Press Releases
Year
High Temperatures and Humidity Can Be Extremely Dangerous
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 14, 2018
Contact
John Dwyer, Coordinator / CCEMA
(217) 384-3826 /
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
High Temperatures and Humidity Can Be Extremely Dangerous
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District and Champaign County Emergency Management Agency Urge the Public to Take Extra Precautions to Stay Safe in the Heat
Champaign, IL –The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) and the Champaign County Emergency Management Agency (CCEMA) urge everyone to watch for the symptoms of heat-related illness, and to take precautions to keep their families and communities safe.
Heat-related illness can take many forms ranging from a mild case of heat exhaustion to a more serious and life-threatening case of heat stroke. Heat-related illnesses occur when the body becomes unable to control its temperature. The body’s temperature rises rapidly and the body looses its ability to perspire and cool down. Rising to temperatures of 106 degrees or higher within 10 to 15 minutes can result in death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not provided.
Signs and symptoms of heat-related illness include:
- An extremely high body temperature of 103 degrees or higher
- Red, hot, and dry skin (no signs of perspiration)
- Rapid, strong pulse
- Throbbing headache
- Dizziness or confusion
- Nausea
Never leave children, elderly persons, or pets in a parked car – even for a few minutes with the windows partially open. The metal of the vehicle conducts and concentrates the intense heat and brain damage or even death can occur from the rapid rise of temperature in the vehicle. Children, the elderly, and pets are especially susceptible to heat-related illness due to a variety of factors High Temperatures & Humidity including, but not limited to, the inability to adjust to sudden changes in temperature, the tendency to retain more body heat, dehydration due to over activity or exertion, and the lack of access to adequate fluids.
Precautions to avoid heat-related illness:
- Stay hydrated. Drink at least 48-64 ounces of cool non-caffeinated and non-alcoholic beverages (caffeine and alcohol are diuretics and will increase dehydration). Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink.
- Reduce the amount of activity during the hottest parts of the day. If you must be active during those times, strive to take frequent breaks in a shady or cool area.
- Wear light-colored and lightweight clothes.
- Take a cool shower or sponge bath if you begin feeling over heated.
- Retreat to an air-conditioned environment if you begin to feel overly warm. If you do not have air conditioning, consider visiting a mall, grocery store, or other public place to cool off.
If you or someone you know shows signs of a heat-related illness, have someone call for medical assistance while you begin the cooling process:
- Take the person to an air-conditioned, cool, or shady area.
- Cool the person rapidly by spraying cold water from a shower or garden hose.
- Monitor the body temperature carefully until the temperature drops below 101-102 degrees.
- Give plenty of cool (not cold) non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic beverages to drink. Get medical assistance as soon as possible.
The following cooling centers are available throughout the local area:
- Champaign-Urbana Public Health District – Champaign
- Marketplace Mall – Champaign
- Public Aid Office, North Country Fair Drive – Champaign
- Lincoln Square Mall – Urbana
- Public Libraries – Champaign, Urbana, Tolono
CUPHD is a kid-friendly cooling center and is open from 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM, Monday – Friday. CUPHD offers a summer food program for children ages 18 and younger, educational TV, free WiFi, coloring stations, and books for kids.
Anyone can suffer a heat-related illness. CUPHD and CCEMA urge everyone to take precautions in the summer heat and to check on children, the elderly, disabled persons, and pets frequently.
For more information, please visit https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/KeepCool/Pages/default.aspx. You may also contact CUPHD at (217) 352-7961 or visit www.c-uphd.org.
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Free Dental Exams and Cleanings for Children at C-U Smile
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 21, 2021
Contact
Alicia Ekhoff, Dental Program Coordinator
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Free Dental Exams and Cleanings for Children at C-U Smile
The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District will host a free dental screening event this Saturday
Champaign, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) will host C-U Smile on Saturday, February 3, 2018 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Lincoln Square Mall in Urbana. The event will provide free oral healthcare services to children ages 0-17.
C-U Smile will offer free dental exams, cleanings, fluoride varnish treatments and dental sealants, as needed, and will fulfill the dental requirement for school children entering grades K, 2, and 6. The oral health fair will offer visits with the Tooth Fairy, provide interactive oral health instruction and tips on reducing dental anxiety. Appointments are not necessary; however, a parent or legal guardian must accompany the child. There are no income or residency requirements to receive services. Any adult accompanying a child may receive a free oral cancer screening.
Dr. Sidhu, CUPHD Dentist, stated “Childhood caries (decaying teeth) are the number one chronic disease among children; one in four young children have untreated cavities in their primary (baby) teeth. Primary teeth problems in adolescence lead to more serious issues with adult teeth. At the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, we work in the clinics and in the public schools to make sure kids and parents know they need to take care of their teeth.”
For more information, please contact the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Children’s Dental Clinic at (217) 531-4538 or visit www.c-uphd.org.
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Getting to Zero – Working to Eliminate HIV in Illinois
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 25, 2018
Contact
Julie Pryde, Administrator
(217) 531-5369 /
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Getting to Zero – Working to Eliminate HIV in Illinois
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District to Participate in Illinois HIV Town Hall Meeting
Champaign, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) will be participating in a town hall meeting hosted by the AIDS Foundation of Chicago on Friday, January 26, 2018 focused on “Getting to Zero” (GTZ). The GTZ campaign aims to eliminate new HIV infections and reduce HIV mortality. CUPHD will host the event from 9:30 AM to Noon at 201 W. Kenyon Road in Champaign. This meeting is one of a series of meetings to be held across the state of Illinois to focus on thoughts, ideas, and hopes for HIV elimination.
Getting to Zero consists of a framework focusing on no new HIV infections and ensuring that people living with HIV are receiving adequate treatment. CUPHD has a “GTZ” campaign called “CUatZero” that also addresses the stigma that many people face related to HIV disease. “HIV is very treatable and manageable today. For people who are active in HIV treatment, they are living longer, healthier lives, much like other persons with a chronic disease,” says Julie Pryde, Public Health Administrator.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of new HIV infections has dropped by 18 percent from 2008-2014. These gains have been credited to increased investments in treatment and viral suppression for persons living with HIV and PrEP (a pre-exposure prophylaxis). PrEP is up to 99 percent effective in preventing a new HIV infection. With these interventions, Illinois could see fewer than 100 new HIV cases each year by 2027.
CUPHD provides a wide array of HIV-related services weekdays from 8:30-11:30 AM and 1:004:30 PM. Staff provides supportive services for persons living with HIV including assistance in accessing medical care. HIV testing is available to all interested persons. In addition, CUPHD offers PrEP to reduce new HIV infections. PrEP is a medication, taken daily, to greatly reduce the chance of HIV infection for a person that does not have HIV.
For more information, visit the CUatZero Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CUatZERO or call 217-531-5365.
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