 You're tuned in to the COVID-19 Community Report here on KDRT 95.7 FM in Davis, California. I'm Autumn LeBae Renaud and today is Tuesday, August 25, 2020. We're sharing local news and resources focusing on what's impacting Davis and nearby cities in Yolo County during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our goal with this show is to help provide a narrative for how individuals, organizations, communities, and cultural groups around Yolo County are weathering the pandemic. We believe the more we can share diverse perspectives and solid local information, the better prepared we are to create community that's based on understanding and inclusion. Highlighting a couple of upcoming interviews, next week we'll talk with Davis resident Melanie Carr about her Tuesday table effort, a take what you need approach to sharing needed supplies during the pandemic. On September 8th, I'll host Corinne Motokitis about the impact of the pandemic on youth sports from her perspective as co-director of Davis Aqua Monsters. And on September 22nd, I'll speak with UC Davis Chancellor Gary May. As of today, Yolo County reports a total of 2,239 COVID cases with 34 new cases reported yesterday and we've experienced a total of 47 deaths county-wide. Just a reminder that face masks are mandatory still in Yolo County. And a reminder to please wear them, please be considerate and wear them while using drive-through businesses. A worker at a Starbucks drive-through recently told me that 75% of their customers don't wear masks while getting their coffee and so the workers are exposed repeatedly throughout the day. Not a good scene. Here's a testing update for our area. An OptumServe COVID-19 testing site launches today August 25th and runs through September 20th at the Davis Senior Center located at 646 A Street in Davis. Testing at this site is open to all California residents regardless of documentation status and it's by appointment only. All ages are welcome. If residents don't have health insurance, the cost of the test will be covered by the state and if they do, it will be billed to their insurer at no cost to them. To schedule an appointment, call 888-634-1123 or visit lhi.care forward slash COVID testing. We all know that COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on the economy. Local job seekers can help get back on the path to employment by connecting to job opportunities at a virtual job fair series. Takes place September 1st through 3rd from 10am to 1pm each day via what else? Zoom! YOLO Works, YOLO County Health and Human Services Agency and YOLO County Workforce Innovation Board are hosting the series and each day job seekers will have access to up to 10 employers and be able to learn about available opportunities in the area. Over 20 employers from a wide range of industries have signed on and new ones are being at it daily. Sign up for this at YOLOWorks.org. You'll get an email confirmation 48 hours prior to the event and due to limited capacity, these sessions are for job seekers only. Alright, we have our interview coming in so let's go straight to that. Dr. Larissa May began her tenure as Interim Public Health Officer for YOLO County on August 4th. A professor of emergency medicine and a public health expert at UC Davis Health, she's also a board certified emergency physician with an interest in quality improvement and patient safety. Her work is often focused on the epidemiology and management of infectious diseases including best practices for diagnostic testing, outbreak, response and infection prevention. Dr. May has many accomplishments and awards in the medical field and recently received the American College of Emergency Physicians Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Section Service Award. That is a mouthful. We're very glad to have you here today, Dr. May. Thank you for joining us. Thank you for having me. Delighted to be here. Great. Since the start of the pandemic, I have highlighted interviews with our public health officials primarily because developments around the virus have continued to shift so rapidly, so I'm really pleased to chat with you. How are you and Dr. Marianne Limbos dividing the workload for the County's Public Health Division at this time? So, it's so great to have such a wonderful team with Dr. Limbos and Brian Vaughn who's our public health director. So, very fortunate to be able to work together on this and essentially I'm half-time so what we've been doing is splitting the health officer duties so that I'm covering the first part of the week and she's covering the second part of the week and we do stay in touch through email and calls as needed and she's been primarily focused also on our response for schools and the university as well as, you know, focusing on other relevant issues. She is also working pediatrician so she does have clinic half-day a week and I've been really focused more in terms of diagnostic testing and our strategies around working towards health equity and the COVID response. Great. Well, let me start here. Not only do you get to deal with a pandemic but we've got record-setting wildfires and the public health challenges therein and a listener asked me to pose this question so if you'll indulge me. With the wildfires in our area we know that N95 masks are the thing to wear but they're ineffective at preventing virus transmission. Meanwhile, the mask we wear for COVID don't help with smoke so what's a responsible person to do? So that's a great question. Let me just correct a little bit first. N95 will actually protect you from COVID however we really because of shortages recommend that those be used by health professionals so N95 also in order to be effective have to be fit-tested so it's not something that can just be slapped on. But the N95 will also protect you from wildfires whereas it's true that, you know, wild masks may be difficult to wear during a wildfire. What we generally recommend is that if you don't have to be outdoors during this time or if you are an at-risk person being elderly or having underlying cardiac