READ: CDC - Weekly Report 69:44 (COVID-19)
/
READ: OSHA - Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19
/
(3 RC) - Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It has spread from China to many other countries around the world, including the United States. Depending on the severity of COVID-19’s international impacts, outbreak conditions—including those rising to the level of a pandemic—can affect...(OSHA, 2020)
Read MoreREAD: WHO - COVID-19 Investigation Protocol for Schools
/
(4 RC) - This protocol provides guidance for investigating transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in schools and other educational institutions. The protocol should be adapted and used locally, however the use of a standardized methodology enable results to be compared…(WHO, 2020)
Read MoreREAD: WHO - COVID-19 Infection Control in Healthcare Facilities
/
(3 RC) - WHO has developed the “Infection prevention and control health-care facility response for COVID-19” monitoring tool. This tool has been designed to assess infection prevention and control capacities to respond to COVID-19 in health facilities. This tool forms part of a wider suite of health service capacity assessment tools…(WHO, 2020)
Read MoreREAD: CDC - COVID-19 Infection Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel
/
(1 RC) - This document provides CDC recommendations for healthcare workers with respect to infection control concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. This guidance is applicable to all U.S. settings where healthcare is delivered. This guidance is not intended for non-healthcare settings (e.g., restaurants) OR for persons outside of healthcare settings…(CDC, 2019)
Read MoreREAD: Thunderstorms, Asthma, and Pollen Allergy
/
(1 RC) - These papers discuss thunderstorms as a risk factor for asthma and explore their relationship to pollen allergy. There is evidence that thunderstorms trigger epidemics of exacerbations of asthma during the pollen season by washing down pollen grains and concentrating them in a band of air at ground level…(Thorax/BMJ, 1997)
Read MoreREAD: Endotoxin and (1--3)-beta-D-Glucan in Homes and Farms
/
(1 RC) - This study compares the proportions of PM1 endotoxin and 1-3-beta-D-glucan in homes compared to farms. The study emphasizes the importance of conducting size-selective air sampling for microbial exposure assessment in homes. Personal exposure to microbial biomarkers including gram-negative bacterial endotoxin…(Aerosol and Air Quality Research, 2011)
Read MoreREAD: (1--3)-beta-D-Glucan and Indoor Air-Related Effects
/
(1 RC) - This paper reviews field studies in which (1-3)-beta-D-Glucan was measured as a marker to characterize the extent of symptoms and measures of inflammation among subjects exposed to indoor mold. Many studies show a relationship between symptoms and a history of dampness or flooding of buildings…(Environmental Health Perspectives, 1999)
Read MoreREAD: Reducing Allergen Exposures
/
(1 RC) - This paper discusses strategies for reducing allergen exposures in the home. Homes cannot be made allergen free, but exposure to the major indoor allergens can be reduced. All reduction recommendations are based on the principle of reducing or isolating the source, certain recommendations can be made on the basis of published evidence…(Johns Hopkins University, 2005)
Read MoreREAD: HUD - Healthy Homes Issues: Residential Assessment
/
(4 RC) - This background paper addresses the assessment of all types of hazards that may exist in homes, including biological, chemical, physical, structural, and behavioral. It introduces the reader to methods to assess for health and safety hazards, and discusses widely available visual assessment…(HUD, 2012)
Read MoreREAD: WAO - Allergy Avoidance Strategies
/
(1 RC) - The use of environmental interventions to treat patients with allergic disorders has long been promoted to reduce morbidity by reducing a patient’s exposure to environmental triggers. It has been studied as a means for prevention and treatment of rhinitis and asthma…(WHO, 2018)
Read MoreREAD: House Dust Endotoxins and Asthma in Children
/
(1 RC) - This study explores the relationship between endotoxins and other contaminants found in house dust and the exacerbation of asthma symptoms in children. Microbial exposure in the indoor environment has long since been recognized as a potential cause of respiratory or other disorders. Reports of ill health related to microbial exposure have already appeared…(American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2000)
Read MoreREAD: NIOSH - HHE Charles Harwood Complex
/
(4 RC) - This HHE conducted by the CDC and NIOSH investigates the possibility of mold and fungal activity in the Charles Hardwood Complex. Employees working at the CHC believed that their headaches, coughing, rash, itching, infections, respiratory problems and eye irritants…(NIOSH, 2000)
Read MoreREAD: NIOSH - HHE Fayette County Courthouse
/
(4 RC) - This HHE conducted by the CDC and NIOSH investigates the air quality of a county courthouse in Fayette county, looking for mold and other noxious air quality influencers. Employees had reported a variety of health concerns: headaches, nausea, tiredness, nasal and sinus symptoms, vomiting, burning eyes, sore throats, breathing problems, coughing, ear infections…(NIOSH, 2002)
Read MoreREAD: NIOSH - HHE Teletech
/
(1 RC) - This HHE conducted by NIOSH and the CDC investigates a Teletech call center building to monitor and adjust the indoor environmental quality. Primary health concerns were: frequent sinus infections, respiratory infections, indoor allergies of unknown origin, hives, and skin rashes. Listed exposures included air fresheners, dirty air ducts and vents…(NIOSH, 2004)
Read MoreREAD: NIOSH - HHE Environmental Protection Department West Virginia
/
(1 RC) - In June 2001, a middle-aged couple with a history of smoking moved into a newly built, two-story, woodframed home with a finished basement and adjacent crawlspace on land that was formerly mined. Shortly after occupancy, the 42-year old woman noted new-onset shortness of breath, lightheadedness, dizziness, and fatigue while in the basement… (NIOSH, 2004)
Read MoreREAD: NIOSH - HHE Justice Court Building
/
(2 RC) - This HHE conducted by NIOSH and the CDC inspects a justice court building in response to anonymous complaints about the indoor environmental quality. Since occupying the building in 1999, employees reported headaches, itchy and burning eyes, chronic sinus infections, asthma, heart palpitations, and memory loss…(NIOSH, 2003)
Read MoreREAD: NIOSH - HHE Behavioral Health Hospital
/
(1 RC) - This HHE conducted by the CDC and NIOSH investigates a behavioral health hospital in response to complaints about asthma and other respiratory symptoms. This was the second request for an evaluation since February 2004. The first request concerned respiratory symptoms and illnesses, including asthma, that workers felt could be related to possible mold contamination in the ventilation system…(NIOSH, 2005)
Read MoreREAD: NIOSH - HHE Fire Department
/
(1 RC) - This HHE conducted by the CDC and NIOSH investigates a fire department building, finding severe mold damage and backed up sewers.
Read MoreREAD: NIOSH - HHE Youth Development Center
/