Eden Health District COVID-19 Bulletin
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“
Health first, science and data. Everything else follows from that.
"
Gov. Gavin Newsom, April 20, 2020
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Alameda County:
1,191
Contra Costa County:
707
California:
33,865
U.S.:
788,920
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Alameda County:
42
Contra Costa County:
22
California:
1,227
U.S.:
42,458
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We areproud to partner with the
East Bay Community Foundation
in publishing this bulletin. Through donations to its
COVID-19 Response Fund,
the EBCF provides grants to East Bay nonprofit organizations delivering essential services to those most impacted by the economic fallout from the pandemic.
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Press Release, April 20, 2020
The City of Hayward has acquired 10,000 medical procedural masks for distribution to local essential businesses to help keep their employees and customers safe during the COVID-19 health emergency. To request masks, representatives for local essential businesses may call the Hayward COVID-19 hotline at (510) 583-4949. Distribution will be prioritized for essential businesses where the need is considered greatest, starting with grocery stores.
Berkeleyside, April 20, 2020
While government agencies have stepped in to assist local businesses and persons in financial distress including the
Berkeley Relief Fund
, which has set aside $3 million for local businesses, arts organizations and renters, individuals have mobilized networks to allocate funds quickly to those in need. Of note, through the
COVID-19 Financial Solidarity spreadsheet
,
in just a few weeks, over $150,000 has been donated. The spreadsheet is public: anyone can donate money through Venmo and anyone can sign up to receive money. Many of the recipients live in the East Bay, but requests are pouring in from all over the country, including North Carolina, Texas, New York and even Canada.
SF Chronicle, April 20, 2020
The number of people in Bay Area hospitals with COVID-19 or suspected of having the illness has declined over the past few weeks, a sign that early and aggressive social restrictions in the region may have calmed the spread of the virus, public health experts said. Throughout California, however, the number of people who have tested positive and are in hospitals has continued to climb.
Data for the month of April show that the number of people in hospitals for COVID-19 in the nine-county Bay Area fell from a high of 471 on April 7 to 403 on April 19.
Meanwhile, the number of people who tested positive for the virus and had to be hospitalized has slowly increased in California while it has stayed relatively flat in the Bay Area. The difference is driven partially by Los Angeles County, which experienced a sharp increase in hospital counts in April. The county accounts for more than half of the state's confirmed COVID-19 patients in hospitals.
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LA Times, April 20, 2020
The initial results from the first large-scale study tracking the spread of the coronavirus in the county found that 4.1% of adults have antibodies to the virus in their blood, an indication of past exposure. That translates to roughly 221,000 to 442,000 adults who have recovered from an infection, once margin of error is taken into account, according to the researchers conducting the study. The county had reported fewer than 8,000 cases at that time. Neither this study nor a similar one conducted in Santa Clara County have been vetted by the peer review process, and their
initial conclusions have been fiercely debated
.
Dr. Richard Levitan, NY Times, April 20, 2020
We are just beginning to recognize that Covid pneumonia initially causes a form of oxygen deprivation we call “silent hypoxia,” “silent” because of its insidious, hard-to-detect nature. By the time patients have noticeable trouble breathing and present to the hospital with dangerously low oxygen levels, many will ultimately require a ventilator.
Scientific American, April 20, 2020
Antibody tests have captured the world’s attention for their potential to help life return to normal by revealing who has been exposed, and might now be immune, to the new coronavirus. Dozens of biotech companies and research laboratories have rushed to produce the blood tests. But as with most new technologies, there are signs that the promises of COVID-19 antibody tests have been oversold, and their challenges underestimated. Kits have flooded the market, but most aren’t accurate enough to confirm whether an individual has been exposed to the virus. And even if tests are reliable, they can't indicate whether someone is immune to reinfection, say scientists.
The Guardian, April 20, 2020
Only a tiny proportion of the global population, maybe as few as 2% or 3%, appear to have antibodies in the blood showing they have been infected with Covid-19, according to the
World Health Organization
, a finding that bodes ill for hopes that herd immunity will ease the exit from lockdown.
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Answers to Common Questions on Wearing Face Coverings
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Last week, the public health officers of several Bay Area counties, including Alameda and Contra Costa, issued an
order
requiring that residents wear face coverings in public. There is a grace period until Wednesday, April 22, 2020, at 8 a.m., for compliance. The order is in addition to the
Shelter-in-Place order
which requires people to stay home as much as possible and maintain physical distancing. Below are answers to common questions on the mask order. Answers to additional questions can be found
here
.
