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08/06/25 Health Advisory: Possible case of locally acquired malaria in Pierce County
Summary: Though the risk remains low, be vigilant for possible cases of malaria and act urgently to diagnose and treat. An East Pierce County woman who has not traveled recently was diagnosed with malaria Aug. 2. Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department is working with Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and Centers for Disease Control and…
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8/24/20 Health Advisory: Immunization Updates for Providers
Requested actions Support families in meeting school and childcare-related immunization requirements. Be aware of the State Board of Health immunization rule change. Anticipate increased requests and demand. Be aware of the new guidelines regarding Tdap in schools. Provide students with medically verified immunization records for schools. Students must have their records by the first day of school. Follow CDC guidance to…
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8/4/20 – Health Advisory: COVID-19 Updates for Providers
Health Advisory, News and Alerts, Notifiable Conditions, Novel Coronavirus, Provider Resources, UncategorizedRequested actions Be aware CDC updated its COVID-19 isolation duration guidance. Test all patients with new onset of COVID-19 symptoms as well as close contacts to confirmed cases, regardless of age or health status. Testing should be completed within 24 hours of symptom onset. Ensure your facility is able to provide COVID-19 testing to your patients…
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Update #14: Interim COVID-19 Guidance
**Clinical leadership is expected to schedule time to review guidelines with staff** Requested Actions Be aware Washington State Department of Health (DOH) updated its COVID-19 testing guidance. Test all patients with COVID-19 symptoms and asymptomatic people from a priority population including close contacts of confirmed cases (see details below). Be aware of additional laboratories that can…
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7/7/20 – Health Advisory: COVID-19 Updates for Providers
Emerging Diseases and Conditions, Health Advisory, Infection Control, News and Alerts, Notifiable Conditions, Novel Coronavirus, Provider ResourcesRequested actions Be aware Washington State Department of Health (DOH) updated its COVID-19 testing guidance. Test all patients with COVID-19 symptoms. Test asymptomatic people from a priority population (see details below). Reporting Providers must fax positive lab results with demographic information to 509-249-6628. Background Last week, DOH updated its COVID-19 testing guidance for healthcare providers. The updates include:…
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Update #12 & Interim Guidance on Outbreak of COVID-19
Health Advisory, Infection Control, News and Alerts, Notifiable Conditions, Novel Coronavirus, Provider Resources**Clinical leadership is expected to schedule time to review guidelines with staff** Test all patients with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 Healthcare providers should test all patients with new onset of symptoms consistent with COVID-19, regardless of their age of health status. COVID-19 patients may present with: Cough or Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing OR…
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Needlestick Injury or Other Blood Exposure Procedures – Training Document
Needlestick Injury or Other Blood Exposure Procedure Purpose: Prevent transmission of bloodborne pathogens. Definition of substantial exposure to potentially infectious body fluids: Any percutaneous, mucosal, or non-intact skin contact with the blood or other potentially infectious bodily fluids of another person. In some instances, the Health Department may consider gross exposure of intact skin to…
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Update #11 & Interim Guidance on Outbreak of COVID-19
Emerging Diseases and Conditions, Health Advisory, News and Alerts, Notifiable Conditions, Novel Coronavirus, Provider ResourcesContact: Melissa Sixberry, Director of Disease Control 509-249-650 **Clinical leadership is expected to schedule time to review guidelines with staff** BACKGROUND In the United Kingdom and Europe, a possible link has been reported between COVID-19 and a serious inflammatory disease recently termed “Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome Temporally Associated with COVID-19.” As of…
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Health Advisory: Update #10 & Interim Guidance on Outbreak of COVID-19
Emerging Diseases and Conditions, Health Advisory, News and Alerts, Notifiable Conditions, Novel Coronavirus, Provider ResourcesContact: Melissa Sixberry, Director of Disease Control 509-249-6509 **Clinical leadership is expected to schedule time to review guidelines with staff** REQUESTED ACTIONS Be aware that DOH’s new COVID-19 testing guidelines expand testing to all symptomatic and certain asymptomatic people Be aware that CDC guidelines now require 10 days before COVID-19 positive workers…
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North Mason Prevention Summit – Wednesday May 6th, 6:00pm
NORTH MASON PREVENTION SUMMIT All are welcome to join in! Wednesday, May 6, 2020 6:00-pm Virtual Presentation The Science of Alcohol and Cannabis: Highlights and What These Findings Mean for Prevention Featuring Dr. Jason Kilmer University of WA Associate Professor in Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Dr. Jason Kilmer is an Associate Professor in Psychiatry and…
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Health Advisory: Update #9 & Interim Guidance on Outbreak of COVID-19
Emerging Diseases and Conditions, Health Advisory, Notifiable Conditions, Novel Coronavirus, Provider ResourcesContact: Melissa Sixberry, Director of Disease Control 509-249-6509 **Clinical leadership is expected to schedule time to review guidelines with staff** REQUESTED ACTIONS Be aware that DOH’s new COVID-19 testing guidelines expand testing to all symptomatic and certain asymptomatic people.See below for specifics. Become familiar with CDC’s instructions for collecting specimens and which…
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Health Advisory: Update #8 & Interim Guidance On Outbreak Of COVID-19
Emerging Diseases and Conditions, Health Advisory, Infection Control, News and Alerts, Notifiable Conditions, Novel Coronavirus, Provider ResourcesThis is an evolving situation. The guidance is subject to change frequently. Please ensure you are reviewing the information as it comes out. Contact: Melissa Sixberry, Director of Disease Control 509-249-6509 Requested Action: Review the below changes in sections: (1) Limit Risk of Exposure at Healthcare Facilities (2) PPE: Universal masking is now recommended in…
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Guidance for COVID-19 Infection Prevention in First Responders and Healthcare Workers
Testing Sites for First Responders and Healthcare Workers Only