Q&A RSV, flu and COVID in King County: What should I know?

In the Fall and Winter months there is often a rise in respiratory viruses. This Fall (2022) there have been many RSV and flu cases requiring emergency room visits – especially for young children. Health clinics might also see more COVID cases and hospitalizations in the winter as people gather indoors and new COVID variants spread. These diseases can make young children, older adults, and other vulnerable people very sick, and overload hospitals and clinics.

RSV is a common respiratory virus that spreads every winter. Anyone can get RSV, but in 2022 we’re seeing a lot of cases in young children. For healthy adults and older children RSV can feel like a cold, with symptoms like runny nose, less appetite, coughing, and fever. But it can be a very serious illness for babies, older adults, and others.

The Seattle and King County Department of Public Health has put together an informative slide deck in eighteen languages. The deck Includes information about RSV, flu and COVID in King County, what to look for and how to prevent illness.

These slides can be shared in waiting rooms, at community centers, and in other places where people gather. Slides are available in the following languages:
• አማርኛ (Amharic)
• العربية (Arabic)
• 简体字 (Chinese – Simplified)
繁體字 (Chinese – Traditional)
• دری (Dari)
• English
• Français (French)
• 日本語 (Japanese)
• ភាសាខ្មែរ (Khmer)
• 한국어 (Korean)
• KajinM̧ajeļ (Marshallese)
• ਪੰਜਾਬੀ (Punjabi)
• Русский (Russian)
• Af Soomaali (Somali)
• Español (Spanish)
• Wikang Tagalog/Filipino (Tagalog/Filipino)
• ትግርኛ (Tigrinya)
• Українська (Ukrainian)
• Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)

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Live Better with Kidney Disease & Learn About Dialysis

Background

Increasingly, dialysis, a treatment for severe kidney disease, is of concern among Cambodian patients with diabetes. This tool was developed to help educate Cambodian patients and community members about dialysis, also known as renal replacement therapy. It is tailored to reflect common concerns and questions some Cambodians may have when learning about and considering dialysis.

There are two videos (see below and in sidebar), one in Khmer and one in English.

Methods/ Acknowledgements

The project was initiated by Cambodian Caseworker/Cultural Mediator Jeniffer Huong and Renal & Transplant Clinical Nurse Specialist, Nancy Colobong Smith, MN, ARNP, CNN. They aimed to create a product that is both culturally sensitive and clinically applicable. The project was facilitated by EthnoMed Program Coordinator, Rekha Ravindran, MPH. Advanced practice nursing student Megan Jane Melvin, DNP, ARNP, was recruited to lead the development of this tool, in collaboration with the project team. A literature review was conducted about barriers and knowledge gaps about dialysis among Cambodian patients with diabetes, and interviews and focus groups were conducted with a Cambodian patient, Cambodian community advocates and medical providers who work in refugee health. Information was synthesized to determine key educational messages for the script and images. EthnoMed Program Supervisor Christine Wilson Owens and Community House Calls Program Nurse Manager Lea Ann Miyagawa, MN, RN participated in project meetings. Special thanks to Tessavan Ros who played the role of the patient in the photos and narration. Original photos were taken by UW Medicine Photographer Clare McLean. Northwest Kidney Centers gave permission to use several photos by C. B. Bell, III, Scott Areman and Ben Jenkins. Illustrations are credited to University of Washington and UWMC Health Online. EthnoMed Program Coordinator Anna Cowan, MPH, produced the final media product. Special thanks to all others who supported and contributed to this work: Dr. Bernadette Thompson, Dr. Carey Jackson, Physician Assistant Phalla Kith, Taing Bun Nam, James Heng, Keo Soth, Sorphon Sim, Channdara Sos, Sothea Thong, Jenny Ap, Phon Som, Sophearom Lim, Sokha San, Thy Savu, Sambath Soung and Kimnay Siev. UWMC generously shared their clinic for photography.

Funding

This project was funded in part through an American Nephrology Nurses Association (ANNA) and Gloria Scharf Beedie Memorial Grant.

2024 Diabetes Calendars

These are thirteen and fifteen month calendars with photos and information about healthy eating and diabetes.

They are provided in Amharic (Ethiopian), Arabic, Dari, Khmer (Cambodian), Somali, Spanish, Tigrinya and Vietnamese. All calendars also include English. See sidebar for PDFs for FREE downloadable files.

We encourage you to download and share with your communities!

Print on both sides of paper (flip paper on long edge) and fold to make calendar.

Video promotion for the 2024 Diabetes Calendars
The FITO Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine

Using Traditional Medicines

This handout created by Harborview Medical Center addresses the use of traditional medicines, encouraging patients to discuss them with their doctor and pharmacist. It goes on to explain reasons why this is important.

The handout translated into a number of languages and each PDF includes both target language and English. Languages include: Arabic, Khmer (Cambodian), Somali, Spanish and Vietnamese. Audio narration is also available in each language.

PDFs and audio files are accessible in the sidebar.

These materials were funded by .

The FITO Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine
The FITO Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine. Photo by Anthony Tong Lee (cc license).
Diabetes Bracelets

What Is Diabetes?

These materials were developed at Harborview Medical Center (Seattle, WA) for use in a multicultural diabetes class for patients and family members. The materials were translated into a number of languages and each PDF includes both target language and English. Languages include: Arabic, Khmer (Cambodian), Somali, Spanish and Vietnamese. Audio narration is also available in each language.

PDFs and audio files are accessible in sidebar.

Updates to materials were funded by .

Diabetes Bracelets
Photo by Bradley Johnson (cc license).
Young woman wearing mask

Sick Days and Diabetes

These materials were developed at Harborview Medical Center (Seattle, WA) for use in a multicultural diabetes class for patients and family members. The materials were translated into a number of languages and each PDF includes both target language and English. Several of the handouts have audio narration (about 3 min).

Audio and PDFs are available in the sidebar.

Updates to materials were funded by .

Young woman wearing mask
Photo by Nikki (cc license).