August 13, 2024 |
Photo – Carbon County Public Health logo – Bigfoot99 file photo
Carbon County Public Health is warning of increased illnesses, including HIV, in our area of Wyoming.
During the August 6th Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Reproductive Health Outreach Coordinator Megan Cragen said the National Ryan White Conference on HIV Care and Treatment states that cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV, have been increasing. Cragen encouraged people to get tested for HIV.
Cragen said she has been working with local healthcare providers to inform residents about HIV related services available through Carbon County Public Health. The health outreach coordinator also said financial assistance is available for HIV medication through the United States Department of Health and Human Service’s Ryan White Conference.
According to Wyoming Department of Health Communicable Disease Unit Surveillance Program Manager Reginald McClinton, 22 new cases of HIV were reported in 2023, an increase from 13 in 2022 and higher than Wyoming’s typical annual range of 12 to 15.
Carbon County Public Health Officer Doctor Duane Abels thanked Cragen for her HIV outreach efforts. Both Dr. Abels and Cragen agreed that modern medication may drastically limit the chance of spreading the virus.
Next, Dr. Abels reported that COVID is making a comeback in Wyoming. The county health officer encouraged people to get tested for COVID and take appropriate action to limit exposure. However, Dr. Abels said the current COVID strain, nicknamed FLiRT, doesn’t require as lengthy a quarantine as previous strains.
Dr. Abels asked people diagnosed with the FLiRT variant of COVID to stay home for five days.
The county health officer also cautioned residents about the likelihood of higher egg prices. Dr. Abels said avian flu has been detected in Colorado and may make its way into Wyoming.
For more information about COVID and HIV testing, call Carbon County Public Health’s Rawlins office at 328-2607.
