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CloseInclement Weather Notice for Our Patients
UPDATED: FEBRUARY 14, 2014
ALL LOCATIONS WILL BE OPEN FROM 10 a.m. UNTIL 4 p.m.
ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14.
All Gwinnett, Newton & Rockdale County Health Department offices and clinics will open at 10:00 a.m. and close at 4 p.m. on Friday, February 14.
Please drive carefully and use caution when navigating roadways in your area.
February is National Heart Month. According to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and is a major cause of disability. The most common heart disease in the United States is coronary heart disease, which often appears as a heart attack.
How healthy is your heart?
Knowing your risk factors and what you can to do prevent and control heart disease are great first steps towards having a healthy heart. Some of the risk factors associated with heart disease are: High cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and exposure to secondhand smoke.
What if you did have a heart attack? Would you recognize the symptoms?
Learn more about what you can do to keep a healthy heart by visiting:
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HeartMonth/
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/educational/hearttruth/lower-risk/find-out.htm
The week of February 3-7, 2014, has been declared Severe Weather Awareness Week in Georgia. This is a great time to learn about weather-related topics, such as thunderstorms, tornadoes, lightening and floods.
While we cannot prevent severe weather, we can be better prepared for it. Creating a family emergency plan is the first step. Good information on how to do this can be found at ready.ga.gov.
Take some time this week to ensure that you are ready for the spring storm season. Get more information on severe weather through the links below and watch for our updates on Twitter and Facebook.
All Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale County Health Department locations will open at 10 a.m. on Friday, January 31.
Health Department Locations Closed Thursday, January 30
Due to the continued cold weather and icy road conditions, all Gwinnett, Newton & Rockdale County Health Department locations will be closed Thursday, January 30.
Check back for updates on delays or closings.
Are you ready for any type of weather? Check helpful tips here:
Effective 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, January 28:
All Gwinnett, Newton & Rockdale County Health Department locations are closed for the day.
Check back for updates on delays or closings.
Are you ready for any type of weather? Check helpful tips here:
Last week the CDC reported that positive influenza (flu) tests in the Southeast were up almost 23 percent, and Georgia moved into the “widespread” category for flu. There have been more than 400 hospitalizations and nine confirmed flu-related deaths in the state (as of January 3).
“It’s not too late to get your flu shot,” said Alana Sulka, Director of Epidemiology for the Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale County Health Departments. “Getting a flu shot is one of the most important things you can do to protect you and your family from the flu.”
Flu typically affects those at high risk, including young children, the elderly, and those with chronic medical conditions. This year one of the circulating flu strains is H1N1, which tends to affect the young and middle-aged adult population. Protection against H1N1 is included in this year’s vaccine.
“In addition to encouraging flu shots in the young, elderly, and individuals with chronic medical conditions, we want to encourage young and middle-aged adults to make sure they are protected, too,” Sulka continued. “Flu season normally peaks in January and February, and can last until May. So there is still time to be vaccinated and receive protection.”
Flu vaccines are available at many places, including all Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale County Health Department locations (except Lilburn WIC Clinic). Locations and hours are available here.
In addition to getting a flu shot, there are simple things you can do to help stop the spread of germs: wash your hands and cover your cough. And if you are sick, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone, without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.
The holidays offer a perfect opportunity for enjoying loved ones, celebrating life, being grateful, and reflecting on what’s important. They are also a time to appreciate the gift of health. Support health and safety for yourself and others by following some timeless tips for staying healthy.
Two common illnesses that often strike during the holidays are Influenza (the flu) and Norovirus. The information below will give you a good start on keeping your holidays healthy by preventing these illnesses.
Influenza (the flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by the influenza viruses. It spreads between people and can cause mild to severe illness. In the United States, flu season normally occurs in the fall and winter, but individuals can be infected with influenza year round.
One of the best ways to protect against flu is to receive a flu shot. And it is not too late to get one. Flu shots are available at our Health Department locations. Flu season has already begun in Georgia, and it typically peaks in February and can last as late as May.
How do you know if it’s the flu? What can you do to care for someone with the flu? Click here for more information.
Norovirus is a gastrointestinal illness that generally causes vomiting and diarrhea. You may hear people refer to it as the “cruise ship illness” or “stomach flu,” but norovirus is not related to the influenza virus (flu), which is primarily a respiratory illness.
