Diseases readily passed from one person to another are contagious, communicable, or infectious. It’s possible that some infections may spread via casual contact. For instance, the measles virus may remain airborne for up to two hours after an infected person’s cough. The measles virus may spread via the air and infect everyone who breathes it in. Protect yourself against the growing number of communicable illnesses by learning about new dangers, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the possibility of a global flu pandemic.
COVID-19
SARS-CoV-2, a coronavirus, is responsible for the biggest epidemic since the H1N1 flu pandemic of 2009. COVID-19, or the 2019 coronavirus illness, causes many symptoms, including high body temperature, difficulty breathing, muscle pains, and a diminished sense of smell.
The virus is transmitted by inhalation and droplet contact with an infected individual. There is optimism that the epidemic can be stopped thanks to new COVID-19 vaccinations.
Clostridioides Difficile
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now rank C. diff infections as their top public health priority. The C. diff bacteria is very contagious and may cause fatal infections in certain people.
Diarrhea and intestinal inflammation (colitis) are symptoms of this illness. Most cases of C. diff are linked to hospital stays and antibiotic use.
To prevent spreading the potentially dangerous C. diff germs, anybody with a suspected case (and any household members or caretakers) should wear gloves when handling feces and wash their hands well with warm, soapy water.
Drug-Resistant Bacteria
In recent decades, antibiotic resistance has emerged in many bacterial species. These are some of the most typical. Carbapenem-resistant E. coli is an example of a bacterium that may develop resistance to even the strongest antibiotics on the market today, belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae (CRE).
Multidrug-resistant people with compromised immune systems are at greater risk from Acinetobacter. Drug-resistant, Undercooked chicken may be a vector for the spread of campylobacter.
Pneumococcal illness caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae is resistant to many antibiotics. Drug-resistant Salmonella may be contracted by eating food not properly prepared or handled. Lungs are the common site of infection for tuberculosis, a bacterial disease.
Regular hand washing with soap and water, cooking meals to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit, and avoiding ordering raw or rare meat in restaurants may help reduce your risk of acquiring a bacterial illness.
Drug-Resistant Gonorrhea
Infertility and pelvic inflammatory illness due to untreated gonorrhea. The CDC claims that gonorrhea has become resistant to all but one kind of antibiotic used to treat this sexually transmitted illness and that the incidence of gonorrhea infections in the United States has been climbing quickly since 2009.
You can prevent gonorrhea by always using a condom, limiting your number of partners, avoiding unprotected oral intercourse, and getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases once a year.
Measles
Since 2010, the number of measles cases in the United States has increased almost every year, with a significant increase between 2018 and 2019. Complications from measles infection include death or developmental delays, including deafness and learning disabilities in young children.
Measles cannot be cured, but it is preventable with vaccination. There is no risk of getting measles from getting the vaccination. Consult your child’s pediatrician on the immunization schedule, and consult your own physician regarding the need for a booster vaccine, particularly in the case of overseas travel.
Influenza
The influenza virus travels quickly from person to person and doesn’t need any kind of physical touch for transmission. The flu may spread in several ways, including via the air around an infected person or by touching an infected surface and then contacting your eye. Seasonal flu poses a greater risk to public health than a pandemic flu outbreak, which happens when a novel flu virus appears anywhere in the globe and quickly infects huge numbers of people. Getting a flu vaccine every year is the best way to prevent getting the flu (or at least lessen the severity of your symptoms if you do get it).
Ebola Virus
The Ebola virus illness is not a big health risk in the United States. Despite previous efforts, the Ebola virus has recently reappeared in Africa. Infected people may have lethal bleeding due to this illness.
A medical assessment for Ebola should be sought by anybody who has recently been in touch with someone who has returned from an overseas trip and is showing symptoms (such as fever, diarrhea, and bleeding).
MRSA
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was one of the first antibiotic-resistant germs to gain widespread notice many years ago. MRSA is still a major problem in modern medicine. These microorganisms are linked to surgical site infections, pneumonia, and bloodstream infections.
MRSA is lethal if left untreated. Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly (particularly after being in public), use gloves when cleaning a wound or changing a bandage, and don’t share personal care products like razors that may irritate the skin and spread MRSA. (Source: BlackDoctor.org by Dominique Lambright/April 2023)
8 Contagious Diseases on the Rise Right Now
The Health Department Alerts the Public of a Recent Spike of Overdoses in Young Children in Hamilton County
HAMILTON COUNTY, TN – The Hamilton County Health Department would like to alert the public of an abnormal spike in non-fatal and fatal overdoses in young children. Throughout the last few months, our hospitals and local law enforcement have treated an alarming amount of adolescent children for illicit drug exposure – causing the Health Department and our community partners to raise the alarm. Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin, 100 times stronger than morphine, and is a public health threat. Overdoses in children are exceptionally rare. In recent years, Hamilton County has never seen an overdose spike like this in young children. The number of overdoses that have occurred in children from suspected fentanyl, opioids, or other illicit drugs is a cluster of concern.
If you or someone in your home uses illicit drugs while living with a child, proper precautions should be in place to reduce the risk of an accidental overdose.
If someone in the home uses illicit drugs despite all recommendations, please make sure no children are present. Any fumes or powders inhaled can be fatal to a child.
If you have naloxone, keep it in a place where family, friends, and close contacts can easily locate it in an emergency. If you have naloxone, advise family and friends on how to administer it in the event of accidental exposure or overdose.
If you are a caretaker that is struggling with substance misuse, help is available. Please call/text the Tennessee REDLINE at 800-889-9789.
If you suspect that a child has been exposed to fentanyl or other opioids, administer naloxone if available and call 911 immediately. Naloxone can be given to people of all ages including infants. Early signs of fentanyl exposure might be hard to notice in a young child. According to the FDA, drowsiness is among the reported symptoms and can be misinterpreted as a tired child.
Other signs that a child might have been exposed to fentanyl and is overdosing include:
• Difficulty breathing
• Drooling or dry mouth
• Swollen face, tongue, or throat
• Agitation
• High body temperature
• Muscle stiffness
• Shortness of breath
Substance use disorders that affect parents and other caregivers can have negative and potentially deadly effects on the health, safety, and well-being of children. According to the TBI, a drug-endangered child is one whose brain or body has been affected because of their parent’s use of drugs or alcohol during pregnancy or is a child living in a home where drugs are being abused or illegally made and sold. Residents with legitimate concerns about a child’s safety should report it immediately. Reports can be made to the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services online at https://apps.tn.gov/carat/ or by calling their hotline at 877-237-0004. Please call 911 if there is a life-threatening emergency. Information regarding naloxone, overdose prevention, and more can be found in the Hamilton County drug overdose resource guide.
Questions? Call The Health Department Hotline at 423-209-8383.
For Health Department information visit: Health.HamiltonTN.gov
For more information on Harm Reduction visit: Six Essential Tips for Safer Drug Use | Drug Policy Alliance
• Narcan can be purchased at most pharmacies and is available for free at some community organizations.
Chattanooga rents increased 0.9% in April
Nationwide rents increased another 0.5% in April, but even as the busy season picks up, rent growth is coming in slower than in previous years. When prices skyrocketed during the pandemic, April rent growth clocked in at 1.1% in 2022 and 1.7% in 2021. And even before the pandemic, April rent growth was higher than it is today. Of course, regional variation exists, but the national numbers speak to a continued, broad cooldown of the rental market.
Items of particular interest include:
• Rents in Chattanooga increased 0.9% in April, compared to a 0.5% increase nationwide.
• Year-over-year rent growth in Chattanooga now stands at +0.8%, down from +17% one year ago. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, citywide rents have risen a total of 27.7%.
• Today the median rent in Chattanooga is $984 for a one-bedroom unit and $1,098 for a two-bedroom unit. And the citywide apartment vacancy rate stands at 5.6%, up 2.3 percentage points from this time last year.
