scholarly journals Investigating elevated copper and lead levels in school drinking water

2013 ◽  
Vol 56 (04) ◽  
pp. 96-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prabjit Barn ◽  
Anne-Marie Nicol ◽  
Sylvia Struck ◽  
Sabrina Dosanjh ◽  
Raymond Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Mitigation Strategy ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Salmon Eggs ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
Lead Levels ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Effects

Copper and lead continue to be detected at levels above drinking water guidelines in Canadian schools. Although water is typically not an important source of these metals, intermittent use and corrosive water can cause copper and lead to leach from plumbing. Exposure to elevated copper levels is linked to acute gastrointestinal effects in the short term and possible liver effects in the long term, whereas even low level lead exposures are associated with neurodevelopmental effects. Because school water is not regularly monitored for corrosion metals, elevated concentrations are often brought to the attention of public health officials through unexpected circumstances. Here, the death of salmon eggs in a classroom aquarium triggered an investigation that found elevated levels of copper and lead in the school's drinking water. The investigation was then expanded to the school district. Copper and lead levels varied considerably across schools as well as in outlets located in the same school. The effectiveness of flushing, which was implemented as a mitigation strategy, was also found to differ by school building and outlet. Actions described in this case report may be informative for health authorities across Canada.

Learning from the COVID-19 Pandemic: When Public Health and Tornado Threats Converge

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig D. Croskery ◽  
Kathleen Sherman-Morris ◽  
Michael E. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
The United States ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Careful Planning ◽  
Public Places ◽  
The Public ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
Public Health Officials

AbstractThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in unprecedented challenges that dramatically affected the way of life in the United States and globally in 2020. The pandemic also made the process of protecting individuals from tornadoes more challenging, especially when their personal residence lacks suitable shelter, particularly for residents of mobile homes. The necessity of having to shelter with other families – either in a public shelter or at another residence – in order to protect themselves from a tornado threat conflicted with the advice of public health officials who recommended avoiding public places and limiting contact with the public to minimize the spread of COVID-19. There was also a perception that protecting against one threat could amplify the other threat. A survey was undertaken with the public to determine the general viewpoint to see if that was indeed the case.The results found that it was possible to attenuate both threats provided that careful planning and actions were undertaken. Understanding how emergency managers should react and plan for such dual threats is important to minimize the spread of COVID-19 while also maintaining the safety of the public. As there was no precedence for tornado protection scenarios amidst a pandemic, both short-term and long-term recommendations were suggested which may also be useful in future pandemic situations.

scholarly journals A cross-sectional survey assessing the preparedness of the long-term care sector to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry Yu-Hin Siu ◽  
Lorand Kristof ◽  
Dawn Elston ◽  
Abe Hafid ◽  
Fred Mather
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
The Government

Abstract Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a significant public health emergency that impacts all sectors of healthcare. The negative health outcomes for the COVID-19 infection have been most severe in the frail elderly dwelling in Canadian long-term care (LTC) homes.Methods: An online cross-sectional survey of Ontario LTC Clinicians working in LTC homes in Ontario Canada was conducted to provide the LTC clinician perspective on the preparedness and engagement of the LTC sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey questionnaire was developed in collaboration with the Ontario Long-Term Care Clinicians organization (OLTCC) and was distributed between March 30, 2020 to May 25, 2020. All registered members of the OLTCC and Nurse-led LTC Outreach Teams were invited to participate. The primary outcomes were: 1) the descriptive report of the screening measures implemented, communication and information received, and the preparation of the respondent’s LTC home to a potential COVID-19 outbreak; and 2) the level of agreement, as reported using a five-point Likert scale), to COVID-19 preparedness statements for the respondent’s LTC home was also assessed.Results: The overall response rate was 54% (160/294). LTC homes implemented a wide range of important interventions (e.g. instituting established respiratory isolation protocols, active screening of new LTC admissions, increasing education on infection control processes, encouraging sick staff to take time off, etc). Ample communications pertinent to the pandemic were received from provincial LTC organizations, the government and public health officials. However, the feasibility of implementing public health recommendations, as well as the engagement of the LTC sector in pandemic planning were identified as areas of concern. Medical director status was associated with an increased knowledge of local implementation of interventions to mitigate COVID-19, as well as endorsing increased access to reliable COVID-19 information and resources to manage a potential COVID-19 outbreak in their LTC home.Conclusions: This study highlights the communication to and implementation of recommendations in the Ontario LTC sector, despite some concerns regarding feasibility. Importantly, LTC clinician respondents clearly indicated that better engagement with LTC leaders is needed to plan a coordinated pandemic response.

