health

Horror Film Fans Were Better Prepared For The Pandemic

By • Jan 15, 2021

A love of apocalyptic horror films may have actually helped people mentally prepare for the COVID-19 pandemic. At least, that's according to research published this month in the journal Personality and Individual Differences.


Ousted Washakie Public Health Officer: "It Was Political"

By • Jan 15, 2021
Pixabay, Public Domain

The pandemic has made the position of county public health officer more than just a part-time job: it has become political. So far, two officers in Wyoming have been removed from their positions and one has resigned. Wyoming Public Radio's Kamila Kudelska spoke with Washakie County's public officer, who did the work for ten years until he was removed by the commission this past fall. Dr. Ed Zimmerman said before the pandemic, the position was relatively easy.

'We're In A War With This Virus': Biden Lays Out COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Plan

By • Jan 15, 2021

Updated 5:06 p.m. ET

On Friday afternoon, President-Elect Joe Biden shared a detailed plan to tackle the COVID-19 vaccination rollout, promising to fight the pandemic with "the full strength of the federal government."

In a speech in Delaware, Biden laid out his five-part plan for how to speed up the vaccination campaign: Open up vaccine eligibility to more people; create more vaccination sites; increase vaccine supply; hire a vaccination workforce; and launch a large-scale public education campaign.

Park County Museums And Archive Join Efforts To Document First Person Narratives Of COVID-19

By • Jan 13, 2021
Fred Drews

As the director of education and programs at the Meeteetse Museums, Amy Phillips said part of her job is to document history, adding 2020 was a historic year.

Jackson Hospital CEO Says State Not Getting Fair Share of Vaccine, WDH Focuses On Rollout

By • Jan 13, 2021
Public Domain

During Teton County's weekly COVID-19 update, St. John's Health CEO Paul Beupre said the vaccine progress is going pretty smoothly in the county. Yet, he said the state is not receiving as many vaccine doses as it should be, according to the amount of vaccine the federal government has purchased.

In The Mountain West, State Legislatures Could Become COVID-19 Hot Spots

By Savannah Maher • Jan 12, 2021

 

State lawmakers across the Mountain West are convening for legislative sessions that will focus largely on the fallout of the pandemic. But without significant precautions, statehouses could become hotbeds for COVID-19 spread.

Legislative sessions typically bring together hundreds of lawmakers, legislative staff, lobbyists, journalists, and members of the public. They travel to and from every corner of a given state and gather indoors, sometimes in cramped meeting spaces.

Natrona County Residents 70 And Older Now Eligible For COVID-19 Vaccine

By • Jan 12, 2021
Natrona County Health

Starting this Wednesday, January 13, residents of Natrona County 70 or older will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The opening in eligibility marks the Casper-Natrona County Health Department's (CNCHD) move to the next phase of its vaccination rollout.

Vaccine Hesitancy In Rural America Threatens To Prolong Pandemic, Analysis Finds

By • Jan 12, 2021
Credit: Bastian Weltjen / Adobe Stock

About a third of Americans living in rural areas say they probably or definitely would not get a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a recent analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Hundreds Of Rural Counties Lack The Retail Pharmacies Helping To Distribute COVID-19 Vaccines

By • Jan 10, 2021

When the COVID-19 vaccines become more widely available, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will partner with retail pharmacies such as Costco and Walgreen to help distribute them. But a new analysis of rural counties finds that as many as 750 counties don't have one of those pharmacies.

Despite Delays, Wyoming Department Of Health Says Vaccine Distribution Moving Forward

By • Jan 8, 2021
U.S. Secretary of Defense

It has been about three weeks since Wyoming received its first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Since then, the state has been busy trying to get the vaccine out to the first priority groups.

Once the first vaccine shipments came to Wyoming, the state's department of health and local experts took federal guidance and amended it for the state.

A Look Into How The University Of Wyoming COVID-19 Testing Program Works

By • Jan 8, 2021
Will Laegried

The University of Wyoming (UW) has prioritized testing for its community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its testing program started at the beginning of the school year and has been an important tool as UW monitored the presence of the virus.

Why COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Has Been Slow In Wyoming

By • Jan 8, 2021
Melodie Edwards

Right when the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was approved, the federal government started shipping boxes to states, and the Moderna vaccine was only a week behind. Since then Wyoming has received over 25,000 doses, but only 35 percent of those have been administered as of January 7.

Montana Governor's Plan To Rescind Mask Mandate Is 'Premature,' Epidemiologist Says

By • Jan 8, 2021

The U.S. saw its highest number of COVID-19 deaths this week. Meanwhile, in Montana, the newly elected governor is planning to rescind its statewide mask order.

 


Sheridan VA Begins COVID-19 Vaccinations

By • Jan 8, 2021
Official VA Photo by Cynthia Neukam

The Sheridan VA has begun to vaccinate employees and high-risk veterans with a COVID-19 vaccine.

The health system in Sheridan received its first shipment of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on December 22. As of Wednesday, January 6,171 employees and 49 veterans have been vaccinated with the first of two doses.

Advocates Call for the Mountain West's Incarcerated Population To Be Vaccinated Early

By Savannah Maher • Jan 8, 2021

Some of the largest and most deadly COVID-19 outbreaks have occurred in our country's prisons. The latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that incarcerated people be included in phase 1B of vaccine distribution. But most states in the Mountain West are breaking with that guidance.

