JeffCo Health Department Update: 4/6/2022

This week is National Public Health Week. This year, the theme for National Public Health Week is “Public Health is Where You Are”, which focuses on the places where we all are physically, mentally, and within our communities that affect our health and our lives. This is a time to reflect on and commit to the health of ourselves, our family, and our great community. It is a time to celebrate the power of community and the influence we make when we commit ourselves to promote healthy places to live, work, and play. It is also a time to look at the critical issues we face in living happier, healthier lives.

Public Health is many things. It is clean air and water, safe schools, mental health, emergency preparedness, addiction treatment, and prevention. The pandemic has brought attention to some aspects of public health, however, there is so much more. Contending with an unyielding virus for the past two years has triggered a change in how we work and play and live our lives. Change can be uncomfortable. Often as we look back at change, we see growth, and sometimes change lifts us to a better place.

Returning to our lives before COVID-19 seems appealing. I believe we are moving forward to something new. The virus is still with us. However, we are in a very different place than we were two years ago. In the beginning, we had non-pharmaceutical interventions: hygiene, distancing, and disease surveillance.

Today, due to extraordinary scientific and technical advances, we have safe, effective vaccines, therapeutic medications and treatments that can fight the virus, and the ability to test right in our own homes. Although we are still learning about this virus and how it will evolve, there are things we can do to proactively protect ourselves and those we love.

Moving forward, we have choices in assessing risk and practicing preventive measures. As we assess risk, we can think about our personal health status. Are we or someone we love part of a more vulnerable population? What kind of risk of becoming infected does the event or activity we plan to participate in the hold? What is the level of community transmission? Would this be a time I could stay home if I do become ill? Having a guide for those decisions can help us prioritize our activities and prevention measures.

For me, I think about how I protect myself. Keeping myself healthy helps me keep others healthy. Even more than getting the virus, I do not want to give the virus to someone else. Basic things like eating well, staying active, and getting enough rest to promote health. Adding vaccination to our healthy habits provides another layer of protection. Staying up to date with vaccinations gives us greater protection.

Masking, distancing, and increased hygiene are also protective measures I will continue to use when the risks of becoming ill rise.

Protecting my family can be a little more complicated. Some of them are more vulnerable or not eligible to be vaccinated. Prioritizing activities and considering the risk of infection in the things we choose to participate in helps protect everyone in our circle. Vaccinating all who are eligible also helps to cocoon those who are not and those who do may not create a strong immune response.

My thoughts then move to my community. Protecting our friends and neighbors involves staying home when we are sick or exposed. One of the easiest things we can do to stop the spread of illness is to isolate when ill and quarantine when exposed. The good news for those who are exposed and up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations, there is no need to quarantine unless you have symptoms. You may choose to use additional precautions with vulnerable household members. Keeping rapid tests on hand allows you to test if symptomatic or exposed or before gathering with vulnerable individuals.

One of the things I have learned over the past two years is to use quiet periods to prepare and do the work of prevention. Now is the time to fill our cups. Move more. Eat healthily. Practice self-care. Make sure you are up to date with vaccinations. This is a great time to think about how we move forward as families and communities. We can move forward literally as we commit to an active lifestyle. We can move our community forward as we embrace the principles of public health that promote healthy, resilient communities.

I feel gratitude for the many ways we have come together to support one another and strengthen our communities during this challenging period. There have been many individual and collective acts of kindness. I am also appreciative of the opportunity to reflect on the simple, essential parts of living a healthy life. I am especially grateful for a team and community that continues moving forward.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave us the following insight, “If you can’t fly then run if you can’t run then walk if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”