Health and Environment: A Changing Paradigm in the COVID-19 Era

The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply impacted our relationship with the environment and the achievement of sustainable development goals, occasionally in opposite ways. The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 has demonstrated the urgent need to adopt the “one health” approach in every future action involving health and the environment, and its spread has highlighted the importance of research about the environmental determinants of its transmission. Increasing knowledge about the viru’s presence in different environmental matrices and conditions is revealing the significant diffusion of its RNA, although its actual viability in these circumstances remains to be demonstrated. Moreover, some epidemiological findings suggest that environmental conditions may be associated with the spread and related mortality of the virus. COVID-19 prevention still relies on measures linked to the environment: the use of masks, social distancing, hygiene and disinfection. On the other hand, some of these measures can exacerbate environmental pollution, such as increased waste (gloves and masks) and the generalized use of disinfectants: This can produce an apparent conflict of interest between infective and chemical risks. Therefore, the COVID-19 pandemic should change our approach to environmental risk assessment, focusing not only on chemicals but also on biological agents, with the analysis and comparison of these substances using quantitative methods. Efforts made toward recovering from the socio-economic impact of the pandemic should also be focused on environmental preservation and protection. In conclusion, the pandemic provides us with the opportunity to rethink the coupling of health and the environment from a wider and more comprehensive perspective

Ambiente e salute: necessità, anche tecnica, di una visione integrata

The Author considers the negative effects of the dichotomy between the environmental and health institutions and the need to overcome it. Scientists have a prominent role in the formulation and application of the environment and health regulations, writing guidelines, expressing opinions and producing technical risk assessments. To this aim they should combine multidisciplinary competencies, taking in account the most recent scientific knowledge and the appropriate protocols to define uncertainty and to compare conflicting points of view. Moreover, the involvement of citizens is essential in taking decision and defining the levels of acceptable risk, but it implies that they reach a proper level of Health Literacy to understand and evaluate information. Scientists have the duty of transferring and exchanging knowledge with decision makers and citizen

Covid-19 Airborne Transmission and Its Prevention: Waiting for Evidence or Applying the Precautionary Principle?

Besides the predominant ways of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (namely, contacts and large droplets) the airborne one is increasingly taken into consideration as a result of latest research findings. Nevertheless, this possibility has been already suggested by previous studies on other coronaviruses including SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. To describe the state of the art of coronaviruses and airborne transmission, a systematic review was carried out using the PRISMA methodology. Overall, 64 papers were selected and classified into three main groups: laboratory experiments (12 papers), air monitoring (22) and epidemiological and airflow model studies (30). The airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is suggested by the studies of the three groups, but none has yet obtained complete evidence. The sampling and detection methods have not been validated, therefore monitoring results are affected by a possible underestimation. Then, epidemiological investigations only hypothesize the airborne transmission as a possible explanation for some illness cases, but without estimating its attributable risk. Nevertheless, while waiting for more evidence, it is urgent to base advice on preventive measures, such as the use of masks, safe distancing and air ventilation, on the precautionary principle

Editorial: Bioaerosol emission characteristics and the epidemiological, occupational, and public health risk assessment of waste and wastewater management

Waste management industries are vital to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals suggested by World Health Organization. Besides SDGs achievement, also the circular economy is dependent on the waste sector. The circular economy intends to reuse existing resources instead of disposing of materials that are no longer useful. Thus, the circular economy is very dependent on an increased workforce dedicated to waste management. Nonetheless, while better waste management is being predicted as a critical contributor to reducing health outcomes and environmental negative impacts, the bioaerosols´ occupational exposure in the waste sector is being neglected leading to negative outcomes on workers’ health. The scientific community and stakeholders should be also aware of the foreseen increased exposure to microbes and antimicrobial resistance in different environments that will lead to a boost of exposure to bioaerosols in the waste sector, mainly due to climate change.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Investigating the role of Acanthamoeba polyphaga in protecting Human Adenovirus from water disinfection treatment

Human adenoviruses are responsible for a wide range of clinical infections and are present in aquatic environments, includingriver, seawater, drinking-water and sewage. Free-living amoebae (Acanthamoeba) in the same environments may internalizethem and other microorganisms can act as a reservoir for the internalized viruses. In this study, we studied the interactionbetween Acanthamoeba polyphaga and Human Adenovirus type 5 (HAdV 5) to determine whether the amoeba played a rolein protecting the internalized viruses from chemical disinfection. The efficacy of sodium hypochlorite disinfection against A.polyphaga and HAdV 5 either singly or in combination was assessed at three different concentrations. Individually, the amoebawere more resistant to chemical disinfection than HAdV 5 and remained alive after exposure to 5 mg/l of sodium hypochlorite.In contrast, HAdV 5 lost infectivity following exposure to 2.5 mg/l of sodium hypochlorite. When the amoeba and HAdV 5were co-cultured, infectious virus was found in the cytoplasm of the amoeba at 5 mg/l disinfectant concentration. These findingssuggest that the A. polyphaga is providing protection for the HAdV 5

Mass media health information: Quantitative and qualitative analysis of daily press coverage and its relation with public perceptions

Objective: This paper describes the methods followed by the Pisa University OCS for collecting, storing and analyzing all health-related articles and database contents. Moreover, an example population survey on the topic of food safety based on such analysis is shown. Methods: Articles published each day since 1999 in Italy\u27s three most popular newspapers are collected and stored in a Data Base Text; on these articles quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted. On the basis of these results as well as of epidemiological data, a questionnaire survey was carried out about sources of information, knowledge and risk perception of citizens regarding food safety. Results: On a total of 24,434 articles on all health topics, 18% regarded food related hazards: their evolution over time showed peaks on BSE, avian flu and dioxin. A large proportion of the people surveyed declared having changed their food habits, at least temporarily, as a consequence of media information. Most get their information on food safety mainly from television. Most respondents remembered having previously heard news on BSE, avian flu and dioxin, but did not recall having heard of listeriosis, brucellosis or typhoid fever. Conclusions: Newspapers articles facing food related hazards tend to be alarming thus affecting the citizens risk perception. On the other hand people often ignore how to manage their own food safety in a practical way. Practice implications: Analysis of media messages can help to evaluate and correct the negative effects that may result in wrong information

Health literacy, emotionality, scientific evidence: Elements of an effective communication in public health

The importance of healthcare providers' communication abilities is still underestimated. Informing the population on the basis of documented evidence is essential but not enough to induce a change in the beliefs of who is doubtful or does not accept preventive interventions, such as vaccination. Lining up the offer of prevention to the knowledge of the citizens, also improving Health Literacy skills, is a critical step toward their empowerment and behavior change. The 2017 Erice Declaration was drafted to propose to the Institutions and the scientific community the main goals to improve communication and counteract Vaccine Hesitancy, at a very critical time, when mandatory vaccination was introduced in Italy