SANTA BARBARA, California – The Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control for Cottage Health delivered an urgent message to the Santa Barbara County community before the weekend of July 4, as local cases of coronavirus increase.
Dr David Fisk, an infectious disease physician at Cottage Health and Sansum Clinic, says the county is seeing a “very dramatic increase” in the circulation of COVID-19 in the community.
“As a physician and epidemiologist dealing with infections, communicable and communicable diseases, I am extremely concerned,” Dr. Fisk said Thursday. “This is a time when the health of our community is at risk.
“There is a much greater risk of acquiring this virus, as of today, than at any other time since the start of this epidemic in Santa Barbara. And we anticipate that risk will increase in the coming weeks … Therefore, we strongly encourage people to take social distance very, very seriously right now. “
Dr. Fisk says the hospital bed capacity at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital is “very good” right now, and that the hospital is not seeing a shortage of supplies as it did this spring. Dr. Fisk also says, however, that the current spike in cases and the contagious nature of the virus make it “conceivable” that local hospitals could be invaded by COVID-19 patients at some point.
Dr. Fisk says that physical distance is absolutely crucial, as is the use of masks and frequent hand washing. Urge the community to be “very proactive”.
“Medical evidence of the effectiveness of wearing masks and reducing transmission of COVID has increased, so there is now no doubt that masks can protect people from COVID, but also loved ones who protect them. they already surround the people with whom they come into contact. ” said. “Because one of the main functions of our masks is to reduce our transmission of the virus and its transmission to another person.
“So if we wear a mask, it protects those of us in our community who are at increased health risk, weakened immune systems, but it also provides us with some level of protection.”
Dr. Fisk says that areas like beaches can promote social activity and reunion, but that the real risk this weekend is meeting people anywhere.
“For me, it is not so much what is open and what is closed, but what actions people take,” said Dr. Fisk. “And the main message that people need to take is: don’t get together in groups. And don’t meet with people who don’t live in your home if you can’t stay more than six feet away from them. “
Dr. Fisk says that if the weekend of July 4 leads to an increase in coronavirus cases, those numbers will start showing up by the end of next week and hospitalizations will increase the following week.
