Use of Disinfectants Has Soared, Sparking New Examination of Ingredients
22 February
Health + Wellness
Steve Carrara, head custodian for Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School in Norwood, cleans school buses with disinfectant as a precaution against the coronavirus on March 8, 2020 in Norwood, MA. Jessica Rinaldi / The Boston Globe / Getty Images
By Casey Crownhart
Disinfectant use has exploded during the coronavirus pandemic as people try to keep their hands and surfaces clean. But one family of cleaning chemicals is receiving scrutiny for potential health concerns.
<p>Quats, or quaternary ammonium compounds, are charged molecules that can kill bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Quats are effective disinfectants, but some researchers are raising alarm given recent research on the compounds' possible human health and environmental effects, including fertility issues, endocrine disruption, occupational asthma, marine toxicity, and potential to spur antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</p><p>And, while industry defends quats as safe, some states are taking notice and looking into regulations.</p>
<p><br/></p>
Bacterial Resistance
<p>The pandemic has increased demand for products like Lysol wipes that use quats as active ingredients: sales of Lysol wipes were <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/16/ceo-of-durex-condom-maker-intimate-occasions-down-during-pandemic.html" target="_blank">up</a> nearly 50 percent in spring of 2020 compared to 2019. Other cleaning products are also in high demand — aerosol disinfectant <a href="https://www.jpmorgan.com/solutions/cib/research/covid-spending-habits" target="_blank">sales as a whole have doubled</a> in 2020 in the U.S., a large fraction of which also contain quats.</p><p>All those additional sales mean quats are becoming more present in the environment. "We're in an era now where the concentration [of quats] is certainly higher than ever before," William Arnold, an environmental engineer at the University of Minnesota, told EHN. He published a <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00437" target="_blank">paper</a> in June that revealed an increased load of quats may be ending up in wastewater plants, with some worrisome implications. Quats can end up in wastewater plants after they're flushed down the drain — at the levels of use during the pandemic, some plants can't keep up, so quats have the potential to pollute waterways. There, they might disrupt marine food chains, as quats have been found to be <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749115302025?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">toxic</a> to small invertebrates like plankton in lakes.</p><p>The ingredients also may be spurring antibiotic-resistant germs, Arnold said.</p><p>Bacteria are constantly working to shore up their defenses against the antiseptics we use. "We've had an 80- or 90-year head start, but we really need to keep innovating" to stay ahead of microbial evolution, <a href="http://kminbiol.clasit.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kevin Minbiole</a>, a Villanova University chemist who studies how quats affect bacteria and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7233851/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">viruses,</a> told EHN.</p><p>Quats work like spears, penetrating the shell on the outside of a bacteria or virus. But some bacteria are getting better at recognizing quats and getting rid of them, or becoming resistant, said Minbiole. He and his collaborator, Emory University chemist William Wuest, are experimenting with new antimicrobial ingredients and recently <a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US20200277263A1/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">patented their own quats</a> that can mount multiple attacks on a single microbe. These quats are likely even more effective antiseptics than current quats on the market, but the new chemicals haven't yet been tested for safety, so it's not clear how their health or environmental impacts might differ, or not, from current quats, according to Wuest.</p><p>But the germs may be one step ahead. As they encounter quats and other antiseptics, bacteria can develop broad, rather than specific, resistance. These new bacterial shields, which evolved to block attacks by antiseptics, might also protect them against other threats, including the antibiotic medications doctors prescribe to help fight serious infections.</p><p>It's called cross resistance: when changes bacteria make to get around one threat make them better suited to survive other threats, too. "Those changes make bacteria capable of surviving different compounds, different chemicals that it hasn't seen before," <a href="http://tagkopouloslab.ucdavis.edu/?author=8" target="_blank">Beatriz Pereira</a>, a recent graduate student in microbiology from University of California, Davis, told EHN.</p><p>In lab experiments, Pereira has seen bacteria develop resistance to certain quats, even when she only exposes them to low concentrations of the chemicals. The bacteria shore up their defenses, strengthening their outer membrane — a good way to develop cross resistance to other chemicals as well. It's not clear whether bacteria are yet developing resistance in the wild in response to current levels of quat pollution, or even how much quat pollution currently exists. But to Pereira, these lab experiments alongside a growing <a href="https://aem.asm.org/content/85/13/e00377-19.full" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">body of evidence</a> suggest that the best way to respond to the problem of antibiotic resistance may be not to develop new quats, which might cause the same problem of antibiotic resistance eventually, but to reconsider whether we should be using them at all, at least in some products.</p>
Birth Defects and Infertility
<p><a href="https://www.vcom.edu/people/theresa-hrubec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Theresa Hrubec</a>, a biologist at Virginia Tech and the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, has also been publishing work on the potential risks of quats — work that started by accident. While she was using mice to study potential side effects of medications, she noticed that some mice in her control group, the mice that weren't exposed to any medication, were developing birth defects. After ruling out the possibility that she had switched the groups, she found a potential explanation: the facility had recently started using quats to disinfect her lab. The floors were mopped daily, the walls wiped down weekly, and anytime a box of mice was opened, it was wiped down with disinfectant. The mice were all being unintentionally dosed with quats, Hrubec told EHN. And she wasn't the only researcher who had seen problems with mice and quat disinfectants: <a href="https://smb.wsu.edu/faculty-trainees-and-staff/faculty/profile/pat-hunt" target="_blank">Patricia Hunt</a>, a researcher at Washington State University, had seen similar problems with her mice.</p><p>Hrubec and Hunt have since published several studies that link quats to health problems in mice, from <a href="https://www.ehn.org/the_cost_of_clean_disinfectants_cause_birth_defects_in_baby_mice-2497174322.html" target="_blank">birth defects</a> to <a href="https://www.ehn.org/quats-quagmire-common-disinfectants-cause-reproductive-problems-in-mice-study-says-2569921664.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">decreases in fertility</a>. For each of the studies, mice were fed a mixture of two common quat disinfectants at high doses for several weeks before being examined for either fetal birth defects or signs of decreased fertility.</p><p>Mice that were exposed to quats were more likely to develop neural tube defects, an early-stage birth defect. And doses of quats decreased the number and size of litters born as well.</p><p>How exactly quats might cause birth defects is still unknown, according to Hrubec. She has a few theories. Endocrine disruption might be to blame — Gino Cortopassi, who collaborated with Hrubec, found that one quat, although not the same chemical Hrubec used in her research, can <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/ehp1404" target="_blank">bind to hormone receptors</a>. The same lab also found that quats appear to affect how <a href="https://iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2623337" target="_blank">mitochondria function</a>, which can cause a litany of problems in cells.</p><p>Inflammation might be another possible explanation. Quats are suspected to cause occupational asthma — exposure to a toxic or irritating chemical that results in lung inflammation. Japanese researchers <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19762220/" target="_blank">found in 2010</a> that mice exposed to quats at high concentrations by inhalation saw cell death and increased levels of inflammation. However, human studies observing quat exposure and occupational asthma <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31832071/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">have had mixed results,</a> with some researchers arguing that quat exposure hasn't been definitively linked with lung problems.</p><p>Most of the research by Hrubec and her collaborators is done in mice, so quats may not have the same effects on humans. Figuring out how quats might be impacting humans is a much more complicated job. In a <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.15.20154963v1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pre-print</a>, published last year but not yet reviewed by outside experts for accuracy, Hrubec and her collaborators performed a monitoring study of a small group, 43 people. They detected quats in 80 percent of the study participants, and quat levels in the blood were associated with higher levels of inflammation and decreased mitochondrial function. The results are still preliminary, but it is among the first research to attempt monitoring quat levels in humans.</p>Dose Disagreement
<p>Not everyone agrees about how the research is being done. In a<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25500365/" target="_blank"> letter to the editor</a> in response to one of Hrubec's<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25483128/" target="_blank"> early studies</a>, Keith Hostetler, an industry representative, raised concerns about the experiment's design. One critique was the dose level — according to Hostetler, the level of disinfectant fed to the mice would be the equivalent of a 155-pound adult drinking about 1.5 quarts of disinfecting solution daily.</p><p>But toxicology studies are pretty typically performed with high doses at first, before being extrapolated down to more realistic doses, according to<a href="https://patisaullab.wordpress.ncsu.edu/" target="_blank"> Heather Patisaul</a>, a biologist at North Carolina State University who studies toxicological effects of hormone-disrupting compounds. She was not involved in Hrubec's studies.</p><p>"Complaining that the dose is too high and the sample size is too low is a common industry response," Patisaul told EHN via email. In this case, she said the dosage was particularly high for some groups. However, Patisaul also notes that Hrubec saw birth defects in fetuses when the father was fed less than 1/15 the dose Hostetler mentioned, which she said is more compelling evidence that quats might cause harm.</p><p>Still, "neither [dose] is anywhere near a human-relevant range," Patisaul said, so the results do not definitively show that quats could harm human health with normal levels of use.</p><p>The doses were high in order to determine whether quats warrant more research, said Hrubec, adding that many mice that were not fed quats, but were merely present in rooms where quats were used, were also found to develop birth defects. To her, this suggests that the disinfectants present in the lab from regular disinfecting were still enough to trigger health problems.</p>States Take Notice
