WVSOM Recognized By CDC For Pandemic Solutions

The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine was recognized in a CDC report that examines how state and county-level agencies used COVID-19 grants.

The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) was recognized in a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report that examines how state and county-level agencies used the center’s 2021 COVID-19 health disparities grants.

Out of 108 grant awards, totaling $2.25 billion, Greenbrier County’s development of mobile testing units and no-cost medical transportation during the COVID-19 pandemic was one of three programs in the U.S. highlighted in the CDC’s report on rural health access provided by 2021 grants.

Greenbrier County is the second largest county in the state with a population of about 32,400 spread across 1,019 square miles of rural land.

The county also saw one of the state’s highest COVID-19 infection rates with hospitals reaching capacity and health department resources stretched thin.

“A grant like this allows you to bring people in right when COVID-19 is at its worst, and you can’t get out to see folks, but they can now get in to see you and get treatment,” said Don Smith, WVSOM’s communications director. “That made all the difference.”

The CDC’s health disparities grants were designed to be flexible, allowing local health departments to address pandemic-related challenges by building systems that continue to address ongoing health disparities.

“We don’t take solutions to the communities,” Smith said. “We go to the communities and find the problems, and then this grant allowed the flexibility. It didn’t say, ‘You have to do this.’ It said, ‘What are the problems in your community, and how can you fix them?’”

WVSOM and its partners used the grant to develop a solution to the county’s transportation barriers to care.

WVSOM partnered with the Mountain Transit Authority (MTA), Greenbrier County Health Department and Greenbrier County Homeland Security to ease access to reliable transportation and community-located testing services.

“By providing this grant and the flexibility and allowing healthcare professionals in the communities to recognize the problem and then address the problem with a creative solution works,” Smith said. “I think that’s really the success story here, and that everyone in the community, our partners willing to collaborate, work together on a solution, and everyone coming to the table for the greater good.”

The medical transportation program in Greenbrier County is no longer operational.

“The grant did expire, but I think that’s one of the reasons for this report,” Smith said. “They wanted to gather the data, look at it, and see what worked. I think that’s one of the reasons why our program was selected as one of three in the country because they said, ‘This is something that can address problems in the future.’”

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Marshall Health.

Officials Recommend Vaccination To Stay Healthy During ‘Respiratory Season’

As temperatures cool and respiratory illnesses become more prevalent, state health officials are urging the public to get the latest versions of their vaccines.

Autumn, or as the West Virginia Department of Health (DH) calls it, “respiratory season,” is rife with coughs, sniffles and chills as kids go back to school during changing seasons.

That’s why the DH is urging residents to remain vigilant against flu, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) by receiving the latest dose of the vaccine for each illness. 

DH Secretary, Dr. Sherri Young said in a press release that vaccination is one of the most effective tools in reducing severe illness and hospitalization from respiratory viruses.

“While the risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 has decreased due to widespread vaccination and previous exposure, new variants continue to pose a threat, especially to those who are unvaccinated, elderly, or have underlying health conditions,” Young said.

On August 22 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an updated COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use authorization (EUA).

The updated mRNA vaccine formula targets currently circulating variants and provides better protection against serious consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death, according to the FDA.

According to the DH, there are three RSV vaccines available for adults 60 years and older to help prevent serious infection and hospitalization among those at increased risk.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a single dose of any FDA-licensed RSV vaccine for all adults ages 75 and older and adults ages 60 to 74 at increased risk of severe RSV.

In July 2023, the FDA approved Beyfortus, an RSV immunization designed to protect infants under eight months old from contracting RSV. West Virginia University experts were instrumental in the approval process of Beyfortus.

There is also an RSV vaccine available for those who are pregnant. In a press release, the DH advised pregnant people should get a single dose of the maternal RSV vaccine, Abrysvo, during the 32nd to 36th week of pregnancy.

According to the CDC, all flu vaccines for the 2024 to 2025 season are formulated to protect against three different flu viruses.

In addition to vaccination, to prevent respiratory infection, the CDC recommends practicing good respiratory hygiene by regular hand washing with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer, staying home and away from others while sick and cleaning and disinfecting commonly touched surfaces.

State Health Officer, Dr. Matthew Christiansen said West Virginia is fortunate to have an array of resources available to protect against respiratory illness.

“With the latest vaccines for COVID-19 and RSV now at our disposal, coupled with proven hygiene practices, we are in a strong position to combat these illnesses,” Christiansen said. “I strongly urge every West Virginian to seize this opportunity to get vaccinated and adhere to good hygiene habits. By doing so, we can significantly reduce the risk of serious illness and protect our families and communities.”