lung disease, the very young, that it's just best to have these mitigating measures to stay indoors and not to be outdoors regarding yourself. As you know, some in our county don't, they don't have that luxury. I'm thinking here of essential workers such as farm workers and so the numbers of COVID have been, my understanding is they've been quite high among that population during this time and now they're also exposed to smoke so, you know, it's great if you can't avoid it but it's not possible. How, do you have a sense of how farm workers are faring these last couple of weeks in particular? So it is true that there, a number of our cases have been amongst our most vulnerable populations, not just, you know, skilled nursing facilities and long-term cares but the other biggest group of course is essential workers, especially agricultural workers that, you know, often also don't have the opportunity to really practice the distancing and mitigation measures that are recommended by public health. We realize that's a challenge, you know, if you're not able to self-isolate and the county has also been providing some outreach into those communities as well as opportunities to provide places where they can isolate if ill but it does remain a challenge in terms of essential workers. In fact, we are seeing most of our outbreaks in Yolo related to both social gatherings as well as essential workers. So that's the equity issue you mentioned. Not everyone has the same opportunities, yeah. So we're a little more than five months into the pandemic. From your perspective right now, what is most difficult and what's reason for encouragement? So, you know, I think you're right. Things have been shifting so rapidly. It's very hard for the public, you know, to sort of keep up and as the science, you know, keeps changing, it may seem that the public health response, you know, is shifting and it's very, it can be very confusing that, you know, we really don't have that much evidence yet. So the guidance is based on the best available evidence we have at the time and then it's subject to change based on new information that's coming in. So I do think, you know, one positive thing is that, you know, we are seeing what we hope is a stabilization in our epidemic curve. We are seeing increased compliance with our mitigation measures like distancing, use of space coverings. You know, we are seeing some potential new opportunities for testing on the horizon. And so I think those are all positive things. You know, I think the challenges remain in terms of balancing the, you know, the issues we talked about with health equity, you know, how do we protect essential workers? You know, how do we address the other potential, you know, side effects or adverse effects, so to speak, of the pandemic in terms of, you know, the other health conditions that people need to focus on like mental health, substance use, you know, after hospitals were shut down for some period of time, you know, we definitely saw higher acuity in our emergency departments from people that had delayed care. And so that's been a challenge. And then also just the economic impact of, you know, people not being able to work, losing their jobs, losing their insurance. And of course, you know, the impact on education that is expected to be, of course, much more detrimental in our more disadvantaged population. Right. Yeah. And it's a little bit like the Kraken with many tentacles coming at us from many different directions. Let's talk a little bit more about testing. A few weeks ago, the state announced it had uncovered a backlog of testing results that had never been released to counties. And I'm wondering what impact this has had in Yolo County. So, yeah, so there was a very high level glitch, so to speak, in reporting from the CDPH into the state's main system for managing communicable diseases called Cal Ready. And it was not quite noticed at the beginning, but it turned out that ultimately there were nearly 300,000 records that were backlogged. And then it took a couple of weeks to fix that, so that those records were not being processed. And the main issue was with the electronic lab reporting system. So after the couple of weeks, you know, that that got resolved. We were busy processing the backlog. There was also some challenges in that 90,000 positive tests that were reported through that system across the state turned out to be false positives. They were actually negative tests. I believe that we've now caught up, for the most part, with all the backlog of cases to process. We still, you know, I think it's important for the public to understand that there's still a general backlog that occurs due to testing delays so that the numbers that we're reporting, you know, today, for example, if we look two weeks ahead of time and look back at today, that case rate will be higher. Simply because, you know, it sometimes takes a week or 10 days for those results to report back to us. Yeah, yeah. I did wonder if that had contributed to the uptick of cases in Yolo County we've seen lately. Well, we're hoping that we really, you know, looking at the data, even though we know the numbers, you know, again, are never accurate on the day that we report them. The general slope is going down, you know, it seems like there was probably a peak sometime in mid-July after, you know, after the gatherings of the 4th of July. So we're still very hopeful that we're at least stabilizing or downtrending, but we'll just have to, you know, we're just looking at that data for the next another week or so just to make sure that we're not seeing an uptick and that this is a true trend. Yeah. And I know you said Dr. Limbos is the one who's primarily dealing with the public health interface with the schools, but I stumbled across a new story today and I just wanted to bring it forward for discussion. More than, this was from yesterday, more than 560 positive cases of COVID-19 have been reported on the Tuscalooska campus of the University of Alabama since classes resumed last week. And the numbers include