scholarly journals The Effects of Air Pollution on COVID-19 Infection and Mortality—A Review on Recent Evidence

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nurshad Ali ◽  
Farjana Islam
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Nitrogen Dioxide ◽  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Short Term ◽  
The World ◽  
Harmful Effects

The outbreak of COVID-19 has created a serious public health concern worldwide. Although, most of the regions around the globe have been affected by COVID-19 infections; some regions are more badly affected in terms of infections and fatality rates than others. The exact reasons for such variations are not clear yet. This review discussed the possible effects of air pollution on COVID-19 infections and mortality based on some recent evidence. The findings of most studies reviewed here demonstrate that both short-term and long-term exposure to air pollution especially PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) may contribute significantly to higher rates of COVID-19 infections and mortalities with a lesser extent also PM10. A significant correlation has been found between air pollution and COVID-19 infections and mortality in some countries in the world. The available data also indicate that exposure to air pollution may influence COVID-19 transmission. Moreover, exposure to air pollution may increase vulnerability and have harmful effects on the prognosis of patients affected by COVID-19 infections. Further research should be conducted considering some potential confounders such as age and pre-existing medical conditions along with exposure to NO2, PM2.5 and other air pollutants to confirm their detrimental effects on mortalities from COVID-19.

scholarly journals Using food insecurity in health prevention to promote consumer's embodied self-regulation

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivia Petit ◽  
Charles Spence
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Health Prevention ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Obese People ◽  
Insurance Hypothesis ◽  
Embodied Self

AbstractHealth messages designed to address obesity are typically focused on the long-term benefits of eating healthy food. However, according to the insurance hypothesis, obese people are food insecure, and this causes them to be overly concerned about short-term consumption. As such, it is necessary to rethink public health messaging and consider how to reduce short-term insecurity by eating healthy food.

scholarly journals Problems of Bacteriological Pollution in Water Wells in Wadi Hadramout Water Project

2001 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
Salem M. Bin Qadhi ◽  
Saeed Y. Bashir ◽  
Taha O. Assaggaf
Keyword(s):  
Water Pollution ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Water Project ◽  
Water Wells ◽  
Small Project ◽  
Quality Water

This paper presents an existing problem of drinking water pollution for a small project and one of the model projects of drinking water in Yemen, designed to save and preserve good quality water for the present and future generations in the area. The paper gives the details of the project and explains the problem of bacteriological pollution and the steps undertaken to solve the problem. Some of the results for short-term solutions and recommendation for the long-term solutions are also given. 

scholarly journals Near-Real-Time Surveillance of Illnesses Related to Shellfish Consumption in British Columbia: Analysis of Poison Center Data (Preprint)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Wan ◽  
Lorraine McIntyre ◽  
Debra Kent ◽  
Dennis Leong ◽  
Sarah B Henderson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Public Health Surveillance ◽  
Data File ◽  
Health Surveillance ◽  
Poison Control ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Control Data

BACKGROUND Data from poison centers have the potential to be valuable for public health surveillance of long-term trends, short-term aberrations from those trends, and poisonings occurring in near-real-time. This information can enable long-term prevention via programs and policies and short-term control via immediate public health response. Over the past decade, there has been an increasing use of poison control data for surveillance in the United States, Europe, and New Zealand, but this resource still remains widely underused. OBJECTIVE The British Columbia (BC) Drug and Poison Information Centre (DPIC) is one of five such services in Canada, and it is the only one nested within a public health agency. This study aimed to demonstrate how DPIC data are used for routine public health surveillance in near-real-time using the case study of its alerting system for illness related to consumption of shellfish (ASIRCS). METHODS Every hour, a connection is opened between the WBM software Visual Dotlab Enterprise, which holds the DPIC database, and the R statistical computing environment. This platform is used to extract, clean, and merge all necessary raw data tables into a single data file. ASIRCS automatically and retrospectively scans a 24-hour window within the data file for new cases related to illnesses from shellfish consumption. Detected cases are queried using a list of attributes: the caller location, exposure type, reasons for the exposure, and a list of keywords searched in the clinical notes. The alert generates a report that is tailored to the needs of food safety specialists, who then assess and respond to detected cases. RESULTS The ASIRCS system alerted on 79 cases between January 2015 and December 2016, and retrospective analysis found 11 cases that were missed. All cases were reviewed by food safety specialists, and 58% (46/79) were referred to designated regional health authority contacts for follow-up. Of the 42% (33/79) cases that were not referred to health authorities, some were missing follow-up information, some were triggered by allergies to shellfish, and some were triggered by shellfish-related keywords appearing in the case notes for nonshellfish-related cases. Improvements were made between 2015 and 2016 to reduce the number of cases with missing follow-up information. CONCLUSIONS The surveillance capacity is evident within poison control data as shown from the novel use of DPIC data for identifying illnesses related to shellfish consumption in BC. The further development of surveillance programs could improve and enhance response to public health emergencies related to acute illnesses, chronic diseases, and environmental exposures.