<p>Hrubec has been a constant figure at regulatory meetings on quats. She presented her research during a<a href="https://biomonitoring.ca.gov/events/biomonitoring-california-scientific-guidance-panel-meeting-march-2020" target="_blank"> March 2020 meeting</a> with California's Biomonitoring Program. During the meeting, other researchers also presented data on quat's potential for causing<a href="https://biomonitoring.ca.gov/sites/default/files/downloads/WRAPPcomments030420.pdf" target="_blank"> occupational asthma</a> and <a href="https://biomonitoring.ca.gov/sites/default/files/downloads/Xu030420.pdf" target="_blank">endocrine disruption</a>.</p><p>After considering data from researchers and industry, the advisory panel for Biomonitoring California voted unanimously to add quats to the list of chemicals that could be considered for biomonitoring studies, and they plan to discuss quats as potential high-priority chemicals in March 2021, according to<a href="https://agency.calepa.ca.gov/staffdirectory/detail.asp?UID=61347&BDO=6&VW=DET" target="_blank"> Shoba Iyer</a>, a toxicologist for the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment who works with the biomonitoring program.</p><p>The program's board does not have the authority to ban quats — the purpose of adding quats to the monitoring list and completing biomonitoring studies is to learn more about chemical exposures and inform public health policies and regulations, Iyer told EHN.</p><p>Officials from one agency in Massachusetts also have their eye on quats — and they say the pandemic and the resulting increase in disinfectant use has caused them to examine the chemicals more closely. "That's why we finally decided to take up [quats], because people are using it constantly to try to keep themselves and their workers and customers safe," <a href="https://www.turi.org/About/Staff_List/Harriman_Liz" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Liz Harriman</a>, Deputy Director of the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) in Massachusetts, told EHN.</p><p>Massachusetts state law requires companies that manufacture certain chemicals, or use them to make products, to report use levels of the chemicals and submit plans for safe use. The Scientific Advisory Board for TURI makes recommendations to state agencies on which chemicals to examine, and they are focusing on two classes of quats, both of which are used in surface cleaners, according to<a href="https://www.turi.org/About/Staff_List/Tenney_Heather" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Heather Tenney</a>, who heads the board.</p><p>In January, the advisory board discussed several categories of research on quats, including birth defects and respiratory conditions like<a href="https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p4936" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> asthma</a>, as well as<a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00437" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> environmental effects</a> of quats like the potential for microbial resistance. The board did not reach a vote, and will reconvene in March to continue discussing potential action on quats.</p><p>Hostetler, the industry representative who has published letters challenging Hrubec's research, also presented at both the March Biomonitoring California presentation and the TURI meeting in January. At the TURI board meeting, he emphasized that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has independently concluded that quats do not have effects on developmental or reproductive health, based on tests that follow agency guidelines.</p><p>Manufacturers maintain that their disinfecting products available for purchase have been tested extensively. "They've done a lot of research on their formulations. What they put on the market, they know to be safe and efficacious," James Kim, a Vice President of the American Cleaning Institute, a trade organization that represents manufacturers, told EHN.</p>Alternatives Are Available
<p>Despite increased attention from states, quats will likely remain available on the market in surface disinfectants for the foreseeable future. But for consumers looking to avoid quats in their <a href="https://www.ehn.org/how-to-shop-for-cleaning-products-while-avoiding-toxics-2648130273.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">cleaning supplies</a>, alternatives are available.</p><p>"Given the huge concern for reproductive toxicity and birth defects in humans, it really makes sense to take a precautionary approach,"<a href="https://www.ewg.org/experts/samara-geller.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Samara Geller</a>, a research analyst for Environmental Working Group (EWG), an advocacy organization that pushes for regulation of chemicals in consumer products, told EHN.</p><p>While a large portion of disinfectants on the market include either quats or bleach as their main ingredient, there are other options available. Geller said EWG recommends products that contain citric acid, lactic acid, or hydrogen peroxide as their main ingredients. EWG also publishes <a href="http://ewg.org/guides/cleaners/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a guide</a> to cleaning products that aggregates safety data where consumers can check for options.</p><p>Consumers can reference the EPA's <a href="https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-coronavirus-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">list </a>of disinfectants that are expected to be effective against coronavirus, which lists products by active ingredient.</p><p>Liz Harriman, the Massachusetts TURI official, said she also urges the public to consider alternative products to those that contain quats. "It's not so much that we're dead set against quats," said Harriman, "But if there are safer alternatives you can use to accomplish the same thing, why wouldn't you use those?"</p><p><em>Reposted with permission from </em><em><a href="https://www.ehn.org/quats-health-covid-disinfectant-2650608215.html" target="_blank">Environmental Health News</a>.</em></p>
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EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
Shelter-in-place orders in the San Francisco Bay area in March 2020 effectively simulated a future with fewer gas-powered cars. Josh Edelson / AFP / Getty Images
Many people expect the future of transportation to be electric, and that drivers will charge their cars with solar and wind power. Recently, scientists got a window into that future and saw what it could mean for the climate and people's health.
<iframe style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/17592614/height/45/theme/standard/thumbnail/yes/direction/backward/" height="45" width="100%" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>Ronald Cohen is a professor of chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. For years, his team has been using low-cost sensors to monitor and map carbon emissions and air pollution in the Bay area.</p><p>When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, he saw a unique opportunity. Shelter-in-place orders effectively simulated a future with fewer gas-powered cars.</p><p>"We had a brief moment, two or three weeks in every city that shut down, where passenger vehicles dropped to almost half of their normal driving miles," he says.</p>
<p>Cohen's team found that during the first six weeks of the shelter-in-place order in the San Francisco Bay area, carbon dioxide emissions fell by about 30%. Other air pollution improved, too.</p><p>"And that was almost entirely due to a decrease in passenger vehicles," Cohen says.</p><p>So he says the data demonstrates the benefits of moving away from gas-powered cars.</p><p>"We can reduce CO2 emissions and reduce health impacts at the same time," he says.</p>
<p class=""><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2021/02/what-covid-19-lockdowns-show-about-a-future-with-electric-vehicles/" target="_blank">Yale Climate Connections</a>.</em></p>
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More and more Americans are retrofitting their bathrooms with high-end bidets, allowing them to enjoy cleanliness and hygiene without creating as much paper waste. Not all bidets are created equal, however, and before deciding on a particular brand, it's important to do your homework. Take a look at our comprehensive Toto bidet review, and our reviews of Tushy and Omigo, to learn more about all of their options.
<h2>Toto overview</h2><p>Toto is a company that has been around for over 100 years. They aim to improve people's quality of life, and they do that specifically by focusing on bathrooms. To that end, Toto is known for high-quality products including toilets, faucets, showers, bathtubs, and bidets. </p><p>Toto has also expressed an admirable commitment to ecological stewardship. As <a href="https://www.totousa.com/about-toto/toto-way" target="_blank">their corporate website</a> notes, they strive to "protect the global environment by conserving finite natural resources and energy." One example of this is their donation of any imperfectly fired porcelain products for recycling and reuse as porcelain floor tile. Their <a href="https://www.totousa.com/about-toto/living-toto-library/smart-sustainable-packaging-solution" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">packaging</a> uses differing levels of recycled post-consumer paper products while their forklifts operate using <a href="https://www.totousa.com/about-toto/living-toto-library/plant-based-hydraulics" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">plant-based hydraulics</a> made from soybean oil instead of traditional hydraulic oil.</p><p>Toto is definitely a company with a superior reputation when it comes to bathroom accessories in general, and bidets in particular. Here are reviews of some of the specific products in the Toto line.</p><h2>Toto bidet reviews</h2><p>There are two different bidet product families available from Toto: standalone bidets and bidet seat attachments. Their standalone models include the Piedmont bidet, the Lloyd bidet, and the Clayton bidet, while their bidet toilet seat offerings include a wide selection in the popular Washlet line. Here are details on the three standalone options and three of the most popular bidet seat attachments.</p><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p><h3>Toto standalone bidets</h3><h4></h4>
<h2>Toto bidet pros and cons<br></h2><p>Whether you're considering a standalone bidet or a bidet seat attachment, here are some of the pros and cons to help you compare your options.</p><h3>Pros</h3><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Standalone bidets, such as the ones offered by Toto, are designed in a wider range of elegant, contemporary styles. If you are looking to remodel your bathroom, splurging for a standalone bidet makes sense.</li><li>Toto offers a wide selection of bidet and bidet attachment options. Some of their more advanced units feature night lights, adjustable nozzle positions, warm air dryers, and adjustable settings for the temperature of the water.</li><li>All of the Toto bidet attachments we reviewed include self-cleaning nozzles for added hygiene. They are also designed for DIY installation, and easily connect to your existing toilet's water supply without the need for a plumber or electrician.</li></ul><h3>Cons</h3><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Toto's line of standalone bidets and bidet seat attachments are more expensive than some other brands, especially some of their more high-end models.</li><li>Standalone bidets may not be as convenient for those who have mobility issues.</li><li>All of Toto's bidet seat attachments are electric, and don't feature an eco or energy-saving mode like some other options.</li></ul><h2>The benefits of buying a bidet</h2><p>Why buy a bidet at all? There are plenty of perks, both for you and the planet:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Bidets offer a more thorough, hygienic cleaning than toilet paper.</li><li>They're considerably more eco-friendly, using less water and paper.</li><li>Because you'll use so much less toilet paper, bidets are also more cost-effective.</li><li>Compared with TP, bidets can be really soothing to the skin.</li><li>They have special benefits for women, and especially pregnant women, helping minimize the risk of a UTI.</li><li>Bidets are highly accessible, even to those with limited mobility.</li><li>A bidet makes it much easier to teach your children about proper bathroom hygiene.</li></ul><h2>Considerations when buying a bidet</h2><p>As you consider all of your options for getting a bidet, here are a few of the key factors to consider:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Look for a bidet with a self-cleaning nozzle. This will help keep things hygienic.</li><li>Electric vs. non-electric? Electric bidets can offer more comfort features, like a heated seat, but they also use more energy than a non-electric one.</li><li>Is it a standalone bidet, a bidet seat, or a bidet attachment? While a standalone bidet is a completely separate fixture from your toilet, a bidet seat will completely replace your existing seat and a bidet attachment will be installed onto your existing toilet seat. These are usually the least expensive, but also come with the fewest features.</li><li>Does the bidet connect to your home's hot water? If it doesn't, you will only be able to clean with cold water.</li><li>Make sure you can adjust the settings. For the most comfortable bidet, look for controls that let you customize the water pressure, the angle of the water stream, the temperature of the water, and the temperature of the seat, if it is heated.</li></ul><p>Use these questions to determine whether the bidets from Toto are right for you.</p><h2>Toto bidets: a leader in comfort and efficiency</h2><p>Toto makes durable, elegant, and highly functional products that will allow you to enjoy all the hygienic and environmental benefits of a bidet. You can also read our full review of the best bidets to compare with other brands like Brondell, Kohler, Tushy, and BioBidet.</p><p><em><strong>Josh Hurst </strong></em><em>is a journalist, critic, and essayist. He lives in Knoxville, TN, with his wife and three sons. His writing on natural health, nutrition, and supplements has appeared in Health, Shape, and Remedy Review.</em></p>
