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The weekly COVID-19 update: Will there be a surge in August? Can wastewater predict the future?

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ASHEVILLE, NC – August 7, 2024 – The winter surge of respiratory infections, like COVID-19, has passed. However, over the past 3 years, COVID-19 infections have also surged in August.

The CDC’s COVID Dashboard for the week ending on July 27th shows:  

  • Less than 2% of the deaths in North Carolina were due to COVID, the 2nd lowest level of 6 groups.
  • Emergency department visits for COVID-19 are low in North Carolina, less than 3.0% of all visits. They have increased more than 30% since last week.

Wastewater monitoring can be used to provide early warning for COVID outbreaks. The Buncombe & Henderson counties wastewater data on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard for the week ending on July 24th shows:

  • The number of viral gene copies in each water sample is between 80-100%, the highest level of 5 groups.
  • The 15-day rate of change of the number of viral gene copies in each water sample has increased from the previous week to between 10-99%, the 2nd highest level of 3 groups with a positive rate of change.

The increasing numbers may predict a COVID infection surge in August, like in years past.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]


More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

Exciting News at 12 Baskets!

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Written By Malachi Mena 

12 Baskets Café is excited to share new opportunities and an expansion of community services. They have been working even harder than usual to provide Asheville citizens with more access to food!

On AFM News Hour, Patrick Battle spoke with Ben Williamson of the Asheville Poverty Initiative about major service expansions at 12 Baskets. Williamson began by sharing some background on 12 Baskets Café. They opened in 2016 and served lunch every weekday. Now they are excited to sell groceries along with meals, four days a week. (they’re closed on Wednesdays). This is a major shift for the café, as they were previously only able to serve strictly meals or strictly groceries each day. Williamson said that the café staff and volunteers have worked diligently at doubling access to food for the community. Through a process of trial and error, they are now serving record numbers!

Throughout all of this, 12 Baskets has strived to maintain its community building, fulfilling the primary part of their mission. Williamson said, “We just want people to come in and have a seat, and be waited on, and be welcomed, and be included . . .” 12 Baskets wants to invite the community to stop by and enjoy a hot meal, grab some food to go, and sign up for groceries. You can stop and chat with new faces and enjoy the café’s garden. There’s a lot going on at 12 Baskets and they would love for people to be a part of it! They welcome all! 

All these exciting changes come with expenses. In order to raise money, the Asheville Poverty Initiative will be hosting Westival: A Food Experience for the West of Us on September 28 from 4PM to 8PM. The fundraiser will be held at Archetype Brewing and will feature twelve West Asheville-based food providers. Restaurants such as Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack and West Village Market will take part! The Asheville Poverty Initiative really wanted to be community inclusive and child friendly to celebrate West Asheville. 

For more information on 12 Baskets Café and the Asheville Poverty Initiative, check out https://www.ashevillepovertyinitiative.org/  and listen to the latest episode of AFM News Hour. 


More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

Latch AVL This Weekend!

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Written By Malachi Mena

The Buncombe County Breastfeeding Coalition has an exciting event coming up this weekend at Rabbit Rabbit. Latch AVL will take place on Saturday at 9AM with lots of unique opportunities and activities!

On AFM News Hour, I got the chance to speak to Sapphire DeBellot and Marcelle Crago about the Buncombe County Breastfeeding Coalition. Marcelle explained that the coalition is focused on helping pregnant and postpartum families find community resources around breastfeeding and chestfeeding. Sapphire added that it’s a way for different organizations to come together and help make Asheville a better breastfeeding community.

Marcelle went on to share that while some may think breast/chestfeeding is natural or comes easy, it is a learned skill. The Buncombe County Breastfeeding Coalition is trying to raise awareness and help connect parents and guardians with lactation consultants and the like, to provide skills education and assistance..

