Author: patrickgodette

National Poison Prevention Week

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Would you know what to do if someone you know had been poisoned?  

What if a child mistook a laundry pod for candy? Or an older adult had trouble seeing a label and mixed two household cleaners together, creating a poison gas?  

The answer if you believe someone has been poisoned is to call 911 or a poison control center at 800-222-1222. In Virginia, one of two poison centers located at Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia will give advice for a range of poisons. If you know someone has been exposed to poison, but are not sure they have been poisoned, it’s still important to call.   

Next week, the third full week of March, is National Poison Prevention Week. The goal each year is to raise awareness of poisoning prevention and what to do if someone you know has been poisoned.  

According to the National Capital Poison Center, 55 poison control call centers across the U.S. took more than 2.1 million calls for help, or about 1 every 15 seconds in 2020.  

In Virginia in 2021, 92 percent of poison cases happened in a residence and 74 percent were unintentional, according to America’s Poison Centers. Nearly 11 percent of the substances people were exposed to were pain relievers, while about 7 percent were cleaning products. Cosmetics and personal care products accounted for about 6 percent, as did antidepressants. Nearly 40 percent of the cases were for children under the age of 5.  

Common household items can poison children, including medicines, pesticides, car fluids, such as windshield washer fluid and antifreeze; household chemicals, such as drain cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, laundry detergent and paint thinner; alcoholic beverages and certain types of plants. To learn more, visit the Virginia Poison Center or the Blue Ridge Poison Centers’ websites.   

You can help keep young children safe by acting on the phrase, “put your medicines up and away and out of sight.”  

What else can you do?  Here are a few tips:   

Prevent children from being poisoned:  

  • Use child-resistant closures on medicines and dangerous household products. 
  • Lock medicines and dangerous household products up high for children.   
  • Keep products, including household products, in their original containers. 
  • Store food and household products in different areas to avoid confusing the two. 
  • Take medicine where children can’t watch. They learn by imitating adults. 
  • Teach children to always ask before eating or drinking anything. 

Prevent adults from being poisoned:  

  • Ask your pharmacist before taking a new drug to avoid drug interactions. 
  • Read the label before taking medicine or using a household product. Turn on the light and put on your glasses if you need to read. 
  • Take medicines exactly as your doctor orders. Your pharmacist or other health care provider can help you figure out the best way to keep your drugs organized. 
  • Only take medicine prescribed for you! If possible, have all prescriptions filled by the same pharmacy. 
  • Install carbon monoxide alarms. 
  • Do NOT mix household products together. You could make a poisonous gas. 

  

Download poison prevention tip cards for children and adults, get statistics from poison centers, watch videos and learn more at the following sites:  

VDH Poison Prevention page 

America’s Poison Centers 

Virginia Poison Center 

Blue Ridge Poison Center 

Health Resources & Services Administration  

Brain Injury Awareness Month

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You may have heard a lot about brain injuries in the last few years, especially among members of the military and athletes. Brain injuries can happen to anyone at any age and can have many causes. March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. It’s a time to recognize those with brain injuries, encourage them to share their stories and let them know they are not alone. 

Acquired brain injury is an injury to the brain that did not happen during birth, wasn’t present from birth, is not inherited and is not degenerative, according to the Brain Injury Association of America. There are two types of brain injury: traumatic and non-traumatic.  

Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, can cause your brain to function in a different way. It happens when you fall, something hits your head or penetrates your skull.  

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were more than 64,000 TBI-related deaths in the U.S. in 2020. That breaks down to about 176 a day.  

Did you know that there are more groups at higher risk for TBI? Racial and ethnic minorities, people who experience homelessness, people in correctional and detention facilities, and people who survive intimate partner violence are more likely to be affected. 

At the Virginia Department of Health, the Injury Prevention Program’s goal is to prevent TBI through proven ways of preventing, diagnosing and managing concussions. There are ways parents can help children avoid concussions. There also are steps to take to prevent children and older adults from falling.  

Brain injuries can be complex. There is a lot of information available to learn more, help prevent injury or to support someone living with a brain injury.  