Piedmont
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY3MDgyMy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMjI3MjE3Nn0.QqBs95yaFQnGwAuf0t3XaSCc7pvrSEUalnl9UulrODg/img.jpg?width=980" id="a0c63" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9d10ad2b08c5d00642b44787c1b099ad" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Toto USA
<p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/TOTO-BT500B-01-Piedmont-Vertical/dp/B00084P3GO/ref=sr_1_3?crid=ZG6AGN0U9VQL&dchild=1&keywords=toto+piedmont+bidet&qid=1613591898&sprefix=toto+piedmo%2Caps%2C188&sr=8-3" target="_blank">Toto's Piedmont bidet</a> offers an elegant, classic design, and it also comes with built-in safeguards that prevent it from ever overflowing. It is available in several color options, and will look good with any contemporary bathroom design.</p><p><strong>Why buy:</strong> This is the most affordable standalone bidet in Toto's catalog. This bidet is a good option if you are remodeling your bathroom or are building a home and want to save water and paper waste from the start. Priced starting at $533, you can find it through other retailers for around $280.</p>
$533
Lloyd
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY3MDgzMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNTU0Nzk0Nn0.h9XeFBojZff_4Un8swlIoamX7xAwO1wH3RKAiiZb96k/img.jpg?width=980" id="e5d22" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="83ff9c9b3ed8f1b5e92ff99c14ad9b0c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Toto USA
<p>The <a href="https://www.amazon.com/TOTO-BT930B-01-Vertical-Cotton/dp/B0015IVUOQ/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=toto%2Blloyd%2Bbidet&qid=1613592001&sr=8-2&th=1" target="_blank">Lloyd bidet</a> has a much bolder, "skirted" design, but it also shares the Piedmont's flushing rim and integral overflow features, which keep you from ever experiencing spillage.</p><p><strong>Why buy: </strong>This is a fancier product with a more striking appearance, and is mainly suited for a larger, more formal design. It retails for a slightly higher price point: The Lloyd model starts at $780 in total, but you can find it for $526 through other retailers.</p>
$780
Clayton
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY3MDgzMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NTI4MTYyNn0.xNOnfejHaWbEVHRbO1vFVdUoWbFvevja40qRVr6L4dI/img.jpg?width=980" id="df200" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0cdb567e670fb2e46f50fbc43c99158c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Toto USA
<p>The company's flagship standalone bidet is known as the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/TOTO-BT784B-01-Clayton-Vertical/dp/B0018L9JUC/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=toto+clayton+bidet&qid=1613592108&sr=8-2" target="_blank">Clayton</a>. It includes the same overflow safeguards as the other two, and of course, each of these products is backed by Toto's longstanding commitment to excellent craftsmanship.</p><p><strong>Why buy: </strong>This is the most traditional in its visual style, and, with a number of colors to choose from, it will look great in almost any bathroom design. The Clayton starts at $734, but is available through other retailers for around $426.</p>
$734
<h3>Toto bidet seats</h3>
Toto Washlet C200
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY3MDgzNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MTY3OTY1M30.3coYAuyqJLBcw8hQszI8Shbcfyr6nn9V0ek-kXv2kgQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="61762" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b7c91d2511149e271c7f0139f1580788" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Toto USA
<p>This electronic smart bidet seat fits onto your existing toilet bowl and offers a number of comfort features, including a heated seat, automatic air deodorizer, adjustable warm water, warm air dryer, self-cleaning wand, and a wireless remote control.</p><p><strong>Why buy:</strong> We chose the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UCIOX2Q/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&aaxitk=-XjvJQOmffOcAmiCOZvtAA&hsa_cr_id=7413316040901&pd_rd_plhdr=t&pd_rd_r=0e0e7f3d-0baf-4977-85d3-663f618a76d8&pd_rd_w=Yi3yF&pd_rd_wg=LUFHB&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_lsi3d_asin_1_img" target="_blank">Toto C200</a> as the overall best bidet in <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/best-bidet-toilet-seats-2650502928.html" target="_self">our review</a> of top brands. In addition to the features mentioned, its dual action oscillating and pulsating spray and pre-mist function provide a comfortable and sanitary clean.</p>
$715
Toto Washlet S500e with EWATER+
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY3MDgzOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MTgzNTIyMH0.idaacYO4MzHGTeajRkSCVHOo3TH7tehRN8TAH2s75ko/img.jpg?width=980" id="f6ed5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="87fa67b17e4c8e06f74bfbce87bf4809" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Toto USA
<p>The <a href="https://www.amazon.com/TOTO-SW3046-01-Electronic-Contemporary/dp/B078GTKSXK/ref=sr_1_2?crid=15NGPC9YFANKH&dchild=1&keywords=toto+s500e&qid=1613960063&sprefix=toto+s500e%2Caps%2C171&sr=8-2" target="_blank">Toto Washlet S500e</a> bidet seat includes the features found in the C200, plus instantaneous water heating, front and rear wash functions, two-user preset memory, and the company's <a href="https://www.totousa.com/technologies/ewater" target="_blank">EWATER+ technology</a>. This system uses electrolyzed water to keep the wand and toilet bowl clean.</p><p><strong>Why buy:</strong> This high-end Toto electric bidet seat can help you reduce water and toilet paper use, and it can help reduce the need for chemical cleaning products with its EWATER+ technology.</p>
$1530
Toto Washlet A100
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY3MDg0Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MzU0OTU3MH0.g2PYzguGXvB1l7RvWBcw_xNtlpy8hsmcwui8Twr3CMA/img.jpg?width=980" id="08295" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d3d798b5d7737cddaadfd9f6fa5a84d6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Toto USA
<p>The <a href="https://www.amazon.com/TOTO-SW2014-01-Electronic-SoftClose/dp/B0165UFOGS/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=30E9Y1LAN9ZRW&dchild=1&keywords=toto+washlet+a100+elongated+bidet+toilet+seat&qid=1613589664&sprefix=toto+washlet+a100%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFBR1FMUTdJR1hXNUEmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAyNjIwOTkxUE1EWk5CQjg2QTZPJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA0NDc1MzExSk1UMk5CQzJYVUhVJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==" target="_blank">A100</a> is an entry-level Washlet bidet attachment, but still offers numerous comfort features. It includes a heated seat with temperature control, aerated warm water with a dual action spray, and an attached arm control panel.</p><p><strong>Why buy: </strong>One of the most affordable Toto bidet options, it still lets you adjust the water temperature and pressure settings, and features rear and front cleaning functionality for a feminine wash.</p>
$499
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A food vendor wears a face mask inside a food truck on December 31, 2020 in New York City. Noam Galai / Getty Images
The COVID-19 pandemic is changing the way we eat.
<p>Because <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/business-employers/bars-restaurants.html" target="_blank">outdoor dining poses less risk of infection</a>, many <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/cities-plan-increase-outdoor-dining-restaurants-reopen/story?id=70952012" target="_blank">cities have changed their laws</a> to accommodate public demand.</p><p>New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio estimates that closing 87 streets and allowing outdoor dining <a href="https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/nyc-makes-outdoor-dining-program-permanent/585929/" target="_blank">saved nearly 100,000 jobs</a>. Chicago has offered restaurants a US$5,000 grant to <a href="https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/mayor/press_room/press_releases/2020/october/WinterDesignChallengeDoorDash.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">weatherize outdoor dining for the winter</a>.</p><p>And <a href="https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2021/02/02/san-mateo-extends-outdoor-dining-to-september-considers-keeping-parklets-permanently/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">San Mateo, California</a>, is considering the once unthinkable: permanently removing some parking spots to allow year-round outdoor dining.</p><p>But what about mobile food vendors?</p><p>For the past 10 years, as a <a href="https://humanecology.ucdavis.edu/catherine-brinkley" target="_blank">community and regional development professor</a>, I have studied how street vending provides an economic lifeline for many people, particularly in low-income communities.</p><p>With increasing income inequality, growing unemployment and bans on indoor dining because of COVID-19, more people are <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/159463/immigrant-street-vendors-feeding-others-feed-pandemic" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">turning to the street</a> to <a href="https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/los-angeles-issues-its-first-street-vending-permit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">make a living and to accommodate a rising need</a>.</p>
<h2>Many Flavors of Street Food Vending</h2><p>When you think of street food, perhaps an image that comes to mind is the trendy food trucks increasingly popping up on streets and in parking lots across the United States.</p><p>But it also includes mobile vendors selling mangoes at the beach or fruits and vegetables from stands on the sidewalk.</p><p>In San Diego, California, for example, vendors called <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-07-02/pico-union-paletero" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fruteros use paleteros</a>, or pushcarts, to sell fruit in low-income Latino neighborhoods.</p><p>In Baltimore, <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/op-ed/bs-ed-op-0417-arabbers-20180416-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">African American vendors known as arabbers</a> sell fresh <a href="https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2020/04/21/coronavirus-help-baltimore-arabbers-latest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">whole fruit and vegetables from horseback</a>.</p><p>In Troy, New York, <a href="https://www.capitalroots.org/programs/veggie/veggie/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the nonprofit Veggie Mobile</a> sells fruits and vegetables in low-income areas via a refrigerated box truck.</p>
<h2>Inexpensive and Healthy Food</h2><p>While some researchers were asking whether <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15575330.2010.551663" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">farmers markets</a> could provide affordable and healthy food to low-income neighborhoods, <a href="https://foodsystemsjournal.org/index.php/fsj/article/view/236" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">my very first food study</a>, in 2013, examined the affordability of produce sold by street vendors who already operated in these neighborhoods.</p><p>With <a href="https://www.spi.ox.ac.uk/people/dr-benjamin-chrisinger" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">two</a> <a href="https://www.sp2.upenn.edu/people/view/amy-hillier/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">colleagues</a>, I compared the price and variety of produce from street food vendors with produce sold at grocery stores in Philadelphia.</p><p>We found that curbside vendors offered 18 to 71 different varieties of fresh produce at lower prices, ranging from one-half to one-third less than the price for a similar item in the nearest grocery store. The curbside vendors all got their produce from a central produce terminal, just as the grocery stores did, but they did not mark up their prices as much.</p><p>We also found that many mobile vendors had operated on the same corner for decades, outlasting grocery stores that opened and closed numerous times in a few years.</p><p>Such closures can turn neighborhoods into so-called "<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-are-food-deserts" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">food deserts</a>" – urban areas that lack a supermarket and the amenities that come with it, like employment opportunities, pharmacies and ATMs.</p><p>In a 2017 nationwide study on food deserts, <a href="https://doi.org/10.2148/benv.43.3.328" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">two colleagues and I found</a> that curbside produce vendors often help communities that lack a grocery store to at least maintain access to healthy, inexpensive food, thereby reducing the amount of diet-related health diseases, like diabetes and obesity.</p><p>Produce vendors have a particularly positive impact on the dietary health of low-income eaters. Customers who use SNAP benefits, for example, are more likely to shop at street vendors than other produce sources. Consequently, they spend an average of $3.86 more per transaction on fruits and vegetables, according to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2015/14_0542.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a 2015 study</a> published in the Journal of Chronic Diseases.</p>