Curious about their use of the word chestfeeding, I asked Sapphire and Marcelle to explain how it differed from breastfeeding. The two clarified that chestfeeding was inclusive terminology, as some folks are transgender, non-binary, or identify as male and have the ability to feed. Sapphire and Marcelle said they use the term to create a more welcoming environment to all. Marcelle also stated that there are families that struggle with the social pressure of breastfeeding, as it has become very sexualized. She said that some may not want to feed the baby at their chest, and they bottle feed instead.

The two were very excited to discuss their upcoming event, Latch AVL, on August 3rd at Rabbit Rabbit. It will take place from 9AM to 1PM. People can expect lots of activities, including a raffle and a community latch-on. Chiropractors and therapists will also be on site, along with lots of nonprofits and other organizations, including Mount Zion Community Development. As Mount Zion’s Outreach Coordinator, Sapphire spoke about the organization’s initiative to promote breastfeeding education through their NAF program, which has been around since 1998. NAF stands for Nurturing Asheville & Area Families and it strives to support African American pregnant and postpartum women in Buncombe, Madison, and Henderson Counties. She explained that they are able to provide support through events like Latch AVL.

After a year of planning this event, Sapphire and Marcelle hope that families throughout town will show up and support the cause. They’re excited to see the turnout!

For more on the event visit https://buncombepfc.org/latchavl/ and check out the latest episode of AFM News Hour.

You can listen to the full interview here:


More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

Queer Calendar For Week of Aug 1

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    • The first Thursday of the month is Divine’s Karaoke kiki with Proceeds to Blue Ridge Pride! Enjoy sing-alongs, props, and singing with a twist, hosted by a comedy drag queen. That’s at Archetype Brewing from 7-9pm
    • Thursday, August 1st, Tina and Her Pony is playing a one hour set on 8/1 Wicked Weed Funkatorium 6-7pm for AVL FEST! Tickets are available at www.avlfest.com. 
    • Friday, August 2nd at 6pm t’s Pride Night at the Blue Ridge Beer Garden in Hendersonville, a monthly community meet up by Hendersonville Pride.
    • This and every Friday it’s Drag Queen karaoke at O Henry’s 8pm to midnight
    • This Friday it’s Tuck It Up, Buttercup at Banks Ave Bar with. Music by DJ Bleu Lallama & DJ Blazze 9pm Showtime: 11:30pm. A night of interactive drag and dance music with an ever-changing lineup, each event will blend well-known, established queens/kings with up-and-coming queens/kings from the community and surrounding areas.
    • This Friday, its Song-O Drag Music Bingo With Divine! At highland brewing downtown, from 7:30 – 9:30 PM. Join us for a silly drag-stravaganza filled with fine brews and a musical twist on bingo. Hosted by the fabulous Divinity Holeburn, winners will be toasted and roasted in true drag style. 
    • Saturday, August 3rd. AVL Fest is here! Join M A R and the Marmeladies at 2pm at The Orange Peel for for music, dancing and good times! M A R and the Marmeladies is a spirited 4-piece band rooted in the rich tapestry of Latin American Folk and ventures beyond boundaries of genres adding a touch of quirky bluesy indie and Latin flair over bilingual lyrics. Hailing originally from Peru and based in the US, M A R, the lead singer and guitars of the Marmeladies is a trans/non-binary songwriter, musician and producer. 
    • ALSO this Saturday, Join us for an exciting Summer Olympics Watch Party & Field Day hosted by Q HALL. This event is to celebrate achieving gender parity with equal representation of female and male athletes for the first time in Olympic history! This will be a Women’s Category Viewing Party with plenty of fun for everyone! Hosted at Pleb Urban Winery this Saturday, August 3rd, from 1:00 – 4:00 PM. 
    • This and every Saturday, drag shows starting at 11pm and midnight at O.Henrys. 
    • Sunday’s it’s Gentle Yoga for Queer & GNC Folks at West Asheville Yoga Studio from 1:30 to 2:30. Learn more at “westashevilleyoga.com”.
    • Sunday, August 4th – is the monthly BIPOC Farmers Market at Southside Community Farm. Since 2021 Queer and black run – Southside Community Farm has hosted a farmers market as a way to make healthy, fresh food available in the neighborhood and to promote local craftspeople and farmers of color. They host the market on the first Sunday of the month, May-October at the Arthur R. Edington Center (133 Livingston St., Asheville). Besides our own fresh produce, you’ll also find many other local Black and Brown vendors at the EBT-accessible market.
    • Also, this Sunday, Asheville Drag Brunch presents: “COMIC-CON” a Themed Fundraiser for Sunrise Community for Recovery. Get ready to experience a one-of-a-kind event that combines the thrill of Comic-Con with the glamour of Asheville Drag Brunch! Indulge in a mouthwatering brunch spread while enjoying sensational performances by fierce queens. This Sunday, from 11-12. More info can be found at /www.ashevilledragbrunch.com/
    • Also Tranzmission Prison Project is hosting a Book Packing Party at Firestorm Books from noon untiil 3pm this sunday. Books wll be packaged for Queer Incarcerated folks. This is a beginner friendly even
    • Also this and every Sunday it’s Social Sundays at Banks Avenue Bar from 4-7pm. Music, Dancing and Drinks with the queer community.
    • Monday and every Monday, Karaoke hosted by Ganymede at the 27 Club at 10pm.  

