As we read about the aggressive spread of Covid outbreaks this fall, some of the biggest contributors are on university campuses. At least Covid 214,000 cases have been linked to campuses, and it’s student journalists who are helping tell the story. As administrators and other staff try to diminish outbreak severity and manage damage control, it’s students who are holding them accountable, trying to keep people safe.

A lot of this is about economics

Colleges and universities need student tuition and other fees, and the surrounding communities count on student spending for food, entertainment and other necessities. There’s a lot of pressure to sweep Covid scandals under the rug and pretend that everything’s normal. It’s not just staff and administrators who are trying to ignore Covid outbreaks and rule violations. Students are some of the biggest offenders. Think back to your own college days—did you really think rules applied to you?

Student newspapers are now playing a major role in information delivery

Ironically, reporting on campus Covid outbreaks can be difficult because small town newspapers keep going out of business. But here’s where it gets interesting: Campus newspapers are picking up the slack, stepping up and covering the pandemic. They’re outing the administrators who are trying to squelch the truth about the coronavirus spread on campus. They’re reporting on students who are breaking quarantine because it puts everyone’s health in danger. These students are becoming an important voice for information-sharing.

• In Arizona, The State Press broke the news that Arizona State students who were supposed to be in isolation hadsnuck out of their dorms.
• At Indiana University, The Indiana Daily Student spoke toUber drivers who had picked up students under quarantine at sororities and fraternities.
• “We all saw this coming,” wrote the editorial board of The Daily Tar Heel at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. They’re blaming administrators for poor planning as the school was forced to abandon in-person instruction.

“Student journalists are playing an incredibly important role in this moment, and they’re doing it in an environment where local news media is drying up or disappearing,” said Hadar Harris, the executive director of the Student Press Law Center.

Campus paper, The Alligator, has a staff of 60 student journalists

Kyle Wood, a journalism student at the University of Florida, works in one of the college communities where the campus publication, The Alligator, is now arguably better staffed than the local newspaper. “We’re filling holes where we see them,” said Mr. Wood, 22, who oversees a staff of about 60 journalists as The Alligator’s editor-in-chief.

• He has added new beats, including coverage of K-12 education and small businesses, to report on the pandemic’s effect on the city.
• The first story from the reporter on the paper’s new health beat followed a tip about lax safety procedures in the university hospital’s emergency room.
• Wood is also working with reporters to updatea map that tracks the city’s Covid outbreaks.

College athletics programs in the spotlight

One coverage area where campus newspapers have traditionally excelled is sports, especially at large schools where college athletics generates big money. During the pandemic, campus sports were a big story because of the economics. When highly paid coaches and high-profile athletes test positive, it becomes a political and economic matter.

• At the University of Virginia, The Cavalier Daily shed light on atesting disparity between athletes. It appears that high-profile players received tests three times a week; other athletes had to exaggerate symptoms just to get tested.
• At Villanova, the big story is their basketball team, which currently fields several strong seniors with a shot at making it to the NBA. Disruptions to the schedule can affect whether professional scouts can watch them play. “If they lose this forum, their professional career is in jeopardy,” said Emily Cox, 21, a co-editor in chief atThe Villanovan. “We’re tracking that because no one else is covering it.”

Arielle Gordon, 21, a senior at Colorado College, helped start a newsletter to report on the pandemic on campus and in the surrounding community. After a spike of cases in late August, the school’s test positivity rate has stayed below 1%.“Our audience is definitely expanding as coronavirus cases pop up,” Ms. Gordon said. “People want to know what went wrong,” she said. “We’ve been trying to find out as much we can.”

Uncertainty has driven many of our clients to create or update their Living Trusts

As the COVID crisis drags on, more clients are scheduling appointments to create or update their Trusts. Creating a Trust helps provide some peace of mind during these uncertain times.

Our Trust package includes a Power of Attorney and an Advance Healthcare Directive. It also includes a Pour Over Will, and for those families with children under 18, this means that they can name a Guardian rather than having the court appoint one for them. 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.