scholarly journals A cross-sectional survey assessing the preparedness of the long-term care sector to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry Yu-Hin Siu ◽  
Lorand Kristof ◽  
Dawn Elston ◽  
Abe Hafid ◽  
Fred Mather
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
The Government

Abstract Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a significant public health emergency that impacts all sectors of healthcare. The negative health outcomes for the COVID-19 infection have been most severe in the frail elderly dwelling in Canadian long-term care (LTC) homes. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey of Ontario LTC Clinicians working in LTC homes in Ontario Canada was conducted to provide the LTC clinician perspective on the preparedness and engagement of the LTC sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey questionnaire was developed in collaboration with the Ontario Long-Term Care Clinicians organization (OLTCC) and was distributed between March 30, 2020 to May 25, 2020. All registered members of the OLTCC and Nurse-led LTC Outreach Teams were invited to participate. The primary outcomes were: 1) the descriptive report of the screening measures implemented, communication and information received, and the preparation of the respondent’s LTC home to a potential COVID-19 outbreak; and 2) the level of agreement, as reported using a five-point Likert scale), to COVID-19 preparedness statements for the respondent’s LTC home was also assessed.Results: The overall response rate was 54% (160/294). LTC homes implemented a wide range of important interventions (e.g. instituting established respiratory isolation protocols, active screening of new LTC admissions, increasing education on infection control processes, encouraging sick staff to take time off, etc). Ample communications pertinent to the pandemic were received from provincial LTC organizations, the government and public health officials. However, the feasibility of implementing public health recommendations, as well as the engagement of the LTC sector in pandemic planning were identified as areas of concern. Medical director status was associated with an increased knowledge of local implementation of interventions to mitigate COVID-19, as well as endorsing increased access to reliable COVID-19 information and resources to manage a potential COVID-19 outbreak in their LTC home. Conclusions: This study highlights the communication to and implementation of recommendations in the Ontario LTC sector, despite some concerns regarding feasibility. Importantly, LTC clinician respondents clearly indicated that better engagement with LTC leaders is needed to plan a coordinated pandemic response.

scholarly journals Validating a Phenomenological Mathematical Model for Public Health and Safety Interventions Influencing the Evolutionary Stages of Recent Outbreak for Long-Term and Short-Term Domains in Pakistan

Complexity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahsan Nawaz ◽  
Xing Su ◽  
Shahid Iqbal ◽  
Hafiz Zahoor ◽  
Ali Asad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
The World ◽  
Recent Outbreak ◽  
Safety Interventions ◽  
Containment Measures ◽  
The Right

During the outbreak of an epidemic, it becomes significantly essential to monitor the effects of containment measures and forecast the outbreak, including the epidemic peak. Many countries have either implemented strict lockdown to counter the spread of coronavirus disease or taken necessary preventive measures across the world to reduce the outbreak of this epidemic war. Several epidemic models have been presented across the world to examine the effects of public health-related strategies on mitigating the spread of current infectious disease, yet no reputable model has been presented for Pakistan as well as other South-Asian developing countries as per the authors’ knowledge. In this research, an actual coronavirus prediction in Pakistan is presented, which may guide the decision-makers as to how this pandemic has spread across the country and how it can be controlled. Furthermore, in the absence of targeted medicines, the analysis helps to develop a precise plan for the eradication of the outbreak by adopting the calculated steps at the right time. The mathematical phenomenological models have been adopted in this study to predict, project, and simulate the overall affected cases reflected due to the recent outbreak in Pakistan. These models predict the expected growth, and the estimated results are almost well matched with the real cases. Through the calibration of parameters and analyzing the current situation, forecast for the appearance of new cases in Pakistan is reported till the end of this year. The constant level of number of patients and time to reach specific levels are also reported through the simulations. The drastic conditions are also discussed which may occur if all the preventive restraints are removed. This research quantitatively describes the significant characteristics of the spread of corona cases. It acknowledges and provides an understanding of a short-term and long-term transmission of coronavirus outbreak in the country as three evolutionary phases. Therefore, this research provides a pathway to cope with the emerging threat of a severe outbreak in developing and nondeveloping countries.

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