Looking Ahead:

  • Next Thursday, August 8th it’s Make Medicine Queer (again) an interactive lecture/workshop at RiverRock Clinic to learn about queerness in healthcare. This lecture/interactive workshop will be led by Mary Burke-Pitts (accupuncturist) and Dr. Catherine Lok (family physician). This event is all about embracing our queer identities and reclaiming our space in the medical world. explore how we can make medicine more welcoming and affirming for all LGBTQ+ individuals and how to get the most of both natural/Traditional Chinese Medicine and conventional medicine as a queer person or ally. RiverRock Clinic’s cozy patient waiting room is at 2 Weaverville Road #201 in Woodfin.
  • Next Sunday, August 11th, Connect with other local LGBTQ+ families with The Family Music Class at Cooperative Coffee! Join in the lower courtyard for an afternoon of musical community fun. All ages are welcome! Music party begins at 2pm. The Family Music Class is a queer-owned music and movement program for littles ones and their grownups in Asheville, NC. Cooperative Coffee is at 210 Haywood Rd. in Asheville.
  • Youth OUTright’s GSA Summit is back again! This year, the GSA Summit will be back at Warren Wilson College on October 12th from 9am-5pm. And presentation applications are open now till August 12th! High school youth are invited to present an hour-long workshop, discussion, or presentation on social justice such as racial justice, gender justice, disability justice, and more. If you’re interested in this opportunity, you can find more info and the link to apply at givebutter.com/GSASummit2024 
  • Wednesday August 14th Eyes Up Here Comedy and Modelface Comedy present THEM! a queer/ femme comedy showcase featuring a group of amazing up and coming comedians from our monthly Everybody But You Bro Open Mic. Arrive early and participate in our Everybody But You Bro Open Mic from 6:30-8pm. Hosted by Erin Terry and Danny Felix
  • Thursday August 15th Center for Craft invites you to an opening celebration of Max Adrian: RIPSTOP on Thursday, August 15 from 5:00 – 7:00 pm! Max Adrian: RIPSTOP is a solo exhibition celebrating queer material culture and history through the lens of craft by the Ohio-based fiber artist and recipient of the prestigious 2015 Center for Craft Windgate-Lamar Fellowship. The show features patchwork textiles and inflatable sculptures made from fur, satin, pleather, fringe, and ripstop, the show’s namesake, a woven nylon material that allows the pieces to hold air. On view are monumentally scaled works that inflate in response to the viewer.
  • Saturday, August 17th and Every 3rd Saturday is Trash Talk! A Queer Dance Party w/ DJ Abu Disarray 10pm-2am at Shakey’s. Drag Shows hosted by Priscilla Chambers & Calcutta 11:30pm
  • Thursday, August 22nd. At Torched AVL it’s Queer Figure Drawing from 5-8:30pm with drawing starting promptly at 6pm. Torched is at 1065 Haywood Rd and more info is at Queer Figure Drawing at Gmail dot com.

