Community News

 

DENVER, CO  – April 12, 2023 – There is a movement to develop technology capable of removing excess carbon dioxide (CO2) gas from our atmosphere in order to reverse the effects of climate change. CO2 is the primary greenhouse gas and increasing levels are responsible for global warming. Private businesses and nonprofit groups are incentivized to adopt this approach to CO2 reduction in order to qualify for many billions of dollars of federal tax credits and funds through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. In addition, the federal government has funded 4 national centers to develop new technology. Other names for the removal of carbon dioxide from the air are ‘carbon capture,’ ‘carbon sequestration’ and ‘scrubbing’ CO2 from the air.

Climate change is caused by humans, specifically by green-house gases in our atmosphere like carbon dioxide and other products of fossil-fuel combustion. These greenhouse gases help to keep the heat from the sun from leaving our atmosphere. Not only do the greenhouse gases linger in the atmosphere for a long time, their levels have been shown to be rising rapidly over the past twenty years as does the average temperature of the atmosphere. Last year, 40 billion tons of carbon were released into the atmosphere, according to the International Energy Agency.

Most scientists predict a number of devastating environmental catastrophes will occur with this increase. Warming of the oceans will melt ice from our polar regions with rising oceans, flooding of cities, the loss of many islands and the death of the coral reefs. Warmer air carries more moisture in it which leads to more extreme weather events like more precipitation and flooding. More heat waves mean more drought and starvation.

Climate change can impact health though more climate extremes by reducing air quality, damaging food production systems, decreasing safe water resources, and increasing insect vectors. These climate drivers impact our local region with more forest fires around the city, more floods within the city and the surrounding community, and having longer warm weather seasons for insects to cause disease in humans. Climate change can result in more health impacts due to heat-related illness (such as heat stroke and cardiopulmonary illness), vector borne disease (like Lyme disease, West Nile virus, and malaria), injuries, and mental health problems (due to economic loss, job loss, and stress).

There are 2 ways that CO2 can be removed from our atmosphere. 1. It can be removed at the source of emission from power plants and vehicles that burn fossil fuels. 2. Air from the atmosphere can be ‘captured’ and treated. Carbon capture has been very expensive on a large scale; however, a new technique has been developed that is much cheaper. CO2 gas from the air is collected and transformed into liquid or gas. The U.S. government will pay companies $180 for each ton of CO2 removed from the air using the new direct air capture technology. The second largest carbon ‘direct air capture’ plant in the world is near Denver.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis remarked about ‘carbon capture’, “It’s nothing less than saving our planet and our way of life.”

 

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

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

 

WASHINGTON, DC – April 10, 2023 – On April 10^th, President Biden signed a bipartisan congressional resolution to officially end the U.S. national COVID emergency. It was scheduled to expire on May 11^th. The national emergency designation is distinct from the U.S. public health emergency which is still set to expire on May11^th.

Each designation allows for its own set of measures to deal with the COVID-19 crisis. One of the items that the public health emergency act affects is immigration restrictions at the U.S.-Mexican border. The national emergency enabled the government to support systems that are affected by the coronavirus pandemic such as welfare, health and economic networks. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in July 2020, there were almost 17 million unemployed Americans with almost 10 million due to business closures or loss of business due to the pandemic.

With the end of the national emergency, many government agencies, like the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), have had to adjust their programs in order to return to normal pre-COVID procedures. The COVID mortgage forbearance program will end in May. Caregiver assistance for VA-eligible veterans will require an in-home evaluation. To reduce the spread of COVID, Congress approved telehealth to reduce the number of in-person appointments while allowing for access to healthcare. Last year, Congress extended this service independent of the COVID crisis because it has proven to be a successful adjunct to obtaining access to high quality healthcare.

The public health emergency allows Medicaid beneficiaries to keep their health insurance and access to health care during the pandemic, even if their eligibility changed. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that between 5 and 14 million people  will lose their Medicaid benefits when the public health emergency expires next month.

The COVID-19 pandemic was declared a U.S. public health emergency on January 31, 2020 and a national emergency in March 2020 by then-president Trump. The emergency designations have been renewed and broadened by President Biden since he became president in January 2021. COVID-19 infections have resulted in the deaths of over 1 million Americans over the past 3 years.

 

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

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

 

ASHEVILLE, NC – April 19, 2023 – The CDC reports that the community level for Buncombe County remains at a low level for the week ending April 10^th. Every county in North Carolina is low. About 97% of the counties in the U.S. are at a low level with less than 1% at a high level.

The CDC reports that the community transmission level for Buncombe County is at a moderate level for the week ending April 9^th. Most counties in North Carolina are at a moderate level. Less than 25% of the counties in the U.S. are at a high level with fewer than 15% at a low level.

The Buncombe County COVID-19 metrics are on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard. Data from the week ending on April 8^th indicate:

• Last week’s total cases are down by 34 (40%) 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 updated booster.
• The seven-day daily average of COVID-19 hospitalizations has decreased by 2 and of ICU patients has increased by 1 from last week.

An updated COVID-19 booster is now available for eligible persons 6 months and older. It is more effective at protecting against severe illness 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 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

 

UNITED STATES  – April 12, 2023 – New diabetic and weight-loss drugs may be the answer to the obesity epidemic in the United States. Ozempic, (with the active ingredient semiglutide), made by Novo Nordisk, was originally developed to treat diabetes by controlling blood sugar. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Ozempic for treating diabetes in 2017. However, rapid weight loss after taking the medicine dramatically increased its popularity. In 2021, the FDA approved Wegovy, a similar drug made by the same company with a higher dose of the active ingredient, to treat obesity. Qualifying patients must be obese, with a Body Mass Index (BMI) at 30 or greater, or overweight, with a BMI greater than or equal to 27. They also must have at least one weight-related medical problem. Another medicine, Mounjaro (with the active ingredient tirzepatide), made by Eli Lilly, is a new medicine to help control diabetes. It may be approved for weight loss later this year. More than 4 in 10 Americans are considered obese, putting them at risk for the development of related health problems like high blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. Studies have shown that obese patients can lose about 15% of their body weight taking Wegovy and up to 20% with Mounjaro.

Each of the 3 drugs are appetite suppressors. They work by binding with the GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptors located in the beta cells of the pancreas to stimulate insulin production which in turn lowers blood sugar that is abnormally high in diabetes. The drug also binds to these receptors in the appetite control center within the brain, in the hypothalamus, to suppress hunger. Ozempic has been proven effective in treating high blood sugar associated with diabetes and it can also lessen the risk of cardiovascular disease in diabetics. Most people will have to take the drugs their entire life or they will gain their weight back. These medicines are administered with a weekly shot. They should be used in combination with exercise and eating well.

Common side-effects are nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and constipation. Other known side effects include dehydration, fatigue and headaches. Long-term complications are small but include a higher risk of thyroid cancer, acute pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, low blood sugar, damage to kidneys, injury to the retina, and suicidal thoughts.

The weight loss drugs will have to be taken indefinitely, so these medicines become a costly expense. Each drug cost about $1 thousand a month. The annual cost can be more than $12 thousand. Most insurers do not cover the cost of these medicines for weight loss. The pharmaceutical companies are heavily lobbying commercial insurers and government-funded Medicare to cover the cost.

The medicines are so popular that they have been worldwide shortages for the past 6 months. The diabetes medicine Ozempic has been frequently prescribed off-label for weight loss. Pharmaceutical companies have succeeded in influencing the prescription habits of doctors by persuading them to prescribe the new weight-loss medicines. The companies paid almost $15 million for educating and training doctors in 2021.

Many muscular athletes and healthy people may have an elevated BMI. For people who may be obese but do not have any associated medical issues, Dr Kimberly Dennis, a psychiatrist that specializes in addictions and eating disorders, said that the drugs “stand to do a lot more harm to a lot more people than good.”

 

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

 

BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NC – April 4, 2023 – Buncombe County (BC) and the Buncombe County Commissioners recognize National Public Health Week from April 3-9. This year’s theme is “Centering and Celebrating Cultures in Health.” Cultures shape health. Communities are important for education and are built by its members. The BC Department of Public Health improves the health and wellbeing of everyone in the community. The Department protects, prevents and promotes community health. Some of the programs include food and environmental safety, ending health disparities, the COVID-19 pandemic response, clinical services, immunizations, sexually transmitted infections, and working with community partners for health promotion.

The Commissioners released a statement, “Public Health professionals help communities prevent, prepare for, mitigate, and recover from the impact of health threats including disease outbreaks (such as the COVID-19 pandemic), natural disasters, and disasters caused by human activity.”

The social determinants of health have a large impact on individual health and population health. These are community characteristics like education, income, housing, transportation, racism, discrimination, violence, access to nutritious food, water & air quality, and language & literacy skills. Contributors to protecting public health include first responders, social workers, scientists and researchers, and physicians and nurses.

The new Buncombe County Public Health Director is Dr Ellis Matheson. She has been the Director of Nursing and Clinical Services Coordinator for BCHHS since 2014. Prior to this, she has been a public health nurse with Henderson and Buncombe Counties since 2000. The Director of Public Health enforces public health laws, oversees the Department’s operations, and organizes efforts to promote public health.

BCHHS Director Stoney Blevins said, “Dr. Matheson has been a steady, robust leader in the agency and our region for many years. We are very fortunate to have this happy transition occur within our own ranks. I truly look forward to the continued growth and contributions of this organization under her leadership.”

 

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 – April 12, 2023 – The CDC reports that the community level for Buncombe County remains at a low level for the week ending April 3^rd. Every county in North Carolina has been low for the past 3 weeks. About 96% of the counties in the U.S. are at a low level with less than 1% at a high level.

The CDC reports that the community transmission level for Buncombe County is down to a moderate level for the week ending April 2^nd. Most counties in North Carolina are at a moderate level. More than 25% of the counties in the U.S. are at a high level with about 15% at a low level.

The Buncombe County COVID-19 metrics are on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard. Data from the week ending on April 1^st indicate:

• Last week’s total cases are down by 15 (17%) 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 updated booster.
• The seven-day daily average of COVID-19 hospitalizations has decreased by 5 (30%) and of ICU patients has increased by 2 from last week.

An updated COVID-19 booster is now available for eligible persons 6 months and older. It is more effective at protecting against severe illness 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 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