News (all)

  • UH experts provide COVID-19 insights to athletic teams

    Posted Oct 20, 2020 at 2:12pm

    As the University of Hawaiʻi football team gears up for its 2020 season, and other UH athletic teamsprepare for their seasons to begin, experts from the Department of Mathematics and Office of Public Health Studies spoke to teams about keeping themselves COVID-19 free.

    Professor Monique Chyba and Assistant Professor Thomas Lee shared the latest data on COVID-19 and emphasized the importance of wearing face masks to stop the spread of the virus with student-athletes, coaches and staff.

    “The health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches and staff remain our highest priority,” UH Mānoa Athletics Director David Matlin said. “We appreciate the efforts of Professors Monique Chyba and Thomas Lee for sharing their expert knowledge about COVID-19 and reinforcing the importance of stopping the spread of the virus with our teams.”

    Chyba emphasized that although state and county governments have increased testing and contact tracing, compliance from individuals is also important to lower the daily case count. Chyba said that data shows daily counts have been plateauing, however, mathematical models predict this is an atypical situation. Even though the number of cases may drop in one day, it is not time to let your guard down.

    “A big part of my message was to tell them that this is a very unstable situation and that there is no wiggle room,” Chyba said. “It just takes a little spark to bring it back up.”

    “I’m glad that the UH athletics community had the privilege to listen to both Dr. Chyba as well as Dr. Lee,” said Jolie Rasmussen, a senior women’s volleyballstudent-athlete. “Hearing updates about the pandemic directly from an epidemiologist and mathematician was very beneficial as they could provide us with the most factual and up-to-date information regarding the virus. We must continue to do the right actions now to ensure a safe future for tomorrow.”

    Chyba, who teaches many student-athletes in her mathematics courses, said many of them shared with her that they want to get back to playing the sport that they love.

    “They really want to play and they seem to be eager to do what it takes to be able to play,” Chyba said.

    Chyba and Lee are members of the Hawaiʻi Pandemic Applied Modeling Work Group.

    Story originally posted at UH News

  • Connection to ‘āina critical to health among Native Hawaiians

    Posted Oct 1, 2020 at 4:32pm

    Holistic cultural practices that foster a connection to ʻāina (land) are important in improving the health of Kānaka Maoli (Indigenous Peoples of Hawaiʻi), according to a new study from public health researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. The findings were published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

    For Kānaka Maoli, practices such as growing their own food, taking care of ʻāina, and cleansing through hiʻuwai (bathing in the sea or a stream), are needed for physical, spiritual, emotional and mental health.

    UH Mānoa Office of Public Health Studies researchers LeShay Keliʻiholokai, Samantha Keaulana, Mapuana C.K. Antonio and their colleagues conducted interviews and small focus groups with 12 Kānaka Maoli adults living in Waimānalo, including eight kūpuna (elders), to learn about Kānaka Maoli perspectives on health.

    “Imbalances, such as disconnection between ʻāinaand Kānaka, create maʻi (sickness) in Kānaka Maoli,” said Keliʻiholokai, who is also a board member of Ke Kula Nui O Waimānalo and Waimānalo Limu Hui.

    The researchers analyzed the interview transcripts to identify key themes. Results showed that the participants viewed themselves as part of ʻāina.

    “Kānaka Maoli view themselves as deeply connected with ʻāina, and there is no separating ʻāina from Kānaka,” said Antonio, an assistant professor of Native Hawaiian and Indigenous health. “The connection between ʻāina and people is spiritual and reciprocal, and important to well-being and resilience.”

    ʻĀina as physical, emotional and spiritual healing

    A second theme that emerged was the Kānaka Maoli view of ʻāina as physical, emotional and spiritual healing. The participants said they could innately tell when a person was not connected to ʻāina, and when a person did not mālama (take care of) ʻāina. The intergenerational knowledge of the role of ʻāina in health was passed down as wisdom from the kūpuna to the rest of the ʻohana(family).

    A third theme was that Kānaka Maoli view colonization as disruptive to their values and their connections with ʻāina. Addressing the health disparities that stem from colonization will require healing the displacement and disconnection from ʻāina felt by Kānaka Maoli.

    “Colonization resulted in negative impacts from outsiders and foreigners that led to attacks and desecration of ʻāina, and therefore, to the health of Kānaka Maoli,” said Keaulana, a doctoral student UH Mānoa’s public health program. “Community initiatives are needed for community healing.”