To learn more about brain injuries, prevention, treatment and other resources, visit the following sites:  

 

Have You Ever Heard of PFAS? Here’s What You Should Know.

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Have you ever heard of perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS?  

There are more than 4,000 different PFAS chemicals. They are made by humans and usually produced from industrial activity or processes. They were created in the 1940s to help fabrics resist stains, in non-stick coatings and in foam used by firefighters. They have been used in a wide range of products, including carpets, upholstery, mattresses, clothing and non-stick cookware. 

Human exposure to PFAS has become a health concern. Studies are being conducted on the effects of exposure because the substances – sometimes called “forever chemicals” in the media – do not break down easily and can stay in the environment for many years.  

You can’t see, smell or taste PFAS. You can be exposed to them by eating contaminated food, drinking water with PFAS or using products that contain PFAS. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, scientists have found traces of one or more PFAS in the blood of nearly all the people they tested.   

Scientists continue to study the effects of PFAS on humans. So far, studies suggest that exposure to certain PFAS may lead to:  

  • Changes in liver enzymes 
  • Increased cholesterol levels 
  • Increased risk of high blood pressure or preeclampsia in pregnant women 
  • Increased risk of kidney or testicular cancer 
  • Small decrease in infant birth weights 
  • Decreased vaccine response in children  

Most uses of two types of PFAS were voluntarily phased out by U.S. manufacturers in the mid-2000s, but there are a few that continue to be used in a limited way. Because the chemicals used since the 1940s don’t break down in the environment and remain in human bodies a long time, they continue to pose health concerns. 

PFAS can get into drinking water at the sites where they are made, used, disposed of or spilled. If they are used at a manufacturing plant and are in the air, they can get into rainwater. They are carried by the rainwater run-off into surface water such as lakes and ponds or seep through the soil and get into groundwater.  

Public water supplies and private wells that get their water from surface or ground water sources can be contaminated with PFAS. If the water isn’t treated to remove the chemicals, they can get into your body when you drink the water or eat food cooked in it.  

The Virginia Department of Health Office of Drinking Water regulates public water systems that provide water for people and have at least 15 service connections or serves an average of at least 25 people for at least 60 days each year.  

On June 15, 2022, the EPA issued health advisories for certain PFAS in drinking water that are lower than previous advisories. The VDH is exploring how the new advisories can be used to guide efforts to protect the environment, our drinking water and the health of Virginians. 

VDHs Office of Drinking Water is working closely with public water providers to monitor the water that is provided to residents.  

Private well owners can test their wells and can learn more about PFAS in private wells on the Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Private Well Drinking Water Supplies page. 

What can you do to reduce your exposure to PFAS?  

Because PFAS is so common, avoiding them completely would be very difficult. You can avoid products that contain PFAS such as stain-resistant coatings on carpets and upholstery, water-resistant clothing, personal care products, and cosmetics or eating food packaged in materials that contain PFAS such as some grease-resistant food wrappers or boxes and microwave popcorn bags.   

Dusting can also help reduce the amount of PFAS in your home that could be swallowed, particularly by infants and young children.   

To learn more about PFAS and to read more on what steps VDH is taking to monitor PFAS, visit the Office of Drinking Water’s Frequently Asked Questions.

Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month is a Time to Promote Safe, Healthy Relationships

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Dating violence doesn’t only mean going to school with bruises. It’s not only having a partner who yells at you or belittles you.   

Dating violence can begin with someone who is pressuring you to do things that make you uncomfortable. Someone may ask you to ignore your friends and family. A person you’re dating may ignore you or threaten to leave if you don’t give in to a demand. Someone may text you, even when you have asked them not to. Those things can lead to physical violence and abuse. 

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, a time to learn about healthy and unhealthy relationships and how to recognize the difference. 

In 2019, 7.3 percent of Virginia high school students who participated in the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey said they had experienced physical dating violence, while 6.9 percent said they had experienced sexual dating violence.  

It can be hard to recognize the signs of an unhealthy relationship, especially if our ideas about love come from songs or movies.  

