Tracking the Coronavirus: One Family’s Super Spreader Event

Children and teenagers frequently help spread the coronavirus

Children and teenagers who get the coronavirus tend to recover quickly, without lingering aftereffects. But here’s where it gets dangerous. Many of these children live in multigenerational families. Their own symptoms may be mild and short-lived, but when they pass the virus on to frail or vulnerable family members, it can have life-threatening consequences.

On the trail of infection that began with a 13-year old girl

According to CDC scientists, one 13-year-old girl became infected with the coronavirus just before an extended family gathering. Eleven other relatives, including her mother and father, two brothers and two grandparents, also became infected.

The potential for children to transmit the disease is well established

This girl was exposed to the coronavirus away from home in June. Four days after the exposure, a rapid antigen test reported a negative result. These antigen tests often produce erroneous results. Two days later, she experienced nasal congestion–her only Covid-19 symptom.

That same day, she, her parents and two brothers traveled to a family gathering that included 20 relatives over the course of three and a half weeks. Fourteen of them stayed in the five-bedroom, two-bathroom house for varying lengths of time, ranging from eight to 25 days. None wore a face mask or social distanced. Six other relatives visited but maintained physical distance and remained outdoors, though none wore a mask.

Twelve of 14 people came down with Covid-19

• The onset of symptoms appeared up to 18 days after the start of the gathering.
• Their ages ranged from 9 to 72.
• The virus could have been spread by any of the people in the group.
• One person was hospitalized and another went to the ER because of trouble breathing.
• None of the day visitors—those who stayed outside the house–became ill.

Simple procedures that help keep us safe

“This scenario reemphasizes the need for basic public health precautions–even with people we know and love,” said Dr. Megan L. Ranney, a professor of emergency medicine at Brown who was not involved with the study.

Winter presents new challenges as we move indoors

Knowing or loving someone doesn’t keep that person from transmitting the virus.

• Physical distancing, face mask use, and hand hygiene help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
• If you’re exposed to the coronavirus, you should remain isolated from others for 14 days.

A vaccine just around the corner? Highly unlikely

While the Trump administration keeps telling us that a vaccine is “just around the corner”, don’t count on it. Proving the safety and efficacy of a vaccine, managing its manufacture and distribution is likely a year away. Even if a vaccine is licensed, it may not be 100% effective, and we still may have to wear masks. This is a virus, and it mutates. This season’s vaccine may be less effective on next year’s viral strain.

Getting used to living with the uncertainty of the coronavirus

We’re all aware of increased anxiety levels as we strive to keep our families safe. Here at CDP, we’re seeing more Living Trust clients. They range from young couples with children to seniors wanting to update their existing Trusts.

Our Living Trust package includes a Power of Attorney and an Advance Healthcare Directive. In a Pour Over Wil, make sure there is a plan for who would care for your children and pets if you are rushed to the hospital. We guide you through this, and we prepare the legal documents. At California Document Preparers, for most of our services, we charge one flat fee.

We service the entire East Bay and North Bay areas

Berkeley, El Cerrito, Richmond, Pinole, Alameda, San Leandro, Castro Valley Newark, San Lorenzo, Concord, Alamo, Danville, Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Livermore, Tracy and Fremont. Our clients also live in the Napa Valley, Benicia, Vallejo, Martinez, Fairfield.

Trending: A Return to Our Rural Roots

Those of us who grew up in small towns understand the ritual of leaving home to pursue our dreams on a bigger, more exciting stage. But sociologists are tracking a new trend. According to a New York Times article, people are returning to their roots–often to those small towns that they couldn’t wait to leave.

The model is changing: Rural life has become more desirable

Our big cities, including  New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles, are experiencing declining populations—largely because they’ve priced themselves out of the market. But there’s more going on that suggests a national, cross-generational homecoming. Last year, Gallup found that while roughly 80% of us live in urban areas, rural life was really what most people wanted.

A 2018 study by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health reported that in spite of economic and health concerns, most rural Americans are pretty happy and hopeful.

For rural adults, their lives came out better than they expected

A majority said they were better off financially than their parents at the same age and thought their kids would likewise ascend. As for cultural woes, those under age 50, as well as people of color, showed notably higher acknowledgment of discrimination and commitment to social progress.