    Co-authors on the study include Ikaika Rogerson, Kirk Deitschman, Kenneth Ho Jr. and H. Ilima Ho-Lastimosa of Ke Kula Nui O Waimānalo; Joseph Awa Kamai, Luana Albinio, Dawn Kepa and J. Kahaulahilahi Vegas of Waimānalo Pono Research Hui; Kilauea Wilson of the Waimānalo Community; and Kuaiwi Laka Makua and Jane J. Chung-Do of UH Mānoa’s Office of Public Health Studies.

  • Public Heath Student Selected for Competitive National Program

    Posted Oct 1, 2020 at 9:57am

    University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa public health doctoral student Chevelle Davis has won a national award and will receive funding for four years to support her research on women’s health and sexual and reproductive rights.

    Davis was named a Health Policy Research Scholar by the nonprofit Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). The prestigious leadership development program is awarded to students in specific doctoral disciplines from marginalized backgrounds, and only 60 of 345 applicants were selected this program year nationwide. The leadership program is aimed at helping awardees become effective leaders of change and challenge structural systems of power.

    “This program will help me learn how to advocate for systemic change,” Davis said. “The leadership training will inform how and why I conduct research on sexual and reproductive health in Hawaiʻi, and how I think of the long-term public health impacts of reproductive justice.”

    Davis will begin attending webinars and training sessions on leadership alongside other doctoral students from across the country this fall. She will receive mentoring from professionals in the field on developing and utilizing research to create lasting change. To support her research and professional development, she will also receive a yearly stipend of $30,000.

    “I’m looking forward to connecting with other doctoral students in different disciplines, and learning about their experiences and ways of thinking,” Davis said. “Participating in this program will add another lens to my worldview.”

    Tetine L. Sentell, director of the UH Mānoa Office of Public Health Studies, said, “Chevelle’s research is incredibly important to public health in Hawaiʻi, and we look forward to seeing how her work will change and grow as a result of the training she’ll receive.”

    Davis learned of the program from fellow UH Mānoa public health student Samantha Scott, who is also a RWJF scholar. Scott encouraged her to apply and supported her throughout the process.

    “I am grateful for Samantha’s support, and for the support of the UH public health community,” Davis said. “I look forward to learning and growing with her as Indigenous, female scholars, and applying what we learn to improving health outcomes in Hawaiʻi.”

  • University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Master of Public Health Students Critically Assess Public Health Student Needs in the Time of COVID-19

    Posted Sep 28, 2020 at 12:02pm

    Starting in April, 2020, Ms. Ronquillo and Ms. Talana initiated a months-long project to support the needs of their peers in public health. They did this by systematically compiling a list of resources for those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and by completing a needs’ assessment among students in the public health program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM). Both students are in their 2nd year of a Master of Public Health (MPH) and highly engaged in student governance.

    In late March, 2020, the UHM announced an abrupt shift to online learning for a period of three weeks, which was later revized to the entire semester. Shortly thereafter, as was the case across most of the United States, the Governor of Hawaiʻi ordered a statewide shutdown of all non-essential businesses and activities. The consequences to the local economy have been dire and enduring. One of the groups most impacted by the shutdown orders is university students. 

    University students are disproportionately employed in the service and retail sectors, with many supporting their education through part- to full-time employment at restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and retail locations (e.g. clothing stores). Students are often very low income, deeply indebted, and many experience food insecurity. In fact, estimates in Hawaiʻi place university students among those most impacted by food insecurity, especially those who identify as Native Hawaiian, Other Pacific Islander, and Filipino.  

    Not only are students negatively economically impacted by the response to Covid-19, many experience challenges achieving their educational objectives. For some, the costs of a degree program are too high without the income from jobs lost to the pandemic. While for others, the difficulties have been more direct, such as finding practicum placements for their MPHs and/or getting enough hours to fulfill university requirements. For the past five months, Ms. Ronquillo and Ms. Talana provided considerable assistance to their peers struggling with some of these issues. 

