Threats to public health workers.

Media reports and data from public health professional membership organizations have demonstrated high levels of harassment experienced by public health workers throughout the COVID-19 response. We documented personal and political threats to public health workers across the first 12 months of pandemic response through a longitudinal survey completed in Fall 2020 and Summer 2021. The web-based survey was distributed to respondents using the Qualtrics survey platform.

Changes in anxiety and depression among public health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted mental health indicators, leading to an increase in symptoms of anxiety and depression in both the general population of adults and children and many occupational groups. This study aims to examine changes in anxiety and depression among a cohort of public health workers in the U.S.

Lessons Learned From the Public Health Workforce's Experiences With the COVID-19 Response.

Limited research is available on the COVID-19 response experiences of local, state, and federal public health workers in the United States. Although the response to COVID-19 is still presenting challenges to the public health workforce, public health systems must also begin to consider lessons learned that can be applied to future disasters. During July and August 2021, a random sample of participants from a cross-sectional study of the public health workforce was invited to participate in interviews to obtain information on the current state of public health operations, the ongoing response to the COVID-19 crisis, and takeaways for improving future preparedness and response planning.

Flooding and emergency department visits: Effect modification by the CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) is a census-based metric that includes 15 socioeconomic and demographic factors split into four themes relevant to disaster planning, response, and recovery. Using CDC/ATSDR SVI, health outcomes, and remote sensing data, we sought to understand the differences in the occurrence of overall and cause-specific emergency department (ED) visits before and after a 2017 flood event in Texas following Hurricane Harvey, modified by different levels of social vulnerability. We used a controlled before-after study design to estimate the association between flooding and overall and cause-specific ED visits after adjusting for the baseline period, seasonal trends, and individual-level characteristics.

Estimating changes in emergency department visits associated with floods caused by Tropical Storm Imelda using satellite observations and syndromic surveillance.

Background: Satellite observations following flooding coupled with electronic health data collected through syndromic surveillance systems (SyS) may be useful in efficiently characterizing and responding to health risks associated with flooding.

Results: There was a 10% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1%-19%) increase in asthma related ED visits and 22% (95% CI: 5%-41%) increase in insect bite related ED visits in the flooded ZCTAs compared to non-flooded ZCTAs during the flood period. One month following the floods, diarrhea related ED visits were increased by 15% (95% CI: 4%-27%) for flooded ZCTAs and children and adolescents from flooded ZCTAs had elevated risk for dehydration related ED visits.

A Qualitative Study of the COVID-19 Response Experiences of Public Health Workers in the United States.

The mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline, patient-facing healthcare staff have been described in several studies, but the effects of the COVID-19 response on the US public health workforce have not been well characterized. In early 2021, we conducted interviews with a subset of public health practitioners in the United States who participated in a cross-sectional survey and indicated their willingness to participate in a follow-up interview. An interview guide was developed to collect information about professional roles since the start of the pandemic, aspects of the individual COVID-19 response that impacted mental health, and aspects of the organizational/institutional COVID-19 response that impacted mental health, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of, opportunities for, and threats to public health professionals and organizations going forward.

The impact of the COVID-19 response on the provision of other public health services in the U.S.: A cross sectional study.

Introduction: Funding and staff formerly dedicated to routine public health tasks (e.g., responding to communicable and non-communicable diseases, investigating foodborne outbreaks, conducting routine surveillance) and services (e.

Emergency department visits associated with satellite observed flooding during and following Hurricane Harvey.

Background: Flooding following heavy rains precipitated by hurricanes has been shown to impact the health of people. Earth observations can be used to identify inundation extents for subsequent analysis of health risks associated with flooding at a fine spatio-temporal scale.

Objective: To evaluate emergency department (ED) visits before, during, and following flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey in 2017 in Texas.

Public Health Workforce Burnout in the COVID-19 Response in the U.S.

While the health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline health care workers have been well described, the effects of the COVID-19 response on the U.S. public health workforce, which has been impacted by the prolonged public health response to the pandemic, has not been adequately characterized.

Heavy precipitation as a risk factor for shigellosis among homeless persons during an outbreak - Oregon, 2015-2016.

Objectives: Shigella species are the third most common cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in the United States. During a Shigella sonnei outbreak in Oregon from July 2015 through June 2016, Shigella cases spread among homeless persons with onset of the wettest rainy season on record.

Methods: We conducted time series analyses using Poisson regression to determine if a temporal association between precipitation and shigellosis incidence existed.

Prevalence of and beliefs about electronic cigarettes and hookah among high school students with asthma.

Purpose: To assess current cigarette, hookah, and electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among high school students with and without asthma. Beliefs and use of tobacco products by a household member were also examined.

Methods: The 2014 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey was administered to high school students to assess current use of cigarettes, hookah, and e-cigarettes (i.