California counties with high numbers of low-wage workers are seeing higher incidence of COVID-19, suggesting a link between so-called “worker distress” and spread of the virus, according to a new study by UC Merced’s Community and Labor Center.
Smokers and former smokers are not only more susceptible to COVID-19, they are far more likely to see their conditions worsen over time and to require intensive respiratory assistance, according to a review released Thursday by the UC Merced Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center (NCPC).
Furthermore, the health risks may be heightened for people exposed to secondhand smoke and secondhand vaping, it says.
UC Merced health experts will join other Central Valley medical leaders on Friday, Nov. 22, for the Rural Poverty and Health Equity Summit in Delano.
Professor Nancy Burke, chair of the Department of Public Health at UC Merced, is a featured speaker and will be part of the event’s opening panel discussion on building strong partnerships.
UC Merced will hold a free Spanish-language health conference for the community on Saturday, Nov. 16, with sessions on topics including preventative health measures, coping with stress, domestic violence and vaccines.
The event is led by the Medical Spanish Service Learning Project, which trains students how to discuss medical topics in Spanish.
