All posts by Roger Straw

Editor, owner, publisher of The Benicia Independent
Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Solano COVID numbers all rise: 10 more in hospitals, spike in elderly cases and deaths, possible start of a Labor Day surge?

[For a complete archive of day by day data, see my Excel ARCHIVE – R.S.]

Monday, September 14: 117 new cases over the weekend, 2 new deaths.  Since the outbreak started: 5,937 cases, 50 deaths.Compare previous report, Friday, Sept 11:Summary

  • Solano County reported 117 new cases over the weekend, total of 5,937 cases since the outbreak started.  Over the last 2 weeks, Solano reported 425 new cases, an average of 30 per day.
  • Deaths – 2 new deaths today, total of 50 Solano deaths.
  • Active cases – Solano reported 13 more ACTIVE cases today, total of 208.  Note that only 33 of these 208 people are hospitalized, so there are a lot of infected folks out among us, hopefully quarantined.  Is the County equipped to contact trace so many infected persons?  Who knows?  To my knowledge, Solano County has no reporting on contact tracing.
  • Hospitalizations – the number of currently hospitalized persons included 10 more individuals today, total of 33.  The total number hospitalized since the outbreak started increased by 4 today, total of 294.
  • ICU Beds –The County reported 56% of ICU beds available, up from 43% available Friday.  (After 7 weeks, still no information about availability of ventilators.)
  • Testing – The County reports today that 1,276 more residents were tested over the weekend, new total of 81,359.  Solano has a long way to go: only 18.2% of Solano County’s 447,643 residents (2019) have been tested.

Positive Test Rate – BACK UP … AGAIN

Solano County reported today that our 7-day average test rate rose over the weekend to 4.9% after hovering under 3% for 2 days on Thursday and Friday.  I was skeptical about the remarkably low rate last week: our supposedly smooth 7-day moving average has been jumping all over the place lately (see note about delayed adjustments below).  For the record, two weeks ago we saw Solano rates above 7% for the first time since we peaked at 9.3% on July 22.  Health officials and news reports focus on percent positive test rates as one of the best metrics for measuring the spread of the virus.  The California 7-day test rate fell slightly today from 3.7% to 3.5%.  (Note that Solano County displays past weeks and months in a 7-day test positivity curve chart which also shows daily results.  However, the chart does not display an accurate number of cases for the most recent days, as there is a lag time in receiving test results.  The 7-day curve also lags behind current unknown results.) 

By Age Group

  • Youth 17 and under – 12 new case today, total of 651 cases, representing 11% of the 5,937 total cases.  No new hospitalizations among this age group, a total of 5 hospitalizations since the outbreak began.  Thankfully, no deaths.  In recent weeks it seems too many youth are ignoring public health orders.  Cases among Solano youth rose steadily over the summer, from 5.6% of total cases on June 8 to 11% since last week.  Youth are 22% of Solano’s general population, so this 11% may seem low.  The significance is: 1) that youth numbers have increased steadily and at a faster rate than the other age groups, and 2) that youth are SERIOUSLY NOT IMMUNE (!) – in fact 5 youth have been hospitalized.
  • Persons 18-49 years of age – 47 new cases today, total of 3,569 cases. This age group is 41% of the population in Solano, but represents 60% of the 5,937 total cases, by far the highest percentage of all age groups.  The County reported no new hospitalizations in this age group today, total of 94 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths among this age group today, total of 4 deaths.  Some in this group are surely ignoring public health orders, and many are providing essential services among us.  I expect his group is a major factor in the spread of the virus.
  • Persons 50-64 years of age – 25 new cases today, total of 1,134 cases.  This age group represents 19% of the 5,937 total cases.
    1 new hospitalization today, total of 79 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths  in this age group today, a total of 7 deaths.
  • Persons 65 years or older – ALARMING!… 33 new cases today, total of 581 cases.  This is the LARGEST SINGLE WEEKEND INCREASE since I began keeping records on April 20.  The closest to this record number was during the outbreak at the Windsor Vallejo Nursing Home, on Monday, May 4, when Solano reported 31 new cases.  Do we have another outbreak somewhere, or perhaps the beginning of the anticipated Labor Day surge?  This age group represents 9.8% of the 5,937 total cases (up from 5.4% on Friday).  3 new hospitalizations today, total of 116 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  In this older age group, 20.6% of cases required hospitalization at one time.  This is a much higher percentage than in the lower age groups.  ALSO OF DEEP CONCERN: 2 new deaths in this age group today, total of 39 deaths.  This group accounts for 39 of the 50 deaths, or 78%.

