Wildfire Smoke Increases the Risk of Contracting Covid-19

Bloomberg

As the world warms, disasters collide. That’s happening right now, as health experts warn that  exposure to wildfire smoke across North America increases the risks of catching COVID-19 and worsens the impacts for people who already have or are particularly susceptible to the virus.

Kristie Ebi, professor of global health and of environmental and occupational health sciences at the UW, is quoted.

Solving for climate: (Health and safety) in (climate) numbers

American Geophysical Union

More severe and numerous floods, droughts, and heat waves impact a wide range of health outcomes, and shifting biomes may spread diseases to new places. How do scientists understand which portions of health effects are caused by climate change, and how can health organizations be prepared?

Kristie Ebi, professor of global health and of environmental and occupational health sciences at the UW, is quoted.

Spain’s April heat nearly impossible without climate change

AP News

Record-breaking April temperatures in Spain, Portugal and northern Africa were made 100 times more likely by human-caused climate change and would have been almost impossible in the past, according to a new study.

Kristie Ebi, professor of global health and of environmental and occupational health sciences at the UW, is quoted.

Why Asia’s early heat wave is so alarming

Vox

Climate change is making a safe, slow adjustment to heat much harder by upending what we’d typically expect as seasons change. Summers are getting longer and more intense, encroaching on winter and extending long into the fall. Large parts of Asia have been hit particularly hard the past two weeks. Axios reported how heat records have fallen throughout China, India, Bangladesh and Thailand, as areas have surpassed 100 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius).

Kristie Ebi, professor of global health and of environmental and occupational health sciences at the UW, is quoted.

WA, Seattle launch campaign to plant thousands of urban trees

The Seattle Times

Officials with the state and city of Seattle on Thursday launched a renewed effort to plant trees in urban areas most affected by pollution, flooding and other extreme weather events, like the unprecedented 2021 heat wave that smashed record highs and killed more than 150 people in Washington.

Kristie Ebi, professor of global health and of environmental and occupational health sciences at the UW, is quoted.

Opinion: Fixing health care system isn't just about filling white space

STAT

"When I envision the U.S. health care system, the first thing that comes to mind is a Jackson Pollock painting: splashes of color chaotically surrounding white space. The splashes of color represent existing health care venues and resources; the white space represents the gaps across our system that prevent patients from gaining the right access and the right support to improve their health," writes Chris Dodd, clinical instructor of global health at the UW.

No big raise? Maybe health insurance is to blame

Policygenius

While the costs of health insurance have increased, this hasn’t resulted in increased value for employees. Deductibles have increased from $545 to more than $3,000, or 3% of household income before insurance starts paying for services.

Dr. Joseph Dieleman, adjunct associate professor of global health, and associate professor of health metrics sciences, is quoted.

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