<h2>Food Fight</h2><p>A January report on <a href="https://www.wiego.org/publications/covid-19-crisis-and-informal-economy-street-vendors-new-york-city-usa" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">New York City street vendors</a> shows that the pandemic has made life much harder for these workers, who are often <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-10/nyc-street-vendors-fight-for-survival" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">not eligible for federal loans and do not qualify for social services</a>.</p><p>But long before the pandemic, many cities made it difficult for mobile produce sellers and other street food vendors to operate.</p><p>To understand the rise of street vendor bans, researchers at the University of Southern California <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0899764013512723" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">conducted a study published in 2013</a> that tracked the rise of street food legislation across 11 cities from 2008 to 2012.</p><p>They found that restrictive regulations are often created at the behest of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0899764013512723" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">brick-and-mortar restaurants</a>. Restaurants have well-established trade associations that lobby local and state governments for protection against competition, affecting both food trucks and other forms of street food vending.</p><p>To understand how pervasive these measures were, in <a href="https://journals.calstate.edu/cjhp/article/view/2450/2197" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2020 I reviewed</a> street food vending regulations in a random sample of 213 of California's 465 cities and all 58 counties.</p><p>I found that 85% of cities and 75% of counties limited street food vending for reasons beyond public health protocols. The restrictions involved zoning regulations that limited where vendors could operate, ordinances that restricted the times of operations and strict labor laws not enforced on brick-and-mortar businesses.</p><p>Many restrictions effectively banned street food vending entirely.</p><p>The city of Davis, for example, prohibits vendors from stopping for more than 5 minutes, effectively banning the practice entirely because it often takes more than 5 minutes to wait on a customer. And Butte County requires vendors to be interviewed and fingerprinted by the sheriff – something not required of brick-and-mortar workers.</p><p>Because mobile food vendors are often <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2021/1/27/22252296/nyc-street-vendors-coronavirus-report-impact" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">immigrants and people of color</a>, these policies are intimidating barriers for an already marginalized group.</p>
<h2>Feeding Change</h2><p>In response to these prohibitions, food vendors have begun to form their own advocacy associations.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.inclusiveaction.org/the-los-angeles-street-vendor-campaign" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Los Angeles Street Food Vending</a> campaign, launched in 2008, was so successful that in <a href="https://www.publicceo.com/2018/10/california-clears-way-for-legal-sidewalk-vending/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2018 California legalized street food vending statewide</a>. The campaign highlighted the economic benefits to vendors and eaters as well as the racism in the exclusionary legal codes.</p><p>In California, street food can now be regulated only for health and safety reasons. As our study shows, many cities and counties will need to update their policies.</p><p>So far, there is no sign that cities are starting to tackle this.</p><p>Though street food vendors are considered essential workers, Los Angeles is fining vendors who don't follow a newly created permitting process, which is difficult to navigate and expensive. Vendors pay between <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/12/02/la-street-vendors-are-caught-between-covid-and-the-law_partner/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">10% and 20% of their annual earnings in inspection and permitting fees</a>.</p><p>Outdoor dining is the healthiest way to eat and keep local businesses alive during a pandemic. Efforts to <a href="https://www.thecity.nyc/2021/1/22/22245395/nyc-street-food-vendor-permits-to-expand" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">expand street food vending</a> can help keep the most vulnerable people out of poverty – and well fed as well.</p>
<p>
<em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/catherine-brinkley-450953" target="_blank">Catherine Brinkley</a> is an </em><em>Assistant Professor of Community and Regional Development, University of California, Davis.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Disclosure statement: </em><em><em>Catherine Brinkley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</em></em>
</p><p>
<em><em></em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/taking-it-to-the-street-food-vending-during-and-after-covid-19-152438" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
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Trump signs House Joint Resolution 41, removing some Dodd-Frank regulations on oil and gas companies, on Feb. 14, 2017. SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images
A new report by a commission of health experts found 22,000 deaths in 2019 were caused by Trump's failed environmental policies alone.
<p>The <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)32545-9/fulltext" target="_blank">report</a> was published this week by <em>The Lancet</em>, an esteemed medical journal whose "wade into the politics behind health policy is highly unusual," <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-11/trump-s-environment-policies-killed-thousands-scientists-say" target="_blank">Bloomberg Green reported</a>. But while the journal's editor Richard Horton has faced <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01839-y" target="_blank">controversy</a> before, the study was co-authored by 33 scientists, signaling "a changing time," Gretchen Goldman, a research director at the Union of Concerned Scientists, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-11/trump-s-environment-policies-killed-thousands-scientists-say" target="_blank">told Bloomberg Green</a>.</p><p>"If you told me four years ago that scientific journals would be speaking out against Trump, I wouldn't have believed you," Goldman told Bloomberg Green. "But since then, there has been quite a shift, reflecting both the severity of what Trump did as well as the changing willingness of the scientific community to engage in policy conversations."</p>
<p>During his administration, Trump rolled back 84 environmental regulations, the report notes as of July 2020 – rollbacks that ultimately "hastened global warming, and despoiled national monuments and lands sacred to Native people," <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)32545-9/fulltext" target="_blank">the scientists wrote</a>.</p><p>Loosened restrictions on fine particulate matter <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/air-pollution">air pollution</a> was probably the main cause of the thousands of deaths, <a href="http://www.thelancet-press.com/embargo/LancetTrumpCommission.pdf" target="_blank">according to the report</a>, harming communities in midwestern and southern states, where coal mining, oil drilling and natural gas extraction are prevalent. Many of these same communities have also overwhelmingly supported Trump.</p><p>Trump's exploitation of these communities gripped white, low-income and middle-income people's anger over "their deteriorating life prospects," banking on racism and xenophobia to gather support for his policies, <a href="http://www.thelancet-press.com/embargo/LancetTrumpCommission.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the report said</a>. But the "disturbing truth" is that many of Trump's policies were not radically new trends in the country's economic, health and social-political history, <a href="http://www.thelancet-press.com/embargo/LancetTrumpCommission.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the report finds</a>.</p>
<p>The Trump administration's policies rather accelerated a "decades-long trend of lagging life expectancy," particularly among Black and Indigenous people, impacted by lax restrictions on air pollution which are linked to health issues like asthma and pneumonia among children, heart disease and lung cancer, the scientists wrote.</p><p>In addition to outlining Trump's environmental policy, the report includes lengthy sections on the COVID-19 pandemic, immigration and racial disparities in health care. "I really think one of the accomplishments of the report is its historical truth-telling," said Dr. Mary T Bassett, a commission member and director of Harvard University's FXB Center for Health and Human Rights, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/10/us-coronavirus-response-donald-trump-health-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Guardian</a>.</p>
<p>The scientists in <em>The Lancet</em> report also recommend various policies the Biden administration could consider. They call for anti-racist frameworks that directly compensate communities who have long been disregarded in the country, and they call for the new administration to introduce measures that address the social and environmental inequalities that "exacerbate" health inequities.</p><p>So how quickly can we expect a new tide of equitable environmental policy in a new administration?</p><p>Americans should brace themselves because it may take a while, Kevin Minoli, who served as a lawyer at the U.S Environmental Protection Agency in the Clinton, Bush, Obama and Trump administrations, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/22/climate/biden-environment.html" target="_blank">told The New York Times</a>.</p><p>"It's very possible, more possible than not, that some of the Trump rules will still be in effect for a couple of years," he added.</p>
<p>With an entirely new administration, environmental policies could be designed to protect the communities it has long disadvantaged. Early decisions by the Biden administration to cancel the construction permit for the Keystone XL pipeline and plans to restore protections over national monuments, like Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante in Utah, are promising steps forward.</p><p>But reversing much of what has been done over the past four years is a big job. Going forward, the U.S. must do so with "humility, and ambition," said John Kerry, the new White House climate envoy, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/22/climate/biden-environment.html" target="_blank">according to The New York Times</a>. "We really don't have a minute to waste."</p>
From Your Site Articles
- Report Urges Biden to Reverse Trump's Environmental Rollbacks ... ›
- While We Focus on COVID-19, Trump's EPA Is Quietly Killing Us ... ›
- 12 Trump Attacks on the Environment Since the Election - EcoWatch ›
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An Epidemiologist Explains Why You Shouldn’t Dine Out for Valentine’s Day
12 February
Health + Wellness
The most effective COVID prevention strategies – ventilation, physical distancing and wearing masks – are challenging in an indoor dining setting. Mikhail Spaskov / Getty Images
By Ryan Malosh
Editor's Note: With another holiday approaching, it's tempting to want a taste of freedom from COVID-19 social distancing. Who doesn't want sweet nothings over a glass of Champagne and some chocolate cake? But it's also important to remember that daily case numbers are still higher now than they were throughout most of 2020. The risk of catching COVID-19 is still extremely high in most parts of the country. Epidemiologist Ryan Malosh answers some questions about eating out and socializing.