According to the One Love Foundation, unhealthy relationships include the following:  

  • Intensity 
  • Possessiveness 
  • Manipulation 
  • Isolation 
  • Sabotage
  • Belittling 
  • Guilting 
  • Volatility 
  • Deflecting responsibility 
  • Betrayal 

What are the signs of a healthy relationship?  

  • Comfortable pace 
  • Trust 
  • Honesty 
  • Independence
  • Respect 
  • Equality 
  • Kindness 
  • Taking responsibility 
  • Healthy Conflict
  • Fun 

There are lots of resources to help you learn what a healthy relationship looks like. There is also help available if you are in an unhealthy relationship and need to get away.  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Fast Facts: Preventing Teen Dating Violence page also offers tips on recognizing the signs of relationship violence and the consequences.  

You can reach out for help to the National Domestic Abuse Hotline: 866-331-9474 or 866-331-8453 (TDD). The line is available 24 hours, every day. A live online chat also is available from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. To chat with helpline staff, text “loveis” to 22522. 

Teen dating violence doesn’t just affect teens. It affects everyone, including parents, friends, teachers and communities. 

Learning about and raising awareness of dating violence is the first step toward healthy relationships.

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is February 7

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On National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD) we celebrate the progress of Black communities in their fight against HIV along with their strength and resilience. The day is observed each year on February 7.

The day also is a time to recognize the challenges that Black communities continue to face reducing HIV cases. Racism, discrimination, and mistrust in the health care system have made it hard for people to seek testing, prevention, and care services. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Blacks in the United States made up 12 percent of the population but accounted for 42 percent (12,827) of the 30,635 new HIV cases diagnosed in 2020.  Black and bisexual men were most affected by HIV, making up 65 percent (8,294) of new HIV diagnosed among Black people in 2020. To learn more, visit the CDCs HIV and African American People page. 

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day was first observed in 1999 and each year focuses on four things:  

  • Education 
  • Involvement through community prevention efforts 
  • Testing 
  • Treatment 

The theme of this year’s observance is “Together…We Can Make HIV Black History!” A Live with Leadership webinar will be held from 2:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on February 7, 2023. To register, visit the HIV.gov blog and follow the Register Now link. The conversation will continue a discussion from 2022 focused on the goal of ending HIV and the “I am a Work of ART” campaign in which a group of people with HIV, who share personal stories about getting into care and using antiretroviral therapy (ART).   

Questions about HIV? Call the Virginia Disease Prevention Hotline at 1-800-533-4148. To learn more about HIV and National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, visit HIV.gov. Want to help spread the word? Use #NBHAAD

New program offers guided activities for American Heart Month

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If you’re struggling to keep that New Year’s resolution of improving your health with exercise and diet, we’ve got just the thing: Walk with Ease, a six-week program that provides guided activities and resources through an online portal.

The program, a partnership between the Virginia Department of Health and The Arthritis Foundation, kicks off the annual observance of American Heart Month. 

Walk with Ease, or WWE, is open to all Virginians from Wednesday, February 1, through Monday, March 6. Participants receive tools, including an e-Book that teaches them how to exercise in ways that are safe and comfortable. The activities can be done by yourself or as part of a group. Regular physical activity provides important benefits for your overall health. 

Early data show that heart disease was the leading cause of death for Virginians in 2022. 

What else can you do to reduce your risk? Here are a few tips from VDH:  

  • Choose healthy meals and snacks. Include a lot of fruit and vegetables in your diet, and choose foods lower in sodium and saturated fat. Try some heart healthy recipes and check out the MyPlate resources from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.    
  • Make physical activity a regular part of your day. Adults should get at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, such as brisk walking, running, bicycling a week. Learn more about ways to increase your physical activity throughout the day on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s physical activity page.    
  • Take steps to quit smoking by contacting Quit Now Virginia, which offers free telephone or web-based counseling services and also offers Text2Quit support, self-help materials and referrals to local resources. 1-800- QUIT NOW (1-800-784-8669) or learn more at the Quit Now Virginia Website.  
  • Check your blood pressure. Read more about ways to prevent and manage blood pressure. Here are some helpful tips for talking with a doctor to manage and check your blood pressure.

