https://turbidplaque.com/tags/public-health/ Recent content in Public Health on The Turbid Plaque Hugo -- gohugo.io en-us Alan Dove Thu, 19 Nov 2020 09:16:43 -0500 https://turbidplaque.com/posts/2020/2020-11-19-the-filtrate-covid-comebacks-ring-containment-and-news-notes/ Thu, 19 Nov 2020 09:16:43 -0500 https://turbidplaque.com/posts/2020/2020-11-19-the-filtrate-covid-comebacks-ring-containment-and-news-notes/ This week, the biggest science story was the news (so far only available in press releases and derived news stories) that both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s experimental COVID-19 vaccines appear to be very effective. We need to see actual, peer-reviewed data of course, and a critical question will be whether these vaccines – both based on the same strategy – confer immunity from infection or only from disease. It’s exciting news in any case. https://turbidplaque.com/posts/2020/2020-11-12-the-filtrate-polio-progress-healthcare-for-trees-and-special-deliveries/ Thu, 12 Nov 2020 09:39:06 -0500 https://turbidplaque.com/posts/2020/2020-11-12-the-filtrate-polio-progress-healthcare-for-trees-and-special-deliveries/ The big news of the past week, of course, was the promise of competent management returning to the US federal government soon, along with a very preliminary indication that the development of vaccines against COVID-19 is going well. Let’s see what else trickled through to the Filtrate. Still eradicating polio The seemingly endless campaign to eradicate polio grinds on. Though the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed progress a bit, researchers and public health experts hope that a new vaccine design will help the beleaguered effort overcome one of its biggest obstacles. https://turbidplaque.com/posts/2020/2020-04-27-immunity-passports-are-a-horrible-idea/ Mon, 27 Apr 2020 14:07:52 -0400 https://turbidplaque.com/posts/2020/2020-04-27-immunity-passports-are-a-horrible-idea/ A few days ago, the World Health Organization caused a stir by saying that antibody tests may not indicate whether someone is immune from SARS-CoV-2. This led to some understandable confusion, and WHO spokespeople have subsequently walked the comments back a bit. While the messaging might’ve been handled better, the public health experts at the WHO were trying to make a very important point. Several prominent politicians have advanced the idea of issuing “immunity passports” to people who’ve recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection. https://turbidplaque.com/posts/2014/2014-10-06-epidemics-and-travel-bans/ Thu, 16 Oct 2014 00:00:00 +0000 https://turbidplaque.com/posts/2014/2014-10-06-epidemics-and-travel-bans/ Here’s something that doesn’t happen often: I disagree with my friend, podcast co-host, and former mentor Vincent Racaniello. He’s generally right about most things. But I have to part ways with his take on public health-related travel bans, which he explained in a recent post on his blog: Why is it important to stop travel out of the [Ebola virus] affected countries? While I’m confident that the US can detect and properly contain imported Ebola virus infections, not all countries will be able to do so. https://turbidplaque.com/posts/2009/2009-01-15-from-jamaica-ginger-to-vicks-vaporub/ Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0000 https://turbidplaque.com/posts/2009/2009-01-15-from-jamaica-ginger-to-vicks-vaporub/ A new paper in the journal CHEST presents the case of a toddler who went into respiratory distress after receiving a smear of Vicks VapoRub under her nose. To figure out what happened, the researchers replicated the treatment in ferrets, whose respiratory systems are a good model for humans. The results were not exactly consistent with the Vicks “Breathe free” slogan: [VapoRub] stimulates mucin secretion and [mucociliary transport] in the … inflamed ferret airway.