<h2>Why Can't I Eat Out for Valentine's Day if I Socially Distance?</h2><p>Restrictions on indoor dining are some of the hardest to swallow. We all have our favorite restaurants, and the experience of eating out is a big part of feeling normal. In addition, many restaurants are cornerstones of our communities, and <a href="https://restaurant.org/manage-my-restaurant/business-operations/covid19/recovery" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">owners</a> and <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/09/how-restaurant-industry-workers-are-navigating-covid-19.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">staff</a> have struggled throughout the pandemic.</p><p>But dining indoors remains <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6936a5.htm?s_cid=mm6936a5_x" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a high-risk activity</a>. The most effective prevention strategies – <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/ventilation.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ventilation</a>, physical distancing and <a href="https://theconversation.com/cdc-says-masks-must-fit-tightly-and-two-are-better-than-one-153778" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wearing masks</a> – are challenging in this setting. Even when physical distancing is possible, scientists have found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2020.35.e415" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">long-range transmission</a> can occur. Restaurants are trying to innovate ways to determine how safe their spaces are - including <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/02/10/carbon-dioxide-device-coronavirus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">using CO2 monitors</a> to gauge ventilation - but these technologies are far from guarantees of safety.</p><p>One recent study suggested that policies such as indoor dining restrictions <a href="https://news.umich.edu/strict-public-health-measures-during-holidays-likely-saved-lives-in-michigan-u-m-researchers-say/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">may have saved nearly 2,000 lives</a> in Michigan in the past few months. Takeout and delivery are much safer options (and, I think, more romantic).</p>
<h2>Would It Matter if I Go at Off-Hours?</h2><p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2923-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Another study</a>, using mobility data to examine community spread, found that capacity restrictions can reduce the number of new infections tied to indoor dining, but they do not eliminate the risk.</p><p>Further, with <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/transmission/variant-cases.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">new SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in a number of states</a>, sitting for hours, maskless and indoors, with anyone outside your own household becomes even riskier. Experts know these variants <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/science-and-research/scientific-brief-emerging-variants.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spread more easily</a>. Case counts, hospitalizations and deaths are <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/covidview/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">starting to come down</a>, but those encouraging trends are unlikely to continue if we collectively decide to throw caution to the wind now.</p>
<h2>I've Been Vaccinated, So Why Can't I Burn My Mask?</h2><p>First, the good news. The vaccines that have been authorized are marvels of medical science. The efficacy against symptomatic and severe infections <a href="https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2034577" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">is phenomenal</a>, as high as 95% for the Pfizer vaccine. They are a big part of how we get back to something approximating normal. And <a href="https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2035389" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">evidence</a> is emerging that vaccination can prevent asymptomatic transmission and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.06.21251283" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reduces viral load</a>, or the amount of virus people have inside them. These findings suggest that vaccination will also reduce transmission of the virus and contribute to herd immunity.</p><p>But the unknowns about how well vaccines work against these new variants mean we have to be careful just a bit longer – and we don't yet know how long that will be. Plus, masks and other prevention strategies may also be lowering our risk of other serious illnesses, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/09/health/coronavirus-flu-spread-cdc-wellness/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">such as influenza</a>.</p>
<h2>Everyone in My Pod Has Been Vaccinated. Is It Safe to Gather at Someone's House Without Masks?</h2><p><span></span>I think small gatherings where everyone has completed the vaccine regimens are probably going to be relatively safe. There isn't much data to support this yet, because the proportion of people vaccinated in the U.S. is <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations" target="_blank">still relatively low</a>. But the studies I mentioned above all suggest that once your "quaranteam" is fully vaccinated, it will likely be safe to reconnect in this way. And discouraging people from doing so might actually <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/01/giving-people-more-freedom-whole-point-vaccines/617829/" target="_blank">discourage vaccination</a>.<br></p><h2>Everyone I Know Says They Are Being Safe but Then I Hear That They Had Brunch Out With a Group of Friends. How Can I Best Tell When My Friends' Ideas of Being Safe Align With My Own Ideas?</h2><p>Some <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/10/28/pandemic-lies-family-friends/" target="_blank">studies</a> suggest people are downplaying the risks they're taking. People do this <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181130111608.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">because they don't want to be judged</a>. I can tell you from my personal experience that the best way to get honest answers is to be honest yourself. Talk about what level of risk you're taking and what level you're willing to accept. If someone is taking risks that you're not comfortable with, it is OK to tell them you'll see them after you get vaccinated.</p><p>The bottom line is that there is a lot to be hopeful about as vaccine distribution ramps up in the U.S. and cases come down. The major challenges over the next few months are to continue the progress we're making on community spread and to ensure that vaccines are available to the most vulnerable communities in an equitable way.</p>
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<em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ryan-malosh-1075597" target="_blank">Ryan Malosh</a> is an </em><em>Assistant Research Scientist, University of Michigan.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Disclosure statement: </em><em>Ryan Malosh receives salary support from the Centers for Disease Control and the Simons Foundation.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-you-shouldnt-eat-out-for-valentines-day-an-epidemiologist-explains-a-few-facts-of-life-155104" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
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COVID Has Reached Antarctica, and Scientists Are Extremely Concerned for Its Wildlife
11 February
Science
A tourist photographs emperor penguins in Antarctica. Raimund Linke / Getty Images
By Michelle Power and Meagan Dewar
In December, Antarctica lost its status as the last continent free of COVID-19 when 36 people at the Chilean Bernardo O'Higgins research station tested positive. The station's isolation from other bases and fewer researchers in the continent means the outbreak is now likely contained.
<p>However, we know all too well how unpredictable — and pervasive — the virus can be. And while there's currently less risk for humans in Antarctica, the potential for the COVID-19 virus to jump to Antarctica's unique and already vulnerable wildlife has scientists extremely concerned.</p><p>We're among a global team of 15 scientists <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720368832?via%3Dihub" target="_blank">who assessed</a> the risks of the COVID-19 virus to Antarctic wildlife, and the pathways the virus could take into the fragile ecosystem. Antarctic wildlife haven't yet been tested for the COVID-19 virus, and if it does make its way into these charismatic animals, we don't know how it could affect them or the continent's ecosystem stability.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTYzOTYyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MjYwMDM3Nn0.tGGZTCvS4ilhlTOk7QNkYoP74Q2ohIQ7FV54iA9I7QY/img.jpg?width=980" id="6df7b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2493e87edc719583457851756c957372" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="800" />
Bernardo O Higgins Station in Antarctica, where 36 people tested positive to COVID-19. Stone Monki/Wikimedia, CC BY-SA
<h2>Jumping From Animals to Humans, and Back to Animals</h2><p>The COVID-19 virus is one of seven coronaviruses found in people — all have <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03165-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">animal origins</a> (dubbed "zoonoses"), and vary in their ability to infect different hosts. The COVID-19 virus is thought to have originated in an animal and spread to people through an unknown intermediate host, while the SARS outbreak of 2002-2004 likely came from raccoon dogs or civets.</p><p>Given the general ubiquity of coronaviruses and the rapid saturation of the global environment with the COVID-19 virus, it's paramount we explore the risk for it to spread from people to other animals, known as "reverse zoonoses."</p><p>The World Organization for Animal Health is <a href="https://www.oie.int/en/scientific-expertise/specific-information-and-recommendations/questions-and-answers-on-2019novel-coronavirus/events-in-animals/" target="_blank">monitoring cases</a> of the COVID-19 virus in animals. To date, only a few species around the globe have been found to be susceptible, including mink, felines (such as lions, tigers and cats), dogs and a ferret.</p><p>Whether the animal gets sick and recovers depends on the species. For example, <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-your-pets-get-coronavirus-and-can-you-catch-it-from-them-135611" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">researchers found</a> infected adolescent cats got sick but could fight off the virus, while dogs were much more resistant.</p><h2>Researchers and Tourists</h2><p>While mink, dogs or cats are not in Antarctica, more than 100 million flying seabirds, 45% of the world's penguin species, 50% of the world's seal populations and 17% of the world's whale and dolphin species <a href="https://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/animals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">inhabit the continent</a>.</p><p>In <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/117/36/22311" target="_blank">a 2020 study</a>, researchers ran computer simulations and found cetaceans — whales, dolphins or porpoises — have a high susceptibility of infection from the virus, based on the makeup of their genetic receptors to the virus. Seals and birds had a lower risk of infection.</p><p>We <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720368832?via%3Dihub" target="_blank">concluded</a> that direct contact with people poses the greatest risk for spreading the virus to wildlife, with researchers more likely vectors than tourists. Researchers have closer contact with wildlife: many Antarctic species are found near <a href="https://www.ats.aq/e/antarctictreaty.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">research stations</a>, and wildlife studies often require direct handling and close proximity to animals.</p><p>Tourists, however, are still a concerning vector, as they visit penguin roosts and seal haul-out sites (where seals rest or breed) in large numbers. For instance, a staggering <a href="https://iaato.org/information-resources/data-statistics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">73,991 tourists</a> traveled to the continent between October 2019 and April 2020, when COVID-19 was just emerging.</p><p>Each visitor to Antarctica carries millions of microbial passengers, such as bacteria, and many of these microbes are left behind when the visitors leave. Most are likely benign and probably die off. But if the pandemic has taught us anything, it takes only one powerful organism to jump hosts to cause a pandemic.</p>
<h2>How to Protect Antarctic Wildlife</h2><p>There are <a href="https://iaato.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Antarctic-Treaty-General-Guidelines.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">guidelines</a> for visitors to reduce the risk of introducing infectious microbes. This includes cleaning clothes and equipment before heading to Antarctica and between animal colonies, and keeping at least five meters away from animals.</p><p>These rules are no longer enough in COVID times, and more measures must be taken.</p><p>The first and most crucial step to protect Antarctic wildlife is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720368832?via%3Dihub" target="_blank">controlling human-to-human spread</a>, particularly at research stations. Everyone heading to Antarctica should be tested and quarantined prior to traveling, with regular ongoing tests throughout the season. The fewer people with COVID-19 in Antarctica, the less opportunity the virus has to jump to animal hosts.</p><p>Second, close contact with wildlife should be restricted to essential scientific purposes only. All handling procedures should be re-evaluated, given how much we just don't know about the virus.</p><p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720368832?via%3Dihub" target="_blank">We recommend</a> all scientific personnel wear appropriate protective equipment (including masks) at all times when handling, or in close proximity to, Antarctic wildlife. <a href="https://www.wildlifehealthaustralia.com.au/Portals/0/Documents/Organisation/WHA_position_essential_wildlife_care_services.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Similar recommendations</a> are in place for those working with wildlife in Australia.</p><p><span></span>Migrating animals that may have picked up COVID-19 from other parts of the world could also spread it to other wildlife in Antarctica. Skuas, for example, migrate to Antarctica from the South American coast, where there are enormous cases of COVID-19.<span></span></p>
<h2></h2><p>And then there's the issue of sewage. Around 37% of bases release untreated sewage directly into the Antarctic ecosystem. Meanwhile, an estimated 57,000 to 114,000 liters of sewage per day is dumped from ships into the Southern Ocean.</p><p>Fragments of the COVID virus can be found in wastewater, but these fragments aren't infectious, so sewage isn't considered a transmission risk. However, there are other potentially dangerous microbes found in sewage that could be spread to animals, such as antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</p><p>We can curb the general risk of microbes from sewage if the Antarctic Treaty formally recognizes microbes as invasive species and a threat to the Antarctic ecosystem. This would support better biosecurity practices and environmental control of waste.</p><h2>Taking Precautions</h2><p>In these early stages of the pandemic, scientists are scrambling to understand complexity of COVID-19 and the virus's characteristics. Meanwhile, the virus <a href="https://theconversation.com/will-coronavirus-really-evolve-to-become-less-deadly-153817" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">continues to evolve</a>.</p><p>Until the true risk of cross-species transmission is known, precautions must be taken to reduce the risk of spread to all wildlife. We don't want to see the human footprint becoming an epidemic among Antarctic wildlife, a scenario that can be mitigated by better processes and behaviors.</p>
<p>
<em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-power-1181534" target="_blank">Michelle Power</a> is an </em><em>Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University.</em>
</p><p>
<em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/meagan-dewar-1207514" target="_blank">Meagan Dewar</a> is a </em><em>Lecturer, Federation University Australia.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Disclosure statement: </em><em>Michelle Power receives funding from The Australian Antarctic Division, Australian Research Council and Inspiring Australia. </em><em>Meagan Dewar receives funding from Department of Environment and Energy (Australian Antarctic Science).</em>
</p><p>
<em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-has-reached-antarctica-scientists-are-extremely-concerned-for-its-wildlife-154481" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
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The headquarters of the United States Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, DC on July 17, 2013. Matt McClain / The Washington Post via Getty Images
For the third time in three years, the U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered Amazon to stop selling illegal pesticides.
