Sep 30, 2020, 5:25 PM
(From Inside Higher Ed) The number of young adults with COVID-19 rose by 55% from early August to early September, as most colleges were bringing students back to their campuses, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a new report published this week. The report confirmed what many public health experts have long warned: Infections in young adults lead to infections in older people who are much more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID-19 than people in their 20s and 30s. It concluded by recommending preventive measures targeted to young adults, including social media toolkits discussing the importance of mask wearing, social distancing, and hand hygiene.
(From SHRM) Caregiving responsibilities have increased for U.S. workers since the pandemic, and a quarter of families say they are struggling, according new data from Wellthy, a health care concierge based in New York. Although 40% of surveyed adults said the pandemic has not impacted their daily or weekly caregiving responsibilities, 21% said it has greatly increased the amount of time spent per day or week on care-related activities. This all adds up to a massive burnout of caregivers in the U.S. workforce, according to HR thought leader Adam Golderg. To help prevent employee burnout, Golderg recommends employers consider short-term leave policies related to the pandemic and consider reallocating money budgeted for team outings or other activities not used at this time and use the funds for stipends for tutoring or after-school care.
(From the Washington Post) The former superintendent of a Pennsylvania school district and two other officials were charged this week with felony child endangerment over allegations they covered up dangerous levels of lead and asbestos contamination in the schools and exposed students and staff to serious health risks. An environmental engineer said he first notified district officials in 2016 that he had found elevated lead levels in drinking water. Current and former employees of the district have alleged in a separate federal lawsuit that officials knew for years that unsafe levels of lead and asbestos posed potential health risks for students and staff but never disclosed the information to them or the public. The comes as schools across the country have been grappling with how to address environmental hazards in aging school buildings.
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