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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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A New Landscape This Fall

Sep 01, 2020 02:07PM ● By Isabella Dussias

This fall brings a new landscape for each of us. As students, many things will be different. Some will learn remotely; some will learn through a hybrid model of in-person and remote; and so-on. Added to that are changes to athletic schedules and after-school activities. While teens realize these measures and protocols are all in place for health and safety, it is something we have to get used to. Our world has truly been changed.

As teens, we strive to be patient and flexible; we strive to understand and adjust. I think my peers are doing a good job of rolling with our ever-changing world. We understand our schools are trying to promote learning while keeping us safe. Still, there is a lot for us to take in. As a generation, I believe the teens of today are adept at being resilient. We were born in a post-9/11 world when America had changed. We have not known those carefree times our parents experienced. We have seen many world events in our young lives, and now we are experiencing a pandemic. 

These are unsettling times for all of us. As teenagers we had certain things in our head about how our graduation would look, how our prom would be, who would be homecoming king or queen and how our first year of college would be. This past year has accentuated that there are no guarantees in life. With life comes lessons, and my generation is learning that if we accept the unexpected and keep moving forward in difficult times, we will develop a strength that will aid us in the future.

Isabella Dussias is a 17-year-old singer-songwriter/composer from New Jersey. She enjoys writing about issues that are important to today’s youth, and she believes music is an important outlet to connect people and share messages through the creativity of lyric and melody. For more information, please visit IsabellaDussias.com.

In-Print Local Insights September 2020
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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