State Registrar Retires After Nearly a Half Century of Service to the Commonwealth

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State Registrar Retires After Nearly a Half Century of Service to the Commonwealth

Janet M. Rainey worked to ensure equity in the issuance of vital records, righting wrongs to Native Americans

Photo of Janet M. RaineyDuring her nearly half century working for Virginia’s Vital Records unit, State Registrar Janet M. Rainey has had a front row seat to historical, cultural, societal and technological change impacting the state’s collection and dissemination of information about births, deaths, marriages and divorces. 

Rainey, 66, is retiring from the Virginia Department of Health on January 31. During her tenure, she helped the agency evolve from a paper-based system to one that makes records accessible electronically at dozens of Local Health Departments and DMV offices. She helped fulfill legislative mandates on genealogical research and death reporting. She assisted hundreds of Native Americans who sought to correct birth certificates which labeled them as “Colored” at the insistence of avowed white supremacist Walter Plecker, Virginia’s first State Registrar of vital records. She made sure marriage reporting forms reflected legalization of same sex marriage, helped citizens navigate the process to record unrecorded and home births and found new ways to simplify processes to record all vital records.    

“Ms. Rainey’s dedication to ensuring the integrity and security of Virginia vital records has benefited all Virginians. Hundreds of thousands of vital records requests are processed every year, and she and her team have worked tirelessly to make that process accessible,” said State Health Commissioner Colin M. Greene, MD, MPH. “She has also worked with stakeholder groups and legislators on special initiatives, including a decades-long effort to correct Native American birth certificates. Thank you, Janet, for your service to Virginia, and congratulations and best wishes on your retirement.”  

Her accomplishments include:

  • Overseeing a contract with Ancestry.com to, in accordance with legislation, make thousands of records available to people researching their family trees.
  • Overseeing the implementation of the issuance of vital records though DMV offices. By the end of 2021, Virginia DMV offices had issued more than a million certified copies of vital records.
  • The creation of the state’s Electronic Death Registration System. Rainey worked with funeral directors’ associations and other stakeholders, including medical certifiers and medical examiners to ensure the system met the needs of all who participate in the filing of death certificates.
  • Oversaw the creation of Virginia’s electronic birth certificate system, created a process for mothers to request a copy of their child’s birth certificate while in the hospital and bypass the ID requirement.

The Office of Vital Records produces nearly 300,000 copies of vital records a year and there are more than one million vital records issued throughout the entire Virginia system of vital records which includes issuance at Local Health Departments and DMV.

Thanks to Rainey’s efforts, nearly all the records are automated and nearly all are available electronically.

As a young and curious newcomer in 1975 to the then Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics, Rainey worked as a clerk/typist. Her tools were pencils, ink pens and hundreds of record books that had to be searched by hand.

Her curiosity caught the attention of then State Registrar Rusty Booker, who taught her how the office worked. Five years passed before she realized it.

“I didn’t even know it until I got my five-year certificate saying I had been here for five years,” Rainey said. “Knowing myself, if I didn’t have a passion for this job, probably I would have left before five years.”

Rainey eventually went to work in the Special Services Unit, responsible for amending and creating vital records, rising to become the unit’s supervisor. While she was there, she filled in for every other supervisor position in the office.

Rainey went on to become the Assistant State Registrar. In 2004, she became the acting Director and State Registrar and was named State Registrar in 2006. Rainey is only the state’s sixth registrar since 1912.

Thanks to her mentor, Rainey found a passion for the job and advises young people who are seeking a career to do the same. “Know what it is that you want,” Rainey said. “It may take two or three times to find the career you want. But be passionate about it.”

Through the years, Rainey has continued to personally help Virginians find and correct their records, most recently assisting an 88-year-old whose birth was never recorded. She later received a letter of thanks, one of hundreds over the years.

She’s proud of that work and of rising from a low-paid clerk to the title of State Registrar.

“People will chase the dollar more so than the career,” Rainey said. “Sometimes our careers may not pay a top dollar that we want, but it’s something that you can go home saying that you made a difference in somebody’s life.”

A photo of Janet M. Rainey is available upon request by media outlets. Contact Cindy Clayton at cindy.clayton@vdh.virginia.gov. 

