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Chicago, May 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- More than a year after COVID-19 appeared in the U.S., dentists continue to have a lower infection rate than other front-line health professionals, such as nurses and physicians, according to a study published online ahead of the June print issue in The Journal of the American Dental Association. The study, COVID19 among Dentists in the U.S. and Associated Infection Control: a six-month longitudinal study, is based on data collected June 9 - Nov. 13, 2020.

According to the study, based on the number of dentists with confirmed or probable COVID-19 infections over more than six months, the cumulative infection rate for U.S. dentists is 2.6%. The monthly incidence rate varied, ranging from 0.2% to 1.1% per month. By comparison, in June 2020, the cumulative COVID-19 prevalence rate for other U.S. health professionals ranged from 3.3% (Chicago-based hospital physicians) to 35.3% (U.S. based emergency medicine services).

Were pleased to see that dentists have demonstrated continued low monthly incidence of disease despite several regional and national COVID-19 rate spikes during the study period, said American Dental Association (ADA) Science and Research Institute Chief Executive Officer Marcelo Araujo, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., the senior author of the report.

Dr. Araujo added, This study shows high rates of pre-appointment screening of patients and appropriate infection control measures throughout the study period, demonstrating that adhering to very strict protocols for enhanced infection control helps protect their patients, their dental team and themselves.

In addition to Dr. Araujo, other authors of the report include researchers from the ADA Science and Research Institute and Health Policy Institute based in Chicago, as well as Maria L Geisinger, D.D.S., M.S. with University of Alabama at Birmingham in Birmingham, Ala., and Effie Ioannidou, D.D.S., M.D.S., with the University of Connecticut in Farmington, Conn., and a member of the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs.

This study is a continuation of the first large-scale report of incidence rates of COVID-19 among dentists in the U.S published in October 2020. The present six-month longitudinal study aimed to:

The results of this present study, as well as the earlier study, show that prevalence and incidence rates among dentists continue to be very low when compared to the population as a whole and to other health care professionals.

This study reinforces that the dental care sector is up and running safely, said Chief Economist and Vice President of the ADA Health Policy Institute Marko Vujicic, Ph.D. Nowhere is this proof point more evident than by the fact that more than 90% of patients surveyed indicate they have already visited the dentist or soon will.

The authors plan future research projects on the barriers and facilitators to wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) according to CDC recommendations, and levels of protection against COVID-19 provided by different levels of PPE use and infection control procedures.

For more information on COVID-19 and dental visits, visit MouthHealthy.org.

Editors Note: Reporters are invited to follow the ADA on Twitter @AmerDentalAssn

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About the American Dental Association

The not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental association, representing more than 163,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The monthly The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) is the ADA's flagship publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit ADA.org. For more information on oral health, including prevention, care and treatment of dental disease, visit the ADAs consumer website MouthHealthy.org.

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COVID-19 Infection Rates of Dentists Remain Lower Than Other Health Professionals - GlobeNewswire

George Zimmerman was found not guiltyof murdering Trayvon Martin. For many, including myself, this is a fact that is hard to swallow. Yet considering the broad scope of Floridas state laws governing self-defense, we should not be surprised by the verdict.

Why do so many people feel that Zimmerman is guilty? Because they want to hold him accountable. A large body of psychological research has found evidence that people engage in a phenomenon called motivated reasoning.Instead of looking at a body of evidence and then reaching a conclusion based on facts, people often have a conclusion they want to reach and change the facts to fit that goal. People wanted Zimmerman to be guilty, and so they fit the facts of the case to that conclusion.

Many rejected the verdict because they wanted the jury to find him guilty. When it didnt, they assumed the jury got it wrong. We see what we want to see, and we ignore evidence that gets in our way.

Motivated reasoning has been at the core of this case from the start. Ironically, Zimmerman has quoteda passage from James Loewens Lies My Teacher Told Me,which says, People have a right to their own opinions, but not to their own facts. Evidence must be located, not created, and opinions not backed by evidence cannot be given much weight. This quote exemplifies the problems of motivated reasoning in this case: Zimmerman concluded that Martin was suspicious without any evidence, and then found facts (e.g., Martin wearing a hoodie) to back up his foregone conclusion.

