From the Public Health Director
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Happy New Year! Looking ahead to 2025, our commitment here at the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment remains steadfast: to work to provide everyone in Larimer County the opportunity for a healthy life.
From promoting safe driving for teens to ensuring restaurants are implementing safe practices to prevent foodborne illness, our staff are looking forward to another year serving our community.
This January, we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His tireless fight for equality and justice inspires our dedication to addressing health inequities and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to achieve optimal health, regardless of their race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or any other factor.
As we move forward in the new year, let’s embrace Dr. King's message of hope and work together to build a healthier, more just community for all.
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2024 Highlights at Larimer County Department of Health and Environment
Here are just a few things we’re proud of accomplishing last year!
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Staff have collaborated with over 70 organizations in Larimer County to address the Community Health Improvement Plan priorities.
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Launched a program to provide up to $6,000 grants to commercial landscaping companies to move from gas powered to electric equipment in order to improve air quality. A new air quality monitor is now up and running in Timnath.
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Clinic Services received a grant from Caring for Colorado Foundation to support access to highly effective, long-acting reversible contraception for those who are uninsured or underinsured.
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The Communicable Disease team investigated 467 reportable conditions and 304 outbreaks or clusters of disease.
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Staff coordinated 93 volunteers from 27 agencies in response to the Alexander Mountain Fire.
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Environmental Health conducted 1,885 routine food safety inspections at licensed retail food establishments.
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The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provided nutrition education and services during 18,513 appointments and supported the local economy with $3.2 million in redeemed food benefits.
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The Nurse-Family Partnership Program served 197 clients, with 77 babies delivered and 42 families graduating from the program in 2024.
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January is Radon Action Month
January is Radon Action Month, and Larimer County residents are encouraged to test their homes for this dangerous gas. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer, and it's estimated that half of Colorado homes have elevated levels.
Free radon test kits are available at several locations throughout the county, including the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment offices in Fort Collins and Loveland, Estes Park Town Hall, Red Feather Lakes Library, and the Berthoud Community Library District. You can also order a free kit online through the CSU Extension website.
Testing is the only way to know if your home has high radon levels. If it does, there are ways to mitigate the problem and protect your family's health. For more information, visit www.larimer.gov/radon.
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Respiratory Illness Season Updates
Coming through the holiday season, we are now entering "the thick of it" for respiratory illness season. On the national scale, we have surpassed the national baseline for outpatient visits for respiratory illness and are seeing "High" to "Very High" Influenza Like Illness (IL) activity through most of the country (with the Southeast and West most affected). This is illustrated in the first two images below.
Based on national and regional subtyping, H3 and H1N1 are both circulating throughout the United States. There has been minimal detection for Influenza B at this time. On a state and local level, we are seeing increased respiratory activity in most of our surveillance systems, including emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, wastewater monitoring, and outbreak reporting. This is most notable for Influenza. Trends for weekly ED visits for Larimer County residents are below. Based on current CDC modeling, it is expected that the fall and winter respiratory disease season will likely have a similar or lower number of combined peak hospitalizations due to COVID-19, influenza, and RSV compared to last season.
Free COVID-19 home test kits are available to order from the federal government here.
CDC Weekly US Influenza Surveillance Report
CDPHE Viral Respiratory Disease Dashboard
CDC 2024-2025 Respiratory Disease Season Outlook
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New Colorado "Hands Free" Law
Starting January 1, 2025, Colorado drivers are no longer allowed to hold their phones while driving. This new law expands the previous ban on texting to include all handheld phone use, such as making calls or using apps.
Drivers must now use hands-free accessories like Bluetooth headsets or dashboard mounts. First-time offenders can avoid the $75 fine and license points by proving they've purchased a hands-free device.
Distraction due to cellphones causes 6 percent of all crashes, and distracted driving accounted for 3,308 lives lost in 2022. The problem is not going away either as rates of manipulating handheld devices while driving continue to rise, especially among young people aged 16 to 24. These teens and young adults are more than twice as likely to use a cellphone with their hands while driving when compared to other adults.
Exceptions to the law include emergency responders, utility workers, and those reporting emergencies.
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Winter weather brings increased risks at home, outdoors, and on the road. You can take steps now to understand what risks you face and how to prepare for them.
At Home
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Heat your home safely. Home heating is the second leading cause of home fires and winter is when most home fires happen. Keep anything that can burn at least three feet from all heat sources and never use an oven to heat your home.
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Prepare for power outages. Create a plan for what you will do in the event of a power outage. Discuss the plan with anyone who lives in your household. Consider how you will communicate, refrigerate medications, power necessary medical devices, and where you will go if the cold is extreme and you cannot heat your home.
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Prevent carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Install a CO detector and check that it has a working battery.
Outdoors
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Check the weather forecast before heading out for outdoor activities. Tell others where you are going and when you expect to return. Dress in layers.
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Learn the signs of frostbite and hypothermia and how to respond. Older adults, young children, people under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and people who stay outdoors for long periods of time due to work, recreation, or homelessness are most at risk.
On the Road
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Keep an emergency supply kit in your car. Important items to include are: jumper cables, flares or a reflective triangle, an ice scraper, a car cell phone charger or portable charger, blankets or sleeping bags, cat litter or sand, a first aid kit, bottled water and non-perishable food, and a flashlight.
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Make sure your vehicle is in good working condition and has plenty of gas before you travel. Check the tread on your tires and consider installing winter tires.
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Slow down and increase your following distance. It takes longer to slow down and stop on icy roads. Reducing your speed and keeping a larger distance between you and the car in front of you can prevent accidents.
Learn more and get winter ready at ready.gov/winter-ready.
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