Ray Horner Show

Councilman Jeff Fusco breaking down the ongoing power struggle for Akron Police ordered towing rights.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and in a time where many have been afraid of heading into hospitals or venturing into public spaces due to COVID-19, medical professionals urge folks to keep up with their screenings.

Dr. Stephen Brandstetter is with Cleveland Clinic Akron General, and he joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to talk about staying on schedules with screenings, especially with something like colon cancer. Dr. Brandstetter says colon cancer is slow growing, and that if one does not get screened in time, symptoms may mean the cancer is further along than expected. He also touched on the risk factors and what can cause colon cancer, especially with family history.

Much has been discussed about the effects of COVID-19 on anyone from the elderly to those with pre-existing conditions. But what about the children, and how about the spread of asymptomatic cases?

Dr. Rob McGregor is the chief medical officer at Akron Children’s Hospital, and he joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to touch on all of those subjects, including the possibility of vaccinating children, from teens to even babies down the road. Dr. McGregor says they are seeing good news with not only the vaccine rollout, but the numbers of cases overall. Part of that good news is what little spread of the virus that has occurred in school buildings and sporting events. On the topic of asymptomatic cases, he says the only way for a parent to know if his or her child is infected is to get tested.

Dr. McGregor talked more about the studies of inoculation in children. One of the studies has to do with using the same brands of the vaccine, just with smaller doses spread out over multiple trials.

It was recently announced that Chapel Hill Mall would be a site for mass vaccinations in the city of Akron, but as a few factors went into effect with the new owner, the site has been moved to the Summit County Fairgrounds.

So what will be the future of Chapel Hill Mall? It is a question that has been mulling around Akron mayor Dan Horrigan's head for a while now, and he talked about it on the Ray Horner Morning Show. Horrigan, as well as the mayors of Tallmadge and Cuyahoga Falls, are working with the new owner on what will be invested into that area.

With vaccinations continuing to increase, many folks are getting the itch to go places, whether it is a shopping mall or to downtown Akron for a concert in the park. Horrigan talked about the possibility of events as summer approaches, and how the city will spend their stimulus dollars.

Ren Camacho - Akron-Canton Airport

It is the middle of March. The temperatures creep into the sixties, then the lows are in the twenties. Your throat is itchy or scratchy. The nose is clogged. Perhaps there is some fatigue. Could these symptoms be due to COVID-19, or are they seasonal allergies?

There is some overlap, according to Dr. Debbie Plate from Cleveland Clinic Akron General. Dr. Plate joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to instruct the listeners on what to do if they experience some of these symptoms. She says it is worth a phone call to talk to a nurse or a healthcare professional to parse out what could be allergies and what could be a coronavirus.

It is the middle of March. The temperatures creep into the sixties, then the lows are in the twenties. Your throat is itchy or scratchy. The nose is clogged. Perhaps there is some fatigue. Could these symptoms be due to COVID-19, or are they seasonal allergies?

There is some overlap, according to Dr. Debbie Plate from Cleveland Clinic Akron General. Dr. Plate joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to instruct the listeners on what to do if they experience some of these symptoms. She says it is worth a phone call to talk to a nurse or a healthcare professional to parse out what could be allergies and what could be a coronavirus.

The concern over the different mutations and variants of COVID-19 are still out there, which is why medical experts at the national and local level stress to stay the course and not let their feet off the gas in the fight for herd immunity. Still, even with variants and concerns over spring break and St. Patrick’s Day gatherings around, the numbers continue to look decent.

Donna Skoda is the commissioner of Summit County Public Health, and she joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to look at the latest numbers and the vaccine rollout. Though the vaccines are being distributed at a record pace, Skoda says this is not the time to let guards down.

On the topic of vaccines, Skoda mentioned what fully vaccinated individuals are recommended to do, whether or not they are around unvaccinated people. The health commissioner also touched on the difference in the vaccines and the side effects some may or have experienced after their shots.

Thursday marked the one-year anniversary since the beginning of the pandemic. On March 11th, 2020, the sports leagues shut down indefinitely, public events were canceled, and millions of Americans seeked the advice from medical professionals on the dangers of COVID-19.

While the country is not out of the woods yet, Americans know more about the effects of the virus, thanks to medical professionals such as Dr. Donald Dumford from Cleveland Clinic Akron General. He joined the Ray Horner Morning Show on Friday to touch on the major stories a year into this. Dr. Dumford talked about the long-hauler conditions some are experiencing after they have contracted the virus and if these symptoms are common with coronaviruses. Because it is still relatively early on with this virus, he says they continue to learn about those effects and how long some will be suffering from fatigue and breathing issues.

Dr. Dumford also mentioned the variables as to who this affects, which are the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions such as obesity.

James Karinchak - Indians Radio Week