But this display of motivated reasoning has distracted us from the bigger picture: it puts the focus on Zimmerman, when we should be focused on the law. Yet Zimmerman is only one part of the system that failed Trayvon Martin. Yes, Zimmerman shouldnt have stalked Martin based on his race. Yes, Zimmerman shouldnt have continued to follow Martin when the police told him not to. Yes, Zimmerman shouldnt have engaged Martin in a fight that eventually led to the young mans death. Zimmermans actions were problematic at best, and malicious at worst. But the jury found no compelling evidence that he did not act in accordance with the law.

Its psychologically easier for us to blame the jury than it is for us to blame the law. Research suggests that we find it aversive to recognize failures within our own system. We dont want to see the flaws with our government, so we justifyand bolster the status quoeven when it fails and disadvantages us. In this case, both lawmakers and citizens alike need to try to overcome this predilection, because recognizing that a law is unfair is the first step to fixing it.

Lets not make the same mistake that Zimmerman did and find facts to support our conclusions. In this case, the facts are that George Zimmerman is not guilty, at least in a legal sense. Its Floridas laws that are guilty and need to be changed.

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George Zimmerman: A Case Study in Motivated Reasoning ...

George Zimmerman, the ex-neighborhood watch volunteer who was acquitted at trial in the killing of Trayvon Martin in Florida in 2012, is suing Martin's parents, prosecutors and others claiming false evidence was used at the trial.

The lawsuit, which was filed in Florida state court and seeks $100 million in damages, also claims defamation by Martin family attorney Benjamin Crump, according to a Wednesday news release from Zimmerman's attorney, Larry Klayman.

Klayman, the founder of the conservative group Freedom Watch, said the suit is a result of newly discovered evidence in a new book and film by director Joel Gilbert, called "The Trayvon Hoax: Unmasking the Witness Fraud that Divided America."

The book claims the key witness in Zimmerman's 2013 murder trial, Rachel Jeantel, was an imposter and fake witness, Klayman said. Jeantel had testified that she was on the phone with Martin moments before he was killed but the book claims Jeantel was not on the phone with Martin and lied repeatedly to cause Zimmerman's arrest, Klayman said.

According to Klayman, Gilbert claims Jeantel was substituted for the real phone witness when that person "refused to bear false witness against Zimmerman."

In a statement Wednesday, Jeantel's attorney, Rod Vareen, called Zimmerman's lawsuit "frivolous."

"My client is done speaking about George Zimmerman and her involvement in the case. Her testimony at trial was accurate and her relationship with Trayvon Martin was however she defined it," Vareen said.

Zimmerman was acquitted in the shooting of Martin, who was from Miami Gardens and visiting his father in Sanford at the time, on the grounds of self-defense. He had been facing a possible life sentence.

The lawsuit names Martin's parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, along with Crump, the prosecutors in Zimmerman's trial and others, who "are alleged to either have known about or should have known about the witness fraud, obstructed justice, or lied repeatedly under oath in order to cover up their knowledge of the witness fraud."

Crump released a statement Wednesday on behalf of himself, Fulton and Tracy Martin, calling the suit "unfounded and reckless."

"This plaintiff continues to display a callous disregard for everyone but himself, revictimizing individuals whose lives were shattered by his own misguided actions. He would have us believe that he is the innocent victim of a deep conspiracy, despite the complete lack of any credible evidence to support his outlandish claims," Crump's statement read.

Klayman, Zimmerman and the filmmaker Gilbert had been scheduled to hold a press conference at Coral Gables Art Cinema Thursday to discuss the case, but the theater said they canceled the event after discovering the details of it.

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George Zimmerman Sues Trayvon Martins Parents, Others for ...

Welcome to a special George Zimmerman trial edition of This Week in Racism. Ill be ranking news stories on a scale of 1 to RACIST, with 1 being the least racist and RACIST being the most racist.