    Both MPH students worked long-hours to compile and organize a list of (presumably) all resources available in Hawaiʻi to those negatively affected by the pandemic. This resource guide, which can be viewed here, was carefully collated and organized in an easily accessible manner divided by categories. For example, it includes resources about housing assistance, telehealth, child and eldercare, food distribution sites, utilities, and even services for pets. As of September 20, the resource guide was accessed by at least 291 unique users since its release in May. Further, to help students and potential MPH practicum sites, they also compiled a carefully annotated list of sites seeking volunteers. This resource proved especially invaluable for undergraduates in public health. Further, for many public health students, it provided an opportunity to provide service to the community and be a part of the larger response to Covid-19. 

    Finally, over the summer, Ms. Ronquillo and Ms. Talana conducted a rapid needs assessment of the public health student body in order to assess their current and ongoing needs, including perceived concerns about and barriers to returning to school in fall. Critical findings were high levels of anxiety among students, as well as substantial concerns about basic needs. Public Health students reported difficulties getting enough food and affording medical care. Tuition relief, scholarships, and other financial assistance were requested by many. The students, and their supervisors Dr. Pirkle and Ms Kehl, have engaged in multiple efforts to disseminate these findings to assure that public health faculty are aware of multifacetted issues facing their students. Moreover, they have made efforts to engage the UHM and the broader community to increase awareness of challenges facing students at this time. 

  • COVID-19 Risks Increase with Diabetes

    Posted Sep 21, 2020 at 10:14am

    By Blythe Nett, Kevin Watanabe and Tetine Sentell
     
    Sept. 20, 2020 

    Underlying health conditions such as heart disease, obesity and diabetes increase the risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Managing chronic disease, and preventing it when you can, is critical during this public health crisis. This helps with the pandemic and will keep our communities and families healthy over time.

    Recent research from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that three-quarters of those who died from COVID-19 had an underlying medical condition. The three most common conditions were cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic kidney disease, which were present in 60%, 40%, and 21%, respectively, of deaths due to COVID-19. These conditions, especially diabetes, were even more common among young and working age adults who succumbed to the virus.

    Despite Hawaii’s reputation as one of the healthiest states in the nation, a disproportionate number of our residents suffer from the very chronic diseases that place us at greater risk for severe COVID-19 illness. An estimated 1 in every 2 adult residents in Hawaii has diabetes or prediabetes. Of those with prediabetes, more than 80% do not know that they have it. A recent study found high rates of chronic disease, including diabetes, in young people in Hawaii.

    Preventing and managing diabetes is not always easy. The pandemic makes this harder. Thankfully, Hawaii has many options to assist people in managing their prediabetes or diabetes, even during the era of coronavirus. Experts agree that people should continue the same critical steps of managing their disease which include: being physically active, managing stress, and eating a healthy diet.

    People should also keep monitoring their blood sugar, keeping appointments with their primary care provider, and maintaining a supply of their medications.

    While it can be hard to take many of these steps at the moment, there is support and guidance available. Hawaii has 24 accredited or recognized Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) sites across the state. These DSMES programs provide coaching and tips for managing diabetes to help people maintain control of their blood sugar. Many of these programs have modified their delivery to accommodate virtual appointments, recognizing the importance of continuity of care for people especially during the outbreak.

    Additionally, across the islands, the National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) is offered in a variety of community and health care settings, including community health centers, retail pharmacies (KTA Super Stores, Times Pharmacy) and medical centers (Kauai Medical Clinic, Queen’s Health Center) — often at no cost to participants. (Find options at www.healthyhawaii.com/ prevent-diabetes/ find-a-cdc-approved-dpp/.)

    The DPP is an evidence-based lifestyle change program, that can prevent or delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes. It supports participants in modifying their eating habits, being physically active, and losing weight. HI DPP will soon be offered by several CDC-recognized organizations that will allow more people to participate in DPP from the comfort and safety of their home.

    Ultimately, prioritizing and sustaining prevention and management programs is vital both to short-term and long-term healthcare and economic stability. Diabetes costs the state $1.8 billion in direct health care costs and loss of productivity.

    Without an intervention program, a significant number of people with prediabetes will develop diabetes. This in turn will ultimately increase the economic burden on our families, communities, and health care system. Prevention programs, such DPP, and disease management programs, such as DSMES, are essential to our COVID-19 recovery and long-term viability for both our state and our communities. And they can help us recover and stay healthy together.

    Blythe Nett is the chronic disease detection and control section supervisor at the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH); Kevin Watanabe is DOH’s diabetes program coordinator; Tetine Sentell is professor/director of the Office of Public Health Studies, University of Hawaii-Manoa.

