world health organization

shows a coal plant with steam puffing from one of the smokestacks, a concern in the fight against climate change

N.C. environmental groups file petition to join other states in combating climate change

February 25, 2021 by Greg Barnes Leave a Comment

N.C. environmental groups file petition to join other states in combating climate change - North Carolina Health News

If approved by the Environmental Management Commission, the petition would force Duke Energy to cap the amount of greenhouse gases it releases. The cap would diminish over time, along with the cost of electricity customers pay.

By Greg Barnes It no longer takes a meteorologist to realize that North Carolina’s climate is getting hotter, wetter and more turbulent. Although 2020 didn’t break any state climate records, it came close. The state saw its second-wettest year on record and tied for its third warmest, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information […]

Shows an elderly gentleman with a face mask on and sleeve rolled up receiving a COVID vaccine from a nurse with purple gloves.

Coronavirus Today – Jan. 21 Trying to smooth out vaccine rollout; Biden pandemic plan; Free transit rides for a shot

January 21, 2021 by Anne Blythe

Coronavirus Today – Jan. 21 Trying to smooth out vaccine rollout; Biden pandemic plan; Free transit rides for a shot - North Carolina Health News

A year after the first COVID-19 case was reported in the U.S., North Carolina is looking to a new president for help fighting the pandemic.

By Anne Blythe On Jan. 21, one year ago, the United States reported its first case of COVID-19. Since then, the novel coronavirus has lost its sense of novelty within a state, country and world where employment, everyday life and typical rites of passage have been obliterated by the contagion. “As I reflect on one […]

a hand holds a glass globe, flipping the reflection of a sunset over the beach

2021: COVID still looms large

January 4, 2021 by Editor

2021: COVID still looms large - North Carolina Health News

Here’s what is on the horizon for the new year as the state continues to battle COVID and environmental issues.

By North Carolina Health News staff Rural broadband infrastructure funding moves forward, with limited impact The pandemic highlighted long-standing weaknesses in the internet infrastructure of rural counties across the state. From telehealth to working to learning from home, residents in rural areas discovered that what was once an inconvenience now became a hurdle which, in […]

This 2017 image, depicted the right hand of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) scientist, placing the samples into a cold-storage environment within the laboratory setting.

Coronavirus Today – Dec. 3 More grim NC milestones; Explainer on COVID-19 vaccine distribution; ‘No COVID virus in the vaccine itself’

December 3, 2020 by Anne Blythe

Coronavirus Today – Dec. 3 More grim NC milestones; Explainer on COVID-19 vaccine distribution; ‘No COVID virus in the vaccine itself’ - North Carolina Health News

As North Carolina’s COVID-19 metrics and trends move quickly in the wrong direction, public health officials talk about vaccines and masking up still in 2021.

By Anne Blythe With the prospect of COVID-19 vaccine shipments coming to North Carolina in mid-December, Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, and other public health officials are stepping up the campaign to get public buy-in for the newest tool that could help guide the state toward an end […]

Shows the windowed wall of an ICU room containing a COVID patient. You can only see the patient's feet.

‘Breakthrough finding’ points to why certain COVID patients die

November 15, 2020 by Kaiser Health News

‘Breakthrough finding’ points to why certain COVID patients die - North Carolina Health News

Information from new studies point to the role of interferons, substances made by our bodies that play a key role in the immune response to disease.

By Liz Szabo Kaiser Health News Dr. Megan Ranney has learned a lot about COVID-19 since she began treating patients with the disease in the emergency department in February. But there’s one question she still can’t answer: What makes some patients so much sicker than others? Advancing age and underlying medical problems explain only part […]

Urban Ministries Center's leaders took a desolate area beyond Charlotte's Uptown and turned it into a supportive apartment community for people transitioning from homelessness.

Housing instability exacerbates the pandemic for the most vulnerable

November 12, 2020 by Melba Newsome

Housing instability exacerbates the pandemic for the most vulnerable - North Carolina Health News

Stable housing is an essential part of preventing the spread of and recovering from the coronavirus. However, those most at risk from the virus also have a greater risk of homelessness.

By Melba Newsome This story is co-published by NC Health News, the Charlotte Post and the Charlotte Observer. This story was supported by a grant from the Pulitzer Center. In 1981, Martha Brown moved to Charlotte from rural Rutherford County to escape an abusive relationship. In the nearly 40 years since then, Brown has had […]

shows three elderly people playing bingo.

Coronavirus Today – June 15 – Mandatory face masks?; a lesson in virus spread; hurricane relief amid pandemic

June 15, 2020 by Editor

Coronavirus Today – June 15 – Mandatory face masks?; a lesson in virus spread; hurricane relief amid pandemic - North Carolina Health News

Gov. Roy Cooper says he will let the state know early next week whether metrics and trends shift enough for further reopening.

By North Carolina Health News staff How COVID-19 moves from crowded restaurants to long-term care Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen laid out why it’s important for the entire state to work from the same playbook as it battles COVID-19 in response to a reporter’s emotional question about testing for the virus in long-term […]

A bottle of pills is on its side and blue pills are spilling from it.

With more questions than answers, hydroxychloroquine still under the microscope

June 4, 2020 by Anne Blythe

With more questions than answers, hydroxychloroquine still under the microscope - North Carolina Health News

Duke University is leading a nationwide study of frontline health care workers to test whether HCQ can prevent COVID-19.

By Anne Blythe Four months ago, few would have fathomed that a 65-year-old drug would become a household name now recognized by many North Carolinians and the subject of heated political discourse. But that’s the recent history of hydroxychloroquine. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed everyday parlance to include such phrases as “flattening the curve,” “social […]

shows a woman in a red dress standing behind a podium as she talks about efforts to combat the COVID pandemic

Coronavirus Today – May 11 – Recovered from COVID; churches and outside worship; more SNAP

May 11, 2020 by Editor

Coronavirus Today – May 11 – Recovered from COVID; churches and outside worship; more SNAP - North Carolina Health News

Questions arise about who is recovered from COVID-19, who should get tested and the nuances of governor’s modified order for worship houses.

By North Carolina Health News staff Many recover from COVID-19, but defining who has is difficult Nearly 60 percent of the 15,045 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in North Carolina presumably have recovered from the virus, according to state health officials. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, […]

An out stretched hand seeking help. This is used to illustrate domestic violence survivors seeking support during COVID-19

N.C. domestic violence shelters awaiting a surge

April 3, 2020 by Greg Barnes

N.C. domestic violence shelters awaiting a surge - North Carolina Health News

Many shelters report little increase in domestic violence calls but say that is about to change as isolation caused by the coronavirus leads to abuse.

By Greg Barnes In Wake and many other counties across North Carolina, emergency calls to domestic violence shelters have remained relatively flat as the coronavirus continues its spread. And that has advocates for abuse victims extremely worried. The state has ordered residents to stay in their homes. Many people have lost their jobs. Children are […]

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