Dr Clay Marsh sits in his first-floor office at West Virginia University and stares at two large monitors displaying the state’s latest Covid-19 case numbers and vaccination rates.
Neither are good. The state is coming out of a brutal third wave in which local hospitals ran out of beds and intensive care units filled up with severe cases of the disease.
“It's been really tough,” said Dr Marsh, who is heading West Virginia’s efforts against Covid-19.
“It's also tough because this was something that we knew was coming and we started to kind of sound the alarm bells, you know, a month and a half before we really even had that many cases of the Delta variant.”
Despite ample warning about the Delta variant and its high levels of transmissibility, the state's vaccination rate of about 40 per cent left West Virginians extremely susceptible.
It swept through the rural, mountainous state, infecting as many as 2,300 people in a single day, a shockingly high number in a state of about 1.8 million residents.
West Virginia’s elderly population, many with underlying health conditions, is especially susceptible to more serious cases of Covid-19.
To date, more than 4,000 people there have died from the virus.
A recent study on Covid-19 by Wallethub — which examined data on state vaccination rates, rates of transmission, positive testing, hospital admission and death — showed West Virginia was one of the least safe states to live in during the pandemic.
The study also showed that West Virginia has the highest death rate from Covid-19 in the country.
What went wrong?
In February, West Virginia, long associated with poverty and health problems, shocked experts across the country by becoming the first state to vaccinate the entire population of nursing home residents and, at one point, by having the second-highest vaccination rate in the country, closely trailing Alaska.
It was also the only state to opt out of the federal government’s vaccine programme, which united with major US pharmacy chains Walgreens and CVS to inoculate residents of long-term care homes.
Instead of running their programme through major pharmacies, West Virginia went local, using the deep roots that small-town pharmacies have in their communities.
At first, this approach was highly successful. With the help of the West Virginia National Guard, who are in charge of logistics and the distribution of the vaccine, local pharmacists were able to administer shots at an extremely fast pace, even in difficult-to-reach areas.
But eventually, the state ran out of willing patients.
West Virginia was once the epicentre of American coal production, home to millionaires and thriving towns. Today, however, coal production has slowed to a trickle and the economy is struggling. Locals pride themselves on their rural roots and possess a fierce independent streak that often manifests itself as a deep mistrust of Washington.
The State’s Republican governor, Jim Justice, has tried everything apart from mandates to convince people to be inoculated.
In June, he offered residents the chance to win a hunting rifle in exchange for being vaccinated.
Then, in August, Mr Justice launched a vaccine lottery called “Do it for Babydog”, named after his 1-year-old English bulldog, to incentivise people to take the shot.
“If you won’t do it for me, if you won’t do it for your family, you’ve got to get vaccinated for Babydog,” Mr Justice said.
“She wants you vaccinated so badly.”
But efforts have been mostly in vain and as the months went by, the hope state officials had of seeing a majority of West Virginians vaccinated slowly faded.
Dr Marsh admits a huge portion of the state is unlikely to change its mind.
“We know that in our country, people enjoy the right to make decisions about what they want to do and don't want to do,” Dr Marsh told The National.
“In the current environment, we respect that right. And even though for us, we know the consequences of not being fully vaccinated as potentially getting severely ill with Covid-19, going to the hospital [and possibly] dying.”
The Covid-19 chief and his team continue to work tirelessly to offer the vaccine to as many people as possible.
Dr Krista Capehart, an associate professor at West Virginia University's School of Pharmacy in Morgantown, recalls travelling more than three hours along rugged roads, one way, to vaccinate a few people at a coal mine.
“When you get into rural areas, they need to have that connection and understand that people do care,” she said.
“They need to have that one-on-one connection; they need their questions answered.”
Dr Capehart said many are hesitant to take the vaccine and have been filled with misinformation, leading them to question whether the shot will really protect them.
Mr Justice has lashed out at conspiracy theorists.
“For God’s sake, how difficult is this to understand?” he said during a September press conference.
“Why in the world do we have to come up with these crazy ideas — and they’re crazy ideas — that the vaccine has something in it and it's tracing people wherever they go?”
But it’s not only conspiracy theories that officials have to combat — it's apathy as well.
“Mostly, it's just an inconvenience,” said a student at West Virginia University who hasn’t yet been vaccinated. “I’m not going to go out of my way to go get it.”
Apathy combined with a belief in the need to defend civil liberties has stymied not only West Virginia's vaccination efforts but those of the country as a whole. Only 58 per cent of Americans are vaccinated, which is above the world average but far behind many G20 countries.
With hope this frail, Dr Marsh often turns to the parable of the starfish for motivation.
In the story, a young boy on a beach sees dozens of stranded starfish and slowly starts throwing them back in the water. When an adult tells him to give up, that there is no way he can save them all, the boy says, “You may be right, but for the ones that we do help, it will make a big difference.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Funk Wav Bounces Vol.1
Calvin Harris
Columbia
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
Brief scores:
Toss: Sindhis, elected to field first
Kerala Knights 103-7 (10 ov)
Parnell 59 not out; Tambe 5-15
Sindhis 104-1 (7.4 ov)
Watson 50 not out, Devcich 49
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The biog
Alwyn Stephen says much of his success is a result of taking an educated chance on business decisions.
His advice to anyone starting out in business is to have no fear as life is about taking on challenges.
“If you have the ambition and dream of something, follow that dream, be positive, determined and set goals.
"Nothing and no-one can stop you from succeeding with the right work application, and a little bit of luck along the way.”
Mr Stephen sells his luxury fragrances at selected perfumeries around the UAE, including the House of Niche Boutique in Al Seef.
He relaxes by spending time with his family at home, and enjoying his wife’s India cooking.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPOPC%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAmna%20Aijaz%2C%20Haroon%20Tahir%20and%20Arafat%20Ali%20Khan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eart%20and%20e-commerce%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%3A%20u%3C%2Fstrong%3Endisclosed%20amount%20raised%20through%20Waverider%20Entertainment%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
John Cena v Triple H
Matches to be announced
WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Raw Tag Team Championship, United States Championship and the Cruiserweight Championship are all due to be defended
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Result
Qualifier: Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by eight wickets
Fixtures
Tuesday, Lahore: Eliminator 1 - Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators
Wednesday, Lahore: Eliminator 2 – Karachi Kings v Winner of Eliminator 1
Sunday, Karachi: Final – Islamabad United v Winner of Eliminator 2
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Read more about the coronavirus
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2-litre%204-cylinder%20petrol%20(V%20Class)%3B%20electric%20motor%20with%2060kW%20or%2090kW%20powerpack%20(EQV)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20233hp%20(V%20Class%2C%20best%20option)%3B%20204hp%20(EQV%2C%20best%20option)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20350Nm%20(V%20Class%2C%20best%20option)%3B%20TBA%20(EQV)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMid-2024%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETBA%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Enterprise-grade%20security%20and%20privacy%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Unlimited%20higher-speed%20GPT-4%20access%20with%20no%20caps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Longer%20context%20windows%20for%20processing%20longer%20inputs%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Advanced%20data%20analysis%20capabilities%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Customisation%20options%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shareable%20chat%20templates%20that%20companies%20can%20use%20to%20collaborate%20and%20build%20common%20workflows%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Analytics%20dashboard%20for%20usage%20insights%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Free%20credits%20to%20use%20OpenAI%20APIs%20to%20extend%20OpenAI%20into%20a%20fully-custom%20solution%20for%20enterprises%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
My Cat Yugoslavia by Pajtim Statovci
Pushkin Press
Day 2, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dinesh Chandimal has inherited a challenging job, after being made Sri Lanka’s Test captain. He responded in perfect fashion, with an easy-natured century against Pakistan. He brought up three figures with a majestic cover drive, which he just stood and admired.
Stat of the day – 33 It took 33 balls for Dilruwan Perera to get off the mark. His time on zero was eventful enough. The Sri Lankan No 7 was given out LBW twice, but managed to have both decisions overturned on review. The TV replays showed both times that he had inside edged the ball onto his pad.
The verdict In the two previous times these two sides have met in Abu Dhabi, the Tests have been drawn. The docile nature of proceedings so far makes that the likely outcome again this time, but both sides will be harbouring thoughts that they can force their way into a winning position.
Dubai Creek Open in numbers
- The Dubai Creek Open is the 10th tournament on this year's Mena Tour
- It is the first of five events before the season-concluding Mena Tour Championship
- This week's field comprises 120 players, 21 of which are amateurs
- 15 previous Mena Tour winners are competing at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club
UAE%20PREMIERSHIP
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinal%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%20v%20Jebel%20Ali%20Dragons%0D%3Cbr%3E%0DSaturday%2C%208.15pm%2C%20Al%20Ain%20Amblers%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESemi-final%20results%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EDubai%20Exiles%2020-26%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%0D%3Cbr%3EDubai%20Tigers%2032-43%20Jebel%20Ali%20Dragons%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ETable%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1%20Dubai%20Tigers%2C%2033%20points%0D%3Cbr%3E2%20Dubai%20Exiles%2C%2024%20points%0D%3Cbr%3E3%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%2C%2018%20points%0D%3Cbr%3E4%20Jebel%20Ali%20Dragons%2C%2014%20points%0D%3Cbr%3E5%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Harlequins%2C%2014%20points%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The bio
Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been
Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home
More coverage from the Future Forum
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
