Why it’s important to clean up residue from wildfire smoke, tracking tsunamis with AI and more - OPB
WACD Reading List
New cases of deadly fungus found in WA. Here’s what to know | The Olympian
This family still struggles with legacy of mad cow disease, 20 years after it appeared in Washington - OPB
With the cold weather comes illness season. Here's what you need to know about four of them expected in Spokane | The Spokesman-Review
How to Protect Yourself from All the Wildfire Smoke in Washington
Amid heavy smoke, wildfire crews work without practical respirators | Crosscut
Many long-covid symptoms linger even after two years, new study shows - The Washington Post
Seattle Air Quality Map: See air quality near you
New Covid variant: EG.5 is on the rise as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations go up | CNN
How to tell if it’s COVID, flu or RSV: symptoms to watch for - oregonlive.com
Tracking flu, Covid-19 and RSV hospitalizations in the US | CNN
Should I still wear a mask on a plane? - The Washington Post
WA Legislature OKs pause to long-term care program and tax | The Olympian
King County issues 'urgent plea' to public as hospitalizations skyrocket
Vaccination protects against Covid-19 hospitalization significantly more than prior infection, according to CDC study - CNN
Washington one of few states to fund new suicide hotline | KOMO
“When you call 988, you’re talking to a clinician, they do a suicide assessment, they triage what services you need,” said Washington Democratic Rep. Tina Orwall.
SARS-CoV-2 Transmission From People Without COVID-19 Symptoms | Global Health | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network
Under a broad range of values for each of these assumptions, at least 50% of new SARS-CoV-2 infections was estimated to have originated from exposure to individuals with infection but without symptoms.
Washington's first-in-the-nation long-term care program starts in January, with opt-out deadline soon | Local News | Spokane | The Pacific Northwest Inlander | News, Politics, Music, Calendar, Events in Spokane, Coeur d'Alene and the Inland Northwest
Male Suicide: A Silent Crisis | Psychology Today
Men account for over 75% of suicides, and the rate of male suicide has risen in recent decades.
What An Atmospheric Scientist Wants You To Know About That Wildfire Smoke You’re Breathing | Colorado Public Radio
Even if you can’t smell it, that doesn’t mean it’s not impacting you.
“Your nose is not a good tool,” said Emily Fischer, an atmospheric scientist and associate professor at Colorado State University.
Wildfire Smoke Prompts Grant County Air Advisory – NewsRadio 560 KPQ
The Grant County Health District issued an air advisory Thursday in response to several wildfires in Central Washington causing the air quality to deteriorate.
“The smoke is kind of in the area and lingering,” said Misty Aguilar, Public Information Officer. “We want folks to pay to what’s going on in their surroundings and plan accordingly.”
Employee mental health is a huge concern after such a brutal stretch - CNN
Living in a perpetual state of disruption, uncertainty and grief can test anyone's mental health.
And events of the past 16 months have delivered all of those in spades thanks to a steady stream of horrors, including but hardly limited to the deadly pandemic, George Floyd's murder, the January 6 Capitol insurrection and attacks against Asian-Americans.
They've also catapulted employee mental health to the top of many employers' list of concerns and priorities.
Coping with stress, stigma and suicide in farm country | Rural Life | capitalpress.com
Farmers are among the most likely to die by suicide compared with any other occupation, according to a 2020 study by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With COVID-19 fallout, record debts, drought, wildfires and a lack of access to counselors, the need for a conversation about mental health and solutions in rural America is more urgent than ever, experts said.
"Therapists may not fully get that a lot of these farmers literally would rather die than lose the farm that has been in their family for 100 to 120 years," said McConkey.
She said it's vital to provide an understanding of mental health to everyone associated with agriculture. Crop consultants, agronomists, crop insurance salesmen, seed salesmen and elevator employees should all know the warning signs of someone struggling with mental health issues.
New suicide prevention hotline aims to divert callers from police | Crosscut
Exclusive: People who wore masks were less likely to get sick - Axios
COVID-19 positivity rate is lowest among those who always wore a mask
Looking To Escape Northwest Wildfire Smoke This Year? A New Tool Could Help | Northwest Public Broadcasting
“The more lead time people have to be aware of what’s likely to come their way, the more lead time — we think, we hope — they have to protect themselves and their health,” Dhammapala says. When smoke is incoming, Seattleites can plan to purchase equipment like box fans, filters and N95 masks; reschedule activities; or even plan to evacuate.
Less than a year later and just in time for wildfire season, Ecology has a new tool in its toolbelt. The new five-day automated smoke forecast is accessible as part of Ecology’s online smoke map, with days three through five similar to the existing two-day forecast, but using slightly different streams of information.
Users can anticipate average daily air quality conditions in 53 separate zones across the state, each pegged to real-time air quality monitors (measuring things like health-affecting ozone and fine particulate matter) and air quality management regions. When it soft-launched with the five-day forecast Tuesday, the map became the first available automated five-day smoke forecast tailored to Washington.
Explainer: So far, low risk of human spread of H10N3 bird flu | Reuters
The World Health Organization (WHO) said while the source of the patient's exposure to the H10N3 virus was not known and no other cases were found among the local population, there was no indication of human-to-human transmission yet.
Yet avian influenza viruses that have little impact on birds can be much more serious in people, such as the H7N9 strain that killed almost 300 people in China during the winter of 2016-2017. The WHO has said there had been only rare instances of person-to-person spread of the H7N9 virus.
Why Spokane-area residents are suffering from allergies | krem.com
SPOKANE, Wash. — Allergy season is upon us in the Spokane area. From sniffles and sneezing to pollen coating everything, the signs are just about everywhere.
This round of pollen comes thanks to the trees and grass. If you’re allergic to ragweed, you don’t have to worry yet.
Zero flu deaths reported in Washington for first time | KOMO
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- It appears the extensive precautions Washington residents have taken to fight the COVID-19 pandemic have worked to prevent other illnesses from spreading as well, including the flu.
False Self-True Self: The Perils of Living a Lie to Fit In | Psychology Today
This may mean we should all ask ourselves the question: Am I living a lie to fit in?