health

With Threat Of Online Radicalization 'Bigger Than Ever,' Researchers Offer Guide For Parents

By • Jul 2, 2020

Researchers have released a new guide for parents about how to keep their kids from being recruited by extremists online.

Why Church Pews Can Be Petri Dishes During The Pandemic

By • Jul 2, 2020

 

For some people of faith, gathering together is a central tenet of church. You bolster each other's beliefs, sing communally and feel the transcendence of the moment.

Park County Braces For Holiday Weekend Amid COVID-19 Surge

By • Jul 2, 2020
Kamila Kudelska

With the Fourth of July holiday weekend fast approaching, Park County health officials are worried because of a recent surge in COVID-19 cases.

Well into June, Park County had just two cases of COVID-19. But over the last week and a half, that number quickly jumped to nearly 50 cases.

Rising COVID-19 Numbers Have Officials Nervous

By • Jul 2, 2020
Wyoming Department of Health - State of Wyoming

Wyoming continues to see new COVID-19 cases at a very high rate, and it has some officials nervous as the fourth of July weekend looms. State Health Officer Alexia Harrist said at a news conference that people need to social distance and start wearing face coverings in order to stop the surge.

She said it's becoming clear what factors have driven the numbers up.

Fremont County Will Be Without A Public Health Officer Until August

By • Jul 2, 2020
Savannah Maher

 

Fremont County, which continues to lead the state in confirmed COVID-19 cases, will be without a public health officer until August. Dr. Brian Gee chose to step down from the job after his term ended on Tuesday.

According to County Commission Chairman Travis Becker, the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly turned the public health officer position from a relatively casual role to an 80-hour per week commitment.

Lander Authorizes Community-Organized July Fourth Parade To Prevent "Danger And Chaos"

By • Jul 1, 2020

An unofficial July Fourth parade organized by Lander residents will go forward with the city's blessing. In an email sent via a community listserv, Lander Senator Cale Case said he and city officials helped the organizers secure a WYDOT permit to shut down Main Street to avoid the "dangers and chaos" of an unsanctioned celebration.

As Stressors Mount, Video Games Can Offer A Healthy Escape, Researcher Says

By • Jun 30, 2020

Between a global pandemic, the economic downtown and civil unrest across the country, Americans are facing high levels of stress and uncertainty, and many are turning to video games for relief.

This reporter happens to be one of them. But can these virtual experiences help in the real world?

Jackson Town Council Passes Resolution To Require Face Masks

By • Jun 29, 2020
Latham Jenkins of the Circumerro Stock Agency, based in Jackson Hole and featuring compelling destination imagery for the Greater Yellowstone area

The Jackson town council passed a resolution supporting requiring a face mask in public places on Monday, June 29. This comes after Teton County started to see an uptick of confirmed COVID-19 cases again after a lull point.

Researchers Continue Progress On Colorado COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate

By • Jun 26, 2020

This post was updated June 29, 2020 to include comments from Alexis Kalergis. 

A Colorado team says their work on a COVID-19 vaccine is progressing. Other vaccines are much further down the testing pipeline, but none have crossed the finish line yet. 

County Cuts To Gillette Reproductive Health Clinic Could Cost Patients

By • Jun 26, 2020
Catherine Wheeler

Gillette Reproductive Health is located in a nondescript building surrounded by many other doctors offices, pharmacies and the hospital. Not many people in the community know it's there or what exactly they do.

Millions Gained Access To Telehealth During The Pandemic, But Can They Keep It?

By • Jun 26, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the nation to figure out something it's tried to do for years: increase access to telehealth.

That’s true across the nation and in rural Western states like Idaho. 


Wyoming Delegation Endorses Efforts To Remove Regulations

By • Jun 26, 2020
U.S. House Office of Photography

The Trump administration has aggressively moved to unwind an array of federal regulations since the coronavirus pandemic hit America, and that's in line with what Wyoming's federal lawmakers have wanted all along. But Matt Laslo reports from Washington that one of them is contradicting President Trump and says more testing is the key to recovery.

Survey: The Pandemic Is Deepening Depression Across The Country

By • Jun 24, 2020

As the COVID-19 pandemic wears on, a new survey shows that depression is worsening across the nation and the Mountain West.


COVID-19 Surges Across the Mountain West – Except In Colorado

By • Jun 24, 2020
Utah Department of Health

The number of positive COVID-19 cases in Colorado has been trending downward. Meanwhile, other states in the region are on the uptick.

Taskforce Working On How To Reopen Wyoming Schools In Fall

By • Jun 23, 2020
Wyoming Department of Education

State agencies and local officials are working together to come up with plans on how to reopen schools this fall after the coronavirus pandemic required them to shut down in the spring.

The Smart Start working group is part of a COVID-19 task force started by Gov. Mark Gordon. It includes representatives from the local school districts, the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) and the state's education department.

Jackson Doctor Urges People Not To Make Fear Worse Than The Virus

By • Jun 22, 2020

Like most health care providers across the state, Jackson Doctor Brent Blue wants people to take precautions and follow rules for social distancing. What he doesn't want to see is people panic over COVID-19. Dr. Blue tells Wyoming Public Radio's Bob Beck that numbers are going up in the state and there are logical reasons for that.

As COVID-19 Continues In West, Researchers Hope Antibody Surveys Will Inform Next Steps

By • Jun 19, 2020

According to Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the nation has yet to exit the first wave of this pandemic. Cases in the Northeast and Midwest are, in general, trending downward, but the Mountain West continues to experience local surges in COVID-19.

Eastern Shoshone Tribal Citizens Eligible For COVID-19 Relief Payments

By • Jun 17, 2020

Citizens of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe are eligible for direct COVID-19 relief funds from their tribal government. The money comes from the $10 million fund allocated to the Eastern Shoshone Tribe through the federal government's massive coronavirus stimulus bill known as the CARES Act.

COVID-19 Cases In Uinta County Continue To Spike

By • Jun 17, 2020
Spc. Miguel Pena

Uinta County public health officials have quarantined roughly 200 individuals following a community outbreak that seems to be the result of a public gathering on May 30 where social distancing measures were not taken seriously. 

Baby Steps: Report Spotlights Racial Disparities At Birth

By • Jun 16, 2020

Across the nation, Black babies have some of the highest rates of infant mortalities and birth outcomes such as low birthweight, according to a new report by nonprofit Zero to Three.

 


Colorado Passes Bill To Improve Vaccination Rates. To Some, It's A Goldilocks Approach.

By • Jun 16, 2020

After a failed attempt last year, Colorado lawmakers have passed a bill that would make it harder to get a vaccine exemption for school children. 

University Of Wyoming Professor Creates Clock For Proper Hand Washing

By • Jun 15, 2020
ZJ Zhang

A University of Wyoming professor has come up with a novel solution to get people, especially kids, to wash their hands for at least twenty seconds, which is how long the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends to prevent contracting COVID-19.

Cities Across Country, Including Denver, Declare Racism A Public Health Crisis

By • Jun 15, 2020

Cities and counties across the country are declaring that racism is a public health crisis, including at least one city in the Mountain West.

State Health Officer Expresses Optimism About Wyoming's COVID-19 Response

By • Jun 12, 2020
Wyoming Department of Health - State of Wyoming


In early 2020, very few people had ever heard of Dr. Alexia Harrist. Since that time, the State Health officer has become a well-known and important figure as she tries to guide the state through the COVID-19 pandemic. Harrist has lately been opening things up. She told Wyoming Public Radio's Bob Beck that she's optimistic as the state deals with tourists and other challenges.

Wyoming Coronavirus Related Deaths Rise As State Reopens, More Deaths Expected

By • Jun 12, 2020
Public Domain


The COVID-19 pandemic has grown worse in Wyoming since the state started loosening restrictions last month, and health experts are saying the two are likely related.

Colorado Researchers Zap Coronavirus In Donated Blood, Making Transfusions Safer

By • Jun 12, 2020

Scientists at Colorado State University have developed a way to make sure blood transfusions don't transmit the COVID-19 virus, according to a new study.

 


University Of Wyoming Faculty Weigh In On Plan To Open Campus This Fall

By • Jun 11, 2020
University of Wyoming

The University of Wyoming has released a flexible plan to reopen this fall that will allow students to choose between in-person and online classes. With this plan, professors will offer in-person classes that follow the restrictions on large gatherings, as well as online versions of the same classes for students who opt to stay at home.

Lawmakers Press Feds To Protect Firefighters From COVID-19

By • Jun 11, 2020

Wildfire season is upon us. As fire crews start heading out, politicians and the Trump administration are at odds over the measures needed to keep firefighters safe and on the job.

Global COVID-19 Deaths Surpass 400,000

By editor • Jun 7, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has now claimed more than 400,000 lives worldwide, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University.

The university's Coronavirus Resource Center noted the grim milestone on Sunday. The United States — at more than 109,000 — accounts for more than a quarter of those deaths.

Doctors Race For Answers As Kids Fight Rare Inflammatory Syndrome Tied To Coronavirus

By & • Jun 7, 2020

The first sign that something was wrong came with stomach pains. It was April 30, and 9-year-old Kyree McBride wasn't feeling well.

His mother, Tammie Hairston, thought it might have been something that he ate. But soon, young McBride was battling a 102-degree fever.

Worried he may have contracted the coronavirus, Hairston took her son to the hospital. "It was a quick in and out of the emergency room," she said. Doctors told her to take him home and monitor him.

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