mild CDI with a median duration [...]
ABSTRACT The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine has been theorized to provide protection against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Our aim was to determine whether any MMR IgG titers are inversely correlated with severity in recovered COVID-19 patients previously vaccinated with MMR II. We divided 80 subjects into two groups, comparing MMR titers to recent COVID-19 severity levels. [...]
If you are looking for a calming drink to ease your nerves, you might be pleasantly pleased by the large variety of natural options out there. Some drinks for stress relief that I list here might surprise you too, but keep an open mind; they are absolutely worth a try. The bonus of all the drinks here [...]
Levels of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) E. coli in fresh beef and pork are still low, according to a survey published by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The study, which was run between January and December 2019, focused on beef and pork. In total, 315 beef and 313 pork samples were collected and tested at retail in the United [...]