<p>The EPA's Seattle office <a href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-orders-amazon-halt-illegal-pesticides-sales" target="_blank">announced Tuesday</a> that it had presented the online retailer with a "stop sale" order targeting products that were unregistered and potentially dangerous or ineffective. Some of them made false or misleading claims that they offered protection against viruses.</p><p>"Unregistered pesticides in the e-commerce marketplace pose a significant and immediate health risk to consumers, children, pets, and others exposed to the products," Ed Kowalski, director of the Enforcement Compliance Assurance Division in EPA's Region 10 office in Seattle, said in the announcement.</p>
<p>The EPA sent the latest order to Amazon on Jan. 7, <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon/epa-again-orders-amazon-to-stop-selling-illegal-pesticides/" target="_blank">The Seattle Times reported</a>. The order added 70 products to a <a href="https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/stop-sale-use-or-removal-orders-issued-amazoncom-services-llc" target="_blank">June 2020 stop sale order</a> that targeted more than 30 products. The new products include items marketed to clean homes and pools, bracelets claiming to repel mosquitoes and several products promising to kill viruses, The Seattle Times reported.</p><p>"We have no idea what those products are made of," Chad Schulze, the EPA's pesticide enforcement lead in Seattle, told The Seattle Times. "And when you have people purchasing a product that says it will kill or control viruses in their personal space but it does not, that's a huge risk as well."</p>
<p>Since the stop sale order was issued in January, Amazon has removed the products from its website, a spokesperson for the company told The Seattle Times. However, the online sale of unregistered pesticides is an ongoing problem.</p><p>All pesticides sold in the U.S. are supposed to be registered with the EPA under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the agency explained in its June stop sale order. The registration process allows the EPA to ensure all pesticides for sale are safe and do what they say they will do.</p>
<p>Between 2013 and 2018, the EPA claimed that Amazon violated FIFRA almost 4,000 times, The Seattle Times reported. Amazon reached a settlement with the agency over these violations and said it would take steps to reduce the number of illegal pesticides sold on its platforms. Since then, the problem has decreased, but it has not disappeared.</p><p>"Is [Amazon] perfect? Is it stopping everything we need them to stop?" Schulze asked in The Seattle Times. "No."</p><p>For example, one of the products targeted by the June order was labeled "Amazon's Choice," signaling the company's endorsement.</p>
<p>While Schulze said other e-commerce sites were worse, Amazon is the largest in the U.S. It has almost 300 million customers and offers more than 350 million products, according to the EPA.<br></p><p>Any pesticide or disinfectant that meets FIFRA requirements will have an EPA registration and establishment number, the agency said.</p><p>"The agency advises consumers who have purchased an unregistered pesticide product or a misbranded pesticidal device to safely dispose of it in accordance with local, state, and federal laws," the EPA advised. "This is especially important for consumers seeking to protect against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19."</p><p>Anyone looking for safe and effective protection against the new virus can look at the EPA's list of products <a href="https://cfpub.epa.gov/giwiz/disinfectants/index.cfm" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
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The vast majority of bats are harmless to humans. However, climate change has increased bat biodiversity in the region where scientists think the virus behind COVID-19 may have originated. BirdHunter591 / iStock / Getty Images Plus
Experts have described the coronavirus pandemic as the kind of crisis that will become even more likely as the planet warms. But now, researchers think that climate change may have actually played a role in the emergence of the viruses that caused both SARS and COVID-19.
<p>A study published in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969721004812" target="_blank">Science of the Total Environment</a> Friday found that climatic shifts in southern China and nearby areas of Myanmar and Laos increased the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/bats" target="_self">bat</a> biodiversity in these regions, and the number of bat-borne coronaviruses by about 100.</p><p>"We estimate that, over the past century, climate change caused a significant increase in the number of bat species in the location where SARS-CoV-2 likely originated," study lead author and University of Cambridge researcher Dr. Robert Beyer told <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/climate-change-coronavirus-bats-study/" target="_blank">CBS News</a>. "This increase suggests a possible mechanism for how climate change could have played a role in the origin of the pandemic."</p>
<p>Scientists think that the bat-borne viruses behind both SARS and COVID-19 emerged in China's southern Yunnan province as well as parts of countries immediately to the south. The researchers discovered that vegetation changes in this area over the last 100 years had led to the introduction of 40 new bat species and, with them, 100 new types of bat-borne coronaviruses, a <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/climate-change-may-have-driven-the-emergence-of-sars-cov-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">University of Cambridge press release explained</a>.</p><p>To reach this conclusion, the researchers used data on precipitation, temperature and cloud cover to make a map of the world's vegetation 100 years ago. They then used the vegetation needs of each bat species to determine where they would have been concentrated 100 years ago, and compared that to where more bat species thrive today. In addition to Yunnan and the surrounding area, they also calculated that bat biodiversity increased in parts of Central Africa and smaller areas in Central and South America. However, the area of Southeast Asia around Yunnan has more bat biodiversity, or species richness, than any other spot on Earth, CBS News reported.</p>
<p><br>"As climate change altered habitats, species left some areas and moved into others - taking their viruses with them. This not only altered the regions where viruses are present, but most likely allowed for new interactions between animals and viruses, causing more harmful viruses to be transmitted or evolve," Beyer explained in the press release.</p><p>The researchers argued that their findings were yet another reason to act immediately on climate change.</p><p>"The COVID-19 pandemic has caused tremendous social and economic damage. Governments must seize the opportunity to reduce health risks from infectious diseases by taking decisive action to mitigate climate change," Cambridge zoology professor and study coauthor Andrea Manica said in the press release.</p>
<p>Other scientists agreed with the broader point that climate change increases the risk of pandemics, and that climate change had altered vegetation and species distribution, but also cautioned about drawing too sweeping a conclusion about the origins of COVID-19.</p><p>"The link to emergence of coronaviruses is highly speculative and seems unlikely," Dr. Rick Ostfeld, a disease ecology expert from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, New York who was not involved in the research, told CBS News. "What the study apparently gets wrong is the assumption that the increased diversity of bats (which they postulate) leads to an increased risk of a bat-borne virus jumping to humans. This is simply not the case. The vast majority of bats are harmless to humans — they don't harbor viruses that can make us sick. So adding more of those species doesn't increase risk."</p>
<p>Instead, factors like human expansion into animal habitats and degradation of ecosystems can play a bigger role in exposing humans to wildlife viruses, Ostfeld and University of College London ecologist Kate Jones said.</p><p>Beyer agreed that these were important factors, but said climate change could also play a role.</p><p>"Climate change can drive where these animals occur; in other words, climate change can move pathogens closer to humans. It can also move a species that carries a virus into the habitat of another species that the virus can then jump to — a step that might not have occurred without climate change, and that might have major long-term consequences for where the virus can go next," Beyer told CBS News.</p>
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Nepal's COVID-19 lockdown decreased air pollution levels in the Kathmandu Valley, seen here on March 29, 2020, and known as one of the world's most polluted cities. Narayan Maharjan / NurPhoto / Getty Images
When countries began going into lockdown last winter and spring, clearer skies from reduced traffic and industry were hailed as a rare bright spot during a difficult time.
<p>But a <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2020GL091805" target="_blank">study published in Geophysical Research Letters</a> in December 2020 shows that those blue skies had an unexpected side effect: They made the Earth slightly warmer.</p><p>"There was a big decline in emissions from the most polluting industries, and that had immediate, short-term effects on temperatures," said Andrew Gettelman, <a href="https://news.ucar.edu/132775/covid-19-lockdowns-temporarily-raised-global-temperatures" target="_blank">lead author and National Center for Atmospheric Research</a> (NCAR) scientist. "Pollution cools the planet, so it makes sense that pollution reductions would warm the planet."</p><p>Soot and sulfate <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/air-pollution" target="_self">air pollution</a> had the biggest impact, the study authors explained. Known as aerosols, these types of pollutants release particles into the atmosphere that either scatter sunlight on clear days or brighten clouds, reflecting sunlight. Both of these impacts mean less sunlight reaches Earth and temperatures cool.</p><p>In 2020, a reduction of these pollutants warmed global temperatures by about 0.1 to 0.3 degrees Celsius, the press release explained. The effect increased in places with higher aerosol emissions. Temperatures over China, Russia and the U.S. were as much as 0.37 degrees Celsius warmer, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-china-asia-pacific-russia-0b61f1cf57eabd6b8c92ed47c4ca8451" target="_blank">The Associated Press reported</a>. All told, aerosol reduction may have contributed to 2020 experiencing <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/2020-hottest-year-noaa-nasa-2649951968.html" target="_self">one of the warmest years on record</a>, NASA Climate Scientist Gavin Schmidt, who was not involved in the research, told The Associated Press.</p>
<p>To reach their conclusions, the researchers compared the actual weather with climate models reproducing the same conditions without the lockdowns and subsequent emission reductions. This allowed them to calculate the impact of reduced aerosols on temperature changes that were too small to identify based solely on observations, the press release explained.</p><p>The study found that aerosol reduction had a bigger impact on 2020 temperatures than the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide. However, that may change in the future. Because carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere longer, the lockdown dip in greenhouse gases may still slow down the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a> in the long term.</p><p>Gettelman emphasized that the study's message is not that we should pollute more.</p><p>"Clean air warms the planet a tiny bit, but it kills a lot fewer people with air pollution," Gettelman told The Associated Press.</p><p>Instead, the value of the study involves understanding aerosols' impact on the climate, according to the press release. This can then help scientists more effectively combat climate change. </p>
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Demonstrators in a car caravan gather across from the shuttered Crawford Power Generating Station in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago as part of an Earth Day to May Day action on April 22, 2020, after the demolition of a smoke stack blanketed the surrounding neighborhood in dust during the COVID-19 pandemic. Max Herman / NurPhoto via Getty Images
Southwest Chicago's Little Village neighborhood is one of the city's most polluted neighborhoods and has also been ravaged by the novel coronavirus, Grist reports, yet another stark instance in which the pandemic has illuminated and exacerbated existing environmental injustices.
<p>The immigrant-rich neighborhood has been pummeled by COVID-19. At one point last November, <a href="https://www.wbez.org/stories/death-job-loss-and-remote-learning-the-pandemics-toll-on-one-chicago-family/19572321-ac9c-47a3-a674-28aa83a3c7d6?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=109144976&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--Ttav-__eq25m6Yvhv6H_-oA5DMz9LhkPmtfF5STfW-Nc6rmGP2g72B4crJ4L_gZXl_NXfH-llAvsWRWOnEMlIpPJniA&utm_content=109144976&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">one in nine</a> Little Village residents had a confirmed case of COVID-19 and residents in two of its ZIP codes were 15 times more likely to die from it than those living in the overwhelmingly white <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Little+Village,+Chicago,+IL/Near+North+Side,+Chicago,+IL/@41.8742809,-87.7031503,13z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x880e326b4bdbdc47:0xc18d910c83ecea76!2m2!1d-87.7050446!2d41.8445273!1m5!1m1!1s0x880fd35275c5ce91:0xdb7b2d079c6d05ce!2m2!1d-87.6314629!2d41.90391!3e2?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=109144976&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8ugDk0KxvpyZNafzG8m39fpJOThnPQIYng5oNS7p7jzuJGQw7YuKOJiFXuQQSoTsHZVX0nAOABsGmcPiCJb1Kc5_enMA&utm_content=109144976&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Near Northside neighborhood</a> just over half-a-dozen miles away.</p>
<p>Due to the legacy of a coal plant (the demolition of which caused an <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/implosion-crawford-coal-plant-little-village-news/6232905/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=109144976&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_nZnvR50a2R1db0iIUOoSDv21ZuUcNR5PQDgc6BcdUSTkNWqkuRRGPLVOOR3m7x0VWL2Q2Xdvdl_HgjBhkxnIEVh_okQ&utm_content=109144976&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">air pollution crisis</a> itself) and other polluting industries, Little Village also suffers from among the <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/meleah-geertsma/new-map-shows-chicago-needs-environmental-justice-reforms?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=109144976&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-86SRvqVevEQg3ZJzg0xZlGCIx_nACS29-cdfmjbAsCOyoBo0LBvOazsTXdmaTiFpfptz_wMyckEwfayocU8CkLu2LACw&utm_content=109144976&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">highest levels of cumulative pollution burden</a> in the city, far higher than the overwhelmingly white downtown neighborhoods just a handful of miles away. COVID-19 has pummeled the community, in mid-November, <a href="https://www.wbez.org/stories/death-job-loss-and-remote-learning-the-pandemics-toll-on-one-chicago-family/19572321-ac9c-47a3-a674-28aa83a3c7d6?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=109144976&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8DVVKYK0RU4QIW2Q08keME1CP4TcT2uCTK0u7GnspYtDMt1h5EsuqiDtnrmTZrdGCfqd8SECnCIjDMZjj--noCODi1Ig&utm_content=109144976&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">one in nine</a> Little Village residents had a confirmed case of COVID-19.</p>
<p> "The question is always: why aren't resources going towards the communities that need it?" said José Acosta-Córdova, an environmental planning and research organizer at the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization. "And in Chicago, environmental justice is where all of the struggles — economic justice, racial justice, immigration, labor issues — meet."</p>
<p>As reported by <a href="https://grist.org/justice/chicagos-covid-19-vaccine-plan-put-polluted-communities-last/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=109144976&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8HK55oZIfbsdo3g9jVyCmuKaU60zHJ7J9c6ARrT7jxPmi7P_AnljVinNo1lukaHIa6bVbbjRctr4Kp-6DYusnf3wzTvQ&utm_content=109144976&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Grist</a>:</p><blockquote>The coronavirus pandemic has thrown into sharp relief the toll decades of environmental injustices have taken on poorer communities of color. That's something the Biden administration has signaled it wants to work on: On Wednesday, the president signed an executive order creating a new White House council on environmental justice, and pledged that 40 percent of the benefits from federal investments in clean energy and clean water would go to communities that bear disproportionate pollution.</blockquote>
<p><strong style="background-color: initial;">For a deeper dive:</strong><br/></p><p><a href="https://grist.org/justice/chicagos-covid-19-vaccine-plan-put-polluted-communities-last/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=109144976&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--pYgtxUCVf_ZVr7810NMpxMGTJQaMHmdZhBeVAaD-2Jnec02HTojeSDNyKqd5rFhf9srCZv2ytDcXoxU8JD7qd5r8O8Q&utm_content=109144976&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Grist</a></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
- Biden Has Pledged to Advance Environmental Justice – Here's How ... ›
- 19 Individuals and Groups Building Stronger Black Communities ... ›
- Fighting for a Just COVID-19 Response - EcoWatch ›
- The Latest Books and Reports Covering Environmental Racism - EcoWatch ›
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It's important to monitor viruses for new mutations that could make them more deadly, more transmissible or both. Douglas Magno /AFP / Getty Images
By Richard Kuhn
The SARS-CoV-2 virus mutates fast. That's a concern because these more transmissible variants of SARS-CoV-2 are now present in the U.S., U.K. and South Africa and other countries, and many people are wondering whether the current vaccines will protect the recipients from the virus. Furthermore, many question whether we will we be able to keep ahead of future variants of SARS-CoV-2, which will certainly arise.
<p>In my laboratory <a href="https://www.bio.purdue.edu/lab/kuhn/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">I study the molecular structure of RNA viruses</a> – like the one that causes COVID-19 – and how they replicate and multiply in the host. As the virus infects more people and the pandemic spreads, SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve. This process of evolution is constant and it allows the virus to sample its environment and select changes that make it grow more efficiently. Thus, it is important to monitor viruses for such new mutations that could make them more deadly, more transmissible or both.</p><h2>RNA Viruses Evolve Quickly</h2><p>The genetic material of all viruses is encoded in either DNA or RNA; one interesting feature of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000003" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">RNA viruses is that they change much more rapidly</a> than DNA viruses. Every time they make a copy of their genes they make one or a few mistakes. This is expected to occur many times within the body of an individual who is infected with COVID-19.</p><p>One might think that making a mistake in your genetic information is bad – after all, that's the basis for genetic diseases in humans. For an RNA virus, a single change in its genome may render it "dead." That's not too bad if inside an infected human cell you're making thousands of copies and a few are no longer useful.</p>
<p>However, some genomes may pick up a change that is beneficial for the survival of the virus: Maybe the change allows the virus to evade an antibody – a protein that the immune system produces to catch viruses – or an antiviral drug. Another beneficial change may allow the virus to infect a different type of cell or even a different species of animal. This is likely the pathway that allowed <a href="http://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-17687-3" target="_blank">SARS-CoV-2 to move from bats into humans</a>.</p><p>Any change that gives the virus's descendants a competitive growth advantage will be favored – "selected" – and begin to outgrow the original parent virus. SARS-CoV-2 is demonstrating this feature now with new variants arising that have <a href="http://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMcibr2032888" target="_blank">enhanced growth properties</a>. Understanding the nature of these changes in the genome will provide scientists with guidance to develop countermeasures. This is the classic cat-and-mouse scenario.</p><p>In an infected patient there are hundreds of millions of individual virus particles. If you were to go in and pick out one virus at a time in this patient, you would find a range of mutations or variants in the mix. It's a question of which ones have a growth advantage – that is, which ones can evolve because they are better than the original virus. Those are the ones that are going to become successful during the pandemic.</p>
<h2>Of the mutations that have been detected, is one of particular concern?</h2><p>Any single variant or change in the virus is probably not that problematic. A single change in the spike protein – which is the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-ace2-receptor-how-is-it-connected-to-coronavirus-and-why-might-it-be-key-to-treating-covid-19-the-experts-explain-136928" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">region of the virus that attaches to human cells</a> – is probably not going to be a big threat as the medical community rolls out the vaccines.</p><p>The current vaccines induce the immune system to produce antibodies that recognize and target the spike protein on the virus, which is essential for invading human cells. Scientists have observed the accumulation of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/science-and-research/scientific-brief-emerging-variants.html" target="_blank">multiple changes in the spike protein in the South African variant</a>.</p><p>These changes allows SARS-CoV-2, for example, to attach more tightly to the ACE2 receptor and enter human cells more efficiently, according to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.01.10.426143" target="_blank">preliminary unpublished studies</a>. Those alterations could enable the virus to infect cells more easily and enhance its transmissibility. With multiple changes in the spike protein, the vaccines may no longer produce a strong immune response against these new variant viruses. That's a double whammy: a less effective vaccine and a more robust virus.</p><p>Right now, the public doesn't need to be concerned about the current vaccines. The leading vaccine manufacturers are monitoring how well their vaccines control these new variants and are ready to tweak the vaccine design to ensure that they will protect against these emerging variants. <a href="https://investors.modernatx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/moderna-covid-19-vaccine-retains-neutralizing-activity-against" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moderna, for example, has stated that it will adjust the second or booster injection</a> to more closely match the sequence of the South African variant. We'll have to just wait and see, as more people receive vaccinations, whether the transmission rates will drop.</p>
<h2>Why Is Lowering Transmission Key?</h2><p>A drop in transmission rates means fewer infections. Less virus replication leads to fewer opportunities for the virus to evolve in humans. With less opportunity to mutate, the evolution of the virus slows and there is a lower risk of new variants.</p><p>The medical community needs to make a big push and get as many people vaccinated and thus protected as possible. If not, the virus will continue to grow in large numbers of people and produce new variants.</p><h2>How the New Variants Are Different</h2><p>The <a href="https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.10.18.344622" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.K. variant, known as B.1.1.7., seems to bind more tightly</a> to the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-ace2-receptor-how-is-it-connected-to-coronavirus-and-why-might-it-be-key-to-treating-covid-19-the-experts-explain-136928" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">protein receptor called ACE2</a>, which is on the surface of human cells.</p><p>I don't think we've seen clear evidence that these viruses are more pathogenic, which means more deadly. But they may be transmitted faster or more efficiently. That means that more people will be infected, which translates into more people who will be hospitalized.</p><p>The South African variant, known as 501.V2, has multiple mutations in the gene that encodes the spike protein. These mutations <a href="https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.01.10.426143" target="_blank">help the virus evade an antibody response</a>.</p><p>Antibodies have exquisite precision for their target, and if the target changes shape slightly, as with this variant – which virologists call an <a href="https://www.azolifesciences.com/article/What-are-Antibody-Escape-Mutant-Viruses.aspx" target="_blank">escape mutant</a> – the antibody can no longer bind tightly, as it loses its power to protect.</p>