More Posts for Show: Sweet Tea

Is the first blood test for the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease on the horizon?

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PHILADELPHIA – July 28, 2024 – According to research that was presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Philadelphia on July 28th, a new blood test can provide earlier and a more accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. This could provide a quicker pathway to treatment. The blood test was about 90% accurate in identifying Alzheimer’s disease in patients who have already exhibited early symptoms. The study was performed at Lund University in Sweden. It has just been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The tau protein blood test predicts the likelihood of amyloid plaques in the brain. The buildup of tau protein in the blood is felt to be a biomarker that occurs before patients show impairment with the ability to think, learn, remember, use judgement and make decisions. These are the important symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Amyloid plaques have been shown to be present in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Reducing the formation of the plaques has been the target of recently approved medical treatments.

The traditional methods used to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease is a medical history, mental status tests, physical and neurologic exams, brain imaging, and a lumbar puncture to analyze cerebral spinal fluid. The study reports that without the blood test, primary care physicians can only diagnose the disease with 63% accuracy and neurology specialists are a little better at 73%. More than 1 thousand patients participated in the study.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]


More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

Hiking with poles is good for you

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BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NC – Summertime, 2024 – This is a great time of year to go for a hike in the mountains around Asheville. Hiking provides many health benefits like lowering the risk of heart disease, reducing blood pressure, and strengthening cardiovascular fitness. Hiking can range from a leisurely low-intensity activity to a very strenuous high-intensity workout on mountainous terrain. Many hikers carry supplies like water, food, clothing, and a tent, particularly on longer routes that can last for more than a day. Carrying heavy loads put a greater stress on muscles and joints and increase energy needs and fatigue. Overuse and traumatic injuries can occur with hiking, such as fractures and sprains.

Walking with poles originated in Finland. This activity is time-efficient, low-stress, and a total body workout. It has spread to many countries in Europe and the United States. Hiking with poles is both accessible and cost-effective. The poles are referred to as hiking poles, Nordic walking poles, and trekking poles. They may be made of light aluminum or carbon fiber.

Many people use specially designed trekking poles to help them hike. These hikers feel that the poles help with balance, stability, and offloading their lower extremities. An article published in Wilderness & Environmental Medicine in 2020 reviewed the medical literature over the preceding 40 years. This review found that hikers can walk faster with poles. During unloaded walking, trekking poles improved balance, decreased lower extremity loads, when going downhill and on level ground, but required more cardiovascular effort. With carrying higher loads, the poles increased balance and stability when hiking. Poles act as an accessory brake when going downhill and reduce leg muscle activity and leg soreness afterwards. The hikers with loads had a more normal walking pattern though expended more effort. However, there was no difference in cardiovascular effort when compared to hikers not carrying loads. The authors did not find any evidence supporting the use of one pole versus two poles when hiking.

Hiking with poles has also been shown have beneficial health affects for special populations like persons with Parkinson’s disease, obesity, low back pain, and the elderly. In Parkinson and elderly patients, using poles help facilitate a better coordinated gait pattern, better balance, and a faster gait. In obese persons, using poles can offload their lower extremity joints and reduce the risk of the development of osteoarthritis. Hiking with poles can offload the spine and temporarily reduce low back pain in persons suffering from this ailment.

Hiking with poles is an activity that can improve safety, reduce joint stress, give you a better overall workout, and improve endurance in contrast to hiking without poles. The authors concluded that hiking poles should be considered if the hiker has any pre-existent lower extremity conditions or pain. However, persons using trekking poles should understand that the poles will stress their cardiovascular fitness and their upper body more than not using them. You will burn 20% more calories if you use poles; and you will walk faster too.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]


More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour