Health & Science

On average, eight West Virginians have died of COVID-19 every day since the pandemic began.

A Greenbrier County non-profit that will offer a residential recovery facility for women seeking substance use disorder treatment has received a near $500,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission.

The National Parks Service is accepting artwork that celebrates southern West Virginia’s diverse ecology. It’s part of the annual Youth Arts in the Parks project meant to raise awareness of Appalachia’s natural diversity and parks.

“It's difficult to go back, when you've been faced with so many challenges. But at the same time, people are excited to go back,” McKinney said.

“This is why advocates are sounding the alarm. This is why we are in a red alert moment for reproductive freedom,” said Alisa Clements, the director of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic.

Scientists say it has about 50 mutations, twice that of the delta variant. In theory, these mutations could help the virus evade people’s immunity gained from the vaccine or previous infections, said state coronavirus czar Dr. Clay Marsh.

Under a new state law, needle exchange programs must now get local buy-in from county and city leaders. Without it, these programs can’t legally operate.

A new recovery program in Greenbrier County that gives women a place to live as they work through a recovery program received a $498,024 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).

As COVID-19 continues to spread in West Virginia, it will likely put increased pressure on hospitals. Retired Maj. Gen. James Hoyer, head of the Joint Interagency Task Force, reported during Gov. Jim Justice’s regular coronavirus briefing that the reproduction number of COVID-19 is now 1.04.

The American Lung Association in West Virginia has unveiled the new Reaching Rural Providers initiative, which is designed to increase early diagnosis of COPD in rural communities by educating healthcare professionals about the disease.