Health News:

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• The most common reason for not getting last fall’s booster was recent COVID infection, followed by misgivings about vaccines including side effects, effectiveness, and safety. (Vaccine)
• Syphilis is on the rise, and STD clinics are having trouble keeping the preferred antibiotic in stock. (CNN)
• A recent illness at a Connecticut university is now confirmed as a community norovirus outbreak.  (WFSB)
• If you have fever, fatigue, or chills after your COVID shot, remember that it’s a sign that the vaccine is working. (NY Times)
• New Mexico’s state Department of Health is investigating a cryptosporidiosis outbreak linked to animals at the state fair. (KRQE)
• Schoolchildren in Tennessee have shiga-toxin producing E. coli cases linked to animals at the Appalachian Fair, too. (WJHL)
• Soda fountains are getting renewed scrutiny as sources of bacterial contamination in restaurants. (USA Today)
• Walgreens’ pharmacists and staff plan to strike for anywhere from one to three days this week in multiple states. (CNN)
• The US has its first bird flu infection in a commercial flock since April. (Reuters)
• Bird flu has sickened two people in Cambodia, including a young girl who died after contact with sick birds. (CIDRAP)
• A police officer in the UK was fired for lying about having norovirus to go on vacation a day early. (BBC)

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Mental Health & Substance Use News: 

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• Running might work as well as antidepressant medications in treating depression, according to a new study. Questions about sticking to exercise regimens remain.  (US News & World Report)
• Teen depression rose sharply during the pandemic, but treatment didn’t follow. (New York Times)

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If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or need help, call 988 or message the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. 

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Best Questions:

We operate in Honolulu and serve alcohol, which means we’ll be required to stock naloxone starting in January. What should we know? 

Honolulu is set to become the first US city that requires bars and restaurants that serve alcohol to stock naloxone (also known by the brand name Narcan). The city council passed the law in July, and it will go into effect in the new year. The Honolulu Liquor Commission will offer two doses free to all businesses required to stock naloxone. The bill also requires manager training, which may be available for free through local public health and harm reduction programs. Importantly, the city ordinance requires that doses are stored according to manufacturer guidance, which includes relatively strict temperature limits, and that expired doses are replaced. 

Source: Hawaii Public Radio

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If an employee has a ‘long cold’ with lingering symptoms, when can they return to work? 

A new study shows that it’s not just COVID that can linger for weeks - other respiratory illnesses can also cause lasting symptoms. It’s not quite the same as long COVID - there was less dizziness, lightheadedness, or loss of taste and smell. But a cough that won’t go away or stomach pain and diarrhea that’s ongoing were surprisingly common even after testing confirmed that the respiratory infection wasn’t COVID. If an employee has ongoing symptoms after an illness, they may need to see a doctor and get a note clearing them to return with their chronic symptoms. We certainly don’t want someone with diarrhea returning to work in a food prep job without a doctor specifically giving clearance for a foodservice setting, for example. 

Source: SF Chronicle

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What can we do to reduce risk related to our soda fountains? 

A major story in USA Today covered the ‘overlooked’ problem of infectious bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli in soda fountains, which may mean that your customers are giving them new levels of scrutiny. While the specific study may have been more related to local water than the actual fountains themselves, they are a known area of risk in restaurants with cleaning requirements outlined in the Food Code. Dispensers have lots of parts that need to be cleaned, from nozzles to drain areas to hoses. This is usually done at the end of the night when speed means an employee gets to go home sooner. This new media focus on how contaminated soda fountains can be is a good talking point to drive home to your employees just how important doing the full cleaning is at the end of the day. 

Source: USA Today

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Best Read:

The Flu Vaccine Works--In a Way Most People Don't Appreciate - Scientific American

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