CONTENTS
Reassurance From A Doc In NYC
More Nursing Home Spread
Hospital Controversy
Ways To Support Our Hospital
Covid Helpers Phone Line 360-778-2762
Stone Soup Project
More Details On Mask Safety
Deep Discussion Of Current Issues
Financial Resources
Freebies For First Responders
1919 Bellingham Pandemic History
Columbia Neighborhood
Show Our Solidarity
Abandoned Back Pack
Scavenger Hunt!
Scratch Paper Offered For Kids’ Drawings
Fl!p’s Pix For Music
Streets Of London
John Prine’s Condition Now Stable
REASSURANCE FROM A DOC IN NYC
It’s an hour long video, but he looks both credible and calm. He says we should only wear masks to keep us from touching our faces. I took a few notes as best I could, but there’s more here.
1. Wash your hands! Know where your hands are; have sanitizer with you when you leave home and use it constantly, every time you touch anything. 2. Learn to stop touching your face – wear a mask to keep you from touching your face when you’re not at home. Not a medical mask – just a training mask. 3. Stay at least six feet apart. 4. Shrink your social circle down to 2 – 4 people. None of your immediate circle should see anyone else at all.
Most transmission is within families. If you develop a fever and are otherwise fine, isolate yourself, just like in the list above. Use a separate room if you’re able, and your own bathroom if possible. If you have to come out, wash hands and wear a mask. Don’t be scared to stay home with your family, but stay in your room. After you’ve been feeling better for 7 days, you can come back out, but keep wearing the mask and keep washing your hands. You can avoid passing it on. With one exception: Elders & frail, vulnerable family members. Move them or isolate them. No physical interaction at all. Don’t go in the same room. Transmission is still from touching a surface or person. So don’t touch vulnerable folks at all.
If you do get Covid, only go to the hospital if you’re short of breath. Of those who go to hospital, lots of them will be checked out and sent home; some will go onto the floor and be short of breath for 5 – 7 days and then go home. Of everybody who gets it, maybe 10% need to go to the hospital because they are short of breath. Of folks who are admitted to the hospital, 1 – 3% need care in the ICU with a ventilator. Most people who are on a ventilator survive and come back off in 7 – 10 days. Going to the hospital is not a death sentence. There’s lots more here as well. Please don’t assume my notes are good enough. I wrote them in part because I remember better when I take notes.
MORE NURSING HOME SPREAD
Confirmed Cases Yesterday 116, Deaths 7. Covid is now reported at four area nursing homes. The County Health Department website just announced that they will be unable to update numbers by their regular noon update time. Read the Bellingham Herald for details and updates on numbers when they become available.
HOSPITAL CONTROVERSY
Update: If you tweet, write, or call about this issue, please keep the focus on getting safe practices and adequate PPE for the hospital, per Dr. Lin. “I want to REMIND people that in a time of National Emergency its important to stay focused on being Civil and Positive and helpful to each other. Despite its flaws, Peacehealth St Joseph Hospital has many Staff and Colleagues who have my respect and are doing their best to provide care to the community. I hold no animosity toward Peacehealth St Joseph as I enter my next chapter in my life. Thank you for working together as a community.”
WAYS TO SUPPORT OUR HOSPITAL
Supplies, masks, food, and money.
https://www.peacehealth.org/bellinghamdonations
COVID HELPERS PHONE LINE 360-778-2762
From the Whatcom County Covid-19 Community Helpers:
If you know someone who is not on Facebook but wants to request help, here is a multi-lingual Hotline phone number people can call to make a request. This phone number is not just for the Columbia neighborhood. Follow instructions to leave a voicemail and they have a team of dispatchers who will get back to you. Nina LaMetterey spearheaded the entire project- dealing with Comcast, bringing on board a solid team of dispatchers and interpreters covering 34 languages and getting each of them trained on the processes we have set up for dispatching incoming calls.
STONE SOUP PROJECT
Covid Helpers have joined forces with the Fellowship of Messengers, a registered 501(c)3 non profit organization, to raise emergency funds for food and medication to help our most vulnerable Neighbors in Need. 100% of donations go to the Bellingham COVID-19 Community Helper network.
The Fellowship of Messengers, an interfaith registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and the Bellingham COVID-19 Community Helpers, are joining forces to carry out The Stone Soup Project. The “Stone Soup” has been practiced all over the world, by many different faiths. With a Stone Soup – many people of a town come together to each share a small amount of their food in order to make a meal that everyone enjoys. With the community coming together for this appropriately-named initiative, we will be able to provide immediate assistance to many of our neighbors in need (NINs). All donations made to The Stone Soup Project will be distributed through The Bellingham COVID-19 Community Helper network. [I’m trying to find a non-facebook way for folks to donate.]
While the health realties of the COVID-19 pandemic are changing daily, there is also a growing silent pandemic emerging: people are going without essential food and medicine in our community. Since Governor Inslee’s mandate to close all “non-essential” businesses, the numbers of those facing critical poverty and vital food insecurity are multiplying.
With government systems overburdened and struggling, it is now up to our own communities to provide for our most vulnerable citizens. Washington State is receiving national recognition for independently saving as many lives as possible, through joint efforts by community groups and Non-profits who are working together to provide direct assistance to the vulnerable.