Harry Belafonte leveraged stardom for social change, his powerful voice always singing a song for justice
By Aram Goudsouzian, Bizot Family Professor of History, University of Memphis
n May 1963, as civil rights demonstrations rocked the city of Birmingham, Alabama, Harry Belafonte was at a cocktail party in Manhattan, scolding the then-attorney general of the United States.
“You may think you’re doing enough,” he recalled telling Robert F. Kennedy, “but you don’t live with us, you don’t even visit our pain.”
Belafonte had many frank and heated conversations with Kennedy. In fact, the singer, actor and activist was on intimate terms with many pivotal figures of the civil rights era.
He was a confidant and adviser to Martin Luther King Jr and allied with Ahmed Sékou Touré, the president of Guinea. He funded the grassroots activists of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) as it battled Jim Crow, and he brought a delegation of Hollywood stars to the March on Washington. Along with his best friend and sometimes-rival, actor Sidney Poitier, Belafonte delivered funds to civil rights volunteers in Greenwood, Mississippi, while the Ku Klux Klan watched their every move.
Belafonte, who died on April 25, 2023, at the age of 96, was a unique figure in the history of the Black freedom struggle in the U.S. No other entertainer immersed themselves so deeply in the Civil Rights Movement; no other activist occupied a niche at so many levels of American politics. If he was a powerful voice for justice, it was because he leveraged his celebrity.
A remarkable career
On stage, Belafonte was something to behold, a beacon of charisma. Clad in body-hugging shirts with his chest bare, drawing his audience’s eyes to the looping metal rings at the belt of his tight silk pants, he oozed with seduction. Women swooned.
And he was wildly successful. In 1957, Belafonte sold more records than Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. His repertoire resembled neither Sinatra’s classic pop nor Presley’s up-and-coming rock ‘n’ roll.
The son of West Indian/Carribean immigrants, Belafonte inspired a short-lived craze for calypso music thanks to hits such as “Day O” and “Jamaica Farewell,” and he adapted ethnic folk music for popular consumption – his mainstays included “Hava Nagila,” the Jewish celebration song.
He also starred in Hollywood films such as “Bright Road” (1953) and “Carmen Jones” (1954). “Island in the Sun,” released in 1957, caused a furor. Though Belafonte never kisses his white co-star, Joan Fontaine, on screen, the film explores the theme of interracial romance. The Southern censors banned it.
Belafonte danced around the taboos of race and sex. This exceptionally handsome Black man was charming primarily white audiences, though his light skin color and facial features softened that threat. As a performer, he nudged at racial boundaries without jabbing through them.
“Harry Belafonte stands at the peak of one of the remarkable careers in U.S, entertainment,” proclaimed Time magazine in a 1959 cover feature. He had come a long way from a childhood split between Harlem and Jamaica, from stints in the Navy and as a struggling actor. By then, he was earning about US$750,000 a year, with a lucrative residency at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas.
Civil rights activism
That stardom connected Belafonte to Martin Luther King, Jr.
The civil rights leader called him in 1956 during the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Soon Belafonte was part of the movement itself. Following King, he embraced nonviolence. As their friendship strengthened, Belafonte realized the crosses that King bore: the burden of leadership, the fear of death.
Belafonte bought a 21-room apartment on West End Avenue in Manhattan. “Martin would come to think of it as his home away from home, staying with us on many of his New York trips,” he recalled in his memoir, “My Song.”
“On occasion, he brought with him two or three of his closest advisers, and by the mid-sixties, the apartment was one of the movement’s headquarters.” It was a place to both plan strategy and blow off steam, laughing at stories and sipping Harveys Bristol Cream.
Ironically, for such a public figure, much of Belafonte’s work was in private.
In the 1960s, he served as an essential link between King and the SNCC. He not only bankrolled the young militant activists, but he also listened to their concerns, respected their organizing efforts and communicated their perspectives to influential power brokers.
That responsibility to speak for the movement led Belafonte to chide Bobby Kennedy in May 1963. Throughout the early 1960s, he expressed frustration with the attorney general’s detachment from the activists’ struggle. But over time, he came to appreciate Kennedy’s evolution, as he became a U.S. senator and emerged as a voice for the poor, for racial minorities, for “The Other America.”
