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ASHEVILLE, NC – August 24, 2022 – The CDC reports that the transmission level for Buncombe County is low for the week ending August 25th. Most of North Carolina is low or medium although 45 out of 100 counties are at a high transmission level. For a community at a low transmission level, the CDC recommends:

• You may choose to wear a mask at any time as an additional precaution to protect yourself and others.
• If you are at high risk for severe illness, consider wearing a mask indoors in public and take additional precautions.

The Buncombe County COVID-19 metrics are on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard. Data from the week ending on August 20^th indicate:

• There have been 149 cases per 100,000 residents in the last 7 days down 25% from 198 cases in the previous week.
• 67% of the total population have received their full primary vaccination series. Unchanged the past 3 weeks.
• 66% of people with their full primary vaccination series have had at least one booster. This is unchanged over the past week.
• The seven-day daily average of COVID-19 hospitalizations is 69 and has decreased by 17% since last week and of ICU patients is 9 and has increased by 2 since the previous week.
• Wastewater surveillance may provide an early warning before individual testing shows that COVID-19 is spreading. The state dashboard reports that the 15-day rate of change of viral load for Buncombe County is moderately decreasing for the time period ending August 17th. The CDC website reports that the 15-day rate of change of viral load is moderately decreasing for the time period ending August 22nd.

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends:

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

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

Save your face masks:

• The risk level may rise with a new variant
• A person at high risk for severe illness should speak with their health care provider
• Persons with a positive test, having symptoms, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should protect themselves and others by wearing a mask.
• Effective May 4, 2022, the North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services and the CDC recommend wearing masks in health care and long-term care settings. The N95 or KN95 mask offers the best protection. Wear a mask that is well-fitting.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

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

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

 

WASHINGTON, DC – August 17, 2022 – Public health guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during the coronavirus pandemic is overwhelming and confusing. In a video distributed to the CDC’s 11,000 employees, the Director of the CDC, Dr. Rochelle Walensky has acknowledged many problems including a slow emergency response and public uncertainty involving testing, data and communications. The CDC proposes a path forward through reorganization. On August 17, 2022, Dr. Walensky said, “My goal is a new, public health, action-oriented culture at the CDC that emphasizes accountability, collaboration, communication and timeliness.” The recent monkeypox outbreak has reemphasized the need to reorganize the agency.

Since the onset of the pandemic, the agency has been criticized. During the Trump administration, it was encouraged to alter health guidance and, sometimes, withhold it from the public. Early on, the CDC also was unable to create an effective COVID-19 test, further hindering efforts to slow the spread of the virus. Leadership proved to be ineffective because the leaders of the COVID response team were frequently rotated. Important information was oftentimes delayed; on one occasion, this led to a delay in authorizing booster shots. Working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a deterrent to employee motivation and inspiring a shift in culture.

According to a recent comprehensive independent review and evaluation of the CDC, the public has lost trust in the agency’s ability to navigate a public health emergency. The review concluded that the CDC needs to:

• Respond faster to emergencies and disease outbreaks
• Be able to better identify public health needs
• Effectively communicate information to the public, state and local health authorities
• Use every-day language in communications
• Make public health information easily accessible on the CDC website.

Employees are going to be encouraged to make an impact on public health in contrast to the former emphasis on scientific publication.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

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

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

 

ATLANTA, GA – August 24, 2022 – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the United States agency tasked with the protection of the country’s public health and safety. It is a critical component of our nation’s control and prevention of disease, injury and disability. The CDC also conducts and promotes research and provides information to the public about disease. It is a federal agency that is under the Department of Health and Human Services, a cabinet-level executive department. It is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The director of the CDC is appointed by the President. Following his inauguration on January 20, 2021, President Biden appointed Doctor Rochelle Walensky to be director.

The CDC was founded in 1946. It was a branch of the U.S. Public Health Service. Its initial function was to control and prevent malaria in the United States. For this reason, Atlanta was chosen as its primary location because malaria was endemic in the southern region of the U.S. The CDC’s mission expanded to include sexually transmitted diseases (in 1957), tuberculosis (in 1960) and the immunization program (in 1963). After the Public Health Service reorganization in 1973, the CDC became its primary agency.

After many name changes beginning with the Communicable Disease Center (in 1946), it took the name Centers for Disease Control in 1980. In 1992, Congress further modified the name to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but kept the initials CDC due to its broad name recognition.

The CDC areas of focus include: communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases, antibiotic resistance, global health, vaccine safety, chronic disease, disabilities, injury control, workplace hazards, environmental health threats, terrorism preparedness, emerging diseases and birth defects.

In addition to having their own programs and research, the CDC offers grants to help organizations advance health, safety and awareness. Over 85% of its annual budget is awarded through these grants.

The CDC employs about 15,000 people (according to 2021 data). Almost 40% have advanced college degrees.

 

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 – August 24, 2022 – The CDC reports that the transmission level for Buncombe County is medium for the week ending August 18th. Most of North Carolina is high. For a community at a medium transmission level, the CDC recommends:

• Wear a mask on public transportation.
• You may choose to wear a mask at any time as an additional precaution to protect yourself and others.
• If you are at high risk for severe illness, consider wearing a mask indoors in public and take additional precautions.

