AbstractGlobal health security comprises all efforts taken to prepare, respond, and recover from public health events that adversely impact the safety of the entire global population. Threats to global health security have traditionally been epidemic in nature; however natural disasters, social upheaval, war, and other destabilizers of human societies can…
Three years have elapsed since the onset of COVID-19, and it is evident that the timing of mitigation efforts shaped the trajectory and severity of national outbreaks in Latin America. ((Frenk, Julio, et al. "Covid-19 in the Americas: A Case in Contrasts." LATIN AMERICA ADVISOR A DAILY PUBLICATION OF THE…
It was 11:30p.m. on August 1st, and I arrived in Colombia as a Fulbright scholar. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, I had my K95 mask tightly secured on my face and, behind fogged-up glasses, I read the signs in Spanish directing me to immigration in customs. After years of anticipation, Fulbright…
On the Origins of the Origins Discourse On May 3, 2020, then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo proclaimed, “there is a significant amount of evidence that [COVID-19] came from that laboratory in Wuhan.” ((Borger, J. (2020, May 3). Mike Pompeo: “enormous evidence” coronavirus came from Chinese lab. The Guardian. https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/03/mike-pompeo-donald-trump-coronavirus-chinese-laboratory)) His…
Abstract In any sort of immersive educational experience, growth occurs through gains in self-awareness and perspective. This growth results directly from the discomfort experienced when your personal episteme and culture differ from that of your new environment. This article introduces the term “uncomfort” and describes how discomfort emerges from the…
The global shift in morbidity and mortality from communicable to noncommunicable disease is well documented. ((Alwan A, World Health O. Global status report on noncommunicable diseases 2010. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2011.)) In the United States, there is also a rise in the number of patients - both adult and…
Herpes, syphilis, HPV, chlamydia, gonorrhea: don’t be mistaken, this is not the sexually transmitted infection (STI) version of the oh-so-popular Pepto Bismol commercial. No, this is just a short list of STIs students in many high school health classes are shown photos of as a scare tactic in an attempt…
In 2002, my parents nervously packed my brother and me into the car, and we drove silently to Indianapolis. We were providing emotional support to my father as he registered himself in the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS), a post-9/11 immigration policy, which required foreign nationals from 25 countries…
Meet “Mercedes” Mercedes drove two hours to the nearest healthcare clinic to get her first physical exam in ten years. I met Mercedes while shadowing primary care physician Dr. L. In the clinic, Mercedes divulged to me how nervous she had been driving in – she knew what the meeting…
To some of us sitting in the comfort of our home, wildfires are a rare occurrence. However, California residents deal with this every year. It is an ongoing struggle for the people who reside in the beautiful state of California and for our ecosystem. Wildfires in California It is essential…
Behavioral habits developed during adolescent years (10-17 years old) are strong indicators of health outcomes and risk for developing chronic disease later in life. Adolescence is a particularly vulnerable time in development because individuals at this age are most sensitive to the influences of their social environments such as school.…
The pandemic changed everything. The United States' first confirmed case of COVID-19 occurred in January, and the virus has rapidly infected 6.5 million people and killed more than 193,000 as of September 15, 2020. A slow federal response increased viral spread, often through asymptomatic carriers, which has harmed people across…
