(From Press Release, Yolo Food Bank) – To address coronavirus mitigation-related barriers to food access for low-income seniors and other vulnerable populations in Yolo County, Yolo Food Bank will begin a free home-delivered food service this Monday. The program will continue until further notice. Please call 530-668-0690 or email info@yolofoodbank.org to participate. Individuals who are not low-income are urged to contact a for-profit grocery delivery service, so that Yolo Food Bank can prioritize the needs of low-income residents during this time of crisis.
“The Coronavirus social distancing measures being implemented in Yolo County and elsewhere are creating unforeseen barriers preventing seniors, residents with underlying health conditions, and other vulnerable populations from meeting their basic needs,” stated Yolo Food Bank Executive Director Michael Bisch. “California’s food banks are among the first responders to ‘mitigating’ the Coronavirus public health mitigation measures. Yolo Food Bank has been mobilizing since last week to provide food delivery services for these residents disproportionately impacted by social 
distancing measures.”
All other individuals who regularly access food via Yolo Food Bank’s more than 100 ongoing public distributions each month throughout the county should continue to visit these locations. As some of these sites are being temporarily relocated due to the closure of public facilities hosting these distributions, please visit https://yolofoodbank.org/get-help/ for up-to-date information.
Addressing the emerging community needs created by the coronavirus outbreak requires an all-hands on deck response. Yolo County service organizations, volunteer groups, nonprofits, and students who may be on an unanticipated break from school all are welcomed to participate in this urgent, meaningful work. To lend a hand, please contact Robb Davis, Yolo Food Bank ‘s Coronavirus Response Coordinator, at 530-220-2344 or robb@yolofoodbank.org.
Yolo Food Bank urges all community members and organizations to follow Yolo Public Health Officer Ron Chapman’s recommendations for social distancing, in particular, postponing all non-essential events and gatherings. Dr. Chapman has communicated that this is the most effective means of slowing the spread of coronavirus, helps to avoid overwhelming our local healthcare system, and sustains our ability to meet basic needs such as food distribution. Please go to www.yolocounty.org/coronavirus for a comprehensive list of public health recommendations.
“We are a resilient community,” Bisch said. “By working together, we can meet this coronavirus challenge.”
I am delighted to see the Yolo Food Bank getting this outreach established so quickly. I am sure there are many similar efforts that are occurring throughout our community. I would like to make a couple of additional suggestions:
1. Some are now seeing, and I suspect many more will see, decreases in their personal income due to event cancellations, shorter hours, or business closures. I heard that some of our merchants are having downturns in the vicinity of 40 % ( albeit 3rd had info) If someone owes you money, if you are able, this might be a good time to postpone collection.
2. I would urge our faith, interfaith, secular organizations, and neighborhood groups to reach out & compile a list of those who are vulnerable. This would be a good time to establish call trees and organize shopping and errand trips for those who should not be going out, especially since we have no idea how long this will last. There have now been several case reports in China of people who appeared to have fully recovered, only to develop symptoms and test positive…again.
3. It is also a good time to realize that our American culture of independence and “rugged individuality” may make it hard for some to reach out, even when in need. It might help to be the one to reach out to friends, neighbors, associates to see what might help them.
If true, that is positively terrifying.
Oh… China folk have identified at least two strains of covid-19… vaccines sometimes only protect against one strain… (true story, meant to increase paranoia in those already paranoid)… it is also said, there are often valid reasons for paranoia… as for me, will be prudent, but not paranoid.
Que sera, sera…
Please – the article that produced these results was ROUNDLY condemned by epidemiologists. There is no evidence for this and their very methodology was unsound.
So, are you saying it is patently false that a virus can mutate into two or more strains? Fascinating.
Bill – I am saying that the study had serious errors. Viruses mutate but there is no evidence of this kind of bifurcated distinction. I am saying that those who reviewed it pointed out those errors. I just want us all to be very careful about sharing information. I am doing my best to sift through evidence and follow the most qualified people I can find.
Like I said, I cannot be on here responding to information. Let’s just try to fact check our information before posting. Go the extra mile to try to analyze it effectively. That is all I am asking.
Let’s be careful.
Now that they have announced that the virus can stay on surfaces for up to 72 hours, incubate for many days, and linger in low-symptomatic people for weeks, shouldn’t, as available, all people distributing such supplies be tested prior to taking on this work and be tested regularly, as test kits available, especially those delivering to high-risk persons such as those described ?
“Honest questions” . . . hopefully answered by medical professionals.
Good question… with a corollary… protection for the worker delivering, as the recipient might have a ‘bug’, be it covid-19 or the flu, etc. Works both ways.
Same honesty/fairness intended…
I am going to have very little time to respond here but wanted to note a few things:
1. The idea that people are being re-infected after recovery is almost certainly not accurate (apologies to Tia). Keep in mind that testing sensitivities and specificities are NOT 100% and so these could be test errors. Whatever else is different about this virus it is a virus and people mount normal immune responses (that HAS been demonstrated through serological tests but NO, I don’t have the article in front of me). We do not know how long that immunity will last but the idea that it is mere days does not seem plausible. If other evidence arises I will be the first to share it.
2. In terms of distribution to at-risk population. This can only be done via a “no-contact” methodology whereby food is dropped, picked up by another, and delivered to a door—not inside a home.
3. As far as contamination of containers, this is a fair question and each kind of surface is different. We will need to look to the Health Department for guidelines on how to handle containers. There will be common-sense precautions taken to reduce fomite transmission of this nature.
Mitigating the mitigation of the virus—the phase we are in now, will require some trade offs. People need to self-isolate but will need their basic needs met. How does that all work? We don’t fully know but analyzing risks and risk trade offs must always be part of how we respond.
Am assuming you meant ‘mitigation of the migration’… correct me if I am wrong…
In some contexts, ‘mitigation’ of ‘mitigations’ is real… along the lines of, “to every solution, there is a problem”… which can, and has happened… see also, “unintended consequences”… also called, ‘being human’…
No Bill – I meant mitigation of mitigation. The current response has moved from what health departments and the CDC call “containment” to “mitigation”. What I am saying with this verbiage is that the mitigation efforts WILL (and are already) leading to the need to mitigate social impacts. We are mitigating the mitigation efforts.
I am truly and sincerely out now folks… Text me (do NOT call) if you have concerns about anything you are hearing or if I am doing something wrong but please do not overwhelm me. I will NOT give personal advice. I will not.
530 220 2344 (this number is out in public)
I understand and respect the need to self-protect and state that clearly.
And for the record, in case anyone was wondering, Alan Miller will not be giving personal advice either. I will not.
[Reality: no one was wondering.]
You’ve given informed answers, Robb, and I and others thank you for that…
Thanks, Robb. Good info.
Speaking of which (above quote on tradeoffs), I am continuing to patronize my favorite LOCAL, INDEPENDENT cafes and coffeehouses here and in Sacramento and the Bay Area, to support them, despite the risk of transmission. At least for now. Though I can’t stave off every small business’ bankruptcy single-highhandedly, I don’t want to wake up from this pandemic in August and find the only thing left in Davis is the iHop, the Jack-in-the-Box drive-thru, and five Starbucks.