Locals make run on hand sanitizer; toilet paper supplies low

Concerns of the Coronavirus have reached into La Conner.

Tuesday Mayor Ramon Hayes sent this recommendation from the Skagit County Health Officer to Town Councilmembers and staff: “The community should postpone non-essential events and gatherings of ten or more people.”

While there are no known infections in Skagit County, there have been local cancellations and runs on hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol and, yes, toilet paper.

At the start of last week staff taped a “No masks, No Sanitizer” sign on the door of the La Conner Drug store.

Saturday they were still out of masks, if they ever had them. They had four-ounce bottles of hand sanitizer on a shelf across from the cash register, along with disinfectant wipes and latex gloves. Delivery of more sanitizer, and larger sizes, was expected Tuesday.

Pioneer Market was also out of hand sanitizer till Tuesday. There was some choice in toilet paper, though a couple shelves were empty. The 24-packs of bottled water were stacked high on an end cap, but single bottle inventory was low.

Pat Ball, owner of The Sliders Café, wasn’t sure if reduced business was weather related or from health concerns. He said, “We are still in a very safe place. I think restaurants are one of the safest places to go to. They are kept clean and sanitized.” His staff is cleaning doors and handles more often.

Heather Carter, director of the La Conner Chamber of Commerce reported that neither merchants nor tourists have called regarding COVID 19. She is updating merchants as she gets information.

On Tuesday she called in to a state update with Governor Inslee, State Emergency Management and the State Health Department organized by the Association of Washington Businesses.

In her weekly Monday update to members, Carter included “The Annual Ice Cream & Pie Social, Chamber Fundraiser has been rescheduled to June 25th.” It was set for Thursday.

Last Friday the first “Jazz Valley” Daffodil Festival music festival was cancelled by Carter and Rebecca Strong, manager of La Conner Live, the Gilkey Square Sunday concert series.

Jan Paul, president of the La Conner chapter of Soroptimists, sent an email to its membership after its board of directors met. She shared they were monitoring health directives “to make sure we are doing everything possible to protect us,” a reference to the many volunteers and customers passing through the Morris Street Vintage Shop.

In her email update, Soroptimist Linda Maly wrote, “Saturday was crazy busy ... customers were grateful for and used our hand sanitizer ... Sunday started out slow and we thought, ‘Oh-oh.’ Then the customers flocked in.”

The Friends of the La Conner Regional Library canceled their March 16 monthly meeting. In the members’ newsletter President Joan Scarboro stated, “There are no important decisions to be made and there is still very little news to share regarding the new library, closure of the Library Thrift Shop or the hiring of a new director.”

Christina James, Retirement Inn executive director, has notified all residents and family members. “Friends and family are welcome to visit but we are limiting outside guests,” she said. “We are not hosting any large parties or guest at this time, including entertainment activities.” The Kiwanis have moved their Wednesday morning meetings to Sliders Café.

James said there is a notice on the front door asking people to stay away if they have any symptoms.

The Inn has reduced its transportation services.

James reports extra sanitizing of handrails, doorknobs and “touch spots.” The Inn has plenty of cleaning supplies.

She said the residents were calm and not complaining: “They trust us to take good care of them,”

The Skagit County Sheriff’s Office is issuing and fitting all of its employees with the N95 masks, for incidental contact with citizens that are COVID-19 symptomatic, Traffic Sergeant Jeff Willard of the La Conner Detachment shared in an email.

Saturday the La Conner School Board met in an emergency meeting via phone conference and created a safety plan.

U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen met with Skagit County elected and public health officials last Friday in Mount Vernon. There are no confirmed coronavirus cases in the county, Polly Dubbal, Skagit County Public Health communicable disease and environmental health manager, told them.

CDC has suggested that Coronavirus (and the subset COVID-19) may be with us into 2021. The notion clearly raises concerns: exposure, sickness, spread, quarantine, large group risks, mortality fears and a sense of vulnerability to the unknown. The specifics known about this virus are reliably available from https://www/cdc/gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/. Because of the risk of group transmission, a Maple Hall forum about this problem will not be held. However, here are a few perspectives that may help:

• Handwashing is the first line of defense against inserting COVID-19 onto your nasal, oral or eye mucous membrane (called the T-zone).

  The duration of each hand wash should be longer than you think (sing Happy Birthday twice).

  Create visible soap suds, wash between your fingers and include your fingertips and wrists.

  Dry your hands with a clean or paper towel.

  Then, turn off the faucets with a new dry towel while keeping your hands clean.

  Turning off “dirty” faucets will reintroduce the germs you hope to shed.

  Washing before preparing uncooked food or eating is an obvious time for diligence.

• Touching your face may involve your inadvertently introducing COVID-19.

  The impulse is well established, avoidance is a challenge.

  Carry and use a clean tissue to tap or scratch, a sleeve is better than a hand.

  There is some thought that make-up applicators should be cleaned with an alcohol-based wipe before repeated use.

• Stay six feet away from anyone who is sneezing – the sneeze conveys droplets in the air that you can inhale into your nasal, upper bronchial and lower respiratory tract.

  The droplets may be an everyday cold, the seasonal flu or COVID-19.

  Move if you are near someone sneezing on transport, in line, at an office, in church or in a senior setting.

  Do not let your best friend sneeze on you.

  Ask others to cough into a raised elbow and to wash their hands.

  Infected people wearing masks prevents droplet transmission; CDC advises, that as community members, you do not need to mask.

• Monitor for COVID-19 symptoms.

  Again, COVID-19 is primarily a respiratory virus, differing from season flu with a higher fever, cough, shortness of breath.

  