Author: John Troidl

Dear Folks,

So, there I was in COSTCO #1 shopping very comfortably getting my Thanksgiving stuff when I noticed several shoppers coming out of the back corner of the store with big smiles on their faces and large bags of "30 County Bathroom Tissue" in their shopping carts.   Oh, what's going on?

Oh, yeah, news reports of hoarding.  Toilet paper again.  And paper towels.  And maybe some other stuff.  

So, I went back to the toilet paper area and saw…. NOTHING!  All gone!  Zilch!  Too late!

Oh boy, now what?  I was thinking that we in Troidl-ville might be ok for now but memories of scarcity earlier in the season had me thinking:  "What if I figure out a way to buy a big bag or two of 30 roles?"  Hmmm, I thought, as I talked to the person checking receipts on the way out of the store:  "When is a good time to get TP since you are currently out?"

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Dear Folks,

Uh, yeah.  If only more people took the "Honesty Pill" and what came out of their mouths was the truth.

But failing widespread distribution of such a pill, we might want to keep an eye on folks, especially those who are members of our family.  

The reality is, if you get the flu shot you will help protect not only yourself, but your family, your friends, your co-workers, people who work at the grocery story, people who work at your doctor's office, people at the Farmers Market, etc etc etc.  (Is this list long enough for you?).

Supposedly there is at least some nominal belief in this country in "Love thy neighbor as thyself"….. and even if you don't love yourself enough to get the flu shot you should at least take care of the other members of your family and vastly reduce your odds of getting and spreading this potentially lethal respiratory illness to them.

So where do you find out information about the flu shot?  How about the Yolo County Department of Public Health website?  What?  You have not gone to the website yet?  You are not familiar with it?  Would it help if I told you they were handing out free stuff there?  Well, go look!

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Dear Folks,

Someone from the Yolo Health Department sent me this information yesterday p.m. and I am sharing it with you today.

There are a couple of reasons to get the flu shot:

1.  It helps prevent you from getting the flu and even if you get the flu after taking the flu shot the shot can moderate your symptoms.
2.  It is free
3.  You will reduce your risk of contracting a respiratory disease (the flu) while another respiratory disease (the coronavirus) is circulating.  You DON'T want to have both diseases and that is known to be possible!
4. You will help keep your family and friends ***  safer if you help prevent the flu by getting the shot.

*** Co-workers, the public…. anybody you come in contact with!

Please note that it takes 10-14 days for the flu shot to become fully effective.  It is NOT instant!  If you get exposed to the flu AFTER you get the shot but BEFORE the shot has powered up your immune system, you CAN STILL GET THE FLU.  Plan accordingly, my friends.  I got the flu shot a few weeks ago and I am now immune.  It's NEVER too late as the flu season goes on for months!

So, please check this out and consider going to get the flu shot this afternoon.  I'd arrive early so that you are more likely to get the shot before they run out.

Regards,

John

PS  You may notice if you go to the link that this is the last date listed for getting the County provided free flu shot.  I cannot imagine that this is not going to be updated…. given how popular these flu shot fairs has been….. with more dates.  I suggest you ask your County Supervisor about that.  Or Brian Vaughn, the Yolo County Public Health Director:

Brian Vaughn, MPH
Public Health Director
Community Health Branch (Courier #16CH)
Yolo County Health & Human Services Agency
Email: brian.vaughn@yolocounty.org
Phone: (530) 666-8771

Drive thru flu shots tomorrow:

https://www.yolocounty.org/health-human-services/adults/communicable-disease-investigation-and-control/novel-coronavirus-2019/flu-season-2020-2021

Why, yes, it is, right here in Items 31 and 34!

So, what's this about "business support programs and activities?

Sounds interesting!!

Regards,

John

No, how would that possibly help!

We have been here before…… it is just time to tighten up.  The coronavirus numbers were shooting up too fast all over the State, including Yolo County.  The State is "tapping the breaks"… well, maybe even a little bit more than that.  But it does not mean we should freak out.

You know the things to do personally:  

1.  Limit your exposure to anyone who may have the coronavirus.
2.  Wash your hands.
3.  Get sleep, exercise, and eat properly.
4.  Be kind to other people.
5.  Wear the damn mask like a proud American!
6.  Get tested for the coronavirus and……

GET THE FLU SHOT!

I just listened to the emergency press conference of the Santa Clara County Health Department and officials there were saying, "We have been here before, we can do this" and reminding people of the importance of getting the flu shot to avoid complicating your life and our health system with dual viral attacks.  The Santa Clara County Health Department is going to have a Flu Shot Health Fair this Saturday…… and they do not require appointment, physician authorization and they do not charge anything.  (I got my flu shot a few weeks ago as did my Mom…… just sayin').