     

  • Evidence based care for pregnant women with COVID-19

    Posted Sep 9, 2020 at 9:40am

    In her Commissioned Editorial for the prestigious British Medical Journal, Dr. Catherine Pirkle discusses the recent findings of a living systematic review by Allotey and colleagues (doi:10.1136/bmj.m3320). Their work provides needed insights on evidence-based care for pregnant women with suspected or confirmed covid-19. Dr. Pirkle helps place the research in context and highlights critical areas for future study. The systematic review and linked Editorial provide essential and timely information to assist health care providers caring for pregnant women during these very uncertain times. 

    Read the full article at https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3510.full

  • National research award for public health grad student

    Posted Sep 8, 2020 at 6:02pm

    A graduate student at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Office of Public Health Studies (OPHS) has won a national research award to showcase her work at the American Public Health Association (APHA) annual meeting that will be held virtually in October.

    Amber Sophus, one of 28 winners nationwide, will present her systematic review about interventions aimed at preventing HIV/AIDS in Black women in the U.S.

    “In my dissertation research with Black women, I focus on identifying their barriers and facilitators toward using pre-exposure prophylaxis [PrEP],” Sophus said. PrEP medications for HIV-negative individuals are important because they could help reduce Black women’s risk of becoming infected with HIV through sex with an infected partner.

    Sophus was nominated for the award by the UH chapter of Delta Omega Honor Society, a prominent public health honor society. She has completed her master of public health degree and is now working toward earning her PhD at OPHS.

    “Amber’s research is timely and vital to helping reduce HIV disparities that severely impact Black women in the U.S., particularly in the south,” said Jason W. Mitchell, an associate professor of OPHS who is her primary mentor and chair of her dissertation committee. “Winning this award reflects Amber’s hard work…she deserves this important national recognition.”

    Most interventions aimed to prevent new HIV infections in Black women have been conducted in the Southern U.S., focused on adults, and have centered on women’s behaviors. Few studies have included teens or older women, while none have included the use of PrEP in preventing new infections, and none have included women’s sex partners in the interventions.

    “This research reveals opportunities to improve current and future HIV prevention interventions for Black women, such as including PrEP,” Sophus said. “Although strides have been made to prevent HIV infections in Black women, more work is needed.”

  • The Public Is Not Alone in Behaving Badly

    Posted Aug 27, 2020 at 6:37am

    With the alarming growth of COVID-19 cases, our state’s media and leadership have obsessively focused on the public’s “bad behavior.”

    All summer, we have read stories about people breaking quarantine and gathering in large groups. In many of these articles, experts and non-experts alike out those who went to work while sick or speculate on whether or not the infected person was wearing a mask when around others.

    In nearly every daily news digest from the COVID-19 Joint Information Center, the public is reminded to take personal responsibility. They are shamed for their lack of regard for others: Governor Ige had strong words for people who have let their guard down contributing to the surge in cases.

    All state leaders echo the personal responsibility rhetoric, using a public relations strategy that is known as framing. They directly attribute spikes and surges to a misbehaving public, one that is unable to take responsibility for its actions.

    Here are a couple of examples.

    A top public health official said, “As long as individuals in our communities fail to accept personal responsibility for the spread of COVID-19, we are unfortunately going to see continued days of triple digit numbers.”

    Or, from our governor: “It’s clear that many across the state has relaxed their commitment in fighting against this COVID-19 infection … We have to take action to embrace the personal responsibility, to do what we can to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community.”

    Our major media outlets reinforce these sentiments, as demonstrated by a July 8 editorial in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser entitled, “Bad time to let down our guard.” Or more recently, in an Aug. 10 article in Civil Beat that asks, “So how badly are people behaving?”

    Should we expect anything different? A story about an office where workers diligently wear their masks and sit 6 feet apart is hardly click-bait.

    Nor are perhaps the more important questions about that office: Did the employer provide enough hand sanitizer? Is there sufficient ventilation? Do the workers have sick leave if they get ill? Are they paid enough to take time off?

    Responsibility Rhetoric

    While there is certainly evidence of poor decision-making, and we must all do our part, blaming the public for the current crisis obfuscates the responsibility of state and local leadership.

    If the public is to blame for the current surge in infections, then our leadership is no longer responsible. It is an evasion technique that avoids asking hard questions, making hard choices, and more than anything, it avoids accountability.

