East Carolina University

Shows two women in a lab, manipulating tools in order to test water samples, which are arranged on the tabletop

Research suggests link between PFAS contamination and the coronavirus

July 13, 2020 by Greg Barnes

Research suggests link between PFAS contamination and the coronavirus - North Carolina Health News

Studies say people with high levels of PFAS in their systems could be more susceptible to contracting COVID-19.

By Greg Barnes John Wolfe doesn’t know what else he can do to protect himself against the coronavirus. The Wilmington boat captain follows all of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. He wears a mask and requires tourists on his boat to do the same. He practices social distancing and washes his hands […]

red barn on a hillside, next to a field of grass. It's an analogy for rural health or the rural-urban divide.

COVID-19 affected NC’s rural economies long before the first confirmed cases arrived there

June 2, 2020 by Liora Engel-Smith

COVID-19 affected NC’s rural economies long before the first confirmed cases arrived there - North Carolina Health News

North Carolina’s coronavirus control measures have strained the state’s already weaker rural economies, data from the first wave of unemployment claims shows.

By Liora Engel-Smith In mid-March, the pandemic that now encompasses every county in the state seemed like a decidedly urban problem. As of March 16, North Carolina’s 33 confirmed cases were concentrated in population centers: the Triangle, the greater Charlotte area and micro counties — areas with smaller cities. But even without confirmed cases, rural […]

shows an arm with a catheter lpaced in it, donating blood. A pair of hands draws tubes of blood from the donation site. The photo is used to represent plasma donation to fight COVID-19

This Charlotte physician fought COVID-19. Now, he donates plasma to help others.

June 1, 2020 by Anne Blythe

This Charlotte physician fought COVID-19. Now, he donates plasma to help others. - North Carolina Health News

As UNC Health, Vidant Health and other NC health care sites engage in convalescent plasma studies, getting and donating the antibody-rich blood component can be a challenge.

By Anne Blythe Nima Eftekhary had heard enough about COVID-19 in March that he pretty much knew when he woke up several months ago with a bad headache, body pains and general malaise that he probably had contracted the coronavirus that had been spreading around the globe. His fiancee had returned from New York recently […]

Masked male dentist and masked female hygienist drill inside a patients mouth

NC dentists plan to reopen for routine care amid COVID-19

May 11, 2020 by Anne Blythe

NC dentists plan to reopen for routine care amid COVID-19 - North Carolina Health News

After providing only emergency care for the past month, NC dentists plan to bring hygienists back to work for more routine oral health care.

By Anne Blythe Michael Riccobene had just completed an emergency root canal for a man whose front tooth was bothering him so much the patient could have ended up in an emergency room. In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, patients have been reluctant to set foot in hospitals, and hospitals have tried to keep […]

we see the top of a woman's face. She has on a mask agains the novel coronavirus

On National Nurses’ Day, these critical health care workers are more in the spotlight

May 7, 2020 by Rose Hoban

On National Nurses’ Day, these critical health care workers are more in the spotlight - North Carolina Health News

Staffing, salary and working conditions, especially in long-term care, also shine a light on challenges for the nursing profession.

By Rose Hoban, RN For close to two decades, nurses have been ranked as the most honest and trustworthy profession in the U.S. but with the coronavirus epidemic sweeping the country, there’s a new gravity to how people are thinking about the nation’s 2.8 million nurses. “Nurses are really at the forefront of caring for […]

Man in a dark green shirt stands at a podium, he's talking about actions north Carolina is taking against the coronavirus, COVID-19. He's been working extensively with Gov. Roy Cooper and Sec. Mandy Cohen

Coronavirus Today – May 6 – Some businesses can reopen, while others wait; masks and summer camps

May 6, 2020 by Editor

Coronavirus Today – May 6 – Some businesses can reopen, while others wait; masks and summer camps - North Carolina Health News

State health officials are preparing North Carolinians for a partial re-opening this weekend. But they urge Tar Heels to go slow and remember the 3 Ws.

By North Carolina Health News staff Why some businesses, not others? Since Gov. Roy Cooper announced modifications to his stay-at-home order that go into effect Friday afternoon, Secretary of Health and Human Services Mandy Cohen has received many questions about why some retail businesses are allowed to open, but others such as nail salons, gyms […]

Health care professionals grab disposable takeout containers outside. Providers have been responding to the coronavirus pandemic in the state.

Coronavirus Today – April 17 – Outbreak in Goldsboro prison, upping testing capacity, Fort Bragg deaths

April 17, 2020 by Editor

Coronavirus Today – April 17 – Outbreak in Goldsboro prison, upping testing capacity, Fort Bragg deaths - North Carolina Health News

Gov. Roy Cooper announced today that three universities have partnered with the state on an effort to step up coronavirus testing capacity. Meanwhile, the state prison in Goldsboro reports a large outbreak, with cases surpassing 250 as of Friday.

By North Carolina Health News staff More than 250 inmates with COVID-19 at Goldsboro prison After 30 inmates initially tested positive for coronavirus in Neuse Correctional Institution in Goldsboro, the Department of Public Safety announced it would test all 700 inmates in the facility, starting with those who were most likely exposed. On Wednesday, DPS […]

Shows hands pouring a chemical into a testing container that labeled "Microfiber filter" These processes - along with mass spectrometry - helped identify GenX in the Cape Fear River. NC State will have a research center dedicated to PFAS.

N.C. State receives $7.4 million grant to establish PFAS research center

March 18, 2020 by Greg Barnes

N.C. State receives $7.4 million grant to establish PFAS research center - North Carolina Health News

The center will expand on existing studies, including human exposure to PFAS in Wilmington and the Fayetteville area, and take a deeper look into getting rid of the chemicals.

By Greg Barnes During the past few years, researchers at N.C. State University have taken blood and tap water samples from people in the Wilmington and Fayetteville areas to assess their exposure to GenX and other PFAS chemicals. Now, with a $7.4 million federal grant announced this month, they plan to dive even deeper into […]

Dr. Suzanne Dixon is a woman in a black shirt that's standing in the middle of a group of providers in scrubs. She's tasked with thinking about the future of maternity units and maternity care in the mountain region.

When a rural maternity unit closes, alternatives are hard to come by

February 24, 2020 by Liora Engel-Smith

When a rural maternity unit closes, alternatives are hard to come by - North Carolina Health News

Since 2013, at least nine maternity units across the state have closed and a 10th is slated to shutter in the coming months. Addressing this growing crisis requires a systems approach, providers in western and eastern North Carolina say.

By Liora Engel-Smith The maternity unit in Macon County has been closed for almost three years, but as Jennifer Garrett sees it, nothing took its place. Garrett, clinical services administrator and director of nursing at Macon County Public Health, said having a maternal ward in town meant that pregnant women could go there right away […]

A dentist is pointing to an x-ray machine. He is Eric Kern, who works at a clinic that offers dental care for vets

Greenville VA aims to partner with ECU to give Veterans more access to dentists

November 11, 2019 by Anne Blythe

Greenville VA aims to partner with ECU to give Veterans more access to dentists - North Carolina Health News

Veterans say they want dental care, but few meet the qualifications for comprehensive VA benefits.

By Anne Blythe As a chilly wind whipped tiny American flags lining the walkway to the Veterans Affairs Health Care Center in Greenville early Friday afternoon, dozens of people from eastern North Carolina gathered under a nearby white tent. They came together several days before Veterans Day to celebrate the service of 22 World War […]

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