Mayor's Message about Covid-19 Update #13 March 28, 2020
Posted on: March 28, 2020 - 7:31pm
Hi everyone,
It’s now been about 14 days since I started writing to you about how you can protect yourselves and how we can protect our Village during this pandemic – just a couple more days than our family was out of power during Hurricane Sandy. That two week stretch felt interminable, but this feels even longer, and more grim, as there isn’t a clear end in sight. Today I am sharing the experience of two residents who have tested positive. Special thanks to both of them, their families, and to everyone who has notified us of your situation – it’s been a huge help to our EMS team.
To everyone who has tested positive or is feeling sick and waiting for results, we wish you and your families a speedy recovery.
Cases in Hastings-on-Hudson
As of today, we have 16 official cases of Covid-19 in the Village (on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday our number was 13). We have forwarded the County updates with the latest numbers for all of Westchester as we receive them. For those of you who are trying to interpret the numbers remember the only thing we can know for sure is that they underestimate the true story. There are many reasons for this. First, the County data is about 3 days behind actual testing and so it is incomplete. Second, informally, we know there are more cases in the Village than have been reported (there are at least 7 additional positive cases we are aware of). Third, residents have reported a delay in getting test results ranging from 12 hours to 12 days. Fourth, many people have been unable to get tests but are convinced they have the symptoms and are weathering it through – these people will not counted anywhere. Given all of this, the key take away remains the same: "Act as if you have been exposed, stay home, and monitor for symptoms." For some people this message just isn’t computing … they feel well and are having difficulty making adjustments in their behavior. A doctor I spoke to yesterday suggested perhaps people should make a mental shift to “Act as if everyone else has the virus.” A musician eloquently expressed the message like THIS. Whatever tactic works for you please use it – bottom line, don’t bend the rules and please hunker down and take care of one another.
Isolation and Self-Quarantine: Narratives from Residents
In order to help you understand isolation/self-quarantine protocols, I’m sharing a message from someone in our Village who has been through the process: “What does self-quarantine look like? I am a health care worker. I had a possible exposure so my wife and I did an informal isolation. We slept in separate beds, stayed six feet apart, did not share food and utensils, washed hands constantly and wiped down shared surfaces. When I got a fever, we formally self-quarantined (I eventually tested positive for the virus). I ‘moved’ into two rooms in the downstairs and she stayed upstairs as much as possible. We both wore masks when we were on the same floor and remained at least six feet apart. My wife prepared food for me so I stayed out of the kitchen. We both went outside separately for fresh air. Chance of spread outdoors is very small as long as there is social distancing. We did not go to any stores but had food delivered by thoughtful friends. Lastly, my wife checked her temperature twice daily. Thankfully, she has not developed a fever as of this time. We made the plan to quarantine for 14 days after I developed the fever (which went away after one day).”
Here is another message about coping with isolation: “My first impulse is to want to help rein in the fear. Of course there are people who will be vulnerable to this virus to a dangerous extent so I wouldn’t want to minimize that fact. And I wouldn’t want to foster a cavalier attitude because of course this is serious and dangerous for the community as a whole as a public health issue. I’m simply inclined to want to help people reduce their fear on a more personal level, to be thoughtful and smart without being driven by fear and panic. For me one of the more difficult and distressing aspects of being sick with corona is the isolation. It’s exhausting and so difficult to engage with others even remotely. When compounded by life in general being so radically altered, the isolation is particularly depressing. That was my experience anyhow. It really helped to have so many people checking in on me regularly, especially when they let me know that they didn’t expect a response. I find a helpful perspective is to look for the opportunities in the midst of the challenges. We are limited in many of the outlets and social connections that replenish us during normal life. So what can we work on while we’re contending with our new circumstances? For me it’s patience. I am finding that recovery is bumpier than I want it to be and my energy is more diminished than I would like. My work right now is to access the patience I need to allow my body to heal completely.”
For those of you who look to history for lessons, HERE is an article written by one resident Barron Lerner about another resident Rabbi Eddie Schecter as a way of informing responses to the 2009 pandemic of H1N1 swine influenza. It is equally relevant today.
Contact Tracking
An action that has helped to curtail the spread of the virus in other countries is “contact tracing,” which means tracing back people you have been in contact with over the past 14 days to establish exposure. From speaking to residents who have tested positive, it’s not clear how much formal contact tracing has actually been done (probably due to the rapid onset of cases). So this means that the burden of contact tracing falls on everyone who has tested positive (or strongly suspects they are positive) and their families. The best thing you can do for the community is to inform people who might have been exposed so that they can monitor for symptoms and self-quarantine. By doing this, you may literally save someone’s life. The rest of us should be keeping a list of places we have visited and people we have been in contact with – the “virus diary” of previous messages – in case we develop symptoms and need to conjure up the information. Please do your part.
Going Outside
There is a debate going on about which outside activities are OK – many of you have written sharing your views. As I said in my last message, exercising to maintain one’s sanity makes sense, but let me add, contact sports don’t make sense. You all know what “contact sports” are but here’s a partial list so we’re all on the same page: basketball, rugby, football, soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, hockey, wrestling, martial arts etc. Golf is not considered a contact sport and the County courses are open, but golfers are being asked to use separate carts. The concern with tennis is that even if players are on opposite sides of a net, both people touch the ball. There are similar concerns about Frisbee or catch. If, like my brother Mark who is a tennis pro, you must play tennis, the safest option is to use a wall (also possible for lacrosse). For now the Village tennis courts are open but if we see people congregating we will close them. Running and hiking are both sports where social distancing should be possible but where without vigilance it breaks down. So here’s the thing – do exercise to stay sane but please, please, please practice social distancing and stay away from other people. Remember when you go outside: "Act as if you have been exposed" and “Act as if everyone else has the virus.” On this topic, I am just hoping it’s people's best selves that surface.
Relief Programs
As per my last email, a list of relief programs for New Yorkers can be found HERE and HERE and will be updated on our website HERE.
Acts of Kindness #13:
There are so many lovely acts of kindness people have shared. On a hyper local listserve that includes our house, a person wrote: “I am a gift and toy rep and have left a variety of fun stuff on my driveway for anyone to take.” The kids loved it.
The New York Times picked up two other local initiatives:
1. The first (also featured in a prior Mayor’s Message) “A Sewing Army, Making Masks for America,” describes the efforts of our own Bettina D’Ascoli’s sewing studio and the Hastings on Hudson Mask Project. They are harnessing our community of “sewists” to provide much needed masks for area healthcare workers and essential service workers. Here’s a quick update: in 6 days, this group of two has grown to seventy-five volunteers and they have already facilitated the distribution of 295 masks. As of yesterday, the HoH Mask Project launched a Facebook group (of the same name) to coordinate efforts going forward. Search Facebook Groups for HoH Mask Project to find them. Volunteer forms and requests for masks (from vetted medical centers, first responders, etc.) can be found on Bettina's shop site HERE.
2. The second, “My Coronavirus Routine: A Neighborhood Primal Scream” by local resident Tim Donohue, is about how the coronavirus pandemic has inspired us to connect with one another while social distancing, no screens required. Some of you may have noticed a fairly regular audible ruckus on recent evenings. It turns out it's a scheduled 5:29 pm primal scream, originating on Lefurgy Avenue. Listen for it and feel free to participate.
All the resources from the bottom of prior Mayor’s Messages have been consolidated HERE, including the updated information on getting tested as well as information about the drive through test site at Westchester Medical Center.
Feel free to reach out to me if you have specific questions, concerns or stories to share: mayor@hastingsgov.org
Sincerely,
Nicola Armacost
Mayor