    Blaming the public allows for inaction on contributing factors to the spread of infection. These include limited access to health care for certain groups and for those that have lost their jobs, the lack of sick leave for many, insufficient wages to match the astronomical cost of living, and overcrowded housing that disproportionately affects our highest risk groups.

    The use of personal responsibility rhetoric is one that the tobacco industry mastered in the early 1980s. As evidence mounted that Big Tobacco was responsible for the deaths of millions, it needed a public relations strategy that shifted blame elsewhere.

    Through some trial and error, Big Tobacco realized that framing a public health crisis around personal responsibility was highly effective at reducing public outrage and in minimizing litigation. The tactic is so successful that it continues to be used by many other industries and interests to avoid accountability for public harms (e.g., gambling, firearms, etc.).

    In the past month, Governor Ige reiterated the importance of personal responsibility at nearly every daily press briefing. Nearly all mass media venues have parroted this language, as have all the most prominent elected and appointed leaders involved in the response to COVID-19.

    To be fair, our state leadership is not alone in using this framing. The rhetoric of personal responsibility is also coming from the federal government.

    For example, here is a transcript from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “We owe it to our nation’s children to take personal responsibility to do everything we can to lower the levels of COVID-19.”

    Knowing the occupants of our executive branch, should we really be surprised that the federal government is applying techniques learned from Big Tobacco to defer responsibility for the crisis?

    Punitive Action

    If a badly behaving public is responsible for out-of-control infections, then a natural extension of this logic is to punish the public when it misbehaves. The criminalization of previously normal and healthy behaviors, such as walking on the beach or in a park, reflect this logic.

    Our state is currently using police and other security personnel to enforce restrictions on a variety of behaviors for which such actions would have been unimaginable six months ago. What’s more, it is unclear if the targeted behaviors currently pose a risk to public safety.

    State officials appear unable to provide epidemiological evidence to justify many of the restrictions. The lack of evidence of major outdoor transmission events, especially when juxtaposed against other known sources of outbreaks, threatens the perceived legitimacy of these restrictions.

    Crucial consideration of the fairness and proportionality of the punishments for our misdeeds is lacking. Bad behaviors, such as hiking, walking in a park, and going to the beach, are all now subject to criminal misdemeanor charges that can result in a fine up to $5,000 and/or a year in jail. In other words, members of the public who engage in these behaviors are subject to the same punishments (actually, in many cases, less) as those who committed a DUI, assault, or minor drug crime.

    A Cautionary Tale

    Personal responsibility rhetoric is effective until it is not. In the face of public demand for greater accountability brought on, in part, by whistleblowers leaking evidence of the deliberate misleading of the public, Big Tobacco became vulnerable to a flood of litigation in the late 1990 and early 2000s.

    The public relations strategy of Big Tobacco ultimately failed because the public can only take personal responsibility for their behaviors when they are empowered to do so.

    For combating COVID-19, this means doing much more than giving daily press briefings and public safety announcements. People need clear messages, articulated in ways and languages they understand and across media platforms they actually use. They need support to follow the messages.

    As we are learning, not everyone can access masks and other personal protective equipment. And, many people do not have or cannot afford to take sick leave.

    For those with low incomes and no sick leave, the choice is often between paying for food and rent or staying at home when sick. Asking people to change “their bad behaviors” under such circumstances not only lacks empathy, but is almost certainly doomed to fail. Other actions are thus needed, including in this case, policy change to provide sick leave to our most vulnerable.

    A Final Warning

    The engagement of police in public health is risky business. As articulated in this excellent commentary, the use of police to enforce measures perceived as illegitimate fundamentally damages the relationships among the state, police, and public. This, in turn, can generate disorder and damage the foundations of democracy.

    When done well, police can be successfully engaged in outbreak control, but their application needs to be targeted and information driven. The United Kingdom, for example, is using an approach built on the concepts of “engage, explain, encourage” and “enforce” only when necessary. It is an approach that seeks to build public cooperation, which is a necessary prerequisite to managing the virus.

    COVID-19 restrictions will have to be applied to varying degrees for months to come. We need a maximum of public goodwill and cooperation.

    Unfortunately, our response is eroding these fundamentals. At the end of the day, the question really begs asking, who is it again that is behaving badly?

    About the Author

    Catherine Pirkle is an associate professor in the Office of Public Health Studies at the University of Hawaii Manoa. She is a global health researcher and life-course epidemiologist who has done work in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and the Canadian Arctic. She is also a lead investigator for the Health Hawaii Initiative Evaluation Team, which works in close collaboration with the Hawaii Department of Health.