City Data

  • Benicia added 6 new cases today, total of 148 cases since the outbreak began.
  • Dixon added 2 new cases today, total of 398 cases.
  • Fairfield added 42 new cases today, total of 1,940.
  • Rio Vista added 2 new cases today, total of 40 cases.
  • Suisun City added 10 new case today, total of 429 cases.
  • Vacaville added 6 new cases today, total of 989 cases.
  • Vallejo added 48 new cases today, total of 1,974 cases.
  • Unincorporated areas added 1 new case today, total of 19 cases.

Cases, Hospitalizations & Deaths by Race / Ethnicity

The County report on race / ethnicity includes case numbers, hospitalizations, deaths and Solano population statistics.  This information is discouragingly similar to national reports that indicate significantly worse outcomes among black and brown Americans.  Note that all of this data surely undercounts Latinx Americans, as there is a large group of “Multirace / Others” which likely is composed mostly of Latinex members of our communities.

  • Asian Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 9% of cases, 12% of hospitalizations, and 20% of deaths.
  • Black Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 11% of cases, but 18% of hospitalizations, and 24% of deaths.
  • Latinx Americans are 26% of Solano’s population, but account for 32% of cases, 33% of hospitalizations, and 26% of deaths.
  • White Americans are 39% of the population in Solano County, but only account for 20% of cases, 21% of hospitalizations and 20% of deaths.
  • (Note that percentages in the County’s Race/Ethnicity chart have not changed over several days.  I wonder if it’s not being updated….)

The County’s new and improved Coronavirus Dashboard is full of much more information, too extensive to cover here on a daily basis.  The Benicia Independent will continue to summarize daily and highlight a report or two.  Check out the Dashboard at https://doitgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=055f81e9fe154da5860257e3f2489d67.

#Masks4All, #wearamask, Air Quality, PurpleAir

Marilyn Bardet – mask recommendation

From my friend, Marilyn Bardet, September 12, 2020

Marilyn Bardet

Hello dear Friends and Family,

By now I’m sure that each of you has your routine, mask-wearing habit down for social distancing and for simply breathing outside in our smoky air.

But, do you like your mask?

Is it protective against Covid AND smoke (deadly PM2.5 — invisible particulate matter at 2.5 microns that sticks in your lung tissue and sends its toxic gases into your bloodstream)? The invisible particles carry more than dead trees into your lungs, but also the chemicals found in everything combusted in these gross fires: burned out houses, cars, electrical infrastructure, facilities of all kinds. . .

So, your mask needs to be protective for both Covid AND PM2.5.

But, from the evidence I see when I’m out, many people still don’t know that a cloth or paper mask for Covid will not protect against PM2.5. Children, the elderly, and persons with chronic respiratory disease (asthma, COPD, bronchitis) are particularly vulnerable to the risks of exposures to PM2.5. Please tell your friends and family who may not yet know about this.

So, given the amount of smoke and the number of days and weeks we’re facing in Fire Season this year, I’ve done some research and tried out a few types of masks that protect against both Covid and PM2.5.

My criteria: mask must be well designed, fit tight but feel comfortable and breathable for extended use. I do not want to buy disposable “throw-away” type that must be discarded after one day’s use. (This doesn’t apply to medical professionals!!)

So, the reusable/disposable ones I’m recommending are called KN95 masks. Different companies make them.  I like the type that has a metal nose piece hidden inside the fabric. These non-cloth masks fit snuggly around the face, are light weight and breathable. They can be reused, but are not washable.

