Category: Public Health
Washington streamlines guidance for COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses
The Washington State Department of Health announced updated guidance for what to do when someone is sick with COVID-19, flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and other respiratory viruses.
Some Medicines and Driving Don’t Mix
Although many medicines will not affect your ability to drive, some nonprescription and prescription medications can have side effects that may make it unsafe to drive or operate other heavy machinery.
Tuberculosis cases rise, but public health agencies say they lack the resources to keep up
People think tuberculosis is gone. … It’s here and growing.
Italian-style charcuterie meats linked to Salmonella infections in Washington
State health-officials advise people not to eat Fratelli Beretta Antipasto Gran Beretta purchased from Costco
The Cost of Freeing Drinking Water from ‘Forever Chemicals’
In proposing the limits, EPA officials said that they had leveraged the latest science to protect the public from PFAS pollution. Environmental groups welcomed the move as long overdue. But the standard has drawn widespread criticism from the water utility industry and some scientists who say that in many places, small drops in PFAS water levels will matter little for exposure or health.
Resources and emergency shelters available statewide to keep people safe and warm during dangerously cold winter weather
Cold weather can be very dangerous if you are not prepared, particularly for people without homes, the elderly, and those with medical conditions. Health risks include hypothermia, frostbite, falls, vehicle accidents, and carbon monoxide poisoning from improper indoor use of fires or generators. Winter storms can make these problems worse by causing power outages and property damage.
GET READY FOR WINTER WEATHER, INCLUDING POWER OUTAGES AND ROAD CLOSURES
We’re expecting high winds and gusts starting in the early morning on Tuesday, January 9 and continuing through the day, which could take down power lines and cause outages. This weekend, January 12-14, light snow might cover roads and disrupt travel.
US birth rates are at record lows – even though the number of kids most Americans say they want has held steady
Birth rates are falling in the U.S. Is this decline because, as some suggest, young people aren’t interested in having children? Or are people facing increasing barriers to becoming parents?
Health misinformation is rampant on social media – here’s what it does, why it spreads and what people can do about it
Studies show that health misinformation spread on social media results in fewer people getting vaccinated and can also increase the risk of other health dangers such as disordered eating and unsafe sex practices and sexually transmitted infections. Health misinformation has even bled over into animal health, with a 2023 study finding that 53% of dog owners surveyed in a nationally representative sample report being skeptical of pet vaccines.
This Thanksgiving − and on any holiday − these steps will help prevent foodborne illness
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 1 in 6 Americans, or 48 million people, get sick from a foodborne illness each year. According to the CDC, more than 1 million of these people get sick from salmonella, which is the primary pathogen associated with poultry.
Older adults want to ‘age in place,’ but their options are limited in most states
As America gets grayer, advocates are pushing for new types of housing. By Robbie Sequiera, Staff ReporterStateline As older adults begin to outnumber young people in the United States in the coming decade, advocacy groups are challenging states to shift…
Health insurance, now open to all; Enrollment starts Nov.1
Starting this year, Washington Healthplanfinder has expanded access to health coverage to include immigrants who are undocumented. More Washingtonians than ever will have the opportunity to buy an insurance plan that covers important health care services.
Naloxone now available over the counter in King County
The medication naloxone, brand name Narcan, that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose is now available over the counter in King County.
Federal shutdown should not immediately threaten food aid for WA mothers and kids
WIC provides food assistance to mothers and children up to 5 years old. In July, about 130,400 people received benefits from the program in Washington, including around 25,600 infants and 76,400 kids older than 1 year.
Death counts remain high in some states even as COVID fatalities wane
Fatalities from other causes such as traffic accidents, murders and overdoses are still on the rise.