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WASHINGTON, DC – December 2, 2022 – With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical science has been politicized and attacked by conservative Republicans and the far right. Critics have spread misinformation that the COVID-19 vaccine is dangerous and ineffective in spite of strong evidence to the contrary. COVID-19 public health mandates like masking, vaccination and lockdowns have met with strong resistance and backlash about the loss of individual freedoms. On December 13^th, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis requested that a Grand Jury be appointed by Florida’s Supreme Court to investigate possible harms caused by the coronavirus vaccine including the incidence of sudden deaths. President’s Biden’s chief medical advisor, Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN on December 14^th, “We have a vaccine that, unequivocally, is highly effective and safe and has saved literally millions of lives.”

VAERS is a publicly-available vaccine database, short for the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, that the anti-vaccine movement uses to spread misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine. This database was begun in 1990 to detect possible safety problems with vaccines. It is managed by the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration. Anyone who receives a vaccine can submit a report to the database, however, these submissions have not been verified and the adverse effects may not be due to the vaccine. Healthcare workers and vaccine manufacturers are required to report all adverse events that are brought to their attention by patients which may not be related to the vaccine. This information will be used by the agencies to develop scientific studies to assess the safety of the vaccine.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Dr. Fauci, who is about to retire from a 54-year career as a physician and scientist at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and its director for the past 38 years, feels that misinformation and outright lies highlight a “profoundly dangerous” time for public health and science. He is a trusted voice for millions of Americans. However, Fauci has been personally attacked by former President Trump and his allies for recommending a COVID strategy based upon the best-available scientific information and which has led to death threats against him.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Fauci laments, “We’re living in a progressively anti-science era and that’s a very dangerous thing when you’re dealing with a very deadly pandemic that has already killed more than a million people in this country.”

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

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

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

 

RALEIGH, NC – December 14, 2022 – The Affordable Care Act of 2010 expanded Medicaid eligibility in the U.S. by raising the qualifying threshold until the Supreme Court overruled the law in 2012. The Court ruled that each state has the right to decide to expand Medicaid not the federal government. At present, 11 states, including North Carolina, have not expanded Medicaid. The U.S. Congress has recently voted to defray each of the remaining state’s cost to expand Medicaid from 90% to 95% for the first 2 years of expansion. North Carolina state hospitals and health care systems have agreed to provide funds to cover most of the remaining cost.

One million people in North Carolina (almost 13% of the population) do not have health insurance. Expanding Medicaid will allow almost 600 thousand more North Carolinians to qualify. In a 2020 poll, 75% of North Carolinians want to expand Medicaid. However, the North Carolina state legislature had passed a law that disallows voter initiatives so that the only remaining pathway is through the state legislature. The Republican-dominated legislature has resisted any attempt to pass Medicaid expansion over the past decade until recently.

At the close of the 2022 state legislative session on December 13^th, there were 2 Republican-sponsored bills to expand Medicaid. The Senate version includes eliminating the state’s certificate of need (CON) law and allows advanced practice registered nurses to provide patient care without physician supervision. The House version does not contain any other provisions.

The benefits of expanding Medicaid in North Carolina include:

• Keeping 600 hundred thousand newly insured healthier and living longer. Some examples are earlier cancer diagnosis, fewer cancer deaths, and better access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment
• Fewer personal financial hardship cases and bankruptcies
• A stronger economy by creating jobs, growing business activity and bringing in more revenue to the state
• An additional 1-2 billion dollars for the state over the first 2 years of the federal incentive funding

The health care of hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians is being delayed due to Republican-led political gamesmanship. In 2023, look for the Republicans to offer Medicaid Expansion to obtain a favorable budget, eliminate the CON and/or allow advanced practice registered nurses to provide patient care without physician supervision.

 

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 – December 28, 2022 – The CDC reports that the community level for Buncombe County is low for the week ending December 20^th. Most of the counties in North Carolina and the U.S. are at a low level too. However, cases and hospitalizations are rising. There is a surge of respiratory disease as people spend more time indoors during the winter months and due to an increase in indoor gatherings and travel during the holidays.

The Buncombe County COVID-19 metrics are on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard. Data from the week ending on December 17^th indicate:

• Last week’s total cases are up 12% from the previous week.
• 68% of the total population have received their initial vaccination series.
• 29% of people with their initial vaccination series have had the updated booster.

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. Eligible persons must have the initial vaccination series and be at least 2 months after any prior COVID-19 shots. The CDC advises delaying the booster 3 months for people who recently had COVID or after a positive COVID test if they were asymptomatic.

To help reduce the spread of COVID this Holiday season, President Biden is again making COVID tests, face masks and antiviral medicines available at no cost. The tests can be ordered via covidtests.gov or by calling 1-800-232-0233.