#FoodSafetyFridays

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You’re not feeling so great. Your stomach is queasy, your head is pounding, and you feel really tired. Or perhaps you’ve been in the bathroom for the last thirty minutes.

Earlier in the evening, you had leftovers for dinner. Afterwards, you mixed up a cake to bake and licked the spoon. Then you played with your pet lizard.

Which of these activities do you think could have caused you to feel sick?

If you said all of the above, you’re correct!

Leftovers that are too old or not heated properly, raw eggs and flour in cake batter, and even handling lizards without washing your hands afterward could make you sick.

Every Friday, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is sharing these tips and more in social media posts known as Food Safety Fridays.

Topics have included safe food shopping and storage, safe meal prep, risky raw milk, and food safety in restaurants.

The goal of these posts is to share information about how to protect yourself and let you know where you can learn more about the causes of food-related illnesses.

Did you know, for example, that raw (unpasteurized) milk can contain harmful bacteria that can make you very sick? Pasteurizing (heating to a high enough temperature to kill harmful germs) milk reduces the chance of illness such as listeria.

You may have heard of such illnesses as Salmonellosis (Salmonella), Listeriosis (Listeria), Norovirus, and Hepatitis A.  But what about Shigellosis, Campylobacteriosis, Giardiasis and Clostridium Perfringens?

These diseases can be found on pets and even in spills inside your refrigerator. Some can make you sick in a few hours, while you may not feel the effects of others for days. Some can be very serious.

VDH has lots of information on vdh.virginia.gov about the symptoms of foodborne illness, ongoing recalls, outbreaks, and how these illnesses are investigated.

If you suspect something has made you sick, contact your doctor and report it to the Health Department via My Meal Detective. You can also call and report it directly to your Local Health Department.

You can also learn more about dining out safely, food and milk safety, and find links to restaurant reports and regulations.

Remember to check out the VDH Facebook and Twitter on Fridays and share the posts with #FoodSafetyFridays.

Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Vital Records Announces Top Fifteen Baby Names of 2022, Other Interesting Virginia Birth Data

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Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Vital Records Announces Top Fifteen Baby Names of 2022, Other Interesting Virginia Birth Data

Whether inspired by scripture, royalty, a favorite singer, Disney character, or family heritage, parents are choosing diverse names for their newborns. Today, the Office of Vital Records in the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) unveils its lists of Top 15 baby names for children born in the commonwealth in 2022, perhaps providing some inspiration for stressed-out parents-to-be. 

Topping the list of the most popular names for boys in 2022 was Noah while Charlotte was the most popular for girls. In 2021, there were 95,618 babies born; while the numbers for 2022 are still being counted, the Office of Vital Records estimates there were a similar number of births last year.  

“It’s always fascinating to see the top names for babies in any given year,” said Seth Austin, director of VDH’s Office of Vital Records. “We see names from a number of sources: a movie, religious texts, a family’s personal history. They all represent the commonwealth’s wonderfully diverse cultures.”  

Rounding out the Top 15 for boys in 2022 are James, Liam, William, Henry, Theodore, Oliver, Elijah, Levi, Benjamin, Owen, John, Jack, Asher, and Lucas. For girls, after Charlotte, 2022’s top popular names are Olivia, Ava, Amelia, Emma, Harper, Evelyn, Eleanor, Sophia, Elizabeth, Lilly, Abigail, Riley, Nora, and Chloe. 

Office of Vital Records data also indicate the most popular 2022 baby names for the largest ethnic groups in the state: Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White.  

  • Among Asian babies born in 2022, Noah and Sophia were the most popular names. Muhammad, Liam, Kai, and Henry fill out the Top Five list for boys; Chloe, Olivia, Mia, and Charlotte complete the Top Five list for girls.  
  • For Black babies born in Virginia in 2022, Noah and Ava were the most popular names. Elijah, Josiah, Amir, and Micah round out the Top Five for boys, while Naomi, Nova, Zuri, and Leilani fill out the Top Five for girls. 
  • Liam and Mia were the top names for Hispanic boys and girls born in Virginia in 2022. Mateo, Dylan, Noah, and Lucas fill out the Top Five list for Hispanic boys’ names, while Camila, Isabella, Emma, and Genesis complete the Top Five list for girls’ names. 
  • William and Charlotte were the top names for White babies born in 2022, followed by Henry, James, Theodore, and Oliver for boys and Olivia, Amelia, Harper, and Emma for girls. 