Americans Are Planning a Different Kind of Holiday This Year

My longtime friend Christine grew up in Chicago and most of her large extended family are still firmly rooted in the Midwest. Thanksgiving has always been the time when her family gathered. Much more than Christmas, Thanksgiving has been their time for traditions—the same favorite recipes—no deviation allowed, ever. Annual walks along the shores of Lake Michigan, holiday shopping along the magnificent mile. Long lunches, dinners and conversations. As long as I can remember, she braved long lines, colds and flu, pregnancy, snowstorms and airport closures to be with her family at Thanksgiving.

But this year, her family is putting their traditions on hold

They’ve been frantically emailing and texting for the last few months. Time has taken its toll. Many family members are now in the high-risk group—older, with conditions that make them vulnerable to infection. One nephew has asthma, an uncle recently had a kidney transplant. They’ve considered gathering as usual, but excluding those who are high-risk. But for those who need to fly to the Midwest for the holiday, there is too much resistance. This family will put off their traditional Thanksgiving for the first time in more than 50 years.

Covid cases are on the rise, and each day exceeds the previous day’s record

“I’m not going to tell people not to have a family gathering, because mental health is important, now more than ever,” says epidemiologist Saskia Popescu, PhD, an assistant professor at George Mason University. “But I can’t in good conscience say, ‘Yeah, it’s okay to have a big celebration.’ There is no 100% safe way for two households to get together for the holidays in any area where Covid is circulating, which currently includes the entire United States.”

It’s not just the gatherings, but the getting there

Airplanes have good ventilation and air filtering, but you can’t control who sits near you. If one of those passengers is shedding virus, your risk rises.

If you must go, reduce the risk:

• Move gatherings outdoors, weather permitting.
• Wear masks except when eating.
• Maintain as much physical distance as possible, with six feet as a minimum (more is better).
• Limit time spent with others, especially indoors.
• If you must be inside, open the windows if possible, to increase ventilation, or get an air purifier or upgrade your whole-house air filters to help reduce the concentration of any virus particles. If someone is shedding the coronavirus, it can build up in a poorly ventilated space, and the risk grows with each passing minute.

We’re all feeling increased levels of anxiety

We’re all on edge. The chaos of the campaign and the election. An uncertain economy, the insecurity of our jobs—the added responsibility for schooling our kids. Covid adds another layer of ambiguity and fear.

Experts advise us to start the holiday talks with family now

“If you’re the person who’s ready to walk through the door at Aunt Jen’s house, know that your siblings, cousins, and other family members may not be comfortable joining you. We suffer a lot because we are waiting for things to change, as opposed to accepting what is,” says Karen Dobkins, Ph.D, a professor of psychology at UC San Diego. The holidays will be different this year, and there’s no use crying over the loss. Once you’ve accepted the insanity that is 2020, you’re ready to take the next important step.”

This is the time to make new traditions

Rather than fighting the inevitable change and mourning the loss of your traditional holiday, create a new tradition.

• Think about what you value most about the holiday and replicate it in your own home.
• If Thanksgiving is about food, replicate that meal in your own home. Get the whole family involved in its preparation. Share it via Zoom with your extended family.
• This is the season for giving. So many people have lost their homes and livelihoods in the North Bay fires. Contributing to this or other causes could become your new tradition and a way to introduce your kids to the spirit of sharing.
• Think about family walks, games or bike rides. The possibilities are endless.

Celebrate being together, being grateful for what you have. It’s been a tough year!

Covid has prompted many of our clients to create Living Trusts

Many of our clients are gaining some peace of mind by creating or updating their Living Trusts. Naming your heirs and identifying how you want your estate to be distributed ensure that your family will avoid the painful Probate process.

Our Trust package includes a Power of Attorney and an Advance Healthcare Directive. It also includes a Pour Over Will, and for those families with children under 18, this means that they can name a Guardian rather than having the court appoint one for them.

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.

Will Covid-19 Reduce the Severity of Flu Season?

