indoor air quality—which is unregulated—remains largely poor. This results in toxic conditions that may lead to such illnesses as cardiopulmonary disease, asthma, C.O.P.D., and other respiratory ailments. “Outdoor air quality in the United States has largely gotten better over the past four to five decades,” Kumar said. “People in impoverished countries now breathe the same poor quality of outdoor air that we used to breathe in the 1960s and ’70s. “But there’s a public health paradox, in that along with the declines in outdoor air pollution we’ve experienced, we should have seen corresponding drops in the disease burden of certain ailments like asthma, allergies, and dry eye,” Kumar continued. “But we’re not seeing those declines. They’re actually getting worse. And part of the reason, I believe, is largely because people are spending most of their time indoors, where the air quality is bad.” As part of Kumar’s ongoing research on indoor environmental conditions, the 33 sensors he has placed in residential homes—15 in Miami and 18 in Baltimore—continue to track levels of particulate matter and other substances in real time. A long-range study examining whether those harmful substances led to respiratory illnesses remains a possibility, he said. But at least one investigation has already found a link between indoor air quality and a specific ailment. In a study recently published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Kumar and others established a connection between the indoor environment—specifically, humidity and air pollutants—and symptoms of dry eye. Funded in part by the National Eye Institute, the study sampled 97 subjects from the Miami VA Hospital, monitoring indoor environmental conditions in their homes within seven days of a clinical visit and ultimately finding that levels of indoor particulate matter were associated with dry eye metrics.
Studies examining the effect of indoor air quality on health are rare, even though sources of indoor air pollution run the gamut—from building materials and furniture made of pressed wood to deteriorating asbestos in insulation, flooring, upholstery, and carpet. Household cleaning and personal-care products also are a contributing factor, Kumar said. As such, more such studies are needed, he pointed out. Kumar recommended the following measures to help reduce indoor air pollutants. » » » »
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Ensure that gas stoves are well ventilated. Use carbon monoxide detectors. Use a dehumidifier to reduce moisture. Buy certain indoor plants that are proven to help absorb harmful toxins in the air—such as formaldehyde and carbon monoxide. Don’t smoke indoors, or better yet, quit altogether. Dust surfaces. Avoid using strong disinfectants with chlorine, which is highly reactive and can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat. If using disinfectants with chlorine, open doors and windows to ventilate.
SYRINGE SERVICE PROGRAMS ACROSS THE U.S. HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, STUDY FINDS Written by Amanda Torres Published on June 29, 2020 Category: Alumni, Research Across the U.S., there are currently over 400 syringe service programs, including the Miller School of Medicine’s Infectious Disease Elimination Act (IDEA) Exchange. These programs are crucial to the community as they offer social and medical services to people who inject drugs, including access to sterile and clean injection equipment, onsite and referrals to substance use treatment, HIV, and Hepatitis C (HCV) testing, as well as overdose prevention through naloxone distribution. With the unprecedented developments of COVID-19 this year, experts at the University of Miami Miller
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