We All Have A Job To Do - Slowing the Spread of COVID-19
COVID-19 is here. The first case that was “community spread” (unrelated to travel) was confirmed in Jackson County on March 24, and 17 more cases have been confirmed since then. Given that we have not had adequate testing resources from the federal government, it is safe to assume there are many more cases than what has been confirmed to date. In fact, given the incubation period, we should assume there are at least 10 times the number of actual cases as confirmed cases.
While we are deeply saddened to see what is happening in Italy, New York City, and Seattle, there are lessons to be learned from those areas that we can apply to help us create a different future for Ashland.
The most important lesson is that we must slow the spread of the virus so that the number of hospital beds and ventilators we have can keep up with demand – what is being called “flattening the curve.” We do not want our doctors in the position of having to decide who gets a ventilator and who doesn’t.
To slow the spread of the virus and protect hospital beds, everyone in Ashland has a job to do. And it is critically important that everyone do their job because we are at higher risk as a community than other cities due to our larger percentage of people over 60 years old. This means it will be easier to overwhelm our hospitals unless we do a very good job of slowing the spread of the virus. And the time to do it is right now.
While medical professionals at the State, at Jackson County Public Health, and in our local hospitals are working round the clock to prepare for the worst-case scenario, we know that there is no good way to prepare for that scenario. There simply aren’t enough ventilators. What we must do is head COVID-19 off at the pass, which means everyone understanding and doing their job.
Everyone
Several jobs need to be done by all of us. The first is to slow the spread of the virus by staying home - aside from walks and necessary trips for food and supplies. That means all of us, including children, teenagers, and college students, as well as grandparents and those with underlying health conditions. Governor Brown has told us we need to stay home and she’s right. Essential services workers (doctors, nurses, paramedics, utility workers, grocery store employees, gas station clerks, etc.) MUST go to work in order for our community to continue to function. When we stay home, we reduce their exposure to the virus and protect the essential services they perform.
We must also keep from taking hospital beds unnecessarily. This isn’t the time to try out that new trick on your mountain bike or get careless about wearing your seatbelt. In fact, it’s a very good time to be especially careful when driving since increased stress can make us easily distracted.
We must also look after our own health. Maintaining healthy patterns of eating, sleeping, and exercise is critical for protecting our immune systems and keeping us from taking a hospital bed from someone suffering from COVID-19.
Sunshine and fresh air are also good for our health, so we need to get outside when possible, while maintaining our 6-foot social distance. I see many people out walking while keeping their distance. Way to go Ashland!
Adults Aged 18-60 Without Underlying Health Issues
The bulk of the work of avoiding catastrophe with this pandemic is going to fall to you, particularly if you live in a household where there are no higher risk people. You are needed to give blood, volunteer with local organizations, and shop and run errands for your higher-risk neighbors. There are many local organizations that serve critical needs and are generally staffed by senior volunteers. Since those volunteers need to stay home now to protect their own health, there is a great need for volunteers.
Organizations that need volunteers include Food and Friends, Options for Helping Residents of Ashland, Southern Oregon Jobs with Justice, the Ashland Emergency Food Bank, and the United Way of Jackson County. They also need donations.
If you have time to help neighbors, but don’t know who to reach out to, sign up with Adopt a Neighbor - Ashland at www.adoptneighbor.org.
Parents
If you have children, it is especially important that you care for your own health. It’s like the airplane instructions that tell you to put your own mask on first. Those instructions may seem counter-intuitive, but they’re right.
In the climate resilience field, we understand that emergencies, especially those that create economic strain over a long period of time, lead to increased domestic violence and child abuse. None of us want that in our homes, but with our families out of their regular routine and unable to leave the house, tensions will flare, especially if financial stress is part of our reality. Taking care to make sure you are getting enough sleep, taking walks to clear your head, and checking in on friends through phone and email can all help keep a positive flow in the home.
One thing is for sure. Our children will remember this time. Whether those memories are positive or negative depends largely on how well we do at managing our own stress and finding new, creative ways to have fun and enjoy our time together.
Adults Over 60 and People with Underlying Health Issues
Your community needs you to do something different this time – something you aren’t going to like. Your community needs you to stay home. It may be true that while you are over 60, you are the picture of health, but what is also true is that the science tells us that you have a greater likelihood of getting sick enough to require hospitalization than someone under 60. Roughly twenty percent of the people who get COVID-19 get sick enough to need hospitalization and those people are consistently over 60 and/or have an underlying health issue.