MORE DETAILS ON MASK SAFETY
Some masks do not protect others. From my big brother, Joe Breskin: There are situations where social distancing is not going to cut it, like grocery shopping when other people may not be thinking. There are two issues that are NOT the same. 1) Protecting oneself and 2) protecting others. Ultimately, they are connected, but the form of mask you wear reflects design decisions made by people considering lots of factors. Surgical masks are designed to protect both parties. Particle masks are designed to protect the wearer. Particle masks with exhaust valves were designed for conditions like sanding sheetrock or installing insulation. They do not protect other people. A turtleneck pulled up over the bridge of your nose will do it, or one of these: https://benchmarkfr.com/collections/fr-accessories/products/fr-face-muffler-gaiter. (Free shipping.) The following link is good too. Really clear and old enough to not be seen as government PR .
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/pdfs/UnderstandDifferenceInfographic-508.pdf
DEEP DISCUSSION OF CURRENT ISSUES
I’ve received this article from a surprising number of friends and neighbors. I found it interesting.
https://charleseisenstein.org/essays/the-coronation/
FINANCIAL RESOURCES
From Dr Frank James: This pandemic is causing financial hardship and uncertainty for many of us. Let’s look at some of the resources that might help.
The federal stimulus bill has just passed, and Employment Security Department Commissioner Suzi LeVine has a brief video on YouTube to explain some of the changes that benefit Washingtonians. Go to esd.wa.gov to sign up for COVID-19 action alerts so you can take action as things change and apply for benefits you are eligible for.
The state’s coronavirus website has information to help sort through other benefits that may be available to you, such as paid family leave, workers compensation, and resources for small businesses (https://coronavirus.wa.gov/business-workers).
Department of Financial Institutions (DFI)has developed a list of resources that might help address the financial impacts of the coronavirus, including mortgage assistance, financial resources, and financial scams.
The federal stimulus package included about $1,200 per person. This money has not been distributed yet, but some scammers are trying to take advantage of people. Remember—the government will not ask you to pay anything up front to get this money. No fees. No charges. No nothing. The government will not call to ask for your Social Security number, bank account, or credit card number. Anyone who does is a scammer.
https://coronavirus.wa.gov/business-workers
FREEBIES FOR FIRST RESPONDERS
The Firehouse Cafe at the corner of 12th & McKenzie in Fairhaven is giving out free drinks (coffee etc) to healthcare workers and other emergency responders at their walk up window. Spread the word!
1919 BELLINGHAM PANDEMIC HISTORY
I found this very interesting! There are definite parallels. Thanks Matt Benoit at Whatcom Talk!
COLUMBIA NEIGHBORHOOD
SHOW OUR SOLIDARITY
I was reading on FB on how people were putting out their American Flags. I thought this was a great idea on how to bring the community and country together. ~ Dave Lind, Lorraine Ellis Court
ABANDONED BACK PACK
A new Outdoor Products black back pack has been left in front of our home up against a tree by our driveway. It still has tags on it.
Sue Hodges, 2418 Williams Street, bellinghamsue@aol.com
SCAVENGER HUNT!
My teenage boys walked the neighborhood and made up a scavenger hunt for anyone who might be looking for things to do. The items with the stars are challenge items.
Birdhouse
Flag
Kayak
Wreath
Garden Gnome
Old truck
Yellow flowers
Halloween decorations
Hose
Solar panels
Treehouse
Little Lending Library
Seahawks sign
Monkey bars
New house being built
Traffic cone
Green door
Statue of an animal
Chicken coop
Christmas lights
Red car
Metal sun
Stars
Tire swing
Wind chimes
Pinwheel
Pink house
Slow down sign
Barking dog
Camper trailer
Painted gingko leaves
Fox pillow
Bike in a tree
Pig on a pole in a tree
Metal hummingbird
Blue metal horse
Green and blue lizards on a house
Thank you, Kim Ragsdale, Lynn Street
SCRATCH PAPER OFFERED FOR KIDS’ DRAWINGS
I have a few colored pencils and lots of scratch paper (printed on one side but clean on the other) for cooped up kids to draw on. I’ve been “organizing” (funny what an apocalypse will do toward spring cleaning) and I hate to just throw it away… We don’t have a free library or anywhere to just leave it out, but if you want it, e-mail me and I’ll leave it in a paper bag outside our house. We are very isolated and have worn gloves every time we’ve left the house, washing hands frequently. If you want this paper and pencils, the paper bag it will be in will be safe to carry home by the handles, especially if you wear gloves. Any concerns (and best practice just now anyway) is to leave it sitting somewhere when you get it home (on a shelf where kids can’t get it, in the garage, etc.) for three days, after which it would be safe to handle. Any corrections to that practice and I’m happy to know about it myself… ~ Leslie Glen, Elizabeth Street, bhamscot@gmail.com
FL!P’S PIX FOR MUSIC
STREETS OF LONDON
I learned this Ralph McTell song back in the 1970s. He has written a new verse. Here is a link with him singing the original, and another with him singing just the new verse. We’re all in this together.
In shop doorways, under bridges, in all our towns and cities / You can glimpse the makeshift bedding from the corner of your eye / Remember what you’re seeing barely hides a human being / We’re all in this together, brother, sister, you and I.
https://slippedisc.com/2020/03/how-can-you-tell-me-youre-lonely-ralph-mctell-adds-new-verse/
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-52046893
JOHN PRINE’S CONDITION NOW STABLE
John Prine was reported in critical condition with Covid yesterday. News just came in that he is now considered stable. I’m in tears. If there a folks on this list who don’t know his music, go look him up. His songs have been a profound gift to our world.
Love/Fl!p