WP Perspectives – October 3, 2022

• Health officials in the United Kingdom and the European region as a whole are seeing early signs of rising COVID activity, patterns that US experts closely watch as a harbinger of how the next months might unfold. Disease modeling experts have warned of a rise in infections in Northern Hemisphere countries as cooler weather brings more people indoors, as schools resume, and as vaccine protection wanes. CIDRAP 9/23
• COVIDcabulary. Pharmacovigilance: tracking of adverse events from vaccines—so called by those in drug development.

• About 40,000 Americans died of COVID this summer. . . more people each day than vehicle crashes, gun violence, the flu or many other health threats. The situation is especially tragic because most of these COVID deaths could have been prevented — if only more Americans had received vaccine shots, including booster shots for older people and others with vulnerable health . . . Only about half of adults have received a booster shot, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s most recent poll. More than 20 percent have not received any vaccine shot. . . COVID remains so deadly largely because millions of Americans have decided they would rather accept its risks than receive a vaccine shot. Washington Post 9/28/22 

• Eligibility for the monkeypox vaccine has been expanded to include anyone who has been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection in the past 3 months. As of Monday, Sept 30, there were 484 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Virginia, 21 of which required hospitalization. Monkeypox is a contagious rash, spread by close contact with an infected person. According to the VDH, “close contact includes touching skin lesions, bodily fluids, or clothing or linens that have been in contact with an infected person. Spread can also occur during prolonged, face-to-face contact.” The VDH said those having sex with multiple or anonymous partners are currently at the highest risk of catching or spreading the disease.

What do you call a VDH milk plant inspector from Guernsey? Why “moo-man,” of course.

We are talking about WPHD’s own Simon LeRay. And what you may not know about him is that he is an expert sharp shooter who has won state championships in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Maryland in Compact Carry Pistol division competitions. He’s placed #3 at World Championship of the International Defensive Pistol Association as well.

Asked how a mild mannered environmental health inspector acquired sharp shooting skills to win at this level, LeRay said shooting was a P.E. activity one could choose at his Guernsey high school! Among the many trophies he has acquired, one is over 100 years old and recognizes the skills of his family through time. Obviously the passion for sharp shooting is woven throughout his ancestry. A dose of that ancestry also lives on via the mismatched socks LeRay wears to bring good luck in memory of his father who did the same.

“It’s fun,” LeRay lightheartedly said. “People think shooting is a macho activity, but problem solving and scenarios that score points really make the sport entertaining.”

LeRay recounted stories of people he has met along the way and competitions he will always remember. He said people from all walks of life enjoy the sport. His once competed on a team that included a minister, a UPS driver and a pharmacist, for example.

LeRay’s collection of pistols includes many he has won at tournaments. But he does not keep them all instead donating them to charity fundraisers his gun club supports, like Toys for Tots and Children’s Miracle Network. He has taught others how to handle and safely use pistols for defensive purposes, including a few of his WPHD colleagues at an off-site location. He served as match director at his local club for six years, and volunteers as a chief safety officer for a variety of competitions, and enjoys watching others work through scenarios.

His competitive nature is perhaps best expressed as he recalls his team barely defeating a team of Homeland Security Border Patrol shooters last year at a West Virginia match.

For now, he’ll keep practicing with his pistol of choice, a Glock 19, in hopes of snagging the national championship one day. And his WPHD co-workers will continue to cheer him on.

Sharp-shooter LeRay with his trophies.

WPHD’s Lurena Huffman loves to cheer on the student swimmers she coaches at the YMCA. A lifelong swimmer, Huffman doesn’t demand of her team members anything she would herself not do.

Proof of this came recently when Huffman won second place in the One Mile Swim at the 2022 East Coast Open Water Festival at Smith Mountain Lake.

A former competitive champion, she jokes her surprise at doing so well. “Finishing was really exhilarating,” she said -- coming in second place having not trained as much as she could have liked was icing on the cake, sore legs and all.

A former police officer and a forensic examiner, Huffman hales from Alabama and currently resides in Moneta. She has coached nationally-ranked swimmers, but she also coaches swimmers of all ages and skill levels. Huffman serves as a lifeguard when needed. She has officiated swim meets of various sizes and skill levels, maintaining national and YMCA certifications.

“Water is my happy place,” she said, smiling.

Huffman works in the environmental health section of the WPHD and is stationed at the Franklin County Health Department. In addition, she serves Franklin County as an auxiliary member of the forensics unit.