    Originally posted at Civil Beat

  • One in Five Hawai‘i Residents Indicate That They Do Not Have Enough Money for Food

    Posted Aug 26, 2020 at 5:38pm

    According to a July SMS Community Poll, more than one in five Hawai‘i residents reported that the food they bought just didn’t last and they did not have money to get more.This number corresponds to national estimates using the same question in April 2020.When people indicate that they do not have enough money for food, they arefood insecure.

    Residents of neighbor islands have far higher levels of food insecurity (33%) than those on Oʻahu (18%).While food insecurity was similar for men and women, it differed considerably by age group. Thirty-seven percent (37%) of working age adults between 18 and 44 were food insecure.Adults 65 and older were the least likely to report food insecurity in this Poll. Working adults may have lost jobs in the pandemic.

    While food insecurity in Hawai‘i is high, the proportion of residents experiencing it is similar to before the outbreak. According to the 2018 Hawai‘i Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS), 22 percent of Hawai‘i residents were food insecure,compared to 23 percent in this Poll.

    Food insecurity for neighbor island residents has increased since 2018.These findingsare consistent with the June SMS Poll, which reported that neighbor island residents were more likely to receive food from non-profits and to have been temporally laid off.Feeding America reports that workers in the service, leisure, and hospitality industries are at particular risk of food insecurity because of the Covid-19 response. Many people on the neighbor islands work in these industries.

    The highest levels of food insecurity in Hawai‘i, among the surveyed racial/ethnic groups, were in Filipinos (35%) and Native Hawaiians (30%), while Japanese had the lowest at 9 percent.This Poll does not have data for Other Pacific Islanders, among whom, 44 percent were food insecure in 2018.It is very likely that food insecurity in this group remains extremely high and may be growing.

    Income level and food insecurity were strongly related. Close to half of those making under $35,000reported food insecurity, compared to 20 percent for those making $35,000 to $99,000, and 14 percent for those making more.

    Many studies report links between food insecurity and mental health concerns such as mood, anxiety, behavior, and substance disorders. People who are food insecure are also more likely to be in poor health and to experience illnesses like diabetes. These conditions put them at greater risk of hospitalization and death if infected with Covid-19.

    The SMS Community Pulse Survey was conducted from July 31 to August 8, 2020statewide through a panel of Hawai‘i residents. A total of 404 surveys were completed. A probability sample of this size would have a sampling error estimate of +/-5 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level. Data were balanced to reflect the adult population of the state using the 2018 U.S Census data. For more information please contact Faith Sereno Rex at 808-440-0702 or frex@smshawaii.com.This article was written by Catherine M. Pirkle and Tetine L. Sentell at the Office of Public Health Studies of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

  • UH public health expert explains COVID-19 transmission and mitigation

    Posted Aug 19, 2020 at 9:12am

    A video explaining the transmission and mitigation of COVID-19, produced by Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency (HIEMA), features Thomas Lee, an assistant professor of epidemiology in the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Office of Public Health Studies in the Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work, and lead modeler and forecaster for HIEMA.

    Lee described the three types of transmission of COVID-19 and how to best reduce the spread of the virus. The types of transmission are droplets, aerosolized and fomite, which means surface.

    “We know that COVID-19 prefers metallic surfaces that are smooth, so anything that’s cloth or has texture to it, it’s less likely to survive,” said Lee. “So droplets and aerosolized are related in that when you cough or sneeze the first six feet projects out, but because it’s within some sort of liquid substance it’s going to fall down because it’s heavier.”

    In cold and dry climates, like Las Vegas, those droplets will linger in the air longer in comparison to a humid climate like Hawaiʻi, because water in the air will weigh the droplets down causing them to fall to the ground.

    However, transmission through droplets and aerosolization can occur with older air-conditioning units that do not bring in fresh air and are continually recycling potentially contaminated air. Lee explains that spending time outdoors while social distancing is safer than staying indoors with an air-conditioning unit that recycles air.

    “COVID-19 is an envelope virus, which means that it is pretty easy to kill. Even just regular soap and water is such an effective tool,” added Lee. “We can all do our part to reduce the risk of transmission for COVID-19. It starts with wearing a mask, washing your hands and staying home when you’re sick.”

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