In today’s media availability, Dr. Teresa Frankovich, Humboldt County Public Health Officer, begins by issuing a warning. COVID-19 cases are increasing across the country, he notes, and certain areas of California are experiencing very rapid growth.
There are “great lessons to be learned here,” says Dr. Frankovich. Our daily behavior is what puts people at risk. They are people gathered between homes. It seems safe, but it is not safe. The more you mix between homes, the more the virus will spread, and if the virus begins to spread rapidly, we will lose the progress we’ve already made.
We want schools to be open in the fall. We want companies to be open. But if things go wrong, we will have to backtrack.
Masking is “absolutely essential” in the future. The mask is meant to protect others. If everyone uses them, they will help protect him.
“This is our time of personal responsibility. Either we accept that this virus is a problem and has the potential to make many of us sick, or we ignore it at our own risk. ”
Media questions follow, with a summary of their responses.
###
A listener asked: Is COVID-19 transmitting from humans to pets? Do you know what can be done to prevent this type of virus transmission?
There has been documentation of animals contracting COVID, but it doesn’t seem like much of a problem at the moment, says Dr. Frankovich. There is no real evidence of transmission from pets to people. The CDC has some guidance on how to handle animals if you are sick. Basically, it is the same thing you do to avoid transmitting the virus to other people: hand washing, social distancing …
What practices do you recommend to boost the immune system and stay healthy?
A good diet, with lots of fruits and vegetables. Lots of activity and exercise outdoors. Resting a lot.
What are the most common medical conditions that warrant an exemption? Does DHHS provide guidance to companies on how to handle a situation if someone refuses to wear a mask at their facility?
“It is a relatively small number of people,” says Dr. Frankovich. Some people with very restrictive breathing problems have problems, but most people with COPD or asthma can wear a mask without problems. Plus: Some people with certain mental health issues have found the masks challenging. Sometimes a face shield is a good alternative.
Guidance for companies? Call the Joint Information Center – (707) 441-5000. They are configured to provide this type of advice.
With the resumption of direct ACV flights to LAX on July 6 and Los Angeles County newly placed on the Governor’s coronavirus watch list due to an increase in cases, public health is not at all concerned about people specifically traveling to / from that area (whether residents are flying) in / out of the county, or outsiders coming to Humboldt to escape other more affected areas)?
Traveling has been a concern the whole time, says Dr. Frankovich, in part because we are so isolated. But most people drive in and out of the county, so traveling by plane isn’t a big concern, actually.
To date, most of our travel-related infections come from our own residents who left the area and returned. If you go on vacation, don’t forget the basics: wash your hands, distance yourself, wear masks.
With bars in Humboldt County now able to present their plans to reopen and the Governor’s recent announcement about the order to close the bars in several other counties, is Public Health considering the possibility of having to suspend those reopens? Are you working more closely with the bars to ensure their safe reopening?
Bars are, by their nature, a social environment. Dr. Frankovich says she has reservations about her opening. Essentially, bars, like all businesses, must follow the plan they submitted to the county. And if they don’t, they must be held accountable.
The county will be closely watching the reopening of the bar.
Can you explain how information about COVID testing is determined to be released? By what criteria is it determined that COVID-related information is “necessary” to be disclosed as public information rather than considered unnecessary to the public and therefore considered “wanted” information?
These things fall into three baskets, says Dr. Frankovich.
One: the information that is really central to the crisis.
Two: information that would be excellent to report, but very difficult to obtain and report
Three: information that people really want but that relates to patient privacy that they simply cannot provide. If someone is hospitalized in Los Angeles, there is no problem reporting that information, it is not identifiable. But in a smaller community, when you start talking about people who have been hospitalized, or sent to an intensive care unit, or with a ventilator, it starts to get more
Frankovich says privacy is a key concern in the field of public health. “People need to feel confident that their information will be protected.”
In an earlier response, you noted the “disproportionate number of cases in our Latino community,” do you think the lack of available information and direct disclosure to members of the undocumented community has affected the local spread of COVID? Have you seen any cases in which community members have been reluctant to seek health services while suffering from COVID, due to immigration-related concerns or fears?
We have seen a disproportionate number of cases in the Latino community here and across the state, says Dr. Frankovich. It is a great concern. She says the Joint Information Center has been working hard to reach people in their own languages and in various ways.
But you haven’t seen specific immigration status cases as a barrier here in Humboldt County yet. “I don’t know anyone who hasn’t sought care because of their immigration status,” she says.
Last week there were conflicting reports in the national media about the extent to which children may be susceptible to contracting and spreading COVID-19. What is your understanding of the latest science on how the disease affects and does not affect children?
It has been difficult to determine how often children receive COVID-19, says Dr. Frankovich. Children are more likely to be asymptomatic and less likely to be tested. Fortunately, severe results are rarer among children, although there are serious cases, but an increase in testing is expected to help answer these questions.
According to the county panel, 12 percent of local cases have been confirmed in people age 19 and younger, representing a much higher percentage of cases than the CDC reported nationwide. Do you have any theories as to why Humboldt County is seeing a higher case rate in this demographic age?
The vast majority of these cases, perhaps all of them, have been contacts of known cases. The county has been very aggressive in testing all known case contacts.
