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Painkillers Sometimes Make the Pain Worse: Science Magazine—Why painkillers sometimes make the pain worse
Even a Cigarette a Day Is Bad for Your Health: New York Times—Even a Cigarette a Day Is Bad for Your Health
Heroin Deaths Exceeded Gun Homicides in 2015: PBS NewsHour—Heroin deaths exceeded gun homicides in 2015
Stay Safe and Healthy in Winter
Be Prepared to Stay Safe and Healthy in Winter
Although winter comes as no surprise, many of us are not ready for its arrival. If you are prepared for the hazards of winter, you will be more likely to stay safe and healthy when temperatures start to fall. Although periods of extreme cold cannot always be predicted far in advance, weather forecasts can sometimes provide you with prior notice. Listen to weather forecasts regularly and check your emergency supplies whenever a period of extreme cold is predicted. Click the image or here for ways to stay safe and healthy this winter.
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Prepare Your Home for Winter
If you plan to use a fireplace or wood stove for emergency heating, have your chimney or flue inspected each year. Be sure to install a smoke detector and a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector near the area to be heated. Test them monthly and replace batteries twice a year. All fuel-burning equipment should be vented to the outside.
Click the image or here to see more information on how to prepare your home for winter.
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Wear Appropriate Outdoor Clothing
Be sure the outer layer of your clothing is tightly woven and preferably wind resistant. Wool, silk, or polypropylene inner layers of clothing will hold more body heat than cotton. Stay dry—wet clothing chills the body rapidly. Do not ignore shivering. It’s an important first sign that the body is losing heat.
Click the image or here for details on appropriate winter clothing.
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Healthy Holidays
 12 Ways to Have a Healthy Holiday Season
Brighten the holidays by making your health and safety a priority. Take steps to keep you and your loved ones safe and healthy—and ready to enjoy the holidays. Click the image or here to see the 12 tips!
Cold
Weather Risks: Hypothermia and Frostbite
Hypothermia,
an abnormally low body temperature, is a serious condition that requires
emergency medical assistance. It is distinct from frostbite and can happen when
your body is exposed to cold temperatures for a prolonged period. Heat is lost
faster than it can be produced, eventually using up your body’s stored energy.
While hypothermia is more likely at very cold temperatures, it can occur even
at cool temperatures (above 40°F) if a person becomes chilled from rain, sweat,
or submersion in cold water.
Frostbite
is an injury to the body that is caused by freezing. While it is a less serious
condition than hypothermia, medical care is still recommended. Frostbite causes
a loss of feeling and color in affected areas. It most often affects the nose,
ears, cheeks, chin, fingers, or toes. Frostbite can permanently damage the body
and severe cases can lead to amputation. The risk of frostbite is increased in
people with reduced blood circulation and those who are not dressed
properly for extremely cold temperatures.
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What
To Do if You Detect Hypothermia or Frostbite
Both hypothermia and frostbite result from prolonged
exposure to cold weather. Hypothermia is a more serious condition and requires
emergency medical assistance, but frostbite can also require medical attention.
If you detect symptoms of either condition, seek medical care.
Click
the image or here
for more information on the signs and symptoms of hypothermia and frostbite.
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December Days to Remember
World AIDS Day
 December 1, 2016: World AIDS Day
Leadership. Commitment. Impact.
December 1 was World AIDS Day, a day to acknowledge our progress in HIV prevention and treatment around the world and renew our commitment to a future free of HIV. This year's theme, Leadership. Commitment. Impact., called leaders to strengthen their commitment to using evidence-based HIV interventions, prevention tools, and testing efforts to help us stop HIV.
Click the image or here for more information on CDC's global and domestic response to preventing and treating HIV.
Global Security Forum
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December 1: Global Security Forum 2016
Click the image or here to see CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden speak about the Global Health Security Agenda at The Center for Strategic & International Studies Global Security Forum 2016.