Famously, in February 1968, Belafonte hosted “The Tonight Show” for a week, using his platform to illuminate Black perspectives and spotlight social injustice. His guests included King, who was about to launch his Poor People’s Campaign, and Kennedy, whom Belafonte urged to start a presidential campaign.
Within months, both men were assassinated.
For more than a half-century, Belafonte carried on the legacy of the 1960s, often taking provocative positions from the far-left edge of the political spectrum. Like few others, he blended the worlds of culture and politics, singing a song of justice. (The CONVERSATION)
Red Wolves get second straight home victory defeating Lexington SC 3-1
CHATTANOOGA, Tn. Saturday, April 29 (HWM) – After having a bye week and playing their first road match of the season, the Chattanooga Red Wolves began a two-match homestand, at CHI Memorial Stadium, getting a 3-1 comeback victory versus Lexington SC, newcomers of USL League One. The Red Wolves entered the match having defeated One Knoxville SC 2-1, in their last home match, Saturday, April 8th. However, the red Wolves got the comeback victory and improved to 1-2-1 on the season, after Lexington SC took a 1-0 lead behind Lexington SC’s head coach Head Coach, Sam Stockley, sending midfielder Soso Kim, onto the pitch to replace forward Will Baynham in the 70th minute of the match. Kim then immediately logged his first goal of the season. But then the Red Wolves responded, scoring three goals within the following 10 minutes, when defender Nico Cardona, and forwards Ropapa Mensah, and Mayele Malango joined to score the final three goals of the match in the 80th, 82nd and 90th plus 6 minutes respectively.
“[In the] second half, we made some defensive adjustments. And we were much better in terms of it. We mixed up the game and formations a bit with two up top and having Mayele and Ropapa come in really changed the game,” said Red Wolves head coach Ziggy Korytoski. “I felt from that moment on we were the more dangerous team.” The Red Wolves will close out this two-match homestand, 7:30 Friday, May 5th, versus South Georgia Tormenta, at CHI Memorial Stadium.
Councilwoman Coonrod presents family with Lee ‘Sonny’ Mosley Jr. commemorative street sign
To recognize one of Chattanooga’s first African American police officers, City Council last Tuesday approved the commemorative renaming of Greenwood Road to Eddings Street as Lee “Sonny” Mosley Road.
District 9 City Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod said the street renaming is an important reminder of the contributions that Black Americans have made to Chattanooga and the nation as a whole, and a tribute to a man who dedicated his life to serving his community and to making Chattanooga a better place for everyone.
“We’re honoring a great man of God– Lee ‘Sonny’ Mosley,” she said. “Greenwood Road to Eddings will be commemorated in his name. We all miss Mr. Mosley in District 9, and the entire Hamilton County.”
Councilwoman Coonrod read a proclamation highlighting the late Mr. Mosley’s 28 years as a police officer, during which he distinguished himself with his unwavering commitment to community service and public safety.
She also presented family members Karitsa Jones, Yolanda Wynn and Cory Mosley with the Lee “Sonny” Mosley, Jr. commemorative street name sign (Resolution 31557) which will be placed in the community soon.
Mr. Mosley’s family members expressed their gratitude for the honor and said that it was a fitting tribute to their loved one.
Learning to lead: NFL hopeful McClendon Curtis set to graduate from UTC School Leadership program in May
By Charlie Reed
A leader on and off the football field, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga student McClendon Curtis is destined for greatness, even if he doesn’t play for the NFL.
But his chances are looking, well, better than average this spring. (Curtis is considered one of the most versatile prospects in the upcoming draft.)
The 23-year-old Chattanooga native and Mocs football standout will graduate with a master’s degree in School Leadership in May, finishing his last semester online while living and training at a Florida camp for league hopefuls.
A 2017 Chattanooga Central High School graduate, Curtis played in Finley Stadium last fall, having gained an extra year of NCAA eligibility because of the pandemic.
