Objective This study is the first to examine the influence of e-cigarette emission phrasing on perceived harm of secondhand exposure, and whether harm perception was associated with support for a tobacco-free campus policy. Participants: In the fall 2018 and spring 2019 semesters, 52 sections of a college English course (N = 791 students) were cluster randomized to one of [...]

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected nursing home residents. According to a New York Times database, nursing homes account for 8 percent of cases and 41 percent of COVID-19-related deaths nationwide [1]. While the clinical status of these patients is the major determinant of risk, debate continues on the relative importance of locale, the race and socioeconomic [...]

ABSTRACT Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection induces a T cell response that most likely contributes to virus control in COVID-19 patients but may also induce immunopathology. Until now, the cytotoxic T cell response has not been very well characterized in COVID-19 patients. Here, we analyzed the differentiation and cytotoxic profile of T cells [...]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted guidance Friday evening saying that aerosol transmission might be one of the “most common” ways the coronavirus is spreading — and then took the guidance down on Monday. The now-deleted updates were notable because so far the CDC has stopped short of saying that the virus is airborne. The [...]

Sharing indoor space has been confirmed as a major risk factor in transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2. A study of over 7000 cases found that all outbreaks involving three or more people occurred indoors.1 Thus, identifying the dominant modes of transmission is an urgent public health priority so that appropriate control strategies can be selected and deployed. Here, [...]

Two agencies in the Netherlands have looked at the prevalence of selected pathogens in chickens for meat production. The study reaffirmed Campylobacter, Salmonella and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing bacteria on broiler farms can be transmitted to humans through meat consumption and direct or indirect contact.   Read more FSN… The post Dutch study assesses pathogens in broilers [...]

To mask or not to mask, that is the question. If you follow the overwhelming scientific evidence, filter out conspiracies and unfounded misinformation, the answer is as resoundingly clear as the mask you should have on your face. Is wearing a mask 100 percent effective and foolproof as it relates to protecting against or transmitting [...]

Today, the U.S. Government donated 200 brand-new, American-made ventilators to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to help U.S. Allies respond to the pandemic of COVID-19. NATO will store the 200 ventilators and distribute them as needed to Allies to support civilian authorities in the event of additional surges in COVID-19 infections.     Halfpoint Read [...]

Since announced in May the “Operation Warp Speed” program has worked to develop, manufacture and distribute medical countermeasures for  COVID-19. Along with the Department of Health and Human Services, the Defense Department is an integral part of that effort, said the DOD’s chief of supply and distribution for OWS. “HHS was never manned to be [...]

Summary Asthma is an inflammatory airway disease that is estimated to affect 339 million people globally. The symptoms of about 5–10% of patients with asthma are not adequately controlled with current therapy, and little success has been achieved in developing drugs that target the underlying mechanisms of asthma rather than suppressing symptoms. Over the past [...]