students, faculty, staff, they're across the board. So this week, as you know, locally, we have a lot of students and teachers returning to school. We know that in Davis, we're going to have UC Davis students returning. Many of them, they will be virtual, but many of them will be coming back and impacting the town. And, you know, the question I'm hearing most often is, when will things be normal again? I know it comes down to metrics. So could you talk about those metrics here in Yolo County and maybe perhaps what's keeping us from progressing if we're not? Are you talking about the county data monitoring list? Yeah. Yeah, so it is true. I did see the news about the University of Alabama outbreak. I know there's one going on in Iowa. There's, of course, the UNC Chapel Hill that basically started in person and went back to distance learning within a week. This is an ongoing challenge, to be honest with you. Anywhere that you're going to be bringing a lot of people who are congregating, especially if physical distancing is not being practiced or is not practical, then it is a concern. At the county level, we've beefed up our infrastructure for contact tracing and investigation to have a team that's specifically focused on school. However, we do know that that capacity could be overwhelmed pretty quickly. We usually only report 30 or 40 cases a day and, obviously, an outbreak of 500 students is not unimaginable. I do know that the university is working on a plan to mitigate some of the impact of that, even in the off-campus housing. And so the county is working very closely with the university on their reopening plans and assistance with contact tracing and other resources from the university. In terms of the county data monitoring list, so we have been hovering somewhere between that 100 and 200 range for 100,000 cases for a while. We think we're settling out somewhere between 120 and 160, but it'll be hard to tell until we look back in time and see where that curve is going. So I think it's unlikely that we get off that list any time soon. The CDPH is working on a revised strategy for the monitoring list that would take into account new metrics. However, the numbers at which one would get off the list probably won't really change. And so essentially, we have to be below that 100 for 100,000 for at least three days before we can be taken off. And then you have to stay off for 14 days. And that's the challenge. Yeah, it seems like most counties that have fallen below the 100, they creep back up and get right back on it. So it seems that we're pretty stable around those numbers. And even if we drop below and we're able to maintain for 14 days, the state will have to give permission to reopen businesses or to move towards bringing some of those businesses that are having to do outdoors-only activity indoors. I know there's been a big question because of the fires and the challenges of, for example, restaurants that have to operate outdoors or gyms that have to operate outdoors in terms of worker safety. So I think there are some real challenges and equity issues that we really do have to address. But those really are being addressed at a higher level and counties, while ultimately having the opportunity to participate in that, ultimately, the direction is really being led by the state at this point. Since we talked about the, thank you for all that information. Since we mentioned the university, I'm thinking about the vaccine that's being developed there in partnership with BioNTech. And all of a sudden, it seems like there is a lot of news about vaccine development, which I find encouraging. Are you also encouraged by that? Yes, I am encouraged by it. I just think we should put all our eggs in one basket because even once we have a vaccine, it's going to take a real effort to be able to distribute that. And frankly, to convince people that it's safe and to take it. So yes, we are very excited. Actually, at UC Davis, we are conducting phase three trials for one of the vaccines. And so I'm very encouraged, also, in terms of a positive impact, that we know how to treat this disease are much better than we did at the beginning of the pandemic, that we're learning new things every day. And there are potential other mitigating measures. Although, frankly, right now, most of our solutions are really both tech, like the distance being in the case covering. And that's what it comes down to. In my opener for the show today, I mentioned that an employee at a local Starbucks drive-through mentioned to me that 75% of their customers coming through don't wear masks. And so she feels exposed on a daily basis. She's wearing a mask, but they're in close proximity exchanging cash. I'm not trying to call out Starbucks or anything. I'm just saying we do have a persistent problem of people not always complying with the low-tech solutions. So I want to talk about testing for a minute. I'm aware there's a COVID-19 testing site starting today at the Davis Senior Center. And I thought perhaps you might want to mention others. And I'd also like to ask you, what would you most like the public to know right now? Yeah, so I believe, yes, that's correct, that we have moved the county testing site to the Davis Senior Center. So that's open to the public for anyone that wants to be tested. I believe our media center will be releasing more information about additional sites that will be coming up. So that will be coming shortly. And we also have still have opportunities with the state site. I do think that we really need to think about testing. We have seen a drop not in our capacity for testing, but sort of in demand for testing. We could think that maybe that's a good thing, that there are fewer people that are symptomatic that are being tested. But then I'm also concerned that the backlogs and testing delays really impacted people's perceptions of testing and that that may be leading to a reluctance of testing. So I'm hoping we can address that in our long-term strategy for testing soon and really to be able to focus on the vulnerable