Why are masks required?
A key way COVID-19 spreads is via respiratory droplets expelled when a person sneezes or coughs. While not a substitute for frequent hand washing and maintaining at least 6-feet of physical distance from others, masks can help reduce the spread of these droplets. Keep in mind, an infected person can transmit the coronavirus even without having any, or only mild, symptoms.
What types of masks are required?
- Basic nonmedical, cloth masks, including scarves and bandannas, without holes are required.
- The mask must cover your nose and mouth but, of course, make sure you can breathe through it.
Are medical grade masks or ones with a one-way valve recommended?
No. As long as medical grade masks such as N95 masks and surgical masks are in short supply, the public health officers ask that we not purchase and use them. Any mask that incorporates a one-way valve (typically a raised plastic cylinder about the size of a quarter on the front or side of the mask) does not comply with the order. Masks with these valves permit the release of droplets. Plastic masks and ski masks with holes for nose or mouth also do not comply with the order.
When must masks be worn?
Face coverings are required to be worn:
- While inside or waiting in line to enter essential businesses, like a grocery store or pharmacy;
- When seeking health care;
- When waiting for or riding on public transit, or in a taxi, ride share vehicle or private town car; and
- When entering facilities allowed to operate under the Shelter in Place Order.
What are the exceptions to the order?
- The order does not apply to when driving alone or with members of your own household.
- Masks are not required when engaged in outdoor recreation such as walking, bicycling, or running, though it is recommended to have a mask with you and practice physical distancing.
- Children age 12 and younger are not required to wear masks or anyone that has trouble breathing or been advised by a medical professional to not wear a mask.
What's the best way to wear and care for a mask?
First, wash your hands before putting on the mask. The
CDC recommends
that cloth face coverings should
- fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
- be secured with ties or ear loops
- include multiple layers of fabric
- allow for breathing without restriction
Cloth masks should be washed after daily use, in hot water with regular detergent, and dried completely on a high heat setting. Always sanitize your hands after handling masks and do not touch your face.
How can I make a mask?
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LA Times, April 20, 2020
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday acknowledged that pressure from Californians and local governments is building to modify the statewide stay-at-home order carried out to stem to spread of the coronavirus, but he said restrictions will remain in place until the threat to public health subsides and adequate testing and other safeguards are implemented. Newsom said that while areas across the state have been affected differently by the pandemic, the “virus knows no jurisdiction, knows no boundaries” and could easily spread into neighboring counties if restrictions are eased prematurely.
Mercury News, April 21, 2020
Gov. Gavin Newsom said more than 1,200 people in California who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus have died. During his Monday press briefing, Newsom said 42 more people died on Sunday, bringing the statewide death toll to 1,208 since California began tracking COVID-19 deaths. Following the state’s deadliest week since the pandemic began, Newsom said California’s curve is bending and “beginning to flatten, but it is still nonetheless rising.”
San Diego Union-Tribune, April 21, 2020
It’s likely that for the next 18 months or so, until there’s a coronavirus vaccine, school will look very different for most families. The changes will likely go beyond just physical distancing. Even if school becomes safe enough for students to return in the fall, a San Diego county expert predicts students might see their classmates and teachers only once or twice a week. School districts may have to adapt more of their instruction from classroom-based learning to blended or distance learning.
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Washington Post, April 20, 2020
President Trump announced in a tweet late Monday night that he plans to suspend immigration to the U.S., a move he said is needed to safeguard American jobs and defend the nation from coronavirus, which he called “the Invisible Enemy.” Halting immigration to the United States would affect hundreds of thousands of visa holders and other would-be green card recipients who are planning and preparing to come to the United States at any given time. Most of them are the family members of Americans.
NY Times, April 20, 2020
Across the country, governors have been weighing steps toward lifting orders and reviving their stalled economies. A lack of sufficient widespread testing has been seen as one of the main obstacles. At the White House’s coronavirus briefing on Monday, President Trump reacted dismissively to governors who said they had scrambled to access testing materials, such as nasal swabs and chemical reagents. Meanwhile, new coronavirus hot spots are emerging, including at a state prison in Ohio.
