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First Coast Connect

COVID-19 Update; Opioid Crisis; Protecting Our Veterans; What's Good Wednesdays

AP PHOTO/LYNNE SLADKY
File of a drive-through COVID-19 testing clinic in FLorida

 

 

Florida’s reported COVID-19 numbers are beginning to trend downwards.  

However, many medical professionals are cautioning against letting our guard down during this time, especially with flu season around the corner.  

We spoke with Dr. Jonathan Kantor, an epidemiologist and dermatologist with the Penn Center for Global Health, to get his thoughts on the subject.

Related; Local, State, and National Coronavirus Coverage

Opioid Crisis 

In July, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced important labeling changes for opioid pain medicines, saying labels must now “recommend that as a routine part of prescribing these medicines, health care professionals should discuss the availability of naloxone with patients and caregivers.”

Naloxone is also known by the brand-name Narcan Nasal Spray. It can be a life-saving tool for someone overdosing on opiates. Doctors increasingly say everyone should have Narcan in their home medicine cabinet. Dr. Bruce Goldberger, chief of the Division of Forensic Medicine at the University of Florida in Gainesville, joined us to explain why.  

Helping Our Veterans

There is a brand new veterans and military focused clinic in Jacksonville, and it’s part of the Cohen Veterans Network.  Clinic Director Liz Sherr told us more about the clinic, and its outreach efforts to veterans as part of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. 

What’s Good Wednesdays

A local woman isn’t letting COVID-19 slow down her goals of taking an incredible journey.  Eva Askew-Houser joined us to share how the pandemic forced her to alter her plans to take part in the Camino De Santiago, and what she’s doing instead to make the most of it.  

Our look at What’s Good this week also included:

  • A version of theSing Out Loudmusic festival will take place virtually this month.

  • The Jacksonville Symphony will perform two free pre-season concerts in the Jacoby Symphony Hall next week.  

  • The Travis Manion Foundation’s Annual 9/11 Heroes Run 5K Race Series, which typically takes place in-person in Jacksonville Beach, and across the country as well as the world, is going virtual. You can register to participate here.

For more good news, subscribe to our free weekly newsletter.

Patrick Cantin can be reached at newsteam@wjct.org.  

 

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Patrick Cantin is joining WJCT from the University of North Florida as a news intern for the fall 2020 semester.