COVID-19: Yin and yang and herd immunity

The Great Chinese Famine (1959-1962) was probably the greatest man-made disaster in history resulting in tens of millions of deaths. The responses to the famine and that to COVID-19 are all to similar, characterized by false claims, misinformation and, most of all, political posturing at the expense of public health. The importation of Russian sparrows…

The best (and worst) materials for masks

It’s intuitive and scientifically shown that wearing a face covering can help reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. But not all masks are created equal, according to new University of Arizona-led research. Amanda Wilson, an environmental health sciences doctoral candidate in the Department of Community, Environment and Policy in the Mel…

Healthier school food and physical activity environments matter for childhood obesity

Students at elementary and secondary schools that offer healthier food offerings and more opportunities for physical activities have a healthier body mass index, according to Rutgers researchers. The study, published in Preventive Medicine Reports, uses professional measures of students’ height and weight – the gold standard for studying childhood obesity – in a study on…