Health and Medicine
Get your flu shot early says Dr. Anthony Baffoe-Bonnie, an infectious disease specialist with Carilion Clinic – by the end of October if possible. He also says COVID-19 is a close cousin in many ways. A loss of taste or smell in some infected with COVID-19 may be the tell-tale difference. Call a health care provider says Baffoe-Bonnie with questions about what might be making you sick.
A bill is working its way through the General Assembly special session that would require most employers to provide paid COVID-19 quarantine leave to most workers. Critics say it could lead to big legal liabilities, but supporters say it could spare many Virginians from a difficult decision. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Gov. Ralph Northam/G Marrano photo
The Virginia Department of Health established the Health Equity Working Group in March, looking for ways to ensure that underserved communities had better access to the Personal Protective Equipment they needed to help avoid COVID-19. The Council of Community Services and its Hands on Blue Ridge program are part of the Health Equity pilot, distributing thousands of masks and bottles of hand sanitizer to non-profit organizations in the City of Roanoke. It was in evidence today as Governor Northam was in Roanoke, handing out PPE and school supplies to children at Family Service of Roanoke Valley:
Governor Northam says the state is now conducting 15,000 or more COVID-19 tests every day, but he worries that Virginians are becoming complacent as the pandemic continues. He urges greater participation at public testing events – and use of the COVIDWISE app, one designed to tell if you if you have been in close contact with an infected person. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
A new statewide poll conducted by Roanoke College finds Virginians are dramatically divided when it comes to media coverage of COVID-19. The poll asked more than 650 Virginians if they thought news accounts make the pandemic seem worse than reality. Among Democrats, 15% thought that is the case, but among Republicans, the number soars to 85%. Poll Director Harry Wilson:
The poll also finds sharp differences by party affiliation with regard to government handling of COVID-19 and the pandemic’s likely impact on our lives. Click here for full poll results and methodology from Roanoke College’s Institute for Policy and Opinion Research.
According to the latest numbers released this morning by The Virginia Department of Health there are 3 new confirmed or probable coronavirus cases being attributed to the Roanoke Valley. State Health officials report 2 new cases in Roanoke City, and 1 new case in Botetourt County. Coronavirus case counts in Salem and Roanoke County remain the same.