Eight months and counting. We can’t get a safe, effective COVID vaccine soon enough. We long to strip off our masks and hug our friends and families again. To throw open the doors of restaurants, bars, theaters, concert halls, movie theaters and sports venues and embrace life once more. But experts caution us that a vaccine may not be the panacea we seek.

What we can learn from the flu vaccine

Let’s take a look at our annual flu shots. Flu vaccines are approximate 50% effective in preventing infection from each season’s flu bug. Flu vaccines are administered annually because the mix of viral strains varies from year to year. Even if the viruses don’t change significantly, our immunity wanes.

Scientists continue to learn about the coronavirus, and they know that it mutates. “If a vaccine was developed that is 50% effective in preventing COVID, it would still be licensed,” said Michael T. Osterholm, infectious disease specialist at the University of Minnesota. “We’d like a higher degree of effectiveness, but as with the flu vaccine, 50% protection is better than zero.

“It will disappear, like magic”, is so not going to happen

Even after being immunized against COVID, we may still have to wear our masks, practice social distancing and frequently wash our hands. It’s not “just disappearing, like magic”, as President Trump predicted.

The good news: We may see a less severe flu season this year

The protective COVID measures that we’ve been practicing well may affect our winter flu season. Experts look to the Southern Hemisphere as a predictor. Australia had a quester flu season this year. “We think that’s because people have been using measures to prevent COVID-19”, said Dr. Kristin Englund, an infectious diseases expert at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Christopher Ohl, a professor of infectious diseases at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, agreed that “there is a little bit of hope that the flu season will be a little less severe this year.”

• Our manic use of hand sanitizers and handwashing will help keep the flu bug at bay.
• Masks will reduce the airborne transmission of COVID and the common flu.
• For those who get the flu after being immunized, the illness is likely to be significantly less severe.
• Health care professionals are optimistic that this also may be the case with a coronavirus vaccine.

Experts are concerned about winter and the convergence of flu and COVID

Health care workers are now focusing on the rate of infections this winter. COVID cases are on the rise here at home and in other countries.

• In Europe, where COVID is on the rise again, there are new restrictions. Paris has imposed a curfew. London has banned people from different households from meeting indoors.
• In Iowa and North Dakota, where there are no mask mandates, the virus is surging, with more than 20% positivity rates.
• Hospitals in some parts of the country have reached capacity, yet the White House’s Office of Science and Technology is celebrating the end of the pandemic. It is no longer controlling the virus.
• Incredibly, Florida has completely opened up its economy—bars and restaurants, gyms and theaters–no masks or social distancing.

Experts worry that the confluence of COVID and our normal flu season could overwhelm the health care system. Pneumonia can be a complication of the flu, which would further burden hospitals—many with a limited number of ventilators.

Those most vulnerable are seniors, children under five and pregnant women. And as we’ve learned from COVID, those with preexisting conditions are especially at risk.

For those over 65, a high-dose flu vaccine is now available

For people 65 and older, an inactivated vaccine called Fluzone High-Dose is now available and covered by Medicare. It is especially recommended for people living in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. According to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, the high-dose vaccine was 24% more effective in preventing flu in older adults than the standard-dose vaccine.

When to get your flu shot? Right now.

October is the ideal time to get a flu shot to ensure that it lasts through the flu season.

COVID has created an urgency on many levels, including creating a Living Trust

As the COVID crisis drags on, more clients are scheduling appointments to create or update their Living Trusts. Our Trust package includes a Power of Attorney and an Advance Healthcare Directive. It also includes a Pour Over Will, and for those families with children under 18, this means that they can name a Guardian rather than having the court appoint one for them.

Creating a Trust helps provide peace of mind during these uncertain times. 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.

New Learning on COVID: It’s Attacking the Heart

Emerging data show that some of the coronavirus’s most potent damage is inflicted on the heart

It seems like a lifetime ago, but at one time we were naive enough to think that COVID was an infection specific to the lungs. We’ve learned a lot in the last six months. We now know that there is hardly any part of the body this virus doesn’t attack. Some of the virus’s most potent damage is inflicted on the heart, and it can result in organ failure.