populations and outbreaks. A related question, because it's come up a lot. I see it on social media. What about antibody testing? Are they available? Are they accurate? And what's the usefulness in people trying to obtain them? So there are all kinds of challenges and pitfalls with antibody testing. They are available in the commercial labs. They are available in some local labs. In general, it's not recommended to use antibody testing other than as a population surveillance tool to find out what percentage of the population might have been exposed. The problem is we don't really know what antibody tests mean at this point. There was a recent report from CDC that there was a reinfection. So we don't know how long antibodies really last. We are seeing people lose their antibodies after two or three months. And the immune response is extremely complicated. So even if you have a negative antibody test, it doesn't mean that you haven't been exposed and may have some immunity from other aspects of your immune system. So in an area with low cases or relatively low cases, that's not in a hot spot. The antibody tests should not be used for diagnosis, but they can also be falsely reassuring. We've debunked the idea of an immunity passport, for example. Right, and it further drives home the point that this virus is unlike other viruses we've seen. And this pandemic is a completely unique experience for pretty much all of us at this point. So yeah, there can be some, even with the antibody test, there can be some cross-reactivity with other human coronaviruses that just circulate gently. So that can also be a challenge. My biggest concern is that they falsely reassure people who might change their behavior based on having a positive test because you think you're not at risk. Yeah. All right, I had one final question texted to me. And so I'll go ahead and ask this, and then we'll wrap up here. Does the county health office take action against social gatherings or non-compliant businesses? What should the public do in terms of reporting incidents or violations? So one example is the woman I mentioned who works at Starbucks who talked to me. What should she do if she's uncomfortable? Yes, so we have received complaints about non-compliant businesses. We have been focused on going, our enforcement team is going out to visit those reports. We have found that most of the businesses are actually in compliance, but we have issued warning letters and citations to businesses as well. So I would encourage reporting of any concerning businesses that aren't operating according to guidance. Yeah, I've also heard from local business owners that they do get pushback people who simply refuse to wear a mask, and then they simply refuse them entry to the business, and that's how it's going right now. Well, I want to thank you. I know you're a very busy person. Thank you for your time and for continuing to help us debunk some myths and put out accurate information. And before you leave, is there anything you'd really like our listeners to know at this point? Yes, I think from my perspective as a physician and health officer, we're in it for the long haul. Public health is really here to support the community, and we really want to take an approach that is as equitable as possible. I realize that everyone wants to go back to normal, but this is really a new normal. And unfortunately, this virus is going to be here with us to stay for at least a couple of years, perhaps longer. Hopefully, we'll have measures to mitigate that. And so it is really challenging for people. We do recognize the need as social beings to gather with other people. But I just implore, be safe out there. If you want to gather with people outside your household, please maintain physical distance, use face covering. Don't congregate in large groups, because the problem is that many people don't realize that they're sick, or maybe harboring the infection. And so we really want people just to be safe. And please contact public health if you have any questions or need support. All right. Dr. Larissa May, I want to thank you again for joining us today and for your time. I just greatly appreciate it. Thank you. All right. Take care. All right. In other news, Yellow County residents are advised to be on the alert for scam phone calls, reporting to be from their energy provider. According to the AARP, scammers often make utilities a common subject of imposter scams. It's by far the most common type of fraud reported to the Federal Trade Commission. A Davis resident who received such a call recently said the caller apologized for overcharging her on her utility bill, explaining that the charge was from a third party supplier. She was told to press one for a rebate check, but she's very smartly hung up believing the caller was attempting to gain access to her bank routing and account numbers. And Valley Clean Energy, which is Yellow County's public not-for-profit local electricity provider, would like you to know that it never asks for a customer's banking information over the telephone. And anyone who's received such a call recently is asked to contact the district attorney's fraud unit at 855-496-5632 or fraud at yellowda.org. And they have a complaint form online at their website that you can fill out. And I think I've got one minute left, so Yellow County's election office, we know that the COVID-19 pandemic is gonna change how we vote this November. So the elections office is planning to place 12 voter assistance centers and 12 ballot drop-off boxes throughout the county ahead of the November 13th, November 3rd election. They're taking input on those sites through August 28th, according to the Davis Enterprise. And you can find information about those sites and yellowelections.org and you can submit your comments via email to elections at yellowcounty.org. And again, the deadline for that is this Friday, August 28th, which happens to be my daughter, Rowan's 23rd birthday. So I'll give her a birthday shout out here. All right, thanks for tuning in. You've been listening to the.