AMAZON – 20 Packs GB2626-2006 Facemask, PM2.5, Non-woven Fabric, Purifying and Breathable, with Nose Bridge Clip https://www.amazon.com/GB2626-2006-Non-woven-Purifying-Breathable-Haze-Proof/dp/B08HMHQQ9L/ref=pd_lutyp_rtpb_5_1/136-7058495-2219545?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B08HMHQQ9L&pd_rd_r=451536cb-05eb-43f1-9bcf-258a65423e02&pd_rd_w=SYWIM&pd_rd_wg=43VeT&pf_rd_p=a6e2c5ee-564b-4b8f-b08c-

grim mug shot de moi, outside studio door, Sept 10, the day after the apocalyptic “red” day.  Oops! my glasses should not have been worn under the mask but on top of it!

ANOTHER TYPE I HIGHLY RECOMMEND:

The GMASK-Graphen Breathing Mask that’s made of a specially patented light weight material (called Graphene), which according to the manufacturer is the strongest, most durable flexible material ever made.

It’s very comfortable to wear, breathable, hand washable, has a pocket inside to put replaceable PM2.5 filters. You can order it at Amazon, in black or grey.

Modern Domus Graphene Face Mask Washable with Filters – Reusable Mask with 5x PM2.5 Carbon Filters (1 Mask + 5 Filters) – Protective Anti Pollution Dust Proof Cotton Mouth Cover (Large, Gray) – – Amazon.com

If you don’t know about “Purple Air” yet, check out <purpleair.com/map> often during the day to get a report on PM2.5 levels in your town….

Well, enjoy the bit of sun peeking through the ashy haze.

Take good care of yourselves, stay safe indoors when the air quality is so poor.

🙂 Marilyn

Climate Change, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Mental Health, Public protest, Racial justice, Smoke, Social Distancing, Wildfire

Year of calamities taking toll on mental health

Mental health professional: “In the past two weeks, my practice has exploded.”

San Francisco Chronicle, by Steve Rubenstein and Nora Mishanec, Sep. 11, 2020
Michael Waddell, a professional dog walker, out in Alamo Square Friday. He said the loss of dog-walking business has caused him more stress than the recent meteorological calamities.
Michael Waddell, a professional dog walker, out in Alamo Square Friday. He said the loss of dog-walking business has caused him more stress than the recent meteorological calamities. Photo: Nora Mishanec / The Chronicle

In a year of wondering what could possibly come next, the next things just keep on coming.

After eight months, they’re starting to add up, say mental health experts. And there’s lots of 2020 left, plenty of time for more next things.

“I’ve been hearing the word ‘apocalyptic’ a lot,” said San Francisco psychiatrist Scott Lauze. “I’m doing a tremendous amount of hand-holding these days. You can’t even rely on the color of the sky anymore.”

Lauze, in private practice for three decades, said he had never seen the call for his services take off like right now.

“In the past two months, there was a significant uptick in demand,” he said. “In the past two weeks, my practice has exploded.”

Pandemic, social unrest, heat waves. Wildfires. Smoke. Mass evacuations. Therapists call them stressors, and there has been no shortage of things to get stressed over.

And this just in: ash raining from the heavens, and darkness at noon.

“I couldn’t fall asleep,” said San Francisco nurse Valieree MacGlaun, who works the night shift and was walking home Friday on Divisadero Street from the VA hospital in her scrubs.

She said she feels overwhelmed, though her job is to help other people overcome feeling overwhelmed.

“This is my calling,” she said. “But you have to take care of yourself.”

Connie and Michael VonDohlen flew from their home in Tennessee to San Francisco on Wednesday to attend their daughter’s wedding, just in time for the dark orange daytime skies that made some locals say it felt like living on Mars. Streets were deserted. The VonDohlens, who don’t seem to shock easily, said they were shocked.

“We thought we had gone into the Twilight Zone,” Michael VonDohlen said. “I was expecting zombies to jump out from every doorway.”

“The fires, added to the pandemic, and the inability to escape — all that adds to the potential for hopelessness,” said emergency room psychiatrist Yener Balan, head of behavioral health services at Kaiser Permanente Northern California.

Calamity and malaise are part of the human condition, he said, and pondering the world wars endured by prior generations can put a virus or a wildfire in perspective.

Coronavirus live updates: SF urges people to stay inside due…
“As a species, we are resilient,” he said. “Many generations have seen this level of calamity.”

