News
Panhandle Health District
8500 N. Atlas Road Hayden, Idaho 83835
www.phd1.idaho.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: December 20, 2011
Contact: Released by: Lora Whalen, Director
Cynthia Taggart
Public Information Officer
(208) 415-5108
(208) 818-7288 (cell)
Take Precautions to Protect Your Holiday
Holidays are the time to spread joy and not illness to friends and family. Parties and celebrations bring people together in close quarters where food is open to many hands, so take precautions to prevent yourself from becoming sick or making others sick.
Some highly contagious viruses such as norovirus, an acute gastrointestinal illness, or the flu, a respiratory ailment, spread quickly during the winter when people spend more time indoors and close to others.
Although it is not the flu, people often refer to norovirus as the stomach flu because of its symptoms: diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain. It’s highly contagious and spreads from person to person through contaminated food or water and by touching contaminated surfaces.
Most people get better within a day or two, but dehydration can become a problem with young children, the elderly and people with other illnesses. Washing hands thoroughly and often is the best protection from norovirus.
The flu virus, which causes a respiratory illness, spreads through the air and through contact with contaminated surfaces. Germs can live for hours on hard surfaces such as doorknobs or cell phones. Washing your hands well and often will help you prevent those germs from spreading.
If you have cold or flu symptoms, you can protect others by coughing and sneezing into your sleeve or into a tissue and then depositing the tissue into a trashcan and washing your hands. Stay home when you’re sick to help stop the spread of your germs.
Staying at least three feet away from other people with flu-like symptoms will help prevent their germs from reaching you.
If you’re the person giving the party, make sure you keep cold foods at 41° or below and hot foods at 140° or above to prevent food-borne illnesses. Place the cold food on ice and refill the platters with food stored in the refrigerator. Foods should not be left out for more than two hours.
Wash your hands and preparation surfaces well when preparing food and before eating. Following a few simple precautions can help ensure a happy holiday for you and your family.
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Panhandle Health District
8500 N. Atlas Road Hayden, Idaho 83835
www.phd1.idaho.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: December 20, 2011
Contact: Released by: Lora Whalen, Director
Cynthia Taggart
Public Information Officer
(208) 415-5108
(208) 818-7288 (cell)
Dental Party Helps Local Teens
Hayden – Years ago, Aubrey Howlett signed up her preschool-age children with a dentist who accepted Idaho Smiles, Medicaid’s dental coverage.
“I wanted to make sure their teeth were taken care of while they were kids,” Howlett said last week at the Panhandle Health District’s (PHD) Teen Dental Party. “But my dentist stopped accepting Medicaid and so did others.
“It was so nice to be able to bring my daughter to this dental party and find out nothing is wrong with her teeth.”
Howlett’s daughter Maggie, 12, was among 39 middle- and high-school students who attended the second annual PHD Teen Dental Party. The event was organized to provide dental screenings, sealants, fluoride varnish and referrals for teens without dental coverage or the means to pay for dental services.
Dr. John Coburn, a dentist from the Dirne Community Health Center, screened each child for problems before sealant was applied. Dental sealants are a plastic material that is painted onto the chewing surfaces of permanent molar teeth. The sealants reduce the risk of cavities occurring on the chewing surfaces of the teeth.
Dr. Coburn found abscesses in one child’s mouth and called in a prescription. The child was given a voucher for follow-up care with a local dentist. Ten dentists donated 28 vouchers to the dental party for follow-up cleanings or restorative care.
Carrie Busch and Karla Marshall, PHD’s dental hygienists, applied the sealant and fluoride varnish, a protective liquid coating applied to the teeth with a brush.
“I asked kids how long it had been since their last checkup and most said a few years,” Busch said. “A lot of kids are in families that don’t get Medicaid, the parents have lost their jobs and dental insurance. That’s why this clinic is important.”
While kids waited for their turn, they watched Christmas movies, played games and snacked on chocolate or strawberry milk and string cheese donated by the United Dairymen Association.
All kids left with door prizes donated by 15 local merchants, educational materials and electric toothbrushes.
“Maggie was so excited she brushed her teeth three times last night,” Howlett said. “It was such a great experience not to be in a clinic. We didn’t feel like just a number.”
Linda Harder, PHD’s oral health program coordinator, said her plan is to continue the teen dental party as an annual event.