Public Health | Penn Today

COVID-19 pandemic worsened patient safety measures

A new study from Penn Nursing found that rates of falls, infections, and injuries increased significantly during the pandemic, and have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.

A teenager looking at a cellphone while driving.

The dangers of handheld cellphone use among teen drivers

A new study by researchers at Penn Nursing and the Perelman School of Medicine links newly licensed teen drivers to risky driving behaviors, and recommends teens and their parents develop strategies to avoid using cellphones while driving.

What to know about the current avian influenza outbreak

Louise Moncla and Aliza Simeone of Penn Vet and Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center share helpful information for the public.

In a warming world, public needs to know more about protections from mosquito-borne illnesses

A panel survey of U.S. residents finds that only 15% worry that they or their families will contract dengue, West Nile virus, or other mosquito borne-illnesses.

The Washington Post

Got canker sores? Try switching your toothpaste

Richard Wender of the Perelman School of Medicine says that canker sores often start with a minor trauma to the mucosal lining, like a sharp edge on a tooth or a pair of prickly braces.

A vibrant collection of discarded electronic cigarette vapes.

How synthetic nicotine brands market e-cigarettes to young people on social media

A study finds that most ads for e-cigarettes on Instagram, a platform dominated by users under the age of 25, do not adhere to FDA health warning requirements.

Vials labeled "SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 Vaccine" lit up with neon light on a machine filling them.

More accept COVID-19 vaccine misinformation, and willingness to vaccinate has declined

A health survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center finds a rise in the number of Americans believing COVID-19 vaccination misinformation, and a lower willingness to vaccinate.

Hanzhong Luo has his body heat scanned in a cooling shelter prototype.

Testing a novel, community-driven response to heat islands in Philadelphia

Researchers from three University of Pennsylvania schools collaborated with a Hunting Park nonprofit to design, build, and test a prototype of a cooling shelter to place at a bus stop.

A group of Penn Medicine emergency responders with face masks look over plans during an emergency drill.

Keeping calm in case of catastrophe

How emergency medical teams at Penn Medicine build the playbook for disaster preparedness.

Doing the work to end health disparities

Ala Stanford is a surgeon, a national leader in health equity, and professor of practice at Penn. Her new book chronicles her path from North Philly, how she served thousands during the COVID-19 pandemic, and her work to end health disparities.

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