UPDATED ON JULY 14 AT 4:05 PM EST

- The worst case scenario for race relations came true and George Zimmerman was acquitted of all charges by a jury of his peers in Florida. Despite evidence that Zimmerman shot an unarmed child who was almost 100 pounds lighter than him andhad a history of run-ins with the police, he was not punished for ending Trayvon Martin's life. This occurred in the same state where a black woman could be sentenced to 20 years in prison for not shooting someone.

Pundits on both sides of the cultural divide have found signifcance in this outcome. The black community and sympathetic, liberal whites see this as yet another example of the prejudice inherent in the American judicial system. A white man has gotten away with a vigilante murder against a black child. Conservatives are applauding the decision because it not only reaffirms what they believe is the right to defend yourself with deadly force, but also focuses on their vision of an America that demonizes white people and unfairly paints blacks as victims. The problem with this narrative is that it's predicated on a lie.

The American news media, purveyors of truth and your only source for all the developments in the exciting life of Justin Bieber, continues to call George Zimmerman white. From the moment Trayvon Martin died at Zimmermans hand, news outlets across the nation have repeatedly referred to him as an overzealous white male neighborhood watch member who was overcome with racial animosity.

This creates a really appealing narrative, in which a white guy shot a black kid because racism. Battle lines can easily be drawn based on such a story: black people get on board with the story that Trayvon was killed by a white oppressor, and white people can comfortably defend Zimmermans right to protect himself from a dark-skinned hoodlum.

Its a hell of a lot simpler to create this clean, uncomplicated tale of racial tension than it is to correctly identify Zimmerman as the product of an interracial marriage between a white father and Peruvian mother. To deal with that complexity, the New York Times and others have adopted the rarely used phrasewhite Hispanicto describe the killer. Since important media types are throwing around this term, I assume it is now the proverbial new normal, and I'm going to start using it too, despite it being a totally clumsy way to deal with a difficult issue. If my sexual performance is any indication, I'm very comfortable with "clumsy."

My father is white, and my mother is black, so I suppose Im now white African, but isnt a white African a South African of Dutch descent? OK, what if I called myself white black? Is that accurate, or does that sound too much like a really bad punk bands name? Did I mention Im Jewish? How do I work that in? My grandfather on my moms side was part Native American, so I guess I need to add that to the mix. Next time I have to fill out a United States Census form, Im going to list myself as white Jewish black Native American, or Confused for short.

Im probably missing something in my heritage, but I bet were missing a few pieces of the puzzle for George Zimmerman too. I guess the next time a guy who looks white shoots a person who looks black, we should do thorough genealogical examinations of their backgrounds to be sure were exploiting them appropriately.

Oh, and congratulations to Barack Obama for being Americas first white Kenyan African Hawaiian ex-smoker with a mole and huge ears president. Thats quite an accomplishment! RACIST

Photo by Flickr User GageSkidmore

-Disgraced ex-prom queen and noted converter of oxygen into carbon dioxide Ann Coulter receives this weeks Ann Coulter Award for Excellence in Racism for contradicting herself completely in her latest column. First, let me give Ann credit for her frustration at the medias labeling of George Zimmerman as white. Shes helping expose a real troubling aspect of the way the United States covers the news. After briefly touching on that subject, she takes a sharp left-turn into Crazy Town which happens to be my favorite late 90s rap-rock band:

There were at least eight burglaries in the 14 months before Zimmerman's encounter with Martin. Numerous media accounts admit that 'most' of these were committed by black males. I'm waiting to hear about a single crime at Twin Lakes that was not committed by a black male.

This is her rationale for racial profiling and vigilante violenceit's OK to stalk people and then shoot them as long as they're the same race as someone who has recently committed a crime. Im not saying her stats are wrong, but I am saying that no number allows you to demonize an entire section of the population. As a person of color, like Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman, I dont want to walk down a suburban street and feel like theres a target on my back because someone who looks vaguely like me enjoys stealing flat screen TVs.

