Princeton University, and Elvis Xu, an environmental scientist from the
Based on recent studies, the authors estimated that some 129 billion single-use face masks are used per month worldwide. This figure corresponds to three million masks used per minute. Most of these masks are made from plastic microfibers, typically ranging in size from five millimeters (mm) to microscopic lengths.
There have been increasing reports as well of the inappropriate disposal of soiled face masks. The authors said it is urgent to recognize single-use face masks as a potential environmental threat to prevent them from becoming the next big plastic problem.
Face masks could be worse than plastic bottles
›New study finds slightly increased rates of vein blood clots after AstraZaneca Covid vaccine; stresses risk of adverse events low
New study finds slightly increased rates of vein blood clots after AstraZaneca Covid vaccine; stresses risk of adverse events low
SECTIONS
New study finds slightly increased rates of vein blood clots after AstraZaneca Covid vaccine; stresses risk of adverse events lowPTI
Last Updated: May 07, 2021, 05:35 PM IST
Share
Synopsis
The findings are based on 280,000 people aged 18-65 who received a first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.
iStock
Related
NEW DELHI: A large study in Denmark and Norway has found slightly increased rates of vein blood clots, including in the brain, among adults who had received their first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, compared with expected rates in the general population. However, the study published in The BMJ on Wednesday, stresses that the risk of such adverse events is considered low.
The findings are based on 280,000 people aged 18-65 who received a first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, known as Covishield in India, from February 2021 through to 11 March 2021 in Denmark and Norway.
Using national health records, they identified rates of events, such as heart attacks, strokes, deep vein blood clots and bleeding events within 28 days of receiving a first vaccine dose and
The researchers found 59 blood clots in the veins compared with 30 expected, corresponding to 11 excess events per 100,000 vaccinations.
This included a higher than expected rate of blood clots in the veins of the brain, known as cerebral venous thrombosis (2.5 events per 100,000 vaccinations), the said.
New study documents possible adverse events in relation to Vaxzevria COVID-19 vaccine
The new Danish-Norwegian study is the first study to document possible adverse events in relation to the COVID-19 vaccine Vaxzevria from AstraZeneca, in which all vaccine recipients have been followed systematically, as opposed to previous studies, which have relied primarily on reported adverse reactions.
The new study was a cooperation between Danish and Norwegian research institutions.
- In this study, we were able to identify all hospital contacts among vaccinated persons by utilising the unique Danish and Norwegian health registers. This ensures that we get a comprehensive of the rate of adverse reactions. Previous studies have been dependent on spontaneous reporting of adverse events in individual patients, which carries a risk of under-reporting, says Anton Pottegård, who is a professor at the University of Southern Denmark and co-author of the study.