Meet Eduardo Rodriguez, poised to start as #1 pitcher for the Boston Red Sox

In July the 27-year-old tested positive for COVID. “I’ve never been that sick in my life, and I don’t want to get that sick again.” His symptoms abated, but he felt so tired after throwing 20 pitches during practice that trainers told him to stop and rest. Tests showed he had a condition many are still struggling to understand: COVID-associated myocarditis. Mr. Rodriguez won’t be taking the mound in the 2020 season.

And a patient in his early 50s with COVID-related heart disease

Myocarditis means inflammation of the heart muscle. Some patients are never bothered by it, but for others it can have serious implications. One 50-year old patient had been in perfect health with no history of serious illness when he contracted COVID. When the fevers and body aches started, he isolated himself and waited to get better. But his condition deteriorated and he accumulated gallons of fluid in his legs. When he came to the hospital unable to catch a breath, it wasn’t his lungs that had pushed him to the brink–it was his heart. He is now being evaluated to see if he needs a heart transplant.

MRI scans of patients recovered from COVID

A German study examines the way SARS-CoV-2 affects the heart. Researchers studied 100 individuals, with a median age of just 49, who had recovered from COVID. Researchers performed MRI scans of their hearts and made some alarming discoveries: Nearly 80% had persistent abnormalities and 60% had evidence of myocarditis. The degree of myocarditis was not explained by the severity of the initial illness.

Though the study has some flaws, it makes clear that in young patients who had seemingly overcome SARS-CoV-2 it’s fairly common for the heart to be affected. We may be seeing only the beginning of the damage. Despite treatment, more severe forms of Covid-19-associated myocarditis can lead to permanent damage of the heart, which in turn can lead to heart failure.

Deferred care results in a bump in heart attacks and death

Since February 2020, nearly 25,000 more Americans have died of heart disease than in the same period in previous years. Some of these deaths could be put down to COVID, but the majority are likely to be because patients deferred care for their hearts. That could lead to a wave of untreated heart disease in the wake of the pandemic.

The AMA’s Message: Don’t Die of Doubt

The American Heart Association has a new campaign called “Don’t Die of Doubt” to address the alarming reduction in people calling 911 or seeking medical care after a heart attack or stroke.

• It’s been clear that high-risk people are those who are overweight, have diabetes or high blood pressure. Add those with heart conditions to that high-risk list. The CDC recommends that the more than 30M Americans living with heart disease take extra precautions.
• Doctors and researchers should no longer think of Covid-19 as a disease of the lungs but as one that can affect any part of the body, especially the heart.
• The only way to prevent more people dying of heart disease, both from damage caused by the virus as well as from deferred care of heart disease, is to control the pandemic.

COVID has created an urgency on many levels, including creating a Living Trust

As the COVID crisis drags on, more clients are scheduling appointments to create or update their Living Trusts. Our Trust package includes a Power of Attorney and an Advance Healthcare Directive. It also includes a Pour Over Will, and for those families with children under 18, it means that they can name a Guardian rather than having the court appoint one for you. Creating a Trust helps provide peace of mind during these uncertain times. 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.

The source of this article: Haider Warraich (@haiderwarraich), the author of “State of the Heart: Exploring the History, Science, and Future of Cardiac Disease,” is a cardiologist and researcher at the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Itching to Get Away? Travel in the Time of COVID

We’re well into our sixth month of COVID restrictions. We’ve mismanaged our response to the pandemic, so we can’t travel to countries in the European Union. But it’s fall, the best time of year to travel, and many of us are itching to get away. Surprisingly, there are quite a few countries that would be delighted to take our tourist dollars, including the Maldives, Jamaica, Mexico, the Caribbean, Serbia, Croatia, Turkey, Ecuador and Brazil. Dependencies may include a temperature check, COVID test and the ability to show a place of residence during our stay.

Travel closer to home: What does a COVID vacation look like?

