The Daily Tar Heel

Serving the students and the University community since 1893

Sunday March 26th

State


National Archives (photo no. 286-MP-par-00334). Department of State. Agency for International Development. 1961-10/1/1979. Photo courtesy of UNC Media Hub. 

Living with a pandemic: Polio in the 1940s

For polio survivors, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is not the first infectious disease to upend their lives. Now, decades after polio ripped through North Carolina and the world, medical experts and researchers at UNC are looking to this past disease outbreak to give context to a modern one. 

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Cary resident Neelima Singh receives the first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021 in the Friday Center.

Cooper says N.C. will increase COVID-19 vaccine supply as waitlist numbers surge

Ever since the COVID-19 vaccine became available to states, supply has been a concern. Mandy Cohen, secretary of N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, said at a press conference Tuesday that the Biden administration approved a five-percent increase in vaccine doses to the state. She said it is undetermined how many additional doses that would add up to. “We know there’s still not enough vaccine supply to vaccinate the millions of people who need it,” Gov. Roy Cooper said during the conference. “We’re pushing for more.”

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DTH Photo Illustration. Parts of southeast North Carolina have chemicals in the water that may contribute to more severe COVID-19 symptoms.

Chemicals in some North Carolina drinking water may worsen COVID-19 effects

These chemicals, called GenX, are present in the Cape Fear River and could be putting residents at risk by suppressing their immune systems and causing other health issues.  GenX is a member of a family of human-made chemical compounds known as PFAS. GenX exposure is associated with increased risk of health problems in animal studies, including issues in the kidney, liver, immune system and others. Research has shown from human and animal studies that PFAS exposure may reduce antibody response to vaccines and may reduce infectious disease resistance.

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Caitlin Gooch isn't holding her horses in stopping childhood illiteracy

Based in Wendell, North Carolina, equestrian Caitlin Gooch uses horses to encourage childhood reading, build confidence and increase representation within children’s literature. Savannah Truesdale, a co-worker of Gooch at the children’s daycare, said Gooch’s positivity and passion for her horses captivated her students' attention and made the lesson come to life. Childhood literacy has immense implications for the development of children.

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