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

• There have been 198 cases per 100,000 residents in the last 7 days down from 219 cases from the previous week.
• 67% of the total population have received their full primary vaccination series. Unchanged the past two weeks.
• 66% of people with their full primary vaccination series have had at least one booster. This has increased 1% over the past week.
• The seven-day daily average of COVID-19 hospitalizations is 83 and has increased by 5 since last week and of ICU patients is 7 and has decreased by 3 since the previous week.
• Wastewater surveillance may provide an early warning before individual testing shows that COVID-19 is spreading. The state dashboard reports that the 15-day rate of change of viral load for Buncombe County is severely increasing for the time period ending August 10th. The CDC website reports that the 15-day rate of change of viral load is severely increasing for the time period ending August 15th.

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends:

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

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

Save your face masks:

• The risk level may rise with a new variant
• A person at high risk for severe illness should speak with their health care provider
• Persons with a positive test, having symptoms, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should protect themselves and others by wearing a mask.
• Effective May 4, 2022, the North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services and the CDC recommend wearing masks in health care and long-term care settings. The N95 or KN95 mask offers the best protection. Wear a mask that is well-fitting.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

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

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

 

WASHINGTON, DC – August 12, 2022 – Congress recently passed a Democrat-sponsored bill to lower the cost of prescription drugs, healthcare and fight climate change. Large businesses will pay a 15% corporate minimum tax to defray this cost. The legislation was passed through the budget reconciliation process. The bill narrowly passed 51 to 50 with all 50 Democrats voting for the bill and all 50 Republicans voting against it. The tie-breaker vote was from Vice President Harris. The bill has been sent to the President who is expected to sign it. After the Senate first ratified the bill on August 7th, Biden told reporters, “When you sit down at that kitchen table at the end of the month, you’re going to be able to pay a whole hell of a lot more bills because you’re paying less in medical bills.”

America is the only developed nation in the world where a citizen can become financially-strapped because of the high cost of health care. Oftentimes, hard-working Americans have to potentially compromise their health by spending their limited resources on food and shelter instead of prescription medicine.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) lowers the cost of prescription drugs and health care for Medicare recipients and people in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges. It also introduces financial incentives for energy and climate reform to reduce the health impacts of climate change.

Here are some of the provisions of the IRA:

• Medicare will be able to negotiate prices of certain expensive drugs with pharmaceutical companies
• Insulin co-payments would be capped at $35 a month
• Out-of-pocket costs for prescription medicines would be capped at $2,000 annually
• Drug companies will offer rebates if prescription prices outpace inflation
• There is a three-year extension on the Marketplace subsidies
• Renewable energy infrastructure, like for solar panels and wind turbines, will be expanded
• Tax credits for electric vehicle, solar panels and wind turbine purchases and for making homes more energy-efficient
• Electric vehicle plant support
• Support for farmers and ranchers who have been devastated by the environmental impacts of climate change and to cities and states to transition to clean energy

Here are some health & financial impacts of the IRA:

• 4 million people will save on the cost of their prescription medicine, particularly expensive drugs for cancer or multiple sclerosis.
• 3 million Americans used insulin to treat diabetes in 2020 and many will save money
• 13 million Americans will avoid increasing Marketplace premiums for 3 years.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

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

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

 

WASHINGTON, DC – August 3, 2022 – On August 2, 2022, The Department of Health and Human Services said that the number of U.S. residents without health insurance was at an all-time low at 8%. More than 5 million people have gained health insurance since 2020. That same day, President Biden said, “Every American has the right to the peace of mind that comes with access to affordable, quality health care.”

Reductions in the uninsured rate after the full implementation of the ACA in 2014 has been shown to improve health outcomes, provide better access to medical care and improved financial security for families.

Historically, the uninsured rate had been more than 10% for years until the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 lowered it from 16% to 9%. The number of uninsured people rose to just above 10% in 2019 during the Trump administration as Republicans repeatedly tried to repeal the ACA. They succeeded in rolling back some of the coverage gains by making it difficult to enroll.

The coronavirus pandemic, which began in 2020, became the stressor that pushed the importance of access to health care. Congress granted more money for Medicaid as part of the early COVID Relief Package stipulating that no person can lose their Medicaid health insurance during the public health emergency (known as the continuous enrollment provision). Utah, Idaho, Nebraska and Missouri expanded Medicaid in response to new federal financial inducements.

A number of factors over the past year reduced the uninsured rate to below 9%. The American Rescue Plan’s Marketplace subsidies lowered premiums and out-of-pocket costs. The Biden-Harris Administration expanded advertising and increased the number of counselors who helped sign up eligible people for the Marketplace plans. This resulted in 2 million more enrollees.

The number of U.S. residents without health insurance is likely to rise in the near future. The Medicaid continuous coverage requirements will end once the coronavirus public health emergency designation expires. This will result in millions of people (including millions of children) potentially losing their health insurance and access to medical care. With the expiration of the Marketplace subsidies at the end of this year, millions of Americans may not be able to afford health insurance.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

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

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour