Autism Rate at 1 in 14 Students in NJ’s Toms River District: A ‘Harbinger’ of Things to Come
Based on findings by an autism spectrum disorders (ASD) monitoring system at Rutgers University known as the New Jersey Autism Study (NJAS), the autism rate for four-year-old children in New Jersey is estimated at 1 in 35 children—the highest of any state in the United States. This figure, however, is at least eight years old. […]
Study Confirms Face Masks Interfere With Non-Verbal Communication
A recent study conducted by researchers at McGill University in Montreal, Canada has shown that wearing face masks interferes with effective communication between people because masks hide parts of our faces used for nonverbal communication expressing our emotions and intentions.1 Shortly after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, public health officials provided guidelines that everyone […]
Dramatic Increase in Suicide Attempts Among Adolescents During COVID-19 Lockdown Isolation
There has been an increase in suicide attempts by adolescents aged 12-17 years old during the COVID-19 pandemic according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The longer the lockdowns that included social isolation and compulsory masking continued, the number of suicide attempts increased, especially among adolescent girls. From July through August […]
Cancer Causing Compounds Found in Pfizer Blood Pressure Drugs and Company Issues Recall
Pfizer, Inc. announced on Mar. 21, 2022 that it was recalling three drugs used to treat high blood pressure due to an excessive amount of nitrosamines found in the tablets. The compounds can increase the risk of cancer if people are exposed to them at high levels over a period of time.1 Pfizer Issues Press […]
Higher Levels of SARS-CoV-2 Virus Detected in Some Wastewater Sites
In 2020, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) partnered with local health departments and launched the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) to track SARS-CoV-2 virus levels in wastewater around the country. The goal was to help health officials quickly implement policies to mitigate the spread of the virus.1 The CDC recently confirmed […]
Study Finds SARS-CoV-2 Much Less Infectious After 20 Minutes in Air
A new study conducted by the University of Bristol Aerosol Research Centre in the United Kingdom found that the SARS-CoV-2 virus loses 90 percent of its virulence within 20 minutes after being exhaled into the air. Further, researchers concluded that the virus loses 50 percent of its ability to spread after only 10 minutes of […]