So, don't freak out.  Be prudent….. and if you have plans to travel for Thanksgiving, cancel them.  It's not worth the risk…. especially when there is a promise of a vaccine ahead and better days.

Take care people and be kind!

John

Dear Folks,

Good morning.  Hope you enjoyed a restful and rewarding week-end.

In my "environmental scanning" of articles about the pandemic, I came across an interesting piece in the Davis Vanguard recently written by Madison Forwood on/titled  "Healthy Davis Together"  I would recommend this article as it gave a useful review of that program.

One element that particularly caught my eye was the final two paragraphs:

Councilmember Dan Carson stated, “I am particularly excited about the Healthy Davis Together Partners Program, I think you are tapping into downtown and Chamber really well to help in these efforts because not only are they good at communication but they are a trusted source of communication to our local businesses…We are all impressed with the wide variety of things you are undertaking here. I think it’s going to make us a safer community, no question.”

However, Carson also raised a concern, stating, “You are doing so well on the numbers, but I think when I counted it was five or six clicks through websites to try and get to your dashboard and your numbers. The contrast I would give you is the Yolo County Coronavirus website. It’s one click and you are there with all of the numbers. If you could make your numbers easier to navigate, I think it would be helpful to all of you.” 

Here Dan Carson is obviously comparing the apparently less accessible UC Davis Public Facing CV Dashboard to the Yolo County Public Health Department version which is easier to navigate.

Which raises a question for me that has come up over and over:  Why does UC Davis have a separate, distinct, different Public Facing Coronavirus Dashboard at all?  From training and research in public health I know that the organization of data sources, data flows, and data displays can be complicated at the same time that it is very, very important for both communication and decision making purposes.  Especially in the midst of a pandemic!  So, why have two different dashboards with different display and presumably different data management protocols?

Can somebody help me understand why UCD has a SEPARATE public dashboard?

Regards,

John

PS  Don't want to miss Carson's positive comment about the Partners Program.  Noted!

Dear Folks,

Don't know about you, but I have never dined at French Laundry. 

This is how Lonely Planet describes this outstanding restaurant:

The pinnacle of California dining, Thomas Keller’s three-Michelin-star rated French Laundry is epic, a high-wattage culinary experience on par with the world’s best. Book one month ahead on the online app Tock, where tickets are released in groupings. This is the meal you can brag about the rest of your life.

Yes, as I said, I have never been there *** But our Governor has.  And recently.  He and the wife went to a birthday party for one of his "advisors".  Who is also a lobbyist.  Jason Kinney.  Turned 50.  Hmmm…… 

And there were so many people (a dozen) there from so many different households that they violated the guidelines from the California Department of Public Health.

Oh my!  What's up with that?

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Hello Folks,

My dear friend Brian recently got married and when we were chatting for my birthday this week, he invited me over to dinner at his home in Sacramento with his new wife Pennie.  He is a high school buddy and we have had a wonderful friendship ever since our Freshman year in high school when we were both on the Track Team at a Bay Area high school.

So, I was really interested in his invitation.

But I thought…. "Better ask him a couple of questions first".  So, I did.

ME:          Brian, did you or anyone else in the wedding party get sick after your wedding?  

BRIAN:   Not that I know of.  

Hmmm, ok.  that's good news. Sort of.  Kind of qualified, though.  But still, on the positive ledger.

And then,

ME:        Brian, have you gotten tested for the coronavirus?  

BRIAN:  No, dadgumit, I have tried to get tested at my health care provider *** but they say I do not qualify!

Further,

ME:        Well, you HAVE gotten the flu shot, haven't you?  That's pretty available now.

BRIAN:  To be honest John, I have not done that before, so no I have not gotten the flu shot this year, but I AM thinking about it.

BOOM!  Knocked me back on my feet.  Here is my dear friend, someone I have been good buddies with for OVER 50 years asking me for a first dinner at his home with his new wife (and I hear she is a good cook!) to celebrate my birthday and I REALLY wanted to go!

So, what did I tell Brian?  (Please note:  Brian knows I am spending a fair amount of time caring for my 91 year old Mother in her condo nearby).

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Dear Folks,

That's the "Test positivity" rate of Yolo County @ 6.15%  (as of a few minutes ago) vs the 10 counties of the Bay Area that are at 3.7%.  

It helps explain a few things….. on the news in the Bay Area is a new warning from the collective Bay Area Public Health Departments…. they are saying "If you are going to travel outside of the Bay Area for the holidays please check the % positivity rate of your destination before you go and decide accordingly".

And they add that if you go to a high positivity area, please self-quarantine for 14 days after you come back.

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Dear Folks,

As Yolo County is on the precipice of going in the wrong direction (from the Red Tier to the Purple Tier), we might pause and wonder:  Why is Napa County doing so much better than us?

They are firmly in the Orange Tier.

Well, maybe we can look at the dashboards for each county and see what we can find:

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