In the United States, the answer is always to shoot the problem away, be it at home or abroad. According to Ann Coulter's brain, extreme poverty, decaying educational institutions, de facto segregation, and systemic nihilism aren't problems that need to be tackled, we just need to stop "criminals." And one legitimate way to stop criminals, apparently, is to take the law into your own hands and walk around with a gun.

Excuse me while I go start a petition to get Ann Coulter to watch The Wire. RACIST

@YesYoureRacists Ten Most Racist Retweets of the Week [all grammar sic'd]:

10. @alexxzzhang: "I'm no racist but the three black men sitting in lawn chairs on corner of Tyron street are making it hard."

9. @kiedoherty: "Not racist but why do black girls feel the need to shout when there next to each other"

8. @416_ms24: "I'm not racist But all I'm saying is, if a man of a certain race is looking suspicious, I'm locking my doors"

7. @justbeingpiechy: "Im not racist but that ni**a cut me off!!!!"

6. @roadmiles58: "If the blacks riot on travon case blame the ni**er holder and Obama they bused over liberals to fuel this incident"

5. @mohamadmirza95: "I'm not racist but sometimes my mind is racist"

4. @itshaipha: "I am really sorry and not a racist but how do asians wear contact lenses"

3. @devinmmmm: "I'm not racist but I can't stand Indian people"

2. @shutupced: "happy 4th of July to all u Obama lovers have fun having a Ni**er in charge of ur country(:::"

1. @teapartynation: "Are we living in a post racial America or an America beset with liberal racism? #teaparty#zimmerman"

Last Week in Racism: Johnny Depp Plays Native American in Movie, World Shrugs

@dave_schilling

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George Zimmerman Isn't White - VICE

By Nicole Akoukou ThompsonFirst Posted: Oct 24, 2013 04:25 PM EDT

George Zimmerman, the man who is best known for his part in the fatal shooting of teenager Trayvon Martin, is having his ethnic identity questioned, as many immediately classified him as "white" before and during his trial, and some are now referring to him as "white Hispanic."

Zimmerman's brother, during an interview with NPR , stated that his brother's picture was often lightened, so he could visibly appear to have white skin, done so that he'd seem like a "mythological racist monster," instead of "a Hispanic non-racist person."

CNN was the first media outlet to use the term "white Hispanic" to describe Zimmerman, hoping to further define Latino ethnicity. The term went under fire, the Latino Rebels rejected it, as well as conservative news site Breitbart, that stated:

"By labeling Zimmerman a "white Hispanic," they serve their obvious political bias, but also they cynically serve their financial interests by keeping the race angle as part of the story's subtext."

Huffington Post stated that mediadidn'tcoin the phrase, however, it usually isn't meant to describe people like Zimmerman, who is according to Teresa Puente, has a medium brown complexion. "White Hispanic" is also meant to describe people who have European blood, but are Latin American or celebrate the heritage. Within the context of social convention, white refers to skin color.

Zimmerman's mother was born in Peru and has black ancestry, which includes her Afro-Peruvian grandfather. His father is white, and of German descent, and has had a long career in the military. Zimmerman's voter registration lists him as Hispanic. But, contingent on who you're speaking to, Zimmerman could be described as white, Hispanic, or "white Hispanic."

But, the term "white Hispanic" could be oddly appropriate, however. The natural counterpart to the phrase "Afro-Latino;" both are terms that capture an individual who lives on two sides of a coin, someone who could struggle with two competing identities because of mixed background or skin tone. The settle benefit of being "white Hispanic" as opposed to "Afro-Latino," however, is the additional privilege. "White Hispanic" makes one remember the concept of "passing," which permits one to take advantage of opportunities granted to them, because of, generally, skin color. But, sometimes, "passing" isn't simply about skin tone, it's about narrative. Zimmerman could easily wield stories about his father, the German military soldier, when he needed it access to the other side, just as easily as he could utilize being Hispanic to appear less guilty, because by being brown, himself, he could negate claims that he's racist.

The general fact, however, is that Zimmerman is mixed raced, and being that Latino is a multiracial identify, he qualifies.

2021 Latin Post. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

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George Zimmerman Ethnicity: Is he White, Latino or 'White ...