COVID Victim May Bunjes Was Selfless To The End. Her Family Wants Neighbors To Follow Her Example

By Robyn Vincent • Jan 7, 2021

Giving and full of light. That's how family and friends described May Bunjes. The 71-year-old community advocate died of COVID-19 in November. Now her family is using her death as a rallying cry.

In Weld County, Colorado – where officials have dismissed state health orders meant to slow the spread of COVID-19 – she was a court-appointed special advocate for abused children for more than 20 years.

Virtual Forums Focuses On The Future Of Wyoming's Children

By • Jan 4, 2021
Wyoming2030

This month, a series of virtual events aims to talk about Wyoming's future through the lens of children and family in the state.

The Wyoming Afterschool Alliance and Wyoming Community Foundation are partnering up for the initiative called Wyoming 2030. It aims to broaden the public education discussion by hosting a series of virtual events every Tuesday of January.

Wyoming Families, Children Struggle With Health, Economic Security

By • Dec 28, 2020
Melodie Edwards

The pandemic has worsened food, health and housing insecurity across the country and in Wyoming. A new study shows that for many families in the state, these issues are front and center.

A Discussion With A Vaccine Expert

By • Dec 18, 2020
Public Domain


This week, Wyoming Public Radio's Maggie Mullen hosted a Facebook Live event with Dr. Rupali Limaye of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to discuss the COVID-19 vaccine. In case you missed it, we've put together some highlights for you to hear, starting with what it means that a recent survey found that most — but not all — Wyomingites say they would be willing to get vaccinated against the virus.

For Some Wyomingites, This Year Marks First Holiday Alone

By • Dec 18, 2020
Public Domain

This year, the holidays are looking different for many people across Wyoming. With concerns about spreading COVID-19 to loved ones, some are opting to stay home this holiday season. Wyoming Public Radio's Catherine Wheeler brings us this postcard from some who are spending their first holiday alone.

Buffalo Veterans' Home Has A COVID-19 Outbreak

By • Dec 18, 2020
Catherine Wheeler

The Veterans' Home of Wyoming is experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak. As of Thursday, Dec. 17, more than half of the residents have tested positive.

Dept. Of Health Proposes Cuts To Support For Vulnerable Youth

By • Dec 17, 2020
Magellan Healthcare

Following Gov. Mark Gordon's request for an additional $500 million funding cut, the Wyoming Department of Health has come up with a way to shave close to $47 million from its general fund budget.

COVID And Cattle: The Pandemic's Continued Influence On The Beef Market

By • Dec 15, 2020

Panic buying has slowed down considerably since this spring, but one thing still lingering is higher demand for meat that's easier for people to cook themselves.


Six Feet Apart? That May Not Be Nearly Enough In A Restaurant, Study Suggests

By • Dec 14, 2020

Indoor dining is allowed across the Mountain West. But new research shows that even with current social distancing guidelines, the coronavirus can spread easily inside restaurants.

Wyoming Receives Close To 5,000 Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine First Week

By • Dec 14, 2020
Shafin_Protic via pixabay.com

The public health departments in Casper and Cheyenne received their first COVID-19 vaccine doses on Monday, December 14, and hospitals in Cody, Jackson, and Gillette are expected to get their vaccine packages on Tuesday.

A COVID-19 Vaccine Is Here. But It's Not A 'Magic Bullet,' Experts Warn

By Savannah Maher • Dec 14, 2020

States across the Mountain West are receiving their first shipments of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. And the Moderna vaccine will be coming once it's granted emergency authorization by the FDA. But as distribution gets underway, other COVID-19 prevention measures including frequent hand-washing, mask-wearing and social distancing will still be necessary. 

Survey Finds Majority, But Not All, Of Wyoming Willing To Get COVID Vaccine

By • Dec 14, 2020
U.S. Centers For Disease Control

A new report from the University of Wyoming's survey center shows a majority of Wyomingites are willing to take a vaccine once it becomes available. But there is still a large faction who thinks a vaccine is unnecessary.

Campbell County Health Adds New Beds, Emphasizes Staffing Concerns

By • Dec 14, 2020
Wyoming Department of Health

Campbell County Health (CCH) has added a new unit to handle the increase in patients needing to be hospitalized.

The unit will have 10 additional beds for non-COVID patients and the hospital is working on establishing another additional unit to handle the needs caused by continually increasing COVID-19 hospitalizations.

Mountain West Reporter Discusses Her Experience Taking A COVID-19 Trial Vaccine

By & • Dec 11, 2020
UTAH PUBLIC RADIO

There is a lot of confidence from Wyoming's health officer over the possibility of a vaccine being made available to state residents. But it might take a while before most of us get access to a vaccine, that's because a couple of them are still in the trial phase. Companies are testing vaccines using people from across the country.

One person who's part of the process is Madelyn Beck, she's a former reporter for Wyoming Public Radio who's been closing following COVID-19 as part of her current job as a reporter for the Mountain West News Bureau. She spoke with Bob Beck about what the testing process is like and what interested her in becoming a guinea pig for the secret serum.

Double Checking The Scientific Process

By • Dec 11, 2020
University of Wyoming, University of Colorado Boulder


As the FDA considers the approval of a COVID-19 vaccine this week, figures around the U.S., including here in Wyoming, are calling into question the vaccine and the approval process it's going through.

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