University of Minnesota researcher Ben Winchester is now identifying a brain gain in rural America. Mr. Winchester found that from 2000 to 2010, most rural Minnesota counties gained early-career to mid-career residents with ample socioeconomic assets. A third of them are returning, while the rest are new recruits. It’s a longing to return to a simpler, safer, less frenetic way of life. Each has a story of departure, longing and return.

The demographics of this exodus span cultures and race

They are black women missing their families in the rural South, Muslim women organizing workers in meatpacking towns on the plains, young gay men hoping to return to their small-town roots. This is rural America–a place rife with problems yet an increasing diversity, vibrancy and cross-cultural camaraderie.

It’s an American journey that’s come full circle

Political scientist Veronica Womack described the metaphorical significance of her black students at Georgia College considering work in agriculture. “It’s come full circle,” Dr. Womack said. “When our ancestors were made free, land was their pursuit.” So when she says her students are coming home, she explained, she means that they have realized that farming is a “vehicle that I can use to be free.”

They’re entrepreneurs and artisans, redefining success

There’s a prairie trend of young people, drawn by family ties and affordable entrepreneurship, returning to rural and small-town homes after college graduation. They’re opening restaurants or starting small, unconventional farming operations. One college senior founded a direct-to-consumer beef company in Nebraska and sold $52,000 worth of meat in nine months. 

The concept of “home” is subjective

My mom grew up in a small town in Ohio. We lived in Washington state, but every fall, as the leaves began to turn, my mom would tell us how homesick she was–she missed the brilliant fall colors of a small Ohio town. Home for my mom was always Ohio. It’s not surprising that my mom chose another small town to raise her family—this is where my brothers and I grew up. But I couldn’t wait to go away to college and begin tasting the world outside of that bubble. I’ve traveled all over the world, lived in big sprawling cities, and now I’ve returned to my roots, living and thriving in a small town once again. As our lives become more complicated, this kind of lifestyle change is increasingly attractive to those seeking a better quality of life, a safer place to raise their children.

Living with the uncertainty of the coronavirus

With COVID, the cities’ high rents and job losses have played a big part in the urban exodus. We’re all aware of increased anxiety levels as we strive to keep our families safe. Here at CDP, we’re seeing more Living Trust clients. They range from young couples with children to old people wanting to update their existing Trusts. It’s providing peace of mind at a time when we’re all feeling vulnerable.

Our Living Trust package includes a Power of Attorney and an Advance Healthcare Directive. In our Pour Over Will, make sure there is a plan for who would care for your children and pets if you are rushed to the hospital. We guide you through this, and we prepare the legal documents. At California Document Preparers, for most of our services, we charge one flat fee.

We service the entire East Bay and North Bay areas

Berkeley, El Cerrito, Richmond, Pinole, Alameda, San Leandro, Castro Valley Newark, San Lorenzo, Concord, Alamo, Danville, Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Livermore, Tracy and Fremont. Our clients also live in the Napa Valley, Benicia, Vallejo, Martinez, Fairfield.

This article is based on a New York Times story by Sarah Smarsh.

Life Planning: It’s Not Just for Old People Anymore

In a New York Times article, two cousins shared their fears about COVID. One had a favor to ask. If she and husband both ended up extremely ill — or worse — would her cousin be willing to drive the 300 miles to her house and get her young sons.

Sadly, tortured conversations like this are happening around the globe.

Concern for their families is prompting many young couples to create Living Trusts

Life planning isn’t just for old people. For those with children under 18, creating a Living Trust has an even more important role. Our Living Trust package includes a Pour Over Will that allows them to name a Guardian. If something happens to them, this Guardian will care for their children—not someone whom the court appoints.

Only one out of three adults has taken the time to complete an Advance Healthcare Directive. This legal document allows you to identify the person who will speak for you if you become incapacitated. We include an Advance Healthcare Directive in our Living Trust package.

