Soul of the Blues

 

ASHEVILLE NC & CHICAGO, IL – March 29, 2023 – At his State of the Union address on February 7^th, President Joe Biden said, “COVID no longer controls our lives.” Like any good citizen, I took these words to heart. My wife and I had the initial COVID vaccination series, are up-to-date with boosters, and always wear a high-quality mask in stores. Last week, 90% of the counties in the United States including Buncombe County had a low community level. Weekly cases here are at their lowest in 21 months. A physician from Chicago told me that his hospital is about to end mandatory masking for staff because of low regional COVID levels. So why did I become infected with the COVID-19 virus?

My wife and I planned to fly to Chicago on March 16^th to celebrate a family event. We’ve had more than 1 month to get ready to follow the Presidential decree. The party will be indoors in a large room with high ceilings, good ventilation and about 30 mask-less guests. Although I haven’t eaten indoors in a restaurant in 3 years, I was asked to have 1 or 2 meals inside. I requested a large restaurant with high ceilings, good ventilation and tables spaced far apart.

On Thursday March 16^th, we put on high-quality N95 masks before entering the Asheville Regional Airport. I briefly removed mine for 5 minutes to eat a sandwich before boarding the flight to Chicago. The mask stayed on until I left O’Hare Airport. We masked up to visit a grocery store to get most of the food for our visit. We were mask-less in my relative’s residence and car.

On Friday, we went to an art museum while wearing high-quality KN95 masks. We had dinner indoors that evening. I had my KN95 mask on until we were seated at a side booth, far-removed from the crowd. Dinner lasted for an hour.

The party was from 2 pm to 5 pm on Saturday. It was difficult to maintain social distancing. Greetings were a few quick handshakes and hugs. The afterparty was held from 7:30 pm to 9 pm in a football field-sized great room with about 15 mask-less guests.

Sunday was our final day in Chicago. I developed an occasional cough that may have resulted from breathing dry cold air outside. We had an early one-hour brunch at a corner table in a half-filled restaurant. I put my N95 mask on when entering O’Hare Airport and kept it on until leaving the Asheville airport.

My legs began to ache after I took a hike on Monday. Tuesday morning, I was sore from my back to my toes. At lunchtime, I had shivering and a fever so I took a COVID test. The result was positive. I asked my relative to tell the partygoers that I have COVID. We found out that 2 people didn’t feel well and one of them tested positive for COVID earlier in the day. My wife felt sick too and tested positive 3 days after I did.

I told my PCP about my positive COVID test and that I haven’t felt well for 1-2 days. He prescribed Paxlovid, the COVID-specific anti-viral medicine, because I am at high risk to develop severe illness due to my age. Paxlovid is a very effective medicine with a low incidence of side-effects. I took the pills in the evening before bedtime and in the morning upon arising for 5 days.

I didn’t get out of bed for 2 days because of the shivering, an excruciating headache and total body discomfort. On the 3^rd day, I was able to get out of bed slowly, catch up with email, play my guitar and walk the dogs by suppertime.

COVID may no longer be controlling our life. However, I can’t control who will be joining me in stores, restaurants and parties. Therefore, I will continue to be careful and wear a high-quality mask in stores. If I choose to go without a mask in restaurants and parties, I hope that others will follow the recommendations of the Department of Health & Human Services:

• 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

We are all in this together, protecting ourselves, our loved ones and others. It’s all about being careful when care is needed. Our country’s COVID emergency ends on May 11^th; however, taking good public health measures still makes better sense than political discourse and partisan rules.

 

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

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

 

RALEIGH, NC – March 27, 2023 – Democratic Governor Roy Cooper, a strong supporter of ME, signed a bill expanding Medicaid on March 27th. Earlier in the week, the North Carolina House passed the bill by an 87-24 vote and sent it to the Governor for his signature. The bill originated in the House, then was sent to the Senate for consideration. Leaders from both chambers of the legislature agreed to add a provision to scale back some of the Certificate-of-Need (CON) restrictions. The state CON laws require state health regulators to review and authorize new health care facilities (including new hospital beds) and expensive medical equipment (like CT scanners). After overwhelmingly passing a Senate vote last week, the bill was sent back to the House for consideration this week.

North Carolina will be the 40^th state to expand Medicaid. There are now 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid as recommended in the Affordable Care Act of 2010 and left to each state to decide in a subsequent Supreme Court ruling. Expanding Medicaid will enable six hundred thousand under-resourced North Carolinians to have access to health care including almost 17 thousand people from Buncombe County.

The bill is tied directly to the 2023-24 state budget. The budget must be signed by June 30^th (the day before the fiscal year begins) or funding for the ME bill will expire. It is projected that the budget will pass the legislature this summer.

Governor Cooper tweeted “Medicaid Expansion is a once in a generation investment that will make all North Carolina families healthier while strengthening the economy.”

 

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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 – March 29, 2023 – The CDC reports that the community level for Buncombe County remains at a low level for the week ending March 21^st. Every county in North Carolina has been low for the past 3 weeks. 93% of the counties in the U.S. are at a low level with less than 1% at a high level.

The Buncombe County COVID-19 metrics are on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard. Data from the week ending on March 18^th indicate:

• Last week’s total cases are down by 30% from the previous week to the lowest level since July 3, 2021, about 21 months
• 68% of the total population have received their initial vaccination series.
• 32% of people with their initial vaccination series have had the updated booster.
• The seven-day daily average of COVID-19 hospitalizations has decreased by 10 (29%) and of ICU patients has decreased 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.

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