​My very first job was as a lifeguard in high school. Most of my time was going to be spent lounging in the sun or cooling off in the pool, and I was eager to finally get the golden summer tan always wanted. 

Except golden summer tans don’t come naturally for pale 16-year-olds with Irish backgrounds. I went out for my first shift in the sun in a one-piece with virtually no SPF, no hat and a pair of cheap sunglasses. I spent the rest of the summer looking like Larry the Lobster. 

Sunburns fade, blisters heal, but my skin will never fully recover from how I treated it that summer. Hindsight (with UV-blocking sunglasses, of course) is 20/20. 

Most of last summer’s festivities were put on hold due to COVID-19, meaning this summer is the time to get some fresh air and have fun. After over a year of being indoors, though, it is more important than ever to protect yourself against the dangers of the sun, and Skin Cancer Awareness Month is a great time to go over some simple facts.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S., though most forms are treatable. According to the CDC, about 4.3 million adults are treated for basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas each year. 

So, what’s the difference between these types of skin cancer? Basal and squamous cell carcinomas are the two most common forms of skin cancer, which begin in the upper layers of the skin. Both of these carcinomas can almost always be cured, although they can cause disfigurements and be expensive to treat.

The third and most deadly type of skin cancer is melanoma, which begins deep inside the skin, and can spread throughout the body.

Skin cancer is usually caused by overexposure to ultraviolet or UV rays. UV rays can be good for you in moderation; it stimulates production of vitamin D, and the act of soaking up the sun outdoors is just a general mood-booster. But once your skin has reached its limit of vitamin D, your risk for skin cancer just keeps going up.

As someone with fair skin, I use a daily moisturizer with SPF 15 on my face, and usually use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 if I’m outside. If I’m spending a lot of time in the sun, I will go up to SPF 50 or 100 to protect myself and reapply every few hours.

If you still want that summer tan but you just can’t stop yourself from getting burnt, try a tinted moisturizer! It’s much safer than exposing yourself to harmful UV rays from the sun or tanning beds.

If you have darker skin, a daily SPF of 8-14 can still protect your skin from excessive UV rays, and try SPF 30-50 if you are spending the day in the sun. Other precautions against skin cancer include wearing a hat, long sleeves, sunglasses and staying in the shade.

Do you suspect you have melanoma? Remember the A-B-C-D-Es of melanoma:

A. Asymmetrical. Does the mole or spot have an irregular shape with two parts that look very different?
B. Border. Is the border irregular or jagged?
C. Color. Is the color uneven?
D. Diameter. Is the mole or spot larger than the size of a pea?
E. Evolving. Has the mole or spot changed during the past few weeks or months?

If you have a family member who can help conduct an inspection periodically to see if you have any strange moles, that’s one way to keep an eye on the situation. Sometimes dermatologists hold free skin cancer checks. But if you are concerned, you should discuss it with your doctor. Because most cases are treatable, it’s important that you speak up if anything looks odd. 

Have a great summer, enjoy the weather, and don’t forget the sunscreen!

In July, Preston County resident Amanda Wolfe will be traveling to South Africa to participate in a veterinary internship at a conservation and wildlife center before heading on to vet school.

In addition to the planning and packing Wolfe has been doing in order to prepare, she also has been addressing another necessary task before jetting to a foreign country: consultation with Monongalia County Health Department’s International Travel Clinic.

“I called them to see what I needed to get, and they helped guide me through it all,” Wolfe said.

During her first appointment, Wolfe learned she would need a typhoid fever vaccine as well as obtain some malaria medication to take with her. Because of her veterinary studies, she already had been vaccinated for rabies and she was also up to date on her tetanus (Tdap, for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) shot.

In her second visit, she underwent a physical exam, got the COVID-19 vaccine and picked up the malaria medication. 

Also, the travel scenario in the United States, with Disneyland reopening and talk of resuming cruises, and European Union in discussion about allowing certain travelers in, stands in stark contrast to other destinations, such as India, where the health care system has collapsed because of the overwhelming number of COVID cases.

Even before the pandemic, the CDC had established an extensive travel health website. Now, of course, COVID-19 advice is the priority, but other information, based on travel plans, is also provided. 

For instance, in late April, the site noted that there was volcanic eruption in St. Vincent & the Grenadines as well as Ebola in Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Plus, the site mentioned a breakdown in health care in Venezuela and advised against traveling there at all.

“Even in a normal year, you want to assess your travel plans in advance to see what the health care system is like in case something happens,” Dr. Smith said. “Now, individuals must realize that their destination’s hospitals already might be compromised by COVID-19, which makes any illness or accident more difficult to negotiate.”

Another CDC website provides specific guidelines in regard to COVID. For instance, on April 27, the CDC acknowledged that vaccinated individuals should be able to travel freely in the United States, but cautioned them to follow basic protocols, including wearing a mask, staying 6 feet away from others and washing hands thoroughly and often. 

That was then changed on May 13 when the CDC said vaccinated individuals could remove their masks in most situations, except on public transportation, health settings or if a business still mandated it.