Atlanta Constitution Journal, April 20, 2020
Gov. Brian Kemp said his decision to allow certain businesses, gyms, barber shops, tattoo parlors and bowling alleys, among others, to open their doors on Friday is a “measured” approach to balancing economic and public health concerns. “It’s a very big risk,” said Dr. Marc Lipsitch, a professor of epidemiology. “If you open up enough, it’s almost for certain” the virus will hit Georgia again. It’s just waiting for more susceptible people and more contacts. That’s how viruses work.”
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Reuters, April 21, 2020
The true extent of Britain’s COVID-19 death toll was more than 40% higher than the government’s daily figures indicated as of April 10, according to data that put the country on track to become among the worst-hit in Europe. The Office for National Statistics said it recorded 13,121 deaths by April 10 in England and Wales, which account for the vast majority of Britain’s population, compared with 9,288 in the government’s daily toll for those who died in hospital. The ONS figures include deaths in care homes and hospices as well as in hospitals. The true human cost for the United Kingdom as a whole could be above 23,000 based on the latest data, making it the second worst hit in Europe after Italy.
BBC, April 20, 2020
The number of people officially identified as infected with coronavirus in Italy has fallen for the first time since the country's outbreak began. As of Monday, there were 108,237 people either being treated in hospital or recovering at home, 20 fewer than the previous day. Authorities say the small but symbolic drop is a "positive development". Italy's lockdown continues until 3 May but some businesses have reopened. They include bookshops, stationers and shops selling children's clothes, as officials see how social distancing measures can be safely applied.
France 24, April 20, 2020
France on Monday became the fourth country to record more than 20,000 deaths as a result of the
pandemic
and has the fourth-highest toll in the world. Top health official Jérôme Salomon yesterday highlighted welcome signs that the virus curve had passed its peak. He said 5,683 patients were receiving intensive care for the virus on Monday, down from a peak of 7,148 on April 8. Hospitalizations likewise continued a near week-long decline.
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Kaiser Health News, April 21, 2020
The coalition of Bay Area county public health officers didn’t set out to lock down the Bay Area on Sunday morning, March 15th, when they jumped on a series of calls to debate options, including the most dramatic, a lockdown order that would shutter businesses, isolate families and force millions of residents to stay home. But as they discussed the exponential increase in Santa Clara County cases, where the hospitals were becoming overwhelmed by infected patients falling ever sicker, what they needed to do “started to crystalize,” said Dr. Sara Cody, the county’s public health officer.
The Daily, April 20, 2020
STAT, April 20, 2020
The response to the coronavirus pandemic in the US and other countries has been hobbled by a host of factors, many involving political and regulatory officials. But a subtler, less-recognized factor contributed to the wasting of precious weeks in January and February, when preparations to try to stop the virus should have kicked immediately into high gear. Denial hampered the ability of even some of the most seasoned infectious diseases experts to recognize the full threat of what was bearing down on the world.
NY Times, April 20, 2020
As hospitals and health systems direct their full attention to the pandemic, patients with cancer, chronic illnesses and other health conditions are put into limbo. This delay can have dangerous consequences. Meanwhile, hospitals start considering how to restart non-emergency surgeries and care.
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Sheltering at home in North Beach, Ben Ramirez wanted to offer neighbors and frontline workers walking by a cup of coffee. His kitchen window faces the street, but it presented a logistical problem for serving: there is no place to put the cup down, and changing gloves each time someone stops by for a cup of joe is not practical. His 5-year-old son Luca had the answer: the fake mechanical arm from an old gorilla costume. Works like a charm!
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Donate PPE To Area Hospitals
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Hospitals throughout the East Bay are experiencing
a shortage of medical supplies. They are seeking donations of new Protective Personal Equipment (masks, gowns and other products). For more information visit:
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Your feedback is welcome. Please share the Bulletin.
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The Eden Health District is committed to ensuring that policy makers and community members receive accurate and timely information to help make the best policy and personal choices to meet and overcome the challenges posed
by
the COVID-19 pandemic.
Please share our bulletin with your contacts. If you would like to submit feedback or stories on the local response to the pandemic,
please contact bulletin editor Stephen Cassidy at
stephen.cassidy@ethd.org
. And if you are operating a local food bank and would like your organization profiled in our nonprofit spotlight, please contact us.
The
Eden Health District Board of Directors
are Gordon Galvan, Chair, Mariellen Faria, Vice Chair, Charles Gilcrest, Secretary, Roxann Lewis and Pam Russo. The Chief Executive Officer is Mark Friedman.
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