“He’s an outstanding young man and someone we’re all proud of,” UTC Chancellor Steven Angle told a crowd of students at Central High last fall.
A graduate student-football player is a rarity, and Curtis could have gone straight into pro-football mode after earning a bachelor’s degree in sports management in May 2021.
Instead, he chose to go straight into the School Leadership program in the UTC School of Education.
“I’m all about using my time wisely, and with this master’s program I’m getting the best of both worlds: sports and education,” he said.
He gravitated to education naturally, he said, gaining experience working as an advisor and tutor in the UTC Student-Athlete Enhancement Center and volunteering with Hamilton County students and first-year UTC students. He also was selected to the NCAA’s Football Oversight Committee in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 academic years.
“I firmly believe that McClendon will pay it forward and change lives no matter where he goes and what he does. I wish him nothing but the best as he pursues his NFL career, but I also know that he will make a great academic advisor someday. Preferably here at UTC,” said Emily Blackman, UTC assistant vice chancellor for athletic academic enhancement.
“So many people helped me get to where I am; that’s why I’m so invested in education and being a part of the community and working with youth,” said Curtis, who had a rough start in life.
“When me and my mom came to Chattanooga when I was 2, we were homeless, and now my life has changed and completely turned around because people cared about me when they didn’t have to,” he said.
That sentiment is what drew him to the UTC School Leadership program. He pursued the non-licensure track and got experience with a pilot course in athletic advising, something that’s almost second nature after a decade as a high-performing student-athlete.
“That’s why I want to go into advising and coaching, especially because I can relate to students who are struggling, wondering where their next meal is going to come from or where they’re going to live next week,” he said.
But overcoming odds and making time for people are his strongest suits.
“Building relationships is one thing I pride myself on,” he said.
“I have great relationships with everyone at UTC, whether I met them a million times or just once or twice, and it’s those relationships that can get you places you never thought you could be,” Curtis said.
His best advice for students considering graduate school?
“Push yourself now because you don’t want to struggle later.”
Meet MADAM CHAIRMAN
The City of Chattanooga, Tennessee was chartered in March 1866, just over one year after the end of the Civil War. On April 11, 2023, Chattanooga’s City Council made history as Members elected Raquetta Dotley to lead the legislative body as the first African American woman to do so in the 157-year history of City government.
Chairman Dotley graciously afforded her time to answer a few questions as she has the opportunity ahead. Be inspired by this woman’s story and share it with the young adults and upcoming adults. As author Alex Haley, of Tennessee, has said, “Find the good and praise it.”
Chairman Raquetta Dotley is some of the good borne from determination, grit, and grace.
CNC: “Historic” has been repeated in describing your newly assumed role when you were passed the gavel and are the first African American woman selected by her peers to lead the legislative body for our city.
What other words do you want all Chattanoogans to associate with your first several months as chairman and throughout your tenure?
Other words would be integrity, transparency, community, and leadership.
CNC: During your opening remarks in thanks, you recognized Council Member Demetrus Coonrod, along with others there in support of your ascension. Reviewing your work and other comments, teamwork and cooperation are woven throughout your approach to service. Speak to your leadership approach.
Recognizing that collaboration is one of the many keys to success, my hope is that the spirit of collaboration continues as we make strides to enhance the quality of life for all Chattanoogans.
CNC: Your young life story is remarkable. You and your family lived in the old Boone-Hysinger housing project that was later the Harriet Tubman property in East Chattanooga. A successful woman rising from public schools – Mary Garber Elementary, Orchard Knob Middle, and Brainerd High Schools – and finding encouragement from a school guidance counselor to go to UT Chattanooga, you present our community with a living, breathing model of perseverance and personal responsibility to keep pressing on.
Who has been the greatest influence in your life? How have your life experiences fashioned you for this moment to serve?
The greatest influence in my life is God. We are all created for a purpose, for a reason and I serve God by serving others. In addition, my mom, Cheryle Thomas, is the biggest influence in my life. She persevered, endured, and made sure that my sister and I were always taken care of and that we always had a heart of service.
