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ATLANTA, GA – May 10, 2023 – On May 4^th, the CDC reported that the 4 leading causes of death of Americans in 2022 was #1 heart disease, #2 cancer, #3 unintentional injury (including drug overdose deaths, death by shootings, and motor vehicle fatalities), and #4 COVID-19. The 4 leading causes of death in 2021 were the same as 2022, however, COVID-19 deaths fell from #3 to #4. There were more deaths from heart disease in 2022 than the previous year. Cancer death rates had decreased from 1999-2020, the year that the COVID pandemic began, but increased between 2021 and 2022. The report for 2022 uses provisional data. The final report will be in November.

More than 3 million people died in the U.S. in 2022, 5% less than in 2021. The death rate fell for all racial and ethnic groups. Death rates were highest in older adults, men, and Black persons. The rate overall and for COVID increased for persons <15 years old and remained higher for Black and American Indian/Alaskan Native groups than other race-ethnic groups.

COVID deaths fell by 47% between 2021 and 2022. Most of the deaths were in the hospital, but more deaths occurred outside of the hospital like in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. The highest death rates were in the South (including North Carolina and Florida) and South-Central region (Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico). The lowest rates were in New England.

The annual U.S. data on deaths is obtained from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) which is maintained by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). The NCHS agency guides public health policy and interventions. Counties and states are obligated to provide death records annually to the NVSS. Data variables include cause of death, age, sex, race, ethnicity, and place of death.

The CDC first reports the annual U.S. mortality data in May, followed by the final report in November. This allows time for the investigation of any questionable findings, to obtain death certificates from late reporting areas, and for review. The gathering of provisional data provides an early opportunity to evaluate trends and begin planning for public health policies and interventions. 2022’s preliminary report highlights the need to focus on men and persons from vulnerable minority groups. These are populations that have higher death rates.

 

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

 

ASHEVILLE, NC – May 10, 2023 – The CDC’s COVID-19 Community Levels describe the impact of COVID illness on each county’s healthcare system. The community level for Buncombe County remains at a low level for the week ending April 30^th. Every county in North Carolina and almost all of the counties in the U.S. are at a low level.

The CDC’s Community Transmission Levels describe how much disease is in each county. The transmission level for Buncombe County and most counties in North Carolina are at a moderate level for the week ending April 30^th. 17% of the counties in the U.S. are at a high level and 24% at a low level.

The Buncombe County COVID-19 metrics are on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard. Data from the week ending on April 29^th indicate:

• Last week’s total cases are up by 1 from the previous week
• 68% of the total population have received their initial vaccination series.
• 33% of people with their initial vaccination series have had the bivalent booster.
• The seven-day daily average of COVID-19 hospitalizations is unchanged and of ICU patients has increased by 3 from last week.

Beginning in April, the CDC recommends an updated COVID-19 bivalent booster for seniors and immunocompromised people. It is more effective at protecting against severe illness, hospitalization, and death from the new variants.

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends:

• Stay up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines and the updated bivalent booster.
• People with any COVID symptoms should get tested
• People who are positive for COVID-19 or do not feel well should stay home

For a county at a low community level, like Buncombe County, the CDC recommends:

• If you are at high risk for getting sick, wear a high-quality mask in a public indoors space.
• If you plan on being with someone at high risk for getting sick, consider self-testing for COVID-19 infection and wear a high-quality mask when indoors with them.

 

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

 

ATLANTA, GA  – April 18, 2023 – On April 18^th, the FDA authorized an updated COVID-19 bivalent booster. The bivalent booster became available in September 2022 as an update from the originally recommended booster. A bivalent booster vaccine targets the original virus and the new variants originating from the omicron strain which appeared in late 2021. Only 17% of eligible persons have received the bivalent vaccine.

