Having COVID-19 may not make you immune to getting it again. During Wednesday’s briefing, State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box said that recent studies indicate that COVID-19 is like some other coronavirus illnesses, when it comes to immunity.
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The number of tests reported to the Indiana State Department of Health is now close to 203,000.
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Indiana will not be able to test every resident of a long-term care facility for COVID-19 by the end of the month. “That would be over 100,000 individuals by the end of the month, and I can assure you, unfortunately, that is not going to happen,” State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box said during Wednesday’s press conference. “But we are working to make sure that we are testing all of our employees of long-term care facilities.”
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As more testing becomes available to residents, the number of positive tests could increase. Marshall County Health Department Administrator Ashley Garcia made that comment to the Marshall County Commissioners Monday morning.
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Protecting the health of meat processing plant workers without jeopardizing the nation’s food supply chain is a challenge being faced by state officials. President Trump this week ordered meatpacking plants to stay open. At the same time, the Indiana State Department of Health is dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak at the Tyson plant in Logansport.
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More cases of COVID-19 can be expected at the Westville Correctional Facility, according to the Indiana Department of Correction’s chief medical officer.
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The number of COVID-19 deaths continues to rise at an alarming rate. The Indiana State Department of Health reported 24 COVID-19 deaths on Friday, seven more than on Thursday.
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State health officials are sticking with their targeted approach to COVID-19 testing.
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In his report to the Triton School Board this week, Superintendent Jeremy Riffle explained that the administrators are in constant communication with local and state officials with the concern of the coronavirus.
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If you ever get bitten by a bat, the Starke County Health Department wants you to know what steps to take to protect yourself from rabies. Health officials note that people can usually tell when they’ve been bitten, but bite marks may disappear quickly, due to the animals’ small teeth.
Local pharmacies and health departments are getting ready for the flu season. Flu shots will be available soon.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, getting an annual flu vaccine is the first and best way to protect against influenza. The flu vaccine is said to reduce doctor’s visits and missed work and school. Those who are more vulnerable to serious flu complications, including the elderly, infants, pregnant women and those who suffer from certain health conditions, should get a flu shot early.
Today is National HIV Testing Day, and Hoosiers are urged to learn their status. The human immunodeficiency virus weakens a person’s immune system by destroying cells that fight disease and infection.
It can be transmitted sexually, through shared needles, blood, breast milk and other bodily fluids. HIV can also progress to a severe condition called acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS. Continue reading
May is Hepatitis Awareness Month, healthymd.com/stds and state health officials are encouraging Hoosiers to get tested for the disease and learn how to prevent it. They say more than 7,000 cases of viral hepatitis were reported in Indiana in 2015. Additionally the number of reported acute Hepatitis C cases has risen by 400 percent since 2010. Continue reading
Indiana smokers who want to quit can now get free help from the state. Those who enroll in the Indiana Tobacco Quitline between now and April 2 or until supplies run out, will be eligible for free medication, such as gum or patches. Continue reading
The arrival of fall also marks the beginning of flu season. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the best way to protect yourself from the disease is to get a flu vaccine each year by the end of October. Continue reading
Indiana will soon have some additional resources available to help prevent overdose deaths from prescription opioids. The state has gotten a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Prescription Drug Overdose: Prevention for States program. It aims to provide resources to help states fight prescription drug overuse, misuse, abuse, and overdose. Continue reading
An increase in flu-related deaths has Indiana health officials urging residents to get vaccinated. The Indiana State Department of Health says 19 Hoosiers have died from the virus since October, including two children. They say many of those people did not get a flu shot. Continue reading
Additional HIV cases in southern Indiana have prompted a warning from the Indiana Department of Health about risky behavior. The four new cases bring the total number of people who have tested positive for HIV to 188. State officials say the outbreak has been linked to shared needles among injection drug users. All of the newly diagnosed cases are contacts of cases previously identified in the outbreak, according to health department officials. Continue reading
The flu season may be off to a mild start this year, but it’s still important that you get a flu shot. That’s the message state health officials are working to get out this week during National Influenza Vaccination Week. Continue reading