“This is a time in which CDC directives will be updated frequently, so anyone who plans to travel should check back often to see what the current status is,” Dr. Smith said.

Of course, noted Dr. Smith, getting a COVID-19 vaccine for travelers is highly recommended and might be required depending on where someone plans to go.

Until recently, individuals who are making travel arrangements had to coordinate their vaccines because they couldn’t have had any other vaccines two weeks before getting a COVID-19 inoculation, nor two weeks after. For Wolfe, that meant she had to space out her COVID-19 and typhoid vaccines.

However, the CDC ruled on May 12 that COVID-19 vaccines can be administered in conjunction with other vaccines.

Vaccines available at the clinic that are frequently recommended for travelers — depending on which places they plan to visit — include hepatitis A, hepatitis B or Twinrix (which includes both hepatitis A & B), typhoid, adult polio, Yellow Fever, Japanese encephalitis, cholera (as noted, currently not available), rabies pre-exposure vaccine, Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), influenza, meningitis, varicella (chickenpox) and pneumonia. 

Obviously, like Wolfe, many individuals may already be vaccinated against some or many of these illnesses.

Also, as of now, Wolfe said she will be required to have a negative COVID-19 test three days before her arrival date, and then another negative test upon her return home.

“For those who need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test within a certain time frame of traveling, we are happy to report that people who take advantage of our free testing on Mondays and Fridays at the WVU Rec Center can get their results within 24 hours,” Dr. Smith said.

In addition to specific vaccine advice, individuals who take advantage of the MCHD International Travel Clinic will also have the opportunity to discuss their plans with Dr. Smith.

Some travel tips he might discuss:

• In addition to drinking a lot of water on long flights, wearing compression hose also will keep ankles from swelling. And keep contact lenses in the container and opt for eyeglasses.
• Make sure you will have plenty of your prescribed medications with you, as well as proper documentation to get them through customs. Also, “When adding antimalarials, anti-nausea medications and medications for traveler’s diarrhea, consideration should be given to possible medication interactions which could disrupt or ruin a long-awaited trip,” Dr. Smith said.
• In addition to food safety, personal safety, skin protection and insect repellents are essential topics to cover.
• And do you know which to apply first, sunscreen or mosquito repellent, the latter of which you really want to slather on in areas with mosquito-borne diseases such as Zika, Dengue, West Nile viruses and/or malaria? 

Also, while mosquito bite-prevention recommendations to avoid illnesses such as malaria, Zika and West Nile Virus might differ for travelers to the same country depending on if they will be staying in a rural area or at an all-inclusive fancy resort, as Dr. Smith likes to say,
“I’m not sure the mosquito knows where the geopolitical line starts and stops, particularly out in the bush.”

The season when you are traveling also matters. Your chances of getting Japanese encephalitis in countries such as Japan, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand are worse in the rainy season than the dry season, and low overall. But if you get it, recovery might be difficult — especially if you are in an area that doesn’t have good medical care.

“If you’re going to spend more than a month in Asia, you should seriously consider getting the Japanese encephalitis vaccine,” Goldcamp said. 

“A lot of it also depends on your itinerary. If you’re going to spend one month in Beijing, we’re not going to recommend Japanese encephalitis vaccine. But if you’re going to a rural place like Thailand, or if you’re going to go to an elephant sanctuary or sleeping outside or without screens, I would strongly consider that.”

And you probably already know this, but if you are traveling to Australia from June to August, pack a warm coat, because it will be winter down under.

“Now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we really encourage individuals to take advantage of these vital services,” Dr. Smith said. “Ever since the International Travel Clinic started, we’ve been able to provide a lot of good advice to our patients.”

Wolfe, who appreciated what she learned during her appointments, agreed. “He made us both feel good about our trip and how we can stay safe while being there,” she said. 

To make an appointment, call 304-598-5119. Here is more info on COVID-19 testing and vaccines.

To hear it described by Dr. Sally Goza, former president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, one-third of the country’s parents of 12-to-15-year-olds are jumping with excitement at the prospect of being able to get their children vaccinated for COVID-19.

And then another third has some questions about it, Goza said during an interview Tuesday on the National Public Radio program “All Things Considered.”

“Children deserve to have the protection of this vaccine,” she said in the piece. “This is just — it's wonderful news. We've had over 3.7 million children infected with COVID, and they do — they can get sick from this. And so it is our job as parents and pediatricians and people in our country to make sure our children are protected and taken care of during this.”

On Monday, the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for children ages 12 to 15 to get the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. This opens up a new group to inoculate against the virus, which is an important step as the country moves to achieve herd immunity and halt the pandemic.

While some members of this age group might not have symptoms if they catch COVID-19, they can pass it on to others. 

And while the number is few, this is the age group that can develop Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome, which, as the name suggests, causes inflammation of different body organs.

COVID-19 prevention is recommended as the best way to keep your child safe from this illness. 

Those who do have questions about the COVID vaccine can discuss it with their child’s pediatrician; read up on the vaccine in a variety of forums, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website; and also consult the FDA’s information about the testing of this cohort.

And they can also witness how COVID rates in older groups already eligible for vaccines have dropped. 

“All of the COVID that we’re seeing in schools, it is primarily in middle schools and elementary schools,” said Susan Haslebacher, supervisor of school health for Monongalia County Schools.

Haslebacher noted that about three-fourths of the school system’s employees are vaccinated, as are a good number of high schoolers, to the point where she’s not seeing daily flags on symptoms anymore.

“That data is telling me the vaccine is working,” she said.

She’s also pleased that 1,500 middle schoolers have been signed up to receive COVID-19 vaccines through the school system. They will be administered next week. 

All of those slots are filled, and she would like anyone who registered to go ahead and get their vaccine through the schools. 

“We have set aside a dose for them,” she noted.

For those who didn’t register through the school system, parents can make an appointment to get the first dose of Pfizer as early as Friday at the Greater Monongalia County COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic at Vaccine.WVUMedicine.org or by calling 833-795-SHOT.

This age group must be accompanied to the vaccine clinic, held at the old Sears store at Morgantown Mall, by a parent, guardian or adult. Because many middle schoolers don’t have state-issued ID, someone must be available to consent to the vaccine and vouch for contact information so the child can be reached for a second dose appointment about three weeks later.

According to the CDC, more than 259 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been given in the United States from December 14, 2020 through May 10. The CDC also notes that the “vaccines have undergone and will continue to undergo the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history.” 

Although the vaccines were developed quickly, the messenger RNA technology used for both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines has been around for more than 10 years.

And after a year of missing out on in-person school, play dates with friends and other activities, kids, like everyone else, are ready to return to normal life.

“I want my younger children to get the vaccine too,” said one mother whose older children have been vaccinated. “We want the pandemic to be over, and this will help.”

After reading up on the vaccine, she felt assured that the vaccine would be just as safe for children 12 to 15 as for older people, with the same chance of minor side effects, such as soreness at the injection site, fatigue, headache, chills, muscle and joint pain.

“I’m eager to make sure my kids won’t suffer more serious side effects if they were to get COVID,” she added.

And, just like some parents are enthusiastic about this opportunity, so are some of the newly-eligible kids who are planning to line up for a jab. 

“He wants to be safe,” one dad said about his teen son. “And he knows everyone else in the house has received the vaccine and has been fine thus far.

​“And this will allow him to go to high school with a clear head.”

Two months ago today, a Bowling Green State University student in Ohio was forced to drink 40 shots of liquor in a hazing incident. Fraternity brothers took him back to his apartment, where his roommate found him. He was taken to a hospital, where he died.

As a West Virginia University student, I have witnessed multiple incidents surrounding the use of alcohol in my four years. I have seen students receive DUIs, wreck their cars and get alcohol poison. WVU is considered as a top party school in the nation, so the students believe they have to drink and party to fit in and make friends. 

Alcohol Awareness Month was in March, but alcohol overuse is a year-round problem and has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The observance was created in April 1987 by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. This public health program was organized as a way of increasing outreach and education to people who have struggled with alcoholism and issues related to alcohol.

This program launched with intentions of targeting college-aged students, but since has turned into a national movement to bring more attention to the effects of alcoholism. The program has targeted communities and families to help deal with drinking problems. 

Drinking alcohol rates have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic has started. The pandemic has affected every person’s public health and well-being. Alcohol misuse was already a growing concern in the country. Now with the pandemic, alcohol has the potential to further complicate things. 

Overuse of alcohol can interfere with the human’s immune system. This means an impaired immune system is susceptible to respiratory illnesses and could result in a greater risk of fatality from COVID-19.

Extensive effects of the pandemic have increased excessive alcohol consumption in the country. Alcohol sales increased by more than 55% when the pandemic first began. The stress from this pandemic can increase drinking habits. Being socially isolated and physically distanced can worsen anxiety and depression, which can result in more alcohol intake. 

Women can suffer from drinking alcohol more than men because they metabolize alcohol at slower rates. Hospitals have seen an increase of alcoholism-related diseases up to 30% compared to last year. 

Alcoholism and drinking problems in college students has been on the rise since 1987, when the program first launched. Eighty percent of college students consume alcohol to some degree. 

From that 80% of students, it is estimated that at least 50% engage in binge drinking, which involves consuming too much alcohol in too little time. For a typical adult, binge drinking is consuming five or more drinks (male) and four or more drinks (female), in about two hours. 

Drinking alcohol in college usually starts during the first six weeks of a student’s freshman year. This is because these students feel some sort of freedom and succumb to peer pressure easily to try to fit in. Drinking alcohol as a college student is perceived to be a part of the “college experience,” but these students don’t know serious physical and emotional damage can be a result of that. 

If you do want to drink alcohol while in college, you must be smart about it, as well as be above the legal drinking age. Make sure you have an additional drink with you, like water and avoid binge drinking. It’s best if you know your limits and don’t exceed them. Sipping your drink and being responsible is the safest and smartest option if you choose to drink. It is also a great idea to stay away from unfamiliar drinks and never leave any drink unattended. 

And, of course, make sure you always have a ride home. 

Remember, if you plan on drinking, to drink responsibly and limit yourself.