Most people infected with mosquito-borne West Nile virus don’t experience any symptoms at all. However, the tiny percentage of cases that do end up in the hospital total hundreds of millions of dollars in medical costs and lost productivity.
After having delivered prime-time telecasts from the Olympic Games since 1988, NBC’s Bob Costas had to step aside due to a pink eye infection. For millions of US workers, missing work due to illness can mean losing pay or even being fired — which makes it hard for them to stay home and spare their co-workers from disease exposure. Several states are considering legislation to assure workers can earn paid sick leave.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) and the American Medical Association (AMA) have endorsed OSHA’s regulatory efforts to prevent silica-related disease.
Winter athletes are pushing themselves to the limits at the Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. The injury and illness experiences of athletes at the 2010 Olympics may foretell what to expect over the next two weeks.
Public Health Practice
Worth reading: Infant mortality in Detroit and what the ACA means in Kentucky
Foundations, hospitals, and government agencies work to reduce Detroit’s infant mortality rate, which is the worst among large US cities; newly insured residents of Breathitt County, Kentucky head to doctors to treat long-standing health problems; and an addiction researcher discusses why overdosing is the leading cause of accidental US deaths — and what we can do about it.
Affordable Care Act
Massachusetts study: High demand for publicly funded family planning services, despite near universal insurance
Higher insurance rates don’t mean people stop seeking care at publically funded health centers, found a recent study of family planning clinics in Massachusetts. The findings speak to serious concerns within public health circles that policy-makers may point to higher insurance rates as a justification to cut critical public health funding.
Should fatality investigation reports include the names of the victims? Opinions differ.
A judge questions whether the NFL’s proposed settlement will be enough to meet the needs of former football players suffering from neurological problems; the collapse of two cell towers in West Virginia kills two communications workers and one firefighter; and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health publicizes resources for preventing musculoskeletal disorders.
Environmental Health
“The incident could have been prevented” – Community frustrations on display at Chemical Safety Board meeting on 2010 Tesoro Anacortes refinery explosion
The city of Anacortes – population about 16,000 – sits on shores of Fidalgo Island, the eastern-most island in the San Juan archipelago, the string of islands clustered off the northwest coast of Washington State. Located at the western end of Skagit County, known regionally for its agriculture, Anacortes’ petrochemical plants – Tesoro and Shell […]
Seatbelts save lives. But some workers don’t wear them. We might save some lives if we knew why.