Archive for public health
Rapid rise in COVID-19 in children: Key takeaways from the AAP report on COVID-19 and kids
You may have seen the news this week that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) released a new report about a rise in COVID-19 diagnoses in children. The headlines are scary — but are they accurate? We discussed the report with Boston Children’s infectious disease specialist Dr. Richard Malley to understand the ... Read More about Rapid rise in COVID-19 in children: Key takeaways from the AAP report on COVID-19 and kids
Tagged: coronavirus, public health, research
Internet searches provide real-time estimate of Lyme disease risk
Lyme disease season is well underway. How much of a risk do we face for this tick-borne illness? A new method dubbed Lymelight, developed by researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital and Google, can accurately estimate Lyme disease risk in real time, down to the county level. Historically, estimates of Lyme disease have been based on ... Read More about Internet searches provide real-time estimate of Lyme disease risk
Disparities in travel time to COVID-19 testing sites may bias case estimates
As the U.S. economy begins to reopen after two months of lockdown, states and counties are using local data on COVID-19 incidence to inform their plans. But a new analysis highlights an inconvenient truth. Geographic access to COVID-19 testing sites is as uneven as access to health care overall, meaning that local estimates of COVID-19 ... Read More about Disparities in travel time to COVID-19 testing sites may bias case estimates
Tagged: coronavirus, disease surveillance, informatics, public health
Mobile ‘location’ data could help guide COVID-19 social distancing measures
How well are quarantines and social distancing working to slow the COVID-19 pandemic? When is it safe for us to return to school or work? The answers could lie, in part, in the “location” data that companies like Google collect from us every day. Last week, a group of epidemiologists, public health experts, and data ... Read More about Mobile ‘location’ data could help guide COVID-19 social distancing measures
Tagged: big data, coronavirus, disease surveillance, informatics, public health
Crowdsourcing the COVID-19 pandemic in real time
News about the global COVID-19 pandemic changes virtually minute by minute. Beyond staying home, handwashing, and covering your cough, you may wonder what you can do to help. A new website developed by the HealthMap team at Boston Children’s Hospital, COVID Near You, offers one way. Taking a moment to share your health status on ... Read More about Crowdsourcing the COVID-19 pandemic in real time
Tagged: coronavirus, disease surveillance, fever, healthmap, informatics, public health
Child access prevention laws spare gun deaths in children
Child access prevention (CAP) laws are on the books in half of U.S. states. They are meant to protect children from accessing firearms by holding a parent or guardian responsible for the actions or potential actions a child takes with a firearm. New research from Boston Children’s Hospital finds that U.S. states with CAP laws ... Read More about Child access prevention laws spare gun deaths in children
Tagged: community health, injury prevention, public health, safety
100 years after the advent of TB vaccines, formulations vary widely
Each year, more than 100 million newborns around the world receive vaccinations against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, or TB, which infects about one-quarter of the world’s population. Facilities across the world produce several different formulations of these vaccines, known as Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccines. These are given interchangeably, yet new research from the Precision Vaccines Program at ... Read More about 100 years after the advent of TB vaccines, formulations vary widely
Tagged: global health, public health, tuberculosis, vaccines
Poverty associated with suicide risk in children and adolescents
Suicide in children under age 20 has been increasing in the U.S., with rates almost doubling over the last decade. Between 2007 to 2016, nearly 21,000 children ages 5-19 years old died by suicide. While the reasons for the increase are not well understood, new research from Boston Children’s Hospital shows a link between poverty ... Read More about Poverty associated with suicide risk in children and adolescents
Caring for immigrant children in politically contentious times
Facing public outrage, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently reversed their decision to end medical deferred action, a program allowing immigrants with serious illnesses to remain in the country while receiving lifesaving medical treatment. Among those most relieved by the reversal was Dr. Lakshmi Ganapathi, pediatric infectious disease specialist at Boston Children’s Hospital and ... Read More about Caring for immigrant children in politically contentious times
Tagged: advocacy, public health, rare disease
What you need to know about vaping to keep children safe
Could your child be vaping? A growing number of middle and high school students today are using vaping products, also called e-cigarettes, JUULs, or dabs (used for vaping marijuana) among other names. Signs and symptoms of vaping can be difficult for parents to notice, but talking with your kids about vaping and monitoring for concerning signs ... Read More about What you need to know about vaping to keep children safe