<h2>Why Do We Need to Monitor for Mutations?</h2><p>We want to make sure that the diagnostic tests are detecting all of the viruses. If there are mutations in the virus's genetic material, an antibody or PCR test may not be able to detect it as efficiently or at all.</p><p>To be sure that the vaccine is going to be effective, researchers need to know if the virus is evolving and escaping the antibodies that were triggered via the vaccine.</p><p>Another reason that monitoring for new variants is important is that people who've been infected might be infected again if the virus has mutated and their immune system can't recognize it and shut it down.</p><p>The best way to look for emerging variants in the population is to do random sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 viruses from patient samples across diverse genetic backgrounds and geographical locations.</p><p>The more sequencing data researchers collect, the better vaccine developers will be able to respond in advance of major changes in the virus population. Many research centers around the U.S. and the world are <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/22/health/genetic-sequencing-cdc/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ramping up their sequencing capabilities</a> to accomplish this.</p>
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<em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/richard-kuhn-1199677" target="_blank">Richard Kuhn</a> is a </em><em>Professor of Biological Sciences, Purdue University.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Disclosure statement: </em><em><em>Richard Kuhn does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</em></em>
</p><p>
<em><em></em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-variants-viral-mutation-and-covid-19-vaccines-the-science-you-need-to-understand-153771" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
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Families worried about possible long-term effects of pandemic-related disruption can learn from these proven strategies. SDI Productions / Getty Images
By Amanda Sheffield Morris and Jennifer Hays-Grudo
Parents are dealing with huge demands on their time and energy. Children may not be attending school or involved in regular activities. As the pandemic continues to wreak havoc on families, routines have collapsed, patience is wearing thin and self-care is a distant memory.
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0000177-000" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Decades of research</a> have <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=7ML3dNEAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao" target="_blank">taught</a> <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=BHBN1dUAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra" target="_blank">us</a> that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(98)00017-8" target="_blank">adversity during childhood</a> has <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-005-0624-4" target="_blank">damaging effects on health and development</a>. Many studies have shown that kids who have faced abuse, neglect and family conflict struggle forming friendships, have academic difficulties and face physical and mental health problems in adolescence and adulthood.</p><p>Fortunately, developmental scientists have identified ways to help children <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Handbook+of+Child+Psychology+and+Developmental+Science%2C+Volume+3%2C+Socioemotional+Processes%2C+7th+Edition-p-9781118953891" target="_blank">survive and thrive</a> <a href="https://www.guilford.com/books/Ordinary-Magic/Ann-Masten/9781462523719" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">during times of adversity</a>. The beneficial effects of protective and nurturing experiences are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03110-7_1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">powerful antidotes to stress and adversity</a> and prepare children to cope with hard times for years to come.</p><p>Families worried about possible long-term effects of pandemic-related disruption can learn from these proven strategies. Here are 10 ways parents can foster children's resilience during challenging times.</p>
<h2>1. Connect With One Another</h2><p>Make time to talk, listen and play without distractions. Be sure children know they are loved unconditionally. This can include taking breaks to check in during the day when learning and working at home, having a special bedtime routine that includes talking about the day, taking walks together, or playing favorite games. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/13948-000" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Making the effort to connect</a> helps children know they're valued and creates a sense of security.</p><h2>2. Support Children's Friendships</h2><p>Think about ways for children to play together outdoors, talk via technology or play a video game virtually with friends. Some families are creating safe zones or bubbles, where they allow children to pick a close friend or two whose family is practicing recommended coronavirus precautions that they can interact with more closely. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025401" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Maintaining friendships</a> gives children opportunities to learn from peers and reduces stress, providing support and acceptance.</p><h2>3. Find Ways Children Can Help Others</h2><p>Talk about how others are also struggling. Encourage them to donate toys they've outgrown, save money for a special cause or help a neighbor with errands like shopping, bringing in mail, doing yardwork or dog-walking. When you do things for others in the community, include your children and talk about why you do it. This helps children <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9507.1996.tb00073.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">learn about the needs of others and cultivates empathy</a>.</p><h2>4. Help Children Stay Involved in Clubs or Groups</h2><p>Some groups that work well during a pandemic include outdoor Scouting, Zoom clubs and other special-interest clubs such as outdoor sports, fishing, hiking or biking. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.42.4.698" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Being part of a group</a> helps children feel a sense of belonging and promotes identity development. It can also help build morals and values and even promote academic success.</p>
<h2>5. Stay in Touch With Important Adults</h2><p>Children benefit from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.20106" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">relationships with other grown-ups</a>, like grandparents and teachers. They can be another source of support and someone to talk to about problems or successes. They're particularly important when parents are unavailable due to work or other obligations. Help kids stay connected through Zoom, email, phone calls, FaceTime and special activities like outdoor events. Some social media groups have targeted programs to link children with others to play games or chat.</p><h2>6. Keep Up With Hobbies</h2><p>Boredom is a parent's worst enemy. Having an enjoyable hobby is rewarding for kids; it provides engaging leisure time and opportunities to master something. Such activities provide connections with others, can teach discipline and how to manage one's emotions and behavior, and promote self-esteem. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1757913917712283" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Explore art, music</a>, science projects, writing, chess and other hobbies that develop physical, artistic and intellectual skills while providing hours of enjoyment.</p><h2>7. Be Physically Active</h2><p>Make exercise a part of family routines. Take walks or ride bikes, play active video games like Wii, go to the park, stretch or do yoga together. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2013.780505" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Exercise has many of the same benefits</a> as hobbies. It also helps children handle the physical effects of stress on the body and improves mood and mental health.</p><h2>8. Create Routines</h2><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/4-good-practices-for-anyone-caring-for-quarantined-kids-135626" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Routines are a powerful nonverbal signal</a> to children's brains that they are safe and that life is predictable. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/01.IYC.0000290352.32170.5a" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Keeping a routine</a> can reduce the number of conflicts, and children know what to do and expect during different points of the day.</p><p>Create and display (together, ideally) daily or weekly calendars with words or pictures that remind children when learning, playing, resting, sleeping and eating activities occur. Invent little rituals that comfort as well as accomplish goals, especially at bedtime: read, tell stories, sing a special song, say a prayer or list loved ones. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2014.12.002" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Such activities ensure better sleep</a> than allowing children to drift off watching a video. Children may push back if they've gotten used to less structure during the day, but most will welcome knowing what to expect.</p>
<h2>9. Keep Realistic Expectations for Learning</h2><p>Children's involvement in schooling varies widely during the pandemic, with some hardly affected and others learning entirely at home. Virtual schooling requires parents to be more involved than before – monitoring assignments, checking in during the day and seeking help when children are struggling.</p><p>While schoolwork is indeed important, not all learning takes place in class. Involve children in opportunities to learn during everyday tasks such as cooking (measuring, timing), gardening, shopping (figuring sales prices, adding), and games (cards, dominoes, board games) that build memory and thinking skills. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2018.11.018" target="_blank">Read with your child every day</a>. Depending on the level of the book, you can read to your child or take turns reading pages.</p><h2>10. Maintain a Healthy and Safe Home</h2><p>In addition to maintaining COVID-19 precautions, make nutritious meals, declutter and organize toys, games, hobby supplies and learning materials. Find ways to involve children in preparing meals, organizing their work and play spaces, cleaning up after activities, and sharing in conversations about family rules. Chaos and clutter are the enemies of calm. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000087" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Creating safe and orderly spaces</a> helps children manage stress. Eating healthy foods together benefits physical and mental health.</p><h2>Parenting in the Time of Coronavirus</h2><p>Many parents naturally do the things listed above. However, with increased stress and demands on time, these activities are difficult to maintain. Now is a good time to pick a few of these strategies and get back on track.</p><p><span></span>Every family is different, and what's appropriate <a href="http://www.acesandpaces.com/uploads/6/4/3/1/64312853/morris___hays-grudo_parent_tips_during_covid-19.pdf" target="_blank">differs by children's ages</a>, whether infants and toddlers, school-age children or teens and young adults. But adjusted for age and circumstances, these tried-and-true techniques can help youngsters make it through tough times and come out the other side OK.</p>
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<em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amanda-sheffield-morris-1183546" target="_blank">Amanda Sheffield Morris</a> is a </em><em>Professor of Human Development and Family Science, Oklahoma State University.</em>
</p><p>
<em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jennifer-hays-grudo-1183558" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jennifer Hays-Grudo</a> is a </em><em>Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Oklahoma State University.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Disclosure statement: </em><em>Jennifer Hays-Grudo receives funding from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number P20GM109097. </em><em>Amanda Sheffield Morris does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/10-parenting-strategies-to-reduce-your-kids-pandemic-stress-151419" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
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