Remember, we are trying to protect hospital beds for those who are most vulnerable. That means strict social distancing. And it means accepting help with things like grocery shopping and errands, even though you feel fine and are fully capable of going to the grocery store. If you need some help with grocery shopping and errands so that you can do the right thing and stay home, please sign up at: www.adoptneighbor.org. It’s a great way to meet a new neighbor!
But staying home isn’t your only job. If you have a garden, plant an extra row or two for the food bank or your neighbors to provide fresh summer veggies. If you have the means, donations are badly needed by local organizations (listed above) that are on the front lines of providing services to our most vulnerable neighbors. And, we need you to reach out to other people who might be having a hard time with the social isolation that comes with this staying home business. To be matched up with a senior buddy, contact the Senior Center at seniorinfo@ashland.or.us.
Rest assured, our community is going to need you back doing what you normally do when this is all over. We know the important role you and your friends play in all aspects of our community, but we need you to take one for the team, or sit this one out, however you want to think about it. Staying home and accepting help to do so isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of discipline. People at lower risk will keep programs operating smoothly until this crisis passes and you can return to your normal activities in town. In the meantime, there is much you can do from home.
Teens and College Students Living Back at Home
Your community needs you now like never before to keep COVID-19 from spreading to people whose immune systems are not strong enough to fight it off. It’s not about your life necessarily, but it is about your grandparents, and maybe even your parents. It is also about anyone you care about who is already suffering from another health problem (cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc.).
Because you are young and your immune system is in fighting shape, you could get the virus, not experience any symptoms, and pass it along to other people – people whose immune systems are much weaker. And they could die. Even young folks have ended up in the hospital, so you’re not invincible. As much as you don’t want to do this, we need you to stay home.
Here’s the second part of your job. We need you to help make your home a peaceful place. You can do this by diving into the new online schooling system and doing your very best to make it work. Help around the house with dishes, laundry, cooking, etc. without being asked. If you have younger siblings, be a good role model by following instructions from your parents. Help your brothers and sisters with their schoolwork, play with them, and keep them entertained. If your parents are volunteering in town, offer to help.
Above all, avoid pressuring your parents to let you go hang out with your friends. They want you to be able to go see your friends (trust me), and they will let you know as soon as it’s safe to do so.
Finally, it’s likely your parents are going to want you to join in some family activities – eating meals together, playing board games, movie nights, taking daily walks with the dog, etc. Humor them. They are doing the very best they can under extremely difficult circumstances.
Children
You are needed too. Your job in all of this is to get along with your brothers and sisters, help where you can, and do what your parents ask without complaining. If they want you to help out in the garden, wash dishes, or cut vegetables for dinner, avoid telling them it’s not your turn. Just roll up your sleeves and do what needs to be done. You aren’t going to be able to see your friends in person for many more weeks, so it’s best to stop asking for sleepovers. Give your parents lots of hugs. They need them.
Emerging On Other Side
I find it helpful to remember how lucky we are to be fighting this virus in a community where we have access to healthy food, clean water, sanitation services, shelter, and top-notch medical care. We could be fighting this virus in a refugee camp in Syria. It’s true that not everyone in our community has everything they need, and we must continue to work to make that goal a reality during this crisis.
But we are fortunate in many ways and it’s good to keep that in mind as we navigate the coming weeks. There is nowhere else I would rather be right now – or people I would rather be with – than the community we have here in Ashland.
We know two things. We will come out the other side of this crisis, and it won’t be easy. We have hard times ahead, not only for the health of our most at-risk people, but also for the health of our economy. We will almost surely lose people we care about who become exposed to the virus and are unable to fight it off. How many we lose depends on what we do today, tomorrow, and next week.
Tackling the challenges to our personal health and the larger economy will be difficult and require great discipline, but we are up to the challenge. In my work on community resilience, I have learned that communities never exit a major crisis the same as they entered it. They are either more resilient or less so depending on how individuals in the community respond when the crisis is upon them. Here in Ashland, we have a history of emerging from challenges with a stronger, more durable, social fabric.
I am confident we will emerge from this crisis more resilient. We just need to act in ways that are smart, careful, disciplined, and kind – right now. Whether you are staying home to protect the community or staying home except when you help a neighbor stay home, you are doing what our community needs you to do. Take care and stay safe.
If you have questions or comments about this post, please contact me at: tonya@council.ashland.or.us
**The City of Ashland distributes emergency messages by phone through the Nixle system. Please make sure you are signed up by visiting the City’s website: www.ashland.or.us/nixle.