**Editor’s Note: This story was updated to clarify that Beyfortus is not a vaccine, as previously stated, but a monoclonal antibody, which works differently than a vaccine.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Marshall Health.

A Budget Surplus, A Coming Special Session And COVID-19 Cases Rise, This West Virginia Week

On this West Virginia Week, Gov. Jim Justice made multiple announcements during a Monday event. The governor said West Virginia residents could soon see their income taxes go down further because the state collected $826 million more in revenue than had been budgeted for this fiscal year.

On this West Virginia Week, Gov. Jim Justice made multiple announcements during a Monday event. The governor said West Virginia residents could soon see their income taxes go down further because the state collected $826 million more in revenue than had been budgeted for this fiscal year.

Justice also said he plans to call another special session of the state’s legislature in the coming months to cut an additional 5 percent from the state’s personal income tax and pass a childcare tax credit.

Plus, we’ll hear about the expansion of the Hope Scholarship and how West Virginians can track their vaccination status during a summer surge of COVID-19.

Emily Rice is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.

West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week’s biggest news in the Mountain State. It’s produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick and Maria Young.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

Officials Advise Summer Vaccination Before Vacation

West Virginians have access to a new tool to check their vaccination status, as the number of COVID-19 cases across the country soars.

As the summer season gets into full swing, so has the most recent surge of COVID-19 cases across the country.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates as of last week, rates of COVID-19 infections are growing or likely growing in 44 states and territories. West Virginia is categorized as “likely growing.”

On Tuesday, the West Virginia Department of Health’s (DH) Bureau for Public Health announced it has launched a new portal tool for residents to access their immunization history.

Data is sourced from the Statewide Immunization Information System and can be accessed from any computer or smart device after completing a short registration process. The tool is called MyIRMobile and not only allows users to look up their own immunization history but also add dependents.

“This is a tool that you can use for your own education as an adult that you can also use for your children and to keep your family safe,” DH Secretary, Dr. Sherri Young, said.

Young said to contact your physician if your MyIRMobile records show you are past due for any vaccinations.

“I didn’t realize it had been seven years since I had my tetanus shot,” she added. “That gives me the knowledge to go and talk to my health care provider.”

Young said the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved to include at-home testing, reducing the amount of data the DH receives on positivity rates because people don’t report their cases to their physicians.

“If you do have that positive COVID test, get to your health care provider for that early intervention because there are medications that we can treat to decrease the symptoms and decrease the duration of the COVID symptoms as well,” Young said.

She also said cases of COVID-19, the common cold or even the flu may not affect an average healthy adult, but can still affect children, those who are immunocompromised and the elderly adversely.

“We do have that vulnerability there that if we know that we may be exposed to COVID, for the people around us try to limit your exposures, especially to folks who may be more vulnerable,” Young said. “And always, if you are vaccine eligible for COVID, get that vaccine because that helps keep that immunity going and helps your recovery time as well.”

The CDC is recommending everyone ages 6 months and older receive an updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine, even if they’ve been inoculated against COVID-19 before, because the virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, is always changing and protection from COVID-19 vaccines decline over time.

According to the CDC, the updated vaccine can restore and enhance protection against the virus variants currently responsible for most infections and hospitalizations in the U.S. 

From May 4, 2024 to June 22, 2024, the CDC reported a 23.3 percent increase in emergency department visits diagnosed as COVID-19. However, from April 20, 2024 to June 8, 2024, there was no change in the COVID-19 hospitalization rate nationally.

Young recommended planning ahead and using available data to protect yourself and your family during summer travel.

“The best thing to do is to be well-informed for the places that you’re going, know what those rates are, help get the prevention that you need,” she said. “Take this tool, see if you are due for a COVID shot before you go traveling, especially into an area where you’re seeing an uptick, and that’s a great way to protect yourself.”

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) was split into three agencies by an act of the West Virginia Legislature in 2023. One of those new departments is the DH.

In October 2023, the DHHR stopped tracking COVID-19 cases on a dashboard, as had been standard practice throughout the pandemic, and modified the dashboard to track all respiratory illnesses.

According to that dashboard, last updated on June 28, 2024, West Virginia’s influenza indicators are minimal and falling. COVID-19 weekly hospitalization rates have fallen, while emergency room visits for COVID-19 symptoms increased by 1.34 percent.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Marshall Health.

Health Care Leaders Look Back On Four Years Of COVID-19

On March 17, 2020, West Virginia became the last state in the U.S. to test positive for COVID-19.

Time passes differently from each person’s perspective. The COVID-19 pandemic may seem like decades ago to some, and just like yesterday to others. In actuality, it has been four years since the world as we knew it came to a grinding halt.

The current Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Health, Dr. Sherri Young, was working as the health officer and executive director for the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department when the virus arrived in the state.

“We were the 50th state to have, or announce, our first case,” Young said. “And so it seems like from those waiting points, things accelerated very quickly to having more and more cases, and kind of evolving from all the responses that we had to do.”

Dr. Clay Marsh was eventually appointed by Gov. Jim Justice as West Virginia’s COVID-19 czar, the person who coordinated the federal, state and local agencies, health officials, researchers and other agencies aiding in the state’s response to the virus.

However, at the beginning of the pandemic, Marsh was making decisions for West Virginia University (WVU), as its executive dean for health sciences. He said he watched news reports of how the virus was spreading around the world and made decisions based on the most up-to-date information.

“Seeing that coming toward us in the U.S., we decided, you know, right before spring break, that instead of bringing the students back after spring break, we would actually close the university to classes, of course, taking care of the students that were at the university, international students, people, who didn’t have other places to go,” Marsh said. “But otherwise, then we took a big step and went online after that.”

Marsh said West Virginia’s rural demographics protected it from the virus for so long, with no large urban areas for COVID-19 to spread.

“We had the benefit of waiting until COVID came through the rest of the world and part of the rest of the country, and the urban centers to be able to respond,” Marsh said. “And so I think that was a tremendous advantage for us.”

Young said the first year of the pandemic was spent making hard decisions to limit the spread of COVID-19 and casualties from it. 

“We knew that there was very limited testing, we were using repurposed PCR testing that we changed the calibration for what we’d use for a flu test or other types of coronaviruses that we had to develop testing,” Young said. “So I remember sitting at the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department with 10 swabs, knowing that there were more people exposed in one patient than I could possibly test at that time.”

Young said one of the defining steps in mitigating the risk was the development of testing and distribution.

“One of the things that Gov. Justice did that was so great for us at the local health level, was making that testing available to everyone, once we had that capability,” Young said.

Marsh said a big milestone in the COVID-19 pandemic was understanding how it was communicated.

“I think that going from not understanding how COVID was transmitted, to understanding that COVID was really transmitted by respiratory exchange, and breathing, exchange, cough and exchange, sneezing exchange, and it was airborne, is really, really a huge advantage,” Marsh said.

Of course, both Young and Marsh agree, the invention of the COVID-19 vaccine was a turning point in fighting the virus.

“The next big evolution within the COVID pandemic, when we finally got that vaccine, that was life-altering, life-changing, I will forever remember the minute that I got to get the first dose from the health department,” Young said.

Marsh said not only was the invention of the vaccine a turning point, but a revolutionary moment in medicine.

“Coming up with the new vaccines, particularly the messenger RNA vaccines, were really a turning point in the pandemic and allowed us to protect the most vulnerable first, the aged, the older you are, the more likely COVID will have severe consequences, people that are immunocompromised, and then of course, eventually, you know, people who are first responders who are medical caregivers, and then everyone,” Marsh said.

Young agreed, remembering how exciting it was for the elderly to be allowed to visit with their loved ones again, without fear or worry.

“For some of the older adults, especially those 65 and older, and one of the most gratifying things getting to stand in those clinics, or even doing house calls, which we had done from the Kanawha-Charleston perspective, with the gratitude and being able to be open to being back around folks,” Young said. “So at the initiation of the vaccine, the uptake was good, and the response was good.”

Marsh said the world is not done with COVID-19, as it continues to mutate and with some patients still suffering from Long COVID.

“We still are not done with COVID, particularly related to the impact of Long COVID, the extended problems that people can suffer including brain fog and a variety of other problems,” Marsh said. “And we’re learning more and more about Long COVID. But that’s certainly still something that is impacting people in the U.S. and across the globe every day.”

Young encouraged people to speak with their physicians about what vaccination is appropriate.

“Well, fortunately, people, I think, were very well attuned at the beginning, but we don’t talk about COVID a lot,” Young said. “I think where we need to have that conversation is just realizing that it is something that we have to live with. It’s now endemic in our society, we will forever be dealing with it just like we deal with the flu, just like we deal with RSV and other diseases.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Americans 65 and older should receive an additional dose of the latest COVID-19 vaccine this spring.

According to West Virginia’s Pan Respiratory Dashboard, just 36 percent of West Virginians over the age of 61 are up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccines. The dashboard shows that of the more than 100 West Virginians who died from COVID-19 in the past year, the average age was 73.

“As the data consistently shows, those who are older and immunocompromised are the most vulnerable to the severe effects of COVID-19,” said Young in a press release. “It is for this reason we encourage those individuals to strongly consider getting an additional dose.”

Under current recommendations, those 65 and older can receive an additional dose of the vaccine at least four months after the previous shot. The updated vaccine targets both the original strain of the virus and newer variants, offering broader protection. 

To find updated COVID-19 information and the nearest vaccination location, visit COVID-19 Vaccine.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Marshall Health.

Us & Them: Diminished Trust In Science

Science and research can lead to important breakthroughs, but in a divided America, not everyone trusts the results. In this Us & Them, host Trey Kay speaks with three expert guests before an audience full of curious people at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia and asks: How shaken is our confidence in scientists and the scientific process?

Polls and surveys report our confidence is eroding and that we’ve lost trust in one another and in some of our most essential institutions. 

As a followup to an Us & Them event in September at West Virginia University (WVU) on trust in the media, host Trey Kay has a new conversation focused on our trust in science. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to present examples of our differing confidence in science and medicine, but there are other flash points. 

We continue the abortion debate with the central question of when life begins. A few decades ago, evolution was in the spotlight with divisions over the origins of the universe, and of our own species. Now, climate change clearly illustrates our varying understanding about how the world is changing. All of those topics place a spotlight on our confidence in science.

There was a time when scientific advances were heralded – they saved lives, they told us more about our world. But now, some see scientists as villains who are not always worthy of our trust. 

Have we simply lost interest in scientists or in the scientific process? 

Join us for a new Us & Them from a recent live event on the campus of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. 

This episode of Us & Them is presented with support from the West Virginia Humanities Council, the Daywood Foundation and the CRC Foundation.

Subscribe to Us & Them on Apple Podcasts, NPR One, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher and beyond.


Us & Them host Trey Kay leads a discussion about the erosion of public trust in science at Marshall University. His guests were Jonathan Zimmerman, University of Pennsylvania’s education historian and author of “Whose America? Culture Wars in the Public Schools”; Habiba Chichir, Marshall University’s biological anthropologist; and Dr. Adam Franks, MD, associate residency director for Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. The event was co-sponsored by Marshall University’s John Deaver Drinko Academy, the West Virginia Humanities Council and West Virginia Public Broadcasting, the broadcasting home of Us & Them.

Earlier this fall, Kay and his team hosted a “Diminished Trust” event at West Virginia University that focused on waning public trust in journalism and the news media. Kay says, “Trust is in short supply in America these days. Across the board and across the political spectrum people seem to lack trust in our government… in many of our agencies and organizations – even in each other. That’s why our Us & Them team is staging these conversations to encourage citizens to consider how long our society can sustain this erosion of trust.”

Credit: Julie Blackwood
A diverse group of students, faculty and community members came to Marshall University’s Drinko Library Atrium to join a live recording of West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Us & Them.

Credit: Julie Blackwood
Habiba Chirchir is a biological anthropologist and anatomist at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Her research focuses on understanding the relationship between changes in skeletal anatomy and behavior by investigating trabecular and cortical bones. She conducts comparative analyses of anatomical features in fossil human ancestors, modern humans, other primates and non-primate animals including dogs and big cats using CT imaging. Chirchir earned a BA from the University of Nairobi, an MA from New York University, and a PhD from George Washington University. Chirchir is a research associate at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

Credit: Julie Blackwood
Dr. Adam M. Franks is a family medicine physician at Marshall Health, and a professor and vice chair of the department of family and community health at Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. Franks’ practice provides full-spectrum care for children and adults, including obstetric and gynecologic care. His research areas include COVID-19 protocols, opioid monitoring protocols and blood borne pathogen exposure monitoring protocol adherence.

Credit: Julie Blackwood
Jonathan Zimmerman is professor of History of Education and the Berkowitz professor in Education at the University of Pennsylvania. A former Peace Corps volunteer and high school teacher, Zimmerman is the author of “Whose America? Culture Wars in the Public Schools” (University of Chicago Press, 2nd ed.) and eight other books. Zimmerman is also a columnist at the Philadelphia Inquirer and a frequent contributor to the Washington Post, the New York Review of Books and other popular publications. Zimmerman taught for 20 years at New York University, where he received its Distinguished Teaching Award in 2008.

Credit: Julie Blackwood

Photo gallery: Members of the audience took advantage of a Q&A session to ask the guests a number of thoughtful questions. Credit: Julie Blackwood

Exit mobile version