December 1 is World Aids Day

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that weakens a person’s immune system by destroying important cells that fight disease and infection. If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS.

According to CDC, about 1 in 8 people are living with HIV in the U.S. but do not know they have it. On this World Aids Day, GNR Public Health urges everyone to make HIV testing a routine part of their healthcare.

The only way to learn if you have HIV is to get tested, and knowing your HIV status empowers you to make decisions to prevent getting or transmitting HIV. If your test is negative, but you are at a higher risk for acquiring HIV, you can start PrEP, a once-daily medication that can prevent you from acquiring HIV. The health department will link you to treatment if your test is positive. With proper medical care, HIV can be controlled. People with HIV who get effective HIV treatment can live long, healthy lives and protect their partners.

Do your part to help end the HIV epidemic. Request a free in-person or at-home HIV test, or schedule an appointment for an in-person test at one of our health centers. We can end the HIV epidemic using proven tools to help you know your status, get into treatment, and prevent HIV from the start.

HIV education, testing, prevention, and referrals to treatment are just a few ways GNR Public Health helps keep Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale Healthy. Protected. Prepared.

About World Aids Day

World Aids Day provides an opportunity to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. The World Health Organization first celebrated World Aids Day on December 1, 1988.

Global HIV Epidemic Statistics

-Since the beginning of the epidemic, 85.6 million (65.0-113.0 million) people have been infected with HIV globally

-About 40.4 million (32.9-51.3 million) people have died of HIV globally

-Globally, an estimated 39 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2022

-630,000 died in 2022 of HIV-related causes

Source: https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/topics/indicator-groups/indicator-group-details/GHO/number-of-people-(all-ages)-living-with-hiv

Article Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/whatishiv.html

All GNR Public Health offices and health centers are closed for the state holiday from 12 p.m. on November 22, 2023, through November 24, 2023. Regular hours will resume on Monday, November 27, 2023.

Keep your hands, cooking area, and dishes clean! 

Use a thermometer to check temperatures!

Remember the two-hour rule!

Keep hot foods HOT and cold foods COLD!

Store and reheat leftovers properly!

Don’t forget! Stay home if you’re feeling sick to keep your loved ones healthy!

Do you have questions about this article?

We are here to help. Call 770-339-4260. Ask for the Epi on Call.

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA – Hepatitis A infection has been diagnosed in a server at Lolita’s Bar and Grill located at 472 Buford Drive in Lawrenceville, GA. Individuals who ate at the restaurant from Oct. 24 – Nov. 7 may have been exposed to the infection and should contact their healthcare provider or the Gwinnett County Health Department to determine if a hepatitis A vaccine is needed to prevent illness.

Hepatitis A vaccine is available at the Gwinnett County Health Department to exposed individuals with no out-of-pocket cost, regardless of insurance status.

Hepatitis A is a contagious viral infection that can cause loss of appetite, nausea, tiredness, fever, stomach pain, brown colored urine, light-colored stools and yellowing of the skin or eyes. Symptoms usually begin 2 – 7 weeks after exposure and generally last less than 2 months but can last as long as 6 months. Some individuals with severe symptoms of hepatitis A require hospitalization.

Hepatitis A spreads when a person unknowingly ingests the virus from objects, food or drinks contaminated by small, undetected amounts of stool from an infected person. Hepatitis A can be spread when restaurant workers infected with hepatitis A don’t wash their hands thoroughly after using the bathroom.

Anyone who consumed food or drink at Lolita’s Bar and Grill from Oct.24 – Nov. 7 is asked to:

1. Seek hepatitis A vaccination within 14 days of exposure if you have not previously been vaccinated for or had hepatitis A. If you have been vaccinated or have had hepatitis A previously, you are considered immune and do not need vaccine.
2. Wash your hands with soap and warm water frequently and thoroughly, especially after using the bathroom and before preparing food.
3. Monitor your health for symptoms of hepatitis A infection up to 50 days after exposure.

If you develop symptoms of hepatitis A, stay home and contact your healthcare provider or the health department immediately.

The restaurant has been cooperative with the health department’s investigation and has taken proactive measures including scheduling immunizations for susceptible employees and thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing the restaurant. Education on prevention of Hepatitis A transmission has also been provided.

Individuals with questions should call their healthcare provider or the Gwinnett County Health Department at 770-339-4260 (press 0 and ask to speak with the epidemiologist on call). An epidemiologist can also be reached after hours at 404-323-1910 or 866-PUB-HLTH. Additional information about hepatitis A can be found at:

• www.gnrhealth.com/hepatitis-a-prevention/
• dph.georgia.gov/hepatitis-A
• www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hav

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UPDATE: As of April 1, 2025. Testing kiosks are no longer available.

Are you ill? Worried you may have the flu or COVID-19? Do not wait to find out! The best way to know if you are sick with either is to get a PCR test. The Health Department does not offer testing inside our health centers but does provide PCR testing for COVID-19 and flu at three convenient kiosks 24 hours a day.

The kiosk is simple to use and will walk you through the steps to complete your tests. Results are typically available within 48 hours. To save time at the kiosk, you can preregister for testing at register.testandgo.com; however, preregistration is unnecessary.

Testing is at no cost to you, but insurance is billed if you have it.

