Back in the Saddle

The article highlights the success of the National Environmental Health Association's 85th Annual Educational Conference and Exhibition held in Spokane, Washington from June 28, 2022 to July 1, 2022. Topics mentioned include a list of pre-conference offerings to members of the association, the acquisition of skills and knowledge to help solve the daily challenges, and the contribution of sponsors to the success of the event.

Distant Sibling Caregiving Changes in the Face of COVID-19 Challenges

Having had financial management courses gave me the tools to work with his lawyer to prepare a "Durable Power of Attorney" (POA) document;speak with his accountant to determine what to do and how to submit his taxes with me signing;to distribute copies of the POA to those requiring such a document so I could discuss medical issues and accounts (telephone, television) on his behalf;and to discuss short- and longterm care policies, making sure they were up-to-date and that I understood how claims could be filed on his behalf. Because of the need of the car hauler at my brother's (western side of state) and the fact our daughter and her husband live on the eastern side of Washington (state), we loaded up the car hauler with the furniture, etc. knowing we would make an extra stop to deliver items to her. Before leaving Arkansas, the Executive Director of the facility was called and an apartment was assigned. Because my brother was coming from Washington, a 2-week quarantine period in our home was requested before he could move into the facility and, again, after the move-in. * Tote bag items to carry in truck at all times: [...]I gathered all phone numbers for doctor, accountant, lawyer, insurance agent, neighbors;hours of operation for the nearest grocery store to my brother;local post office hours (had to submit permanent address change);checkbooks from which bills are paid;UPS office (had to terminate television account and return cable box);real

Effective Safety Protocols and Project Productivity Impacts for Construction Companies in Washington State During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The initial outbreak and ongoing surges of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have required the construction industry to adopt rigorous and innovative safety protocols and adapt to project productivity impacts and potential shutdowns. Initially, many projects were placed on hold, and only essential projects could continue after the institution of proper safety measures and often with a reduced workforce. This paper reviews the safety protocols and practices of construction projects during the early days of the pandemic and discusses the impact on the workforce and productivity. The authors gathered documentation and interviews from construction safety supervisors in the State of Washington. Analyzed data showed some effective safety protocols and creative coping plans for the pandemic. The findings and conclusions set out recommendations for a healthy and efficient work environment for construction projects during a pandemic that could be of interest to government officials and construction managers. © 2023, Canadian Society for Civil Engineering.

Is Outdoor Recreation Associated with Greater Climate Change Concern in the United States?

There has been extensive research on the association between environmental attitudes and outdoor recreation (or nature-based leisure activities) since the 1970s. There is now considerable evidence to support the claim that spending time in nature leads to greater connectedness to nature and thereby greater pro-environmental attitudes and behavior. However, there is an absence of research focused specifically on the association between outdoor recreation and concern for climate change, which is arguably the most pressing environmental problem facing the world today. We build on previous research by using the 2021 General Social Survey and structural equation modeling to analyze the association between frequency of engaging in outdoor recreation and concern for climate change among adults in the United States, with special attention to the role of enjoying being in nature. Controlling for other factors, we find that frequency of outdoor recreation has a positive, significant effect on climate change concern, but only indirectly via enjoyment of nature. Individuals who more frequently engage in outdoor recreation activities tend to report a greater sense of enjoyment of being outside in nature, and this enjoyment of nature is associated with a higher level of concern for climate change.

Editors' Introduction

Medina's summary article offers continued probes into who should be allowed to teach our nation's children and our most enduring priorities of attracting, preparing, cultivating, and retaining teachers. [...]utilizing the s submitted by the authors, descriptions of the four articles offer different perspectives from multiple settings. [...]these findings have implications for special education teacher preparation for edTPA and therefore future research is proposed. In closing, we quote from Dr. Medina's response article in this ussue that summarizes our current state of teacher education: "In these times we are living and teaching (eg., school closures, global pandemic, racial injustice, environmental collapse, etc.), our most enduring priority continues to be about attracting, preparing, cultivating, and retaining teachers appropriately.

HUSTLED OUT AND HUSTLED IN: A Year of Suburban Schooling in an Era of COVID-19

Over the next few weeks, the Saturday classes continued meeting and class members resumed intense conversations about the unprecedented effects of Coronavirus and its devastating impact on school district communities. Overnight, we had become a virtual school district with unchartered online learning platforms with which no one had any idea how to teach, and students' familiar in-person platforms were replaced with an unknown virtual world. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) gave the unprecedented green light to cancel state testing and students would not be held accountable for any learning, regardless of whether or not they chose to partake. [...]I chose the first option.

Higher severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection rate in pregnant patients.

BACKGROUND: During the early months of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, risks associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in pregnancy were uncertain. Pregnant patients can serve as a model for the success of clinical and public health responses during public health emergencies as they are typically in frequent contact with the medical system. Population-based estimates of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infections in pregnancy are unknown because of incomplete ascertainment of pregnancy status or inclusion of only single centers or hospitalized cases. Whether pregnant women were protected by the public health response or through their interactions with obstetrical providers in the early months of pandemic is not clearly understood. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to estimate the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection rate in pregnancy and to examine the disparities by race and ethnicity and English language proficiency in Washington State. STUDY DESIGN: Pregnant patients with a polymerase chain reaction-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection diagnosed between March 1, 2020, and June 30, 2020 were identified within 35 hospitals and clinics, capturing 61% of annual deliveries in Washington State. Infection rates in pregnancy were estimated overall and by Washington State Accountable Community of Health region and cross-sectionally compared with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection rates in similarly aged adults in Washington State. Race and ethnicity and language used for medical care of pregnant patients were compared with recent data from Washington State. RESULTS: A total of 240 pregnant patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infections were identified during the study period with 70.7% from minority racial and ethnic groups. The principal findings in our study were as follows: (1) the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection rate was 13.9 per 1000 deliveries in pregnant patients (95% confidence interval, 8.3-23.2) compared with 7.3 per 1000 (95% confidence interval, 7.2-7.4) in adults aged 20 to 39 years in Washington State (rate ratio, 1.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-2.3); (2) the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection rate reduced to 11.3 per 1000 deliveries (95% confidence interval, 6.3-20.3) when excluding 45 cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease 2 detected through asymptomatic screening (rate ratio, 1.3; 95% confidence interval, 0.96-1.9); (3) the proportion of pregnant patients in non-White racial and ethnic groups with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease 2 infection was 2- to 4-fold higher than the race and ethnicity distribution of women in Washington State who delivered live births in 2018; and (4) the proportion of pregnant patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection receiving medical care in a non-English language was higher than estimates of pregnant patients receiving care with limited English proficiency in Washington State (30.4% vs 7.6%). CONCLUSION: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection rate in pregnant people was 70% higher than similarly aged adults in Washington State, which could not be completely explained by universal screening at delivery. Pregnant patients from nearly all racial and ethnic minority groups and patients receiving medical care in a non-English language were overrepresented. Pregnant women were not protected from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in the early months of the pandemic. Moreover, the greatest burden of infections occurred in nearly all racial and ethnic minority groups. These data coupled with a broader recognition that pregnancy is a risk factor for severe illness and maternal mortality strongly suggested that pregnant people should be broadly prioritized for coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine allocation in the United States similar to some states.