Half a century ago in 1972, VDH data shows that Michael and Jennifer were the most popular names for baby boys and girls born that year. James, Christopher, David, Robert, John, William, Brian, Jason, Kevin, Jeffrey, Charles, Richard, Matthew, and Thomas fill out the rest of the Top 15 for boys’ names in 1972. Among girls in 1972, the rest of the Top 15 include Kimberly, Amy, Angela, Melissa, Lisa, Michelle, Tammy, Mary, Stephanie, Elizabeth, Rebecca, Heather, Susan, and Karen. Information about popular names in each of the 50 states going back to 1960 is available from the Social Security Administration by using its Popular Names by Decade tool. 

Office of Vital Records data also reveals other interesting information about 2022 births.  

  • The most births occurred in August with 8,917 babies delivered, with Aug. 17 seeing the most number of babies born – 359.  
  • Fridays are the busiest day of the week in Virginia delivery rooms: 14,429 babies were born on a Friday in 2022; Sundays, on the other hand, are the slowest days of the week, with only 8,746 born on a Sunday in 2022.  
  • There were 1,344 sets of twins born in Virginia in 2022, while there were 19 sets of triplets born in the state.  
  • And on New Year’s Day 2022, 178 new Virginians came into the world. 

The Office of Vital Records is Virginians’ one-stop shop for any number of personal records requests including birth and death certificates, name changes, and marriage and divorce records. The Office’s headquarters is located in Richmond at 2001 Maywill Street, Suite #101, Richmond, VA 23230; it is open to the public Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The vital records call center — (804) 662-6200 — is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The public may also apply for a vital record, pay for it, and receive updates on the request’s fulfillment online using this tracking tool. 

The public may also access Office of Vital Records services through their local health district offices and Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) offices. Use this Health Department locator tool to find your local health department office; please call ahead to ensure your local office offers the services you need to access. Use this DMV office locator tool to find a DMV office near you; DMV offices are open for walk-ins and appointments. 

January is Radon Action Month. But what exactly is radon?

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Radon gas sounds like a weapon in a superhero movie, but it’s a real-life problem that can cause life-threatening damage to human lungs.

Radon is an odorless, colorless, and radioactive gas that is the product of decaying uranium and is considered the second leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking.

The worst part? It could be in your home.

January is National Radon Action Month During this time, VDH emphasizes the dangers of the gas and how to reduce it in water, homes, and other buildings.

The naturally-occurring gas can get into your home through cracks, crevices, and small holes. Radon gas can be inhaled and can cause cancer – especially if you are exposed to it for many years.

Smoking can increase radon risk by as much as 10 times.

Radon also can be found in private wells but is not usually found in public water sources. Systems can be installed to reduce the amount of radon in well water.

So how do you know if radon is a problem in your home? You can buy a test kit or call a professional. Testing is affordable and depending on the findings, radon can be reduced or prevented from entering your home. The average cost for a professional to lower levels of radon in a home is about $1,200, according to the National Radon Program.

Here are some tips for testing your home for radon:

  • You can buy and test your home yourself or hire someone certified by the National Radon Safety Board or the National Radon Proficiency Program.
  • If you buy a test yourself, avoid testing in closets, storerooms, kitchens, bathrooms and crawlspaces. Test on the lowest level of your home that can be lived in. Bedrooms or family rooms are the best places to test.
  • Don’t place your test kit against building materials made of natural rock. Make sure the kit is at least 20 inches off the floor.
  • A test should be done in a space that has breathable air. About 3-6 feet off the floor is best. It should not be too close to walls, windows or other areas where you think radon could get into your home.
  • Try not to test during long lasting severe storms that cause heavy rain, high sustained winds or abnormally low atmospheric pressure.

Want to learn more about radon? Visit the Virginia Department of Health’s Frequently Asked Questions about Radon and explore more related topics.