DIRECTORS' CORNER

March is National Nutrition Month! This year's theme is Celebrate a World of Flavors, and the team here at Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) encourages everyone in our community to use this month (and beyond!) as a chance to embrace the foods and flavors of your heritage and other global cultures. To learn more about National Nutrition Month, including some helpful tips and tricks for how to bring a world of flavors to your family, visit EatRight.org

Our Registered Dietitians and educators at Jeffco WIC help families develop lifelong healthy eating habits through one-on-one counseling and personally tailored advice for you and your family. To apply for WIC and receive personalized nutrition education from our Registered Dietitians in WIC, visit bit.ly/JeffcoWIC.

Wishing you health and happiness,
Elise Lubell, MS, MCHES
Director of Health Promotion and Lifestyle Management
Jefferson County Public Health

NEWS YOU CAN USE

Calling Jeffco Teens!

Do you have teens in your life? Are they looking for meaningful chances to make a difference, find paid opportunities, and share their voice? Share the Jefferson County Communities That Care Instagram page @jeffco_teens with them and have them visit www.jeffcoteens.org. They can also visit this page for data about Jefferson County teen substance use, positive coping and more.

Prevent Childhood Exposure to Lead

Lead is a metal that our bodies don't need. Too much lead in our bodies can cause problems, especially in children. You can fight lead with nutrition by increasing calcium, vitamin C and iron in your diet. Learn more at https://www.jeffco.us/2433/Lead-Prevention

Monoclonal Antibody Therapy and Antivirals

If you have tested positive for COVID-19, you may be able to get therapeutic treatment to help you recover. There are two main types of treatments: monoclonal antibody therapy and antivirals. Please see the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's website for additional information.

Monoclonal antibody therapy gives you extra antibodies to help fight COVID-19. Your body naturally makes antibodies to fight infection, but it takes time for your body to make enough antibodies to fight a new virus like COVID-19. Monoclonal antibodies help fight the infection faster than your body could do on its own. In addition, antivirals are medications that can help treat COVID-19. They can be either pills or IV infusions.

If you have mild to moderate symptoms, your symptoms began within the past few days and you are at risk of getting very sick from COVID-19, call your doctor or health care provider as soon as you can to ask about treatment. If you do not have a health care provider, please see CDPHE's website for additional resources.

DATA ROUNDUP: COVID-19 Case Summary

5,205 Jeffco hospitalizations, 1,533 deaths in Jeffco

870,744 vaccines distributed in Jefferson County

As we work to lessen the spread of COVID-19 in Jefferson County, you can stay up to date on COVID-19 data. Click here for a summary at the state level. Click here for our newly updated data dashboard with information on COVID-19 in Jefferson County.

GET INVOLVED

Talk with Teens about Medicine Misuse

In Jefferson County, 1 in 8 seniors and juniors in high school report having used a prescription drug not prescribed to them. Adults can protect by restricting teen access to both the teen’s own medications and others’ medications — and then safely disposing of unneeded medication. They can also protect them by having open conversations about this topic. One way to start could be a question such as: What would you do if a friend wanted to try some of your prescription meds? Learn more at www.twelvetalks.com/medicine-misuse\.

PARTNER PROFILE

Hunger Free Golden

Hunger Free Golden is a collection of individuals, non-profit organizations and public institutions united around a common cause: Ensuring that all members of our community have equitable access to healthy, culturally relevant and fresh food. Thank you, Hunger Free Golden for caring for our Jeffco community! We value your holistic approach to focusing on all aspects of the local food system. Learn more.

Join the conversation! Follow Jefferson County Public Health on Facebook at @jeffcopublichealth and on Twitter and Instagram at @jeffcoph. Visit our website at www.jeffco.us/public-health.

March 2022 // Volume 4, Issue 3