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Learn about Juvenile Arthritis.
In Your Neighborhood
United Way of Henry County-Martinsville seeks a Literacy Tutoring Specialist. This position will be responsible for delivering literacy tutoring services intended to improve academic outcomes with early learning/elementary students in the community, and is through AmeriCorps. Service members will be responsible for working with students identified by teachers and school administration that are at risk of falling behind academic standards in their respective grades. For more information and to apply: www.unitedwayofhcm.org/careers
Diseases like mumps, measles, and whooping cough (pertussis) are starting to return to pre-pandemic levels in the commonwealth. According to Virginia State Epidemiologist Dr. Laurie Forlano, there were fewer cases of those and other diseases during the pandemic because people were not spending much time together. “Now that we are back to a state of normalcy, these diseases are still among us and able to transmit.” Parents are encouraged to get their children vaccinated against preventable diseases. To see the Back to School immunization schedules for the schools in the West Piedmont Health District, visit West Piedmont Health District - West Piedmont (virginia.gov)
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News You Can Use
Skeeter Beaters
Virginia Horse Owners: Remember to vaccinate your horses against mosquito-borne illnesses like Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile Virus. A case of EEE was recently detected in an unvaccinated horse in Suffolk. This disease has a mortality rate of up to 90 percent. While infected horses cannot infect another horse or humans, an infection indicates the presence of mosquitos that are transmitting the disease. Contact your veterinarian to schedule vaccinations for these diseases if you have not already done so. You can find more information about these mosquito-borne illnesses here: https://ow.ly/9ZyL50SHpRn
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Dengue Is Rising in the U.S. Dengue isn't normally a disease that people in the U.S. are concerned about. But cases in the U.S. this year are already closing in on the total number of cases in all of 2023. Here’s How to Protect Yourself – TIME
Dengue Virus Linked to Elevated Risk of Depression & Sleep Disorders – Forbes
Listeria, Fake Ozempic, & Fatal Stimulants
Meat from deli counters in the U.S. has been linked to a listeria outbreak that has killed two people and led to 28 hospitalizations across 12 states, the CDC announced; the agency is still working to identify contaminated products. NPR
WHO Issues Warning on Rise of Counterfeit Semaglutides Like Ozempic. Fake weight-loss drugs are on the rise, potentially eroding trust in legitimate healthcare providers and pharmaceutical supply chains. In June, The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning about a rise in counterfeit versions of Ozempic and other semaglutides, a class of GLP-1 drugs intended for diabetes management and weight-loss. The FDA had warned about counterfeits in the U.S. last year.
Stimulant users caught up in fatal 'fourth wave' of opioid epidemic – NPR Shots
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Health Equity
U.S. Infant Mortality Increasing
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U.S. infant mortality increased in 2022 for the first time in two decades; more than 20,500 babies died in 2022 before the age of 1, according to a new CDC report; the 5.6 infant deaths for every 1,000 live births marked a 3% increase from the previous year. CNN
- Wide disparities continue to persist among different racial demographics. Deaths among infants of Black women remained the highest of all groups, with 10.90 deaths per 1,000 live births. In contrast, infants of Asian women had the lowest mortality rate at 3.51.
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The CDC report highlights state-by-state differences. Massachusetts boasts the lowest state-level mortality rate at 3.32 deaths per 1,000 live births, while Mississippi records the highest at 9.11.
Read the report: National Vital Statistics Reports Volume 73, Number 5 July 25,2024 Infant Mortality in the United States, 2022: Data From the Period Linked Birth/Infant Death File (cdc.gov)
We Cannot Fix Inequities We Do Not See
Opinion from Harvard Public Health
We know that the U.S. is plagued by health disparities that begin in the womb and continue throughout life. The life expectancy of Native Americans and Alaska Natives—67.9 years—is nearly 10 years less than the life expectancy of White Americans. Black infants are more than twice as likely to die as White infants. And we know all of this even though we actually have very little meaningful data about these populations.
Disaggregated data about racial and ethnic groups is often unavailable, not only in health but also in education, labor, and economics. . . Creating health equity requires more information: We cannot fix inequities we do not see.
Researchers often cite small sample size as an obstacle to collecting data from small minority groups in the United States. In reality, this is less of a problem than a myth - Small sample size doesn’t justify lack of health disparity data (harvardpublichealth.org)
Why you are probably sitting too much.
Typical sedentary behaviors including television-watching, gaming, driving and desk-bound work are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and premature mortality, and the time we spend sitting down in particular has been identified as an independent risk factor in a range of health conditions. …
Researchers generally agree that 120-180 minutes of uninterrupted sitting is probably the threshold at which you have probably spent too long in a seated position . . .
The muscular skeletal system is also likely to be affected. Prolonged sitting contributes to reduced muscle strength, lower bone density and increased total and visceral fat in adipose tissue. Additionally, prolonged sitting is associated with physical discomfort, stress at work and higher depression, and can even lead to pressure ulcers.
Why you are probably sitting down for too long (bbc.com)
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What are the latest CDC COVID Guidelines?
On March 1, the CDC released updated recommendations for how people can protect themselves and their communities from respiratory viruses, including COVID. Here's what to do if you're exposed:
- People who test positive should stay home and away from others (including those you live with who are not sick).
- You can go back to your normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, both are true:
- Your symptoms are getting better overall, and
- You have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication).
- When you go back to your normal activities, take added precaution over the next 5 days, such as taking additional steps for cleaner air, hygiene, masks, physical distancing, and/or testing.
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Stay up to date with vaccination to protect people against serious illness, hospitalization, and death. This includes flu, COVID-19, and RSV if eligible.
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Practice good hygiene by covering coughs and sneezes, washing or sanitizing hands often, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.
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Take steps for cleaner air, such as bringing in more fresh outside air, purifying indoor air, or gathering outdoors.
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