Our toxicologist, Dr. Shirlee Tan, explains about why PFAS, or "forever chemicals," are a concern and what consumers should know about PFAS in food packaging. The post Ask a Tox Doc: Are “forever chemicals” in takeout food containers?  appeared first on PUBLIC HEALTH INSIDER ..read more

This comic explains how measles is able to spread so easily to people who haven't previously had measles or been vaccinated against measles. The post How contagious is measles? A comic strip explains. appeared first on PUBLIC HEALTH INSIDER ..read more

Public Health was informed by Washington State Department of Health last week that a group of international travelers visiting Seattle were exposed to an individual with measles prior to arriving in Seattle. Currently, there are no cases of measles among the group (or within King County), but we are monitoring the situation closely. The post Public Health monitoring measles exposure among international travelers visiting Seattle  appeared first on PUBLIC HEALTH INSIDER ..read more

There's new recommendations for when we go back to our activities after being sick with any common respiratory viruses like flu, COVID and RSV. We sat down with our disease expert Dr. Eric Chow to learn more about the changes and how we can continue to protect ourselves with masks, good ventilation and staying home when sick. The post Ask Public Health: What are the latest recommendations for staying at home when sick? appeared first on PUBLIC HEALTH INSIDER ..read more

Thanks to a new 24/7 ‘bup’ prescribing hotline, it's easier than ever for people in King County to get started on medication to treat opioid use disorder. In partnership with the UW Department of Emergency Medicine, King County recently launched a telemedicine program that will provide on-demand access to a buprenorphine prescription, also known as “bup”. The post What is buprenorphine? A Q&A about King County’s new bup hotline appeared first on PUBLIC HEALTH INSIDER ..read more

Jesse was a long-time teacher at Garfield High, writer and activist when his life was upended by new ailments after he had a COVID infection. His story is the second in a series of comics about what it’s like to have long COVID. The post They Don’t See the Crash: Jesse’s Long COVID Story appeared first on PUBLIC HEALTH INSIDER ..read more

The Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention takes a grass-roots to “grass tops” approach to gun violence by collaborating with community, subject matter experts, and local, state, and federal agencies to tackle gun violence.   The post A public health approach to gun violence: King County Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention appeared first on PUBLIC HEALTH INSIDER ..read more

Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County and a nationally-recognized public health leader and communicable disease expert, today announced his retirement from the county after 30 years of distinguished service.   The post King County recognizes Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin on announcement of his retirement appeared first on PUBLIC HEALTH INSIDER ..read more

The first school-based health center in the Auburn School District opened at Mountainview High School on March 7. The center offers health services such as annual check-ups, asthma care, and mental health counseling to students, usually for no cost. The post Auburn School District gets first School Based Health Center appeared first on PUBLIC HEALTH INSIDER ..read more

What's it like to have long COVID? This comic strip tells the story of one King County resident's experience, the first in a comics series telling real-life stories about long COVID. The post Coming to Terms with Long COVID: Deepa’s Story appeared first on PUBLIC HEALTH INSIDER ..read more