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  UNITED STATES – November 5, 2023 – Sunday November 5^th was the time for North Carolinians and most Americans to ‘fall back’ by setting our clocks back one hour with a return to Standard Time and stress our bodies for weeks. It is known that light impacts the 24-hour natural biologic clock in our brain (known as circadian rhythm). Light is the signal that the day as started. Our 24-hour internal clock regulates sleep, mood, appetite, and other biological processes. Time change upsets our biologic clock by the changes in the light and darkness cycle. Daylight is longer in the summer and shorter in the winter the further you are from the equator. During the summer months, daylight may extend to the early morning hours when most people are still sleeping prompting an action to move the clocks forward by one hour so we can wake up in the morning when the sun rises and have an extra hour of daylight for outdoor leisure activities after the traditional workday. This is known as Daylight Saving Time (DST). Most countries in North America and Europe have adopted DST during the summer months. In the U.S., almost all of the states have DST between March and November. Changing the clocks twice a year is associated with many negative health effects according to a recent Harvard health report. According to Dr. Phyllis Zee, a sleep researcher at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, a one-hour change in time can affect the amount and the quality of sleep no matter whether we ‘fall backward’ or ‘spring forward.’ However, gaining an extra hour of sleep is usually easier on the body than losing one in March. Fatigue and health problems can occur from sleep loss for 1-2 weeks after the time change. Sleep deprivation can increase levels of stress hormones. The body’s processes of sleep, being awake, digestion, and immune function are affected. There are more hospital admissions due to heart attacks, strokes and irregular heartbeat. Other health problems include more fatal car accidents, mood swings, and seasonal depression. People are more prone to having accidents because sleep disturbances can affect balance and staying alert. “We’ve discovered that people have about 40 minutes less sleep. Because we’re already short on sleep to begin with, the effects of even 40 minutes are noticeable,” according to Christopher Barnes, a sleep researcher, as told to Mattress Clarity, an organization that reviews sleep products and promotes sleep health. A person will be better prepared for the time change by minimizing changes to their day/night rhythm. In an ABC News interview, Dr. Angela Holliday-Bell, a pediatrician and certified sleep specialist, said that “your body needs time to readjust to a new light/dark cycle.” After gaining an hour in the fall, many daytime workers no longer enjoy a few sunny hours after work. Schedule some outdoor activities to get some natural sun light before work. This will help get your body in syn with the rising sun. While outdoor light works best, artificial light that mimics outdoor light can help. The biologic clock will benefit from light as long as the exposure is at the same time each day. To prepare for losing an hour in the spring, go to bed earlier for a few days before the changeover. Develop a consistent bedtime routine to help achieve a sound sleep and reduce your sleep loss from the time change. Here are some tips to prepare for the time change:

• Go to bed and wake up at the same time
• Stop screen time on computers, phones, and television for at least 30 minutes prior to bedtime. The screens emit a high level of blue light that can negatively impact sleep by affecting your natural biologic clock.
• Stop caffeinated beverages, alcohol, and snacks at night
• Limit all intense activity, like physical activity, listening to loud music, or watching an action movie before going to bed and add a relaxing routine

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

  

BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NC – October 27, 2023 – As reported in a press release by Aaron Sarver from the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, this summer, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office and the Buncombe County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Community Paramedic Program has developed a program to provide acute crisis intervention and follow-up referrals for Buncombe County residents who experience behavioral health challenges. The program’s goal is to get people, who may be experiencing an overdose, mental health crisis, and/or substance use disorder, early intervention and referral to providers of care. In the past, many people suffering from behavioral health challenges found themselves dealing with the criminal justice system and without benefit of early intervention and follow-up health care. This program, called the Co-Responder Unit, responded to 191 calls over 2 months this summer. No arrests were made as a result of these calls for assistance. The Co-Responder Unit consists of licensed mental health professionals that have been contracted by EMS and the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office.

Taylor Jones, the Buncombe County Emergency Services Director says, “The unity and teamwork shown between our departments is truly what sets this program apart from anything we’ve done previously. This program combines mental health, safety, and security and fosters a foundation of trust with public safety. We are able to treat our community members in crisis with the dignity and humanity that everyone is entitled to.”

 

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

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ASHEVILLE, NC –  November 08, 2023 – The COVID-19 metrics are on the CDC’s COVID Dashboard. For the week ending on October 28^th.

• Hospital admission levels are low in 100 of 100 counties in North Carolina, including Buncombe County, and about 91% of the counties in the U.S. However, they have decreased in North Carolina and increased in Buncombe County from the previous week.
• Between 2.0 to 3.9% of the deaths in North Carolina were due to COVID, the third lowest level of 6 groups. This has decreased since last week.
• Emergency room visits for COVID-19 are minimal in North Carolina. This represents less than 1.5% of all ER visits, the lowest of 5 levels and fewer than the previous week.

Wastewater monitoring can be used to provide early warning for COVID outbreaks. The Buncombe & Henderson counties wastewater data for the week ending on October 25^th is on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard.

• The number of viral gene copies in each water sample is at an orange level representing the 2^nd highest level of 5 groups, currently between the 60^th and 80^th percentile relative to the past level measured at the same site.
• The 15-day rate of change of the number of viral gene copies in each water sample has decreased from the previous week, at -9% to 0%, the 2^nd lowest level of 2 groups for a negative rate of change.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services wants everyone to know that:

• COVID-19 can affect people differently. Some people have mild symptoms like a cold and others have more severe symptoms like a bad case of the flu. Some effects can be long-lasting.
• Older adults and immunocompromised people are at a higher risk of developing severe illness and being hospitalized.

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends:

• Stay up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines. The new updated vaccine is available locally at pharmacies, health centers and at the Buncombe County Health and Human Services Building at 40 Coxe Avenue in Asheville during regular business hours.
• For extra protection, wear an efficient medical grade mask
• People who are positive for COVID-19 or do not feel well should stay home
• People with any COVID symptoms should get tested
• If you test positive, your doctor may recommend medical treatment

If you get COVID, here’s the latest CDC guidelines:

• Isolate for 5 days provided the fever has resolved for at least 24 hours without taking any fever-reducing medicine. (Day 0 is the day that symptoms first appear. If there are no symptoms but a positive test, then day 0 is the day the test was positive.) Isolation means staying home and away from others.
• After the isolation period, wear a high-quality mask around others at home and in public for the next 5 days
• Masking can stop earlier with 2 negative antigen tests taken 48 hours apart

More and more Americans have developed some immunity to COVID-19 from immunizations and previous infection. New variants continue to infect people with the most at-risk groups more susceptible to severe illness.

 

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

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