A new study recently published in the journal “The Lancet Global Health” stated that in the prevention and control of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, it is necessary to be alert to the risk of virus transmission in the sewage system of buildings.
In order to explore whether wastewater pipes can become a channel for virus transmission, the Heriot-Watt University team conducted simulation experiments on the wastewater piping system on the upper and lower two floors. The results showed that the virus-laden sewage can be transmitted through the U-shaped pipe in the bathroom, and the air changer can bring the virus-laden air to other rooms. In addition, the air flow inside the wastewater pipe helps microorganisms enter different floors, and each room is contaminated by microorganisms.
In 2003, the World Health Organization issued a report on a large-scale SARS outbreak in an apartment building in Hong Kong, China, stating that 342 cases and 42 deaths were confirmed in the 50-story apartment building in the short to medium term. Researchers believe that the study has important guiding significance for the prevention and control of the current new crown epidemic, which has a strong spread. Factors such as the connection method of the wastewater pipeline system, the degree of use, and the concentration of infected people will affect the possibility of spreading the virus. When the density of infected people is high, the amount of virus in the wastewater pipeline system will increase, and the risk of disease spread will increase. Therefore, even if people are self-isolating, it may cause an increase in the number of infections in buildings.
In order to minimize the risk of virus transmission through the sewage system, the researchers put forward the following suggestions: 1. Don’t ignore the inexplicable peculiar smell in rooms equipped with U-shaped pipes such as bathrooms and kitchens, and confirm that the U-shaped pipes function normally. 2. To ensure the normal operation of the U-tube water sealing device, turn on the faucet at least twice a day for 5 seconds. 3. If the waste water pipe is broken, seal it immediately.
Drinking a big alcohol breaks the brain for 6 weeks
Generally speaking, headaches, fatigue and other discomforts caused by drinking will dissipate after one or two sleeps. Therefore, many people think that drinking only once is not a big problem. Recently, a joint study between Spain and Germany found that after 6 weeks of drinking, our brains are still continuously damaged.
A joint research team of the Spanish Institute of Neuroscience and the German Central Institute of Mental Health compared the brain MRIs of 90 alcoholics with 36 non-drinkers and observed the continuous degeneration of the brain white matter of alcoholics. The brain scan results showed that alcohol has the greatest impact on two brain parts, one is the hippocampus and the other is the prefrontal cortex. Memory, emotion, decision-making, and behavior are all controlled by these two parts, so the above functions will be impaired. Compared with people who did not drink alcohol, after two weeks of sobering, the electrical activity of neurons in the brain of drinkers was still significantly lower, and this effect would last for 6 weeks after stopping drinking.
Researcher Dr. Santiago Canale said: “The results of this research challenge people’s conventional wisdom. In fact, the damage caused by alcohol to the brain is much more than that of the morning of the hangover. At least 6 weeks after that, the brain’s neurons are damaged. Communication’ is changing, and nerve signal transmission continues to be restricted.”
Eat more citrus fruits to prevent pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer is known as the “king of cancer” because it is hidden and difficult to treat. In recent years, its global incidence has been on the rise. There have been many studies on anti-cancer food therapy, but the relationship between pancreatic cancer and eating habits is still unclear. Recently, a new study by the Institute of Social and Health of the National Cancer Research Center of Japan found that eating more citrus fruits can reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer and play a preventive role.
The research team conducted a 17-year follow-up survey of 90,000 men and women. According to the daily intake of 17 kinds of fruits and 29 kinds of vegetables, the researchers divided the participants into 4 groups for comparative analysis. The results found that eating more citrus fruits, tangerines, tangerines, oranges, and pomelo, has the most obvious effect on reducing the incidence of pancreatic cancer.
Researchers believe that the reason why eating fruits can reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer is mainly because the fruits contain antioxidants such as vitamins. The vitamin C content in citrus fruits is particularly high. Experts suggest that people with a family history of pancreatic cancer should reduce smoking and eat as much fruit as possible.