COVID-19 and flu testing kiosk locations in our district:

Gwinnett
Norcross Health Center
5030 Georgia Belle Ct, Norcross, GA 30093

Rockdale
Rockdale Health Center
985 Taylor St, Conyers, GA 30012

Newton
Newton Health Center
8203 Hazelbrand Rd NE, Covington, GA 30014

COVID-19 and flu testing kiosks are available in communities across Georgia. Visit register.testandgo.com to find additional locations.

If your test is positive, contact your healthcare provider. The Health Department does not offer treatment for flu or COVID inside our health centers.

COVID and influenza testing are among the many prevention measures that protect you and others by reducing the chances of spreading illness.

Vaccination, hand washing, and good respiratory hygiene also help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses like COVID and flu:

1. Frequent and thorough handwashing with soap and warm water. Alcohol-based gels are the next best thing if you don’t have access to soap and water.
2. Cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow or arm to help prevent the spread of germs. Remember to wash your hands.
3. Avoid touching your face as germs can enter the body through mucus membranes of the nose, mouth and eyes.
4. Stay home from work or school if you’re sick. See our “Too Sick for Work” guidance to help you decide.

For more information about COVID and influenza, visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html or www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm.

All GNR Public Health offices and health centers are closed for the state holiday on Friday, November 10, 2023. Regular hours will resume on Monday, November 13, 2023.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the perfect time to remind the community of how important breast cancer screenings, self evaluation, and mammograms truly are. 

What is breast cancer?

Breast cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in the breast, that when not detected or left untreated, can spread to other parts of the body.

How common is breast cancer?

While breast cancer rarely affects men, it is the second most common type of cancer among women. In the United States, 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. According to the CDC, each year, about 240,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in women and about 2,100 in men.

Why is screening so important?

When breast cancer is detected earlier, treatment can be more successful. In a year’s time, breast cancer takes the lives of about 42,000 women and 500 men. According to data found by SEER (The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database), when breast cancer is found earlier on, the 5-year relative survival rate is 91%. There are currently over 3.8 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. 

When to get screened?

Women of all ages should be screened for breast cancer if they notice changes in their breasts. About 9% of all new cases of breast cancer in the United States are found in women younger than 45 years of age. 

Women 40 years and older should discuss with their healthcare professional when and how often they should schedule routine screenings.

Common signs and symptoms of breast cancer include: 

• Changes in your nipples
• Bloody discharge
• Lump(s) in the breast
• Changes in breast color
• Pitting of the breast skin
• Pain in the breasts or nipples

How do I get screened? 

If you have concerns about your breasts or are at an age regular breast cancer screening is recommended, talk to your healthcare provider about your breast health concerns. If you do not have a doctor, Call 770.904.3717 to learn how GNR Public Health can help you get the care you need or to schedule an appointment to discuss your concerns. In Georgia, uninsured or underinsured women can get screenings, diagnostic tests and referrals for treatment through the Health Department’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Program, or BCCP.

All GNR Public Health offices and health centers are closed for the state holiday on Monday, October 9, 2023. Regular hours will resume on Tuesday, October 10, 2023.

The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) awarded GNR Public Health (GNR) a 2023 Model Practice Award for our HIV prevention integration with Mpox vaccination efforts in Gwinnett County. NACCHO awards Model Practices to programs “demonstrating exemplary and replicable qualities in response to a critical local public health need.” GNR Public Health was one of only 23 local health departments in the nation to earn this recognition this year.  This is GNR’s second Model Practice award.

Dorian Freeman (center right), clinical infectious disease program director, and Andre Castro (center left), community engagement director, accept the 2023 NACCHO Model Practice Award for GNR Public Health.

During the Mpox epidemic in 2022, GNR mobilized to provide vaccinations for at-risk communities. At the time, national data showed that 38% of Mpox cases were reported as having an HIV diagnosis. GNR worked quickly with long-standing partner Positive Impact Health Centers to make vaccines available at a trusted HIV clinical care home. As vaccine availability increased, GNR expanded efforts by setting up additional vaccine clinics to serve the populations most at risk for Mpox infection. Eighty-five percent of the Mpox vaccine recipients vaccinated by GNR were among residents of Gwinnett, DeKalb, Fulton, and Cobb counties – four of 57 jurisdictions designated by CDC as having the highest HIV infection rates in the country. To ensure HIV prevention was included in all Mpox vaccination efforts, GNR provided on-site rapid HIV testing, take-home HIV test kits, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) referrals, and STI, HIV, and Mpox education. The agency even found a way to incorporate these services in drive-through vaccination events.

“We knew this was an opportunity to provide more comprehensive service to our community,” said Dorian Freeman, clinical infectious disease program director at GNR Public Health. “We have worked hard to earn the trust of individuals and communities at-risk for HIV, so when we saw the same community being affected by Mpox, we knew we could protect their health by providing more than just vaccines. Our collaborative vaccine events with Positive Impact Health Centers also allowed for rapid entry into HIV care for individuals testing positive for HIV.”

Winning a Model Practice Award allows GNR Public Health to share and inspire other health departments. Winning practices, as determined through a competitive, peer-reviewed process, are added to NACCHO’s Model Practice searchable online database, where other local health departments can review these best practices and adopt them for use in their community.

“Public health is such a team effort,” said Freeman. “Our model practice submission is no different. With the full support of our Boards of Health and under the leadership of our CEO, Dr. Audrey Arona, GNR focuses on serving in innovative and collaborative ways to protect the health of our communities.”

More information about GNR’s winning submission is available on NACCHO’s site. Awards were presented during the 2023 NACCHO360 Annual Conference on July 12, 2023.