CNC: Having an extraordinarily diverse district which includes the urban core, areas sought by those seeking a taste of metropolitan living in a smaller city, as well as growing businesses, the racial and ethnic diversity is obvious, along with the socio-economic mix of residents. What do you see as issues common to all of these citizens that transcend District 7 and are essential priorities for the City?
Common issues all encompass the idea that everyone wants to live in a thriving community that has access to great places, spaces, and people. Essential priorities include addressing housing, increasing economic opportunities, and fostering a sense of community.
CNC: Knowing that families of young men and women are reading your responses and will be watching your leadership, what do you want to say to inspire, encourage, and challenge their potential?
First and foremost, always make God your priority. Staying in tune to God’s direction through prayer and study is paramount to maximizing your potential. Secondly, I love this quote by Coretta Scott King, “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members, a heart of grace, and a soul generated by love.” We all have a responsibility, not only to ourselves but to the next generation, to make the space we occupy better than how we found it. That only happens when we work together as a community in the spirit of collaboration.
Lynnbrook Park groundbreaking held on April 17
On April 17, Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors–along with District 8 City Councilwoman Marvene Noel and Public Works and Playcore representatives–broke ground on the future Lynnbrook Park.
Chattanooga’s newest 1.4-acre park will stretch along the 1500 block of Lynnbrook Avenue from East Main Street to 17th Street. It will have a walking path, a pedestrian bridge, a gazebo, a playground, an open lawn area and on-street parking.
“It is already city-owned, and it was just sitting here as it was turning into a junkyard,” noted Akosua Cook, a park planner at Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors. “We were just storing old equipment on it. We wanted to bring it into a functional use that will one day beautify and connect this community.”
The now-vacant site will be the location of both a stream restoration project and a linear park. This is Chattanooga’s first park project identified through the Climate-Smart Cities decision support tool. The plan uses park, transportation, health and environmental data to target park investments where they will have the greatest impact.
Redevelopment of this site into a public park will contribute to the revitalization and empowerment of the Oak Grove neighborhood, which has experienced flooding issues, and is denser and more diverse than the city as a whole. It would also transfer an underutilized area into an asset that improves water quality.
The site of the future park was the recipient of the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) Parks Build Award in 2021, which is a series of donated items with a total value of almost $300K.
Lynnbrook Park, which is expected to open in August 2024, will provide access to approximately 3,000 people within a 10-minute walk. The project is part of a larger effort by the city to ensure all residents live near a neighborhood park.
Jalen Hurts sets NFL record with $255 million contract by all-women management
I always knew what I’d be,” he said. As a kid, I always knew. I never knew how I’d get there, but I always knew what I wanted.”
National – Jalen Hurts, the 24-year-old quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, has secured a five-year contract extension worth $255 million, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history. With an average annual value of $51 million, Hurts’ deal surpasses those of Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. Hurts joined the Eagles in 2020 as a second-round draft pick and became a full-time starter in 2021, leading the team to a 14-3 record last season and scoring four touchdowns in this year’s Super Bowl, ultimately losing to the Kansas City Chiefs.
While Hurts’ strong performance contributed to the record-breaking contract, his management team also played a significant role. He is managed by an all-women team from the sports agency Klutch Sports Group, which has received notable attention for breaking convention and diversifying the male-dominated sports management industry. Nicole Lynn, Hurts’ primary agent, was recently promoted to president of the company’s football division. Lynn and her team continue to break records and set precedents with this new deal.
ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith praised Hurts’ growth on the field and commended Lynn for securing the deal, saying it was necessary and she had to do it. Hurts himself has spoken highly of his management team, calling them a team of “straight hustlers” who get things done.
Hurts’ contract extension marks a significant milestone in his career, as well as for his all-women management team, who have made history in the male-dominated sports management industry. Despite the attention and accolades, Hurts remains focused on his game, saying in a previous interview that he wants to be remembered for his on-field accomplishments, not just his contract. (Source: PRESSDOWN)