Category: General
AFM is Serious: Know the Symptoms. Act Fast.
Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a serious neurologic condition that causes limb weakness and paralysis. While uncommon, AFM affects mostly children, and can have devastating, long-term effects for patients and their families. There have been three AFM outbreaks in the United States—in 2014, 2016, and 2018. If this biennial pattern continues, another outbreak might occur Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsProbabilities, Not Promises: How Computer Models are Used in Emergency Preparedness & Response
Computer models are not crystal balls. They are the result of a set of variables going through mathematical algorithms. What comes out is a simulation of what might happen if present truths are accurate predictors of future trends. Models show probabilities; they don’t make promises. Models have many applications. Epidemiologists use them to predict disease Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsA Summer Like No Other: How to Stay Safe and Healthy This Season
If you’ve been hearing the phrase “the new normal” lately and wondering what it means, the writers of the Oxford Dictionary define it as “a previously unfamiliar or atypical situation that has become standard, usual or expected.” (1) Summer this year is going to be a little different than it has been in years past, Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsThe Hero Within: Knowing Hands-Only CPR & How To Use An AED Can Save Lives
The first week of June was National CPR/AED Awareness Week. In belated observance, Public Health Matters looks at how people can confidently help someone in cardiac arrest. The numbers are staggering. About 350,000 people have a cardiac arrest outside of the hospital each year, and about 9 in 10 of them die. (1) Bystanders and Read More >
Posted on by 9 CommentsBuyer Beware: How to Avoid Scams & Misinformation during COVID-19
When a disaster or emergency affects a community, it’s normal for the community to come together. Many people go out of their way to care for each other and find ways to get involved. But others may try to profit off or take advantage of people’s fear and anxiety. Scams & price gouging during the Read More >
Posted on by 5 CommentsOlder Americans Month: How You Can Help Protect Their Health
May is Older Americans Month. When President John F. Kennedy designated May as “Senior Citizens Month” in 1963, approximately 17 million Americans were age 65 or older.(1) Today, that number is 45 million.(2) It’s a demographic comparable in size to the population of Argentina.(3) Who Are Older Adults? Older adults are our parents, grandparents, aunts, Read More >
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