Be Prepared: Pack a bag with essentials

COVID is highly contagious and unpredictable. It’s especially important for the elderly and those in the high-risk group to pack a bag with essentials in case you are rushed to the hospital. Think of what you’ll need–glasses, phone, charger, medications and a list of those to contact if necessary.

For those most at risk, The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization has published a new tool to help make decisions about whether to go to the hospital if you become seriously ill with the coronavirus, or stay at home with the support of hospice or palliative care services.

COVID will be with us for a while

We’re six-plus months into this wretched disease, and we’re at least a year away from a safe, effective vaccine. Even with a vaccine, it’s not unlikely that it will not be 100% efficient. It may be necessary to continue wearing masks and following protocols. While our risks may diminish, they may not be completely eliminated. Having a plan in place is the best preparation for ensuring that you are treated as you would wish. It also provides needed clarity for your loved ones. Stories about the inability to visit their loved ones and of these patients ultimately dying alone has prompted many to create their Living Trusts.

Creating a Living Trust is providing peace of mind to many Bay Area families

As the COVID crisis drags on, more clients are scheduling appointments to create or update their Living Trusts. As noted our Trust package includes a Power of Attorney, an Advance Healthcare Directive and a Pour Over Will.

Best of all, we guide you through it and we prepare the legal documents

At California Document Preparers, for most of our services, we charge one flat fee. We’re helpful, compassionate and affordable.

We service the entire East Bay and North Bay areas

Berkeley, El Cerrito, Richmond, Pinole, Alameda, San Leandro, Castro Valley Newark, San Lorenzo, Concord, Alamo, Danville, Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Livermore, Tracy and Fremont. Our clients also live in the Napa Valley, Benicia, Vallejo, Martinez, Fairfield.

Balancing Love and Life in the Time of COVID

While COVID has been devastating for business, it’s also taking a toll on relationships. The stress of being together 24/7, trying to homeschool the kids while managing their own workloads can create volatile situations. In many cases, there’s additional stress when partners work in essential, high-risk jobs where they’re exposed to COVID, worrying they’ll bring the disease home to their families. The following scenario describes a situation with which many couples are likely familiar.

In New York: “I can’t take it anymore.”

After seven years and two children, “I can’t take it anymore.” One New Yorker stormed out of their 700 sq ft apartment in tears. She and her partner had weathered miscarriages, birth of two children and a cross-country move.

But it was the pandemic, the months of isolation and sheltering in place, that brought their relationship to the breaking point. One partner a healthcare worker, exposed to the virus every day in long, punishing shifts. The other stuck at home trying to work while caring for two toddlers. No family to provide support or discretionary money for child care. It’s easy to understand how relationships are pushed to the breaking point.

One in ten couples is likely to separate because of pandemic-related problems

• According to an Ipsos poll released Aug. 4, studies have shown that financial problems, an unequal division in parenting and household responsibilities are among the top reasons couples separate or file for divorce.
• Miami family law attorney Aliette Carolan has seen an increase in the number of couples filing for divorce. “If you were on the cusp of a divorce before COVID, this is likely to push that relationship over the edge.”
• Cynthia Rogers, M.D., child psychiatrist and associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at Washington University in St. Louis, explained: “The constant anxiety that many of us feel can place an enormous strain on relationships, especially now as parents are making decisions about their children’s schooling.”
• Anxiety is exacerbated by the realization that the government is doing nothing to halt or manage the pandemic, further increasing the feelings of isolation and futility.

Yet incomes can be uncertain, house and other asset values may have shrunk. People are unsure of what they can afford. Many worry that trying to divorce during these uncertain times may be out of reach.

If you and your spouse are thinking about Divorce

California Document Preparers has been assisting couples with Divorce since 2003. If you and your spouse can agree on a parenting plan and division of property, we can save you a lot of money. The best part is that we guide you through it and we prepare the legal documents. Contact us to talk to us about your amicable Divorce.

We service the entire East Bay and North Bay areas

Berkeley, El Cerrito, Richmond, Pinole, Alameda, San Leandro, Castro Valley Newark, San Lorenzo, Concord, Alamo, Danville, Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Livermore, Tracy and Fremont. Our clients also live in the Napa Valley, Benicia, Vallejo, Martinez, Fairfield.