COVID-19 certainly hurt the health of many, including Latinos. But the pandemic is also threatening the education of children, amid three years of school shutdowns, isolation, and continuing waves of cases. Many students are falling behind in reading, especially. In 2022, the average reading score at both 4th and 8th grade decreased by 3 points compared to 2019, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The National Assessment for Education Progress (NEAP), further highlights that while average 4th grade reading scores in 2022 were higher for Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, Latino, and White students, Latino and Black students still had lower reading average scores than White students. Let’s examine the literacy issues children face, the factors that ...
The rise of COVID-19 worsened daily life for Latinos and many others in areas like healthcare, housing, income, and food access. Stress and anxiety are other grim outcomes of the pandemic, especially for youth. Following COVID-19-fueled school shutdowns and social isolation, adolescents experienced more symptoms of anxiety and depression and greater internalizing problems than before the pandemic, according to a new study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The brains of teens and young adults were also deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. “In addition to replicating prior findings that the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected adolescents’ mental health, this study showed that the pandemic may have physically aged their brains,” according to ...
When COVID-19 first struck America in 2020, Latinos were deeply affected. Not only did the pandemic create high rates of infection, hospitalization, and death among Latinos, it also worsened historical health inequities, from access to healthcare and vaccinations to food insecurity, housing issues, and misinformation. Today, as new variants continue to arise, an unresolved threat has emerged – Long COVID. Let’s analyze the lingering symptoms of Long COVID-19 and how it impacts Latinos today.
What is Long COVID?
The Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC, and other partners have worked to define “long COVID” or “post-COVID conditions.” “In April 2020, shortly after the beginning of the pandemic, anecdotal reports from patients started to emerge that ...
COVID-19 is not over. For the past three years, the virus has disrupted life and health. Data continue to show that the pandemic worsened historical health and social inequities, especially for Latinos. How can we address this? Let’s use #SaludTues on Feb. 7, 2023, to explore health inequities facing the Latino population over the past three years (and long before that), and share solutions and strategies to promote health equity in the face of COVID-19! WHERE: Twitter
WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat “3 Years Later: How COVID-19 Is Impacting Latinos”
WHEN: 1-2 p.m. ET (12-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023
HOST: Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio (@SaludAmerica)
CO-HOSTS: Latinx Voces LLC (@latinxvocesllc); LatinaStrong Foundation (@LatinaStrongDr); Public ...
This is part of the "Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos: 2022 Conference Proceedings," which summarizes findings and discussions of the 2022 Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos Conference on Feb. 23-25, 2022, in San Antonio, Texas.
COVID-19 Past, Present and Future
Dr. Carlos Del Rio is Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Global Health, and Epidemiology. He is also Executive Associate Dean of Emory University School of Medicine, and President-Elect of the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA). The continued presence of COVID Dr. Del Rio began by pointing out that the COVID pandemic is not over, despite gains made over the past year. At the time of his presentation, there were still two million global cases diagnosed daily, and close to 10,000 global ...
How does COVID-19 affect the brain? Researchers at the Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s & Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health San Antonio are looking for the answer and need your help. Volunteer for the 7T MRI Study of How COVID-19 Affects the Brain! Study volunteers will get an advanced state-of-the-art MRI scan to compare brain imaging of those recovered from COVID-19 to those who have never tested positive for the infection. “This study is to identify the long-term neurological and psychiatric effects of a COVID-19 infection,” according to the Biggs Institute study team, including Drs. Mitzi Gonzales, Gabriel de Erausquin, Sudha Seshadri, Monica Goss, and Mohamed Habes. To volunteer for the 7T MRI Study, contact Vibhuti Patel (210-450-7186), Erin ...
When you practice infection control consistently and confidently, it can help stop the spread of disease in healthcare settings and save lives. This is why you and all frontline healthcare providers can publicly pledge to take training through the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s Project Firstline program. Project Firstline is a training and education collaborative that provides all healthcare workers, no matter their role or educational background, with access to the infection control information they need to protect themselves, their patients, and their coworkers from infectious disease threats. Project Firstline offers training and educational resources on various infection control topics, including risk recognition and infection control basics related to ...
Cancer health disparities. COVID-19. Climate change. These challenges require public health leaders to create programs and policy solutions that address a complex web of factors that influence health status, from biology to social determinants and systemic inequities. In a new book, Health Program Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation, public health education specialist Dr. Lawrence W. Green and his team of editors and chapter authors combine their expertise to offer a high-level guide to public health promotion and programming. The book has a chapter, "Applications in Community Settings," written by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez and Dr. Patricia Chalela of UT Health San Antonio. "Program and policy solutions to population health challenges require systematic planning, ...
15-year-old Anna Valdez fidgeted in her chair as her eyes scanned the stethoscope, cotton balls, and other medical supplies on the far wall of the exam room. Anna had traveled by bus to the hospital by herself, hoping to get some medical attention. But the uninsured California teenager did not receive the initial response she was anticipating from the resident physician. After a discussion with the nurse though, he was more responsive to her concerns and began outlining Anna’s course of treatment. “In that moment, I thought, ‘Wow, that is really impactful.’ I experienced a lot of bias and inequalities because I was poor, so I was really impressed that a nurse could have that kind of impact.” At 16 years old, Anna found out she was pregnant. She dropped out of ...