I traveled to Washington state’s Whidbey Island a month or so ago. I flew into Seattle’s SeaTac airport, rented a car and drove up to the island—about a two-hour trip.

Some observations: Forget about social distancing on the airplane

There were no COVID concessions on my flight–it was packed. It may be that we can expect that—the airline industry has been hit hard by COVID. With fewer flights to popular destinations, I suspect these flights will be full. Be comforted by the fact that air is circulated and filtered on airplanes, so most viruses don’t spread easily on flights. Reduce the risk by frequently washing your hands, using hand sanitizer, wiping down your tray table, wearing a mask, opening up the vent above you and freezing to death for the duration of the flight.

Be aware that your flight may be canceled and cost more. A colleague flew from Oakland to eastern Washington, and his expensive connecting flights were canceled in both directions. This translates to a lot of extra time hanging out in airports—and increasing your risk of exposure. He’s in the high-risk group with health issues, so this trip was terrifying for him.

To be aware of:

• If you need to rent a car. In some areas this could pose a problem because people are renting cars and taking road trips instead of flying.
• For a road trip: Pack a cooler with water and food. Fewer stops are safer.
• While we’re used to a high level of COVID awareness in the Bay Area, this is not the case in many parts of the country. Iowa and South Dakota have no mask requirement. In 17 states, there is some mask requirement, which means that the level of COVID safety will vary by city and county.

Everyone knows the drill by now

For my little adventure, everyone, everywhere, was masked and social distancing—at the car rental counter, cafes and shops. The TSA team wear masks, face shields and gloves. As I drove up to Whidbey, I noticed that the rest areas were closed. For those traveling with kids on longer road trips, this could pose a problem. Kids require frequent snack and bio breaks.

If you’re planning a road trip: Some tips from the experts

Do some research and be flexible. Even if you’re doing a business trip that will require renting a car at the airport, there’s a very good chance you’ll encounter closures and frustration.

• Research travel advisories.
• Don’t leave home without hand sanitizers and disinfecting wet wipes, disposable gloves, sealable disposable plastic bags and tissues. You’re allowed to carry a 12-oz bottle of hand sanitizer on the plane with you.
• Expect to be wearing a mask in all indoor public places, so bring a stash.
• Stop and buy water and snacks—it will limit the number of times you need to stop for refreshments.
• Drivers may want to wear disposable gloves while pumping gas. Pay with a credit card rather than cash, eliminating a face/face interaction.

Bathroom access these days can be challenging

Limit fluids. Many public restrooms are closed. Starbucks or other fast-food establishments may prevent noncustomers or even customers from using their bathrooms.

Dining

Restaurants in some states have resumed dine-in service, but there will be limitations on the number of people permitted in a given space. Eating in outside patios or decks is safer. Consider purchasing your own food and eating outdoors. This will all become more difficult as the weather gets cooler.

Sleeping

If staying in a hotel, call ahead to confirm your reservation.

• Consider renting a home rather than staying in a hotel—you’ll have a kitchen to cook your own meals.
• Guidelines from the American Hotel & Lodging Association include stringent cleaning procedures for everything from elevator buttons to exercise equipment.
• Recommended guidelines include wiping down high-touch areas–doorknobs, TV remote control, etc.
• For stays of more than one night, forgo housekeeping services so that you can control sanitization and limit the number of people who come in and out of your room.

Trying not to touch handles, doorknobs, elevator buttons, escalator railings, etc. is challenging. Keep hand sanitizer in your bag and use frequently.

Before leaving on your trip: Create or update your Living Trust

 

COVID has created an urgency on many levels, including creating a Living Trust

As the COVID crisis drags on, more clients are scheduling appointments to create or update their Living Trusts. Our Trust package includes a Power of Attorney and an Advance Healthcare Directive. It also includes a Pour Over Will, and for those families with children under 18, this means that they can name a Guardian rather than having the court appoint one for them.

Creating a Trust helps provide peace of mind during these uncertain times. 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.