The CDC has updated their COVID-19 vaccine recommendations:

• Immunocompromised adults and persons 65 years and older who would like more protection are eligible for the updated bivalent COVID vaccine. These groups are at higher risk to getting severely ill and being hospitalized with COVID-19.
• The original COVID-19 vaccines are no longer available.
• One bivalent COVID-19 vaccine dose is recommended for everyone ages 6 and older to be considered up to date.
• Everyone 6 years and older can receive the new vaccine if they haven’t been vaccinated against COVID.
• The new vaccine is recommended for young children, ages 6 months to 5 years depending on their vaccination history
• Alternative vaccines, by Novavax and Johnson & Johnson, are available for people who are unable to take the new vaccine or prefer another type

The immunologic protection for the first bivalent booster loses its effectiveness against severe illness and hospitalization after 6 months for at-risk groups as determined by the FDA and the CDC, according to Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development and Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.

Respiratory viral infections, like COVID-19 and the flu, traditionally peak in the fall and winter months. The FDA will meet this summer to discuss which COVID and flu variants should be addressed in the Fall. The CDC has indicated that there may be more vaccine updates.

A person is eligible for the updated booster if he or she is:

• Ages 65 and older and had a booster at least 4 months ago
• Moderately or severely immunocompromised, age 6 years and older, and had a booster at least 2 months ago (as recommended by their doctor)

A person with a recent COVID infection will still need to stay up to date with the vaccine. The next vaccine dose should be delayed by 3 months from either the date that the symptoms started or when the first test was positive if there were no symptoms. However, a person may contact their physician about getting the vaccine sooner if he/she:

• Is at high risk of severe disease
• Is in close contact with an at-risk person, or
• Live in a community with a high transmission level or high community level

Dr. Peter Marks, the Director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics and Research, said in a statement on April 18^th, “COVID-19 continues to be a very real risk for many people, and we encourage individuals to consider staying current with vaccination, including with a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine.”

 

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

 

WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA – May 3, 2023 – Western North Carolina’s clean outdoor air has been valued for years. The air and mountain location became a major center for the treatment of tuberculosis from the 1880’s to the 1930’s. However, by 2000 the outdoor air quality became impaired from pollution primarily from coal-fired power plants. The main pollutants were fine particulate matter, PM 2.5, and ground-level ozone. PM 2.5 is a combustion product from the burning of fossil fuels and wood. Particulates can also occur from forest fires and can be formed secondarily when different chemicals combine in the air. Ground-level ozone forms when chemicals from fossil fuels react in intense heat and sunlight. The biggest threat to outdoor air quality is climate change. Hotter summers mean more ground-level ozone and more forest fires producing more PM 2.5.

Federal and state clean air policies has reduced excessive ground-level ozone in North Carolina from 100 days in 2000 to 7 days in 2017 and only 1-2 days in Buncombe County in 2017. The United States (U.S.) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is authorized to specify regulations and standards for the concentrations and emissions of outdoor air pollutants under the Clean Air Act. PM 2.5 emissions have been reduced dramatically since the 2002 Clean Smokestacks Act, a state policy, that required power plants to reduce toxic emissions.

Mobile emissions remain to be a significant source of PM 2.5 emissions from gas-powered vehicles, road dust and the wear products from tires. The transportation sector accounts for 36% of North Carolina’s greenhouse gas emissions. Medium to heavy-duty vehicles account for 32% of particulate matter emissions even though they represent about 3% of the state’s registered vehicles. PM 2.5 is also higher in areas in western North Carolina with forest fires and controlled burns.

High levels of air pollution can cause many serious health problems. Ground-level ozone can cause lung damage and asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema. Excessive PM 2.5 is associated with heart disease, lung disease and early mortality.

Outdoor air pollution is harming vulnerable populations and communities, making this an issue of environmental injustice. People are exposed to more outdoor air pollution if they live near a busy highway or a factory. Many at-risk neighborhoods are more susceptible to heat-stress and the formation of ground-level ozone if they are located near ‘heat islands’ characterized by areas of asphalt, concrete, and fewer trees for shade.

Recent federal and state programs are continuing to improve the quality of the air we breathe by reducing fossil fuel combustion from cars, trucks and buses. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 promotes many environmentally-friendly programs like transitioning to electric school buses to keep our children healthy and away from toxic diesel. On the state level, Governor Cooper signed an executive order in October recommending an Advanced Clean Truck program to encourage medium and heavy-duty vehicles to transition to electricity.

 

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

 

ASHEVILLE, NC – May 3, 2023 – The CDC’s COVID-19 Community Levels describe the impact of COVID illness on each county’s healthcare system. The community level for Buncombe County remains at a low level for the week ending April 24^th. Every county in North Carolina and almost all of the counties in the U.S. are at a low level.

The CDC’s Community Transmission Levels describe how much disease is in each county. The transmission level for Buncombe County and most counties in North Carolina are at a moderate level for the week ending April 23^rd. Less than 20% of the counties in the U.S. are at a high level and about 20% at a low level.

The Buncombe County COVID-19 metrics are on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard. Data from the week ending on April 22^nd indicate:

• Last week’s total cases are down from the previous week
• The seven-day daily average of COVID-19 hospitalizations and of ICU patients has decreased from last week.

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends:

• Getting tested if you have any COVID symptoms
• Staying home if you are positive for COVID or do not feel well

For a county at a low community level, like Buncombe County, the CDC recommends:

• If you are at high risk for getting sick, wear a high-quality mask in a public indoors space.
• If you plan on being with someone at high risk for getting sick, consider self-testing for COVID-19 infection and wear a high-quality mask when indoors with them.

 

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

 

ORLANDO, FL  – April 16, 2023 – Medical researchers presented a study, at the American Association for Cancer Research’s annual meeting on April 16^th, reporting that their skin cancer patients were 44% more likely to avoid recurrence of dangerous skin cancers after 2 years if they had a new injection treatment. The treatment was developed by Moderna and Merck pharmaceutical companies. It is a personalized approach to vaccination. Dr Ryan Sullivan, a co-author of the study from Massachusetts General Cancer Center, said “It’s probably the first real data that suggests that this personalized approach to vaccination may be worth exploring further.”

The purpose of the vaccine is to reduce the risk of melanoma, the deadly skin cancer, from recurring. 100 thousand Americans are diagnosed with melanoma each year. About two-thirds of the patients who are diagnosed with multiple cancerous sites do not survive 5 years. Melanoma produces antigens due to tumor mutations and is known to be controlled by the immune system. It is the most immune-sensitive cancer with the most tumor mutations. Researchers feel that if a personalized vaccine works for melanoma, then it may be effective against other immune-sensitive cancers, like non-small cell lung cancer.

Personalized medicine, also called precision medicine, is a new method for custom-disease prevention strategies that are tailored to the individual patient. The melanoma vaccine is custom-made for each patient by using the patient’s tumor and blood for genetic sequencing. Unique proteins associated with the patient’s unique tumor mutations are identified that are not in normal tissue. The custom vaccine stimulates the tumor cells to make the unique tumor-specific proteins so that the immune system can kill the tumor cells that make them. The immune system effects may be long-lasting and kill any future cancer cells that develop. The vaccine takes about 8 weeks to make. Each patient is treated with the cancer immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (called ‘pembro’), brand name Keytruda, prior to receiving the vaccine. This treatment is continued for 1 year.

The results of the study show that the cancer returned in 22% of patients treated with the vaccine and pembro within 2 years. However, it returned in 40% of patients who only got pembro. Therefore, 44% fewer patients have a recurrence of melanoma with pembro and the new vaccine treatment regimen. The vaccine does not seem to add any more side-effects. All patients enrolled in the study had complete resection of their tumor at the start of the study and were randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. Each patient received up to 9 doses of the vaccine.

This cancer treatment is very expensive. Pembro costs 185 thousand dollars for one year of treatment. Although, insured patients will not have to pay the full price. The cost of the new melanoma vaccine has not been determined.

Dr. Jeffrey Weber, the study’s director who works at the Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone, said “This study is extraordinarily important, because it gives hope that this novel strategy will provide clinical benefit.” A longer study is planned to start later this year.

 

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