COVID-19 infections can spread through holiday gatherings and travel. Be extra protective if you are having guests from regions with a high community level like Los Angeles and New York City. Here’s some advice:

• People who are positive for COVID-19 or do not feel well should stay home
• Everyone is encouraged to get vaccinated and updated boosters
• Get tested before and after travel, before gatherings outside the household with at-risk people or if you have any COVID symptoms
• High risk persons should consider wearing a mask in indoor public spaces and when on public transportation, a high-quality medical mask is best
• Outdoor gatherings are safer than indoors; small gatherings are safer than large; and indoor gatherings are safer in larger spaces with the windows and doors open to allow fresh air to circulate

Vaccination sites and testing sites can be located through the North Carolina and Buncombe County Department of Health and Human Services.

 

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 – December 21, 2022 – The CDC reports that the community level for Buncombe County is low for the week ending December 13^th. Most of the counties in the U.S. are at a low level. However, cases and hospitalizations are rising. Cities like Los Angeles and New York City are experiencing high community levels of COVID. The rise is due to a potential winter surge of respiratory disease as people spend more time indoors and because of indoor gatherings and holiday travel around Thanksgiving.

The Buncombe County COVID-19 metrics are on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard. Data from the week ending on December 10^th indicate:

• Last week’s total cases are up 22% from the previous week.
• 68% of the total population have received their initial vaccination series.
• 28% of people with their initial vaccination series have the updated booster.

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. Eligible persons must have the initial vaccination series and be at least 2 months after any prior COVID-19 shots. The CDC advises delaying the booster 3 months for people who recently had COVID or after a positive COVID test if they were asymptomatic.

To help reduce the spread of COVID this Holiday season, President Biden is again making COVID tests, face masks and antiviral medicines available at no cost. The tests can be ordered via covidtests.gov or by calling 1-800-232-0233.

COVID-19 infections can spread through holiday gatherings and travel. Be extra protective if you are having guests from regions with a high community level like Los Angeles and New York City. Here’s some advice:

• People who are positive for COVID-19 or do not feel well should stay home
• Everyone is encouraged to get vaccinated and updated boosters
• Get tested before and after travel, before gatherings outside the household with at-risk people or if you have any COVID symptoms
• High risk persons should consider wearing a mask in indoor public spaces and when on public transportation, a high-quality medical mask is best
• Outdoor gatherings are safer than indoors; small gatherings are safer than large; and indoor gatherings are safer in larger spaces with the windows and doors open to allow fresh air to circulate

Vaccination sites and testing sites can be located through the North Carolina and Buncombe County Department of Health and Human Services.

 

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

 

RALEIGH, NC – October 3, 2022 – By the close of the 2022 North Carolina General Assembly legislative session, there was one bill in each chamber that favored expanding Medicaid. Medicaid expansion would increase health care access to about 600,000 North Carolinians, including almost 17,000 people in Buncombe County.

The Senate version includes eliminating the state’s certificate of need (CON) law allowing the state government to oversee the distribution of healthcare equipment and services. Examples are the number of hospital beds, ambulatory surgical centers and sophisticated imaging devices like MRIs and CT scans. The state hospital association is against eliminating the CON, but has offered a counter-proposal.

The House of Representatives bill, in contrast to the Senate’s version, does not contain any other provisions.

Expanding Medicaid in North Carolina:

• Stimulates the economy by creating jobs and growing business
• Brings more money into the state coffers from the federal incentive funding, estimated at between 1-2 billion dollars in the first 2 years
• Keeps more people healthy with earlier cancer diagnosis, fewer cancer deaths, and better access to treatment for mental health and substance use disorder.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

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

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

 

ASHEVILLE, NC – September 22, 2022 – The Buncombe County Public Health Department was awarded the North Carolina Large County Health Department for 2022. The department was recognized for its equity-focused approach to the COVID-19 response programs, such as:

• Service outreach, Community Health Assessment and staff trainings
• The operational structure of the COVID-19 response
• COVID-19 vaccine outreach
• At-home COVID-19 test kit distribution
• Creating a Mobile Team by bringing public health and health care to historically marginalized populations like low resource areas and rural communities

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been additional federal funding for public health in Buncombe County. The Department has recently used some of these funds to purchase a mobile van and hire a team of nurses and emergency medical technicians. The Team started with mobile monkeypox vaccination clinics. They will expand to COVID-19 boosters and vaccination, flu shots and other types of vaccinations. In the future, the mobile outreach program will include testing for different illnesses and health outreach clinics. At the September 7^th Buncombe County media question & answer session, Public Health Director Stacie Saunders said that it is important “for equity purposes have to take services on the road.”

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

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

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour