Lower Respiratory Diseases Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Clearing Up Respiratory Health Confusion And Improving Early Childhood Literacy This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, health experts work to clear up confusion as we enter the respiratory illness season, and a new law is now in effect across West Virginia to implement more effective reading education.

On this West Virginia Morning, Emily Rice reports on health experts working to clear up confusion around vaccine scheduling and access as we enter the respiratory illness season.

And studies show that if children aren’t up to speed by the third grade it can indicate future difficulties in and out of the classroom. As Chris Schulz reports, a new law is now in effect across West Virginia to implement more effective reading education.

Also, Randy Yohe reports that West Virginia’s Senate Finance Committee Chair expects to bring more indictments like the one last week involving a DHHR manager and COVID-19 testing, a look at the latest State of West Virginia University address, a new solar energy project and a reminder to look out for a check in the mail.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.

Caroline MacGregor produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

W.Va. Prepares For Increase In RSV

Cases of a respiratory illness, known as RSV or Respiratory Syncytial Virus, are climbing rapidly around the country.

Cases of a respiratory illness, known as RSV or Respiratory Syncytial Virus are climbing rapidly around the country.

West Virginia health officials said they are preparing for a possible surge in numbers, especially over the holidays.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said cases of RSV have already reached 2021 levels.

Most people who get an RSV infection recover in less than two weeks. But those with compromised or undeveloped immune systems – including the elderly, young children and babies – can develop severe infection, including pneumonia.

Former state Health Officer, Dr. Ayne Amjad, said while cases are not spiking yet in West Virginia health officials anticipate higher numbers over the colder months.

“Especially since we are seeing a trend of increasing data across the country and other states,” Amjad said. “Maryland is the closest one to us with elevated cases, so WV tends to be a little later as we don’t have a large population but that is safe to say we should be on the lookout anticipating we follow suit with other states of cases that they are seeing.”

Amjad said with more children in daycare than over the previous two years, the health department is starting to hear from physicians who are seeing RSV symptoms in their patients.

Those symptoms include nasal drainage, a decrease in appetite, coughing, sneezing, a fever or wheezing.

Amjad said mitigation efforts during the coronavirus pandemic, including mask wearing and hand washing, likely lowered exposure to RSV. Infants and toddlers with underdeveloped immune systems are now struggling to fight off the virus.

She advised parents to call their pediatrician immediately if they suspect RSV.

Monongalia County Health Officer and director of the Monongalia County Health Department, Dr. Lee Smith, said he’s actually noticed an increase in the incidence of RSV in a higher age group the past two years.

“The number of college aged kids and in urgent care the number of adults continues to be a growing trend,” he said.

Lee said prior to COVID-19, by the age of two, most of the pediatric population has had a case of the virus.

Report: West Virginia Has One Of The Highest Death Rates In The U.S.

A new report shows that West Virginia is one of five states with the highest death rates in the country. The leading cause is heart disease.

In 2017, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma and West Virginia had the highest death rates in the U.S., according to a report released Thursday from the National Center for Health Statistics.

States with the lowest death rates in 2017 were California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Minnesota and New York. Death rate is calculated as the percent of a population that dies within a given time.

Along with heart disease, other leading causes of death were cancer, stroke and lower respiratory diseases like pulmonary disease.

If you were a young or middle aged adult living in one of the five states with the highest death rates in 2017, you were more than twice as likely to die than your peers living in one of the states with the lowest death rates.

Nationwide, deaths among men were higher than women.

The older you get, especially for people in the 85 plus range, the gap between states with the highest rates and lowest death rates closes.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, with support from Marshall Health and Charleston Area Medical Center.