Taking care of oneself, living in the moment, checking in with family and friends, getting enough exercise and sleep — those are the keys to coping, Balan said. And turning off the TV and the computer when enough is enough — that helps, too. It also reduces exposure to the added stresses of a national election and its apocalyptic nuances.

“Just when you think you’re beginning to deal with one disaster, another one comes along,” said David Spiegel, a psychiatry professor at Stanford University. “Patients who have been stable are experiencing an exacerbation of depression and anxiety.”

The year 2020, he said, is turning out to be a “remarkable test of everyone’s ability to cope.”

Trying to cope in Alamo Square, while holding three dogs on a leash, was professional dog walker Michael Waddell. He used to wear a plain mask, for the virus. Now he wears a mask with an air filter, for the virus and the smoke. Different disaster, different mask.

Two in 5 U.S. adults say they are “struggling with mental health or substance abuse” since the pandemic hit, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And the “prevalence of symptoms of anxiety disorder” were triple those of last year, the report added.

Even if psychiatrists are doing more business these days, Waddell said, dog walkers aren’t. Business has largely fallen off as people staying home can walk their own dogs.

Waddell’s usual complement of dogs is six. Losing half his income, Waddell said, “has added more to my immediate stress than the smoke or the wildfires.”

Dogs, who have no problem living in the moment, help. So do hobbies, said Melissa Smith, who was waiting for 5-McAllister bus. She said her therapy was to try “old lady hobbies.”

“This is the perfect excuse to take up knitting,” she said. “It’s a good outlet for the frustration. You need something to channel your energy.”

Smith was on her way home, where the knitting was waiting.

“What better place to practice peace than the middle of a storm?” she said. “I just think, after this, we are all going to be so resilient.”

Earthjustice, Environmental justice, Trump administration

Funny video: The Birds & the Bees (Taking flight for the survival of all living things)

BirdsAndBeesPSA.com (Repost from YouTube)

Taking flight for the survival of all living things. With the voices of Sean Astin, Anjelica Huston, and Hasan Minhaj.

Did you know that 8 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean annually? Over 1 million birds die as a result of plastic, every year. Bee colonies are reducing at a record-breaking number.

We are #OutOfTime to listen to our planet and elect leaders that care about science and humanity. We, Americans, want a sustainable future.

Take action: http://www.birdsandbeespsa.com

Follow the journey and spread the word: http://www.facebook.com/birdsandbeespsa http://www.twitter.com/birdsandbeespsa http://www.instagram.com/birdsandbeespsa

The Birds and The Bees PSA was created by concerned citizens as an act of free speech, and is not financially supported by any non-profit or political organization.

The Bird House Gang presents a Solo Pictures and Six Point Harness Animation Studios Production
Voiced by: Sean Astin Anjelica Huston Hasan Minhaj
Executive Producers: Lorraine Gallard Bob Tzudiker & Noni White
Produced by: Nancy Dickenson John L Solomon
Written by: Bob Tzudiker & Noni White
Music Producer: Hal Willner
Associate Producer: Leilah Franklin
Producer’s Assistant: Amy Harrington Stephanie Furtun
Animation Production Provided by: Six Point Harness, Inc.
Supervising Director: Greg Franklin
Directed by: Justin Young
Storyboards: Eddie Lin Ryan Jouas Chris Toms Justin Young
Character & Background Design: Adan Contreras Kati Prescott Kelsey Suan
Layouts: Eunbeal Cho Adan Contreras AnnMarie Roberts
Editor: Tony Christopherson
Animation Services: Regh Animation and Design
Audio Post Services: Studiopolis, Inc.
Supervising Producer: Vera M. Hourani
Production Manager: Max Minor
Production Coordinator: Shelby Sims
Head of Production: Barb Cimity
Sound Editor-Audio Mixer: Ernie Sheesley
Web Design: David Fodrek Heroa
Social Media Manager: Daniel E. Kaplan
Graphic Editor: Budd Diaz
Special Thanks: Vera Beren Aaron D. Berger Brendan Burch Sylvia Desrochers / Big Time PR & Marketing Rachel Fox John Kilgore (sound & recording) Stephen Nemeth Deborah Skelly Little Giant Studios, Inc. (poster design) WME Student Interns: USC School of Cinematic Arts BirdsNest Ambassadors