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NIVW 2016
 2016 National Influenza Vaccination Week
National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) took place December 4–10. The purpose of NIVW is to highlight the importance of flu vaccination through the holiday season and beyond. CDC and its partners choose December for NIVW to remind people that even though the holiday season has begun, it is not too late to get a flu vaccine. As long as flu viruses are spreading and causing illness, vaccination should continue throughout the flu season in order to protect as many people as possible against the flu.
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Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine
Influenza is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. The seasonal flu vaccine protects against the influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season.
Click the image or here for more facts on the seasonal flu vaccine.
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Updated Case Count Maps for the United States: Zika Cases Reported in the United States
MMWR: Zika Virus —10 Public Health Achievements in 2016 and Future Priorities
Press Release: CDC awards nearly $184 million to continue the fight against Zika
Zika
Info On-The-Go:
Sign up to receive Zika updates for your travel destination with CDC's new text
messaging service. Text PLAN to 855-255-5606 to subscribe.
Microcephaly During Pregnancy
 How Will I Know How My Baby is Doing During Pregnancy?
It is important to know that ultrasounds can show some, but not all, problems with development during pregnancy. Microcephaly can sometimes be seen on the 18–20 week ultrasound, but is more commonly detected later in the second trimester or early in the third trimester.
Your healthcare provider might order testing to see if you’ve been infected with Zika virus. Microcephaly can be caused by other exposures, such as certain infections or harmful substances like alcohol during pregnancy.
If you are expecting a baby with microcephaly or other health conditions related to Zika infection during pregnancy, you may be worried and unsure of next steps. Before the baby is born, it may be helpful to learn more information about Zika and pregnancy. Talk with your doctors and other specialists, and stay connected with family, friends, and support groups. Building a support system early may help once your baby is born.
Click the image or here for more information and resources on babies with microcephaly.
Zika Topic of the Week
December 26–30
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Start the Year Out
Right
Click the image or here to see how to make Zika prevention one of
your New Year resolutions.
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January 2–6
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What’s Your Zika IQ?
How much do you know about Zika? Click the image or here to see CDC's answers
to your questions.
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Upcoming Zika Topics of the Week:
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January 9: Why everyone should care about Zika
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January 16: One-year anniversary of CDC's Zika response
MotherToBaby
Pregnant women or families who would like to
speak to someone about a possible Zika virus infection or diagnosis during
pregnancy and potential risks to the baby can contact MotherToBaby, a service of the nonprofit
Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS). MotherToBaby is not
affiliated with CDC.
MotherToBaby experts are available during
business hours to answer questions in English or Spanish by phone or talk about Zika:
Stigma
can affect people, places, or things. It occurs when people associate a risk
with something specific—like a minority population group—and there is no
evidence that the risk is greater in that group than in the general population.
Stigmatization is especially common in disease outbreaks.
Example: A
2002 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in China caused
global concern. Unfortunately, fear also led to a great deal of stigma.
Although there were no associated cases of SARS in America, many citizens began
to avoid Chinatowns and other Asian-American communities—including Japanese,
Korean, and Vietnamese peoples—throughout the United States because they
believed those groups were at greater risk for spreading SARS.
Stigmatized groups may suffer psychologically and economically. They
may be subjected to:
- Social avoidance or rejection
- Denial of healthcare, education, housing, or employment
- Physical violence
Stigmatizing
minority groups may also distract people from focusing on the real risks in a
crisis situation. When only part of a population is perceived as being affected,
others may incorrectly believe they are not at risk. By assuming they are safe,
majority population groups may not take important public health precautions,
unintentionally compromising their own health and well-being.
Crisis communicators must work to counter stigmatization during
a disaster. Messages should reinforce real risks through accurate information
and awareness. Images should reflect all people who are susceptible to getting
sick. Ideally, public health messages will proactively address possible stigma
before it begins. However, prepared communicators should be ready to challenge
any negative stigmatizing behaviors that do emerge.
For more resources and information on CERC,
please see Crisis and Emergency Risk
Communication, 2014 Edition or Crisis and Emergency Risk
Communication Pandemic Influenza, 2007.
Have
you used CERC in your work? To share your CERC stories, e-mail
cercrequest@cdc.gov. Your stories may appear in future CERC Corners.
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