Hand washing is the best way to protect you and your family against most illnesses, including norovirus. Hand washing is preferred as alcohol-based hand cleaners are not effective against some germs, including norovirus.
Soiled clothing and linens should be washed as soon as possible with detergent in hot water and/or dried using a hot cycle. Many common cleaning agents are not effective against norovirus. Read the labels and follow manufacturer’s instructions for best results. Chlorine bleach solutions are an inexpensive and effective way to clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces.
Click here for more information on Norovirus and what to do if you or someone you know has it.
Washing your hands is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. Are you washing your hands long enough? Watch our video to find out. And remember:
To help stop the spread of germs:
From finger foods to turkey and dressing, there is never a time of year when food is more of a focus than over the winter holidays. Reduce your chances of a foodborne illness by remembering these simple steps for food preparation: wash hands and surfaces often, avoid cross-contamination, cook foods to proper temperatures, and refrigerate promptly.
Want more information? Check our helpful links:
Five Tips for a Healthy Holiday
Holiday Food Safety Success Kit
After November when you see signs that advertise : “Get Your Flu Vaccine Here,” you might think, “Isn’t it too late for that?”
The answer is no, it’s not too late!
“Flu season typically peaks in February and can last as late as May,” says Dr. Anne Schuchat, Assistant
Surgeon General of the U.S. Public Health Service and Director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “We are encouraging people who have not yet been vaccinated this season to get vaccinated now.”
For millions of people every season, the flu can mean a fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches, fatigue, and miserable days spent in bed. However, you may not realize that more than 200,000 people are hospitalized in the United States from flu complications each year. The flu also can be deadly.
Over a period of 30 years, between 1976 and 2006, estimates of yearly flu-associated deaths in the United States range from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people during the most severe season. This is why CDC recommends an annual flu vaccine for everyone 6 months and older. It’s available as a shot and as a nasal spray. There are many flu shot options available this year, including:
Anyone can get the flu, but some people are at greater risk for serious flu-related complications, like pneumonia, that can lead to hospitalization and even death. For those at greater risk for complications, getting the flu vaccine is especially important. People at greater risk include, but are not limited to:
Ask your doctor if you are uncertain whether you or your family are at a greater risk for flu complications.
It’s also important to get the vaccine if you care for anyone at high risk, including babies younger than 6 months because they are too young to get the vaccine.
Children 6 months through 8 years of age who are getting vaccinated for the first time need two doses of flu vaccine to be fully protected. If a child has not received his/her first dose, get them vaccinated now. For children who are 6 months through 8 years of age and who have been vaccinated with one dose, parents should check with the child’s doctor to see if a second dose is needed.
“Getting the flu vaccine is simple, and it’s the most important thing you can do to protect yourself and your family from the flu,” says Dr. Schuchat.
Flu vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctors’ visits, missed work due to flu, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations and deaths. Millions of people have safely received flu vaccines for decades.
Flu vaccines are available at all Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale County Health Department locations (except Lilburn WIC Clinic). Click here for addresses and phone numbers.
For more information about influenza or the flu vaccine, talk to your healthcare provider or visit http://www.cdc.gov/flu.
More than 1.1 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV, but one out of every five of them doesn’t know it. World AIDS Day (December 1) is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate those who have died.
In recognition of World AIDS Day, the Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale County Health Departments will offer free HIV testing on December 2. This will be available at Health Centers located in Buford, Conyers, Covington, Lawrenceville and Norcross. Click here for hours and directions.
HIV testing is a critical part of stopping the spread of the virus and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says testing should be a part of routine health care. A panel of doctors and scientists recently recommended that all Americans between age 15 and 65 get tested for HIV, regardless of their risk of infection. HIV testing would help increase detection and decrease the stigma associated with HIV and being tested, according to the panel. HIV testing during pregnancy also is important because antiviral therapy can improve the mother’s health and greatly lower the chance that an HIV-infected pregnant woman will pass HIV to her infant before, during or after birth.
Proper medical care and treatment help people with HIV live longer, healthier lives and can reduce the chances of passing HIV to others. People who test negative for HIV can take steps to stay negative by not having unprotected sex or engaging in other risky behavior like needle sharing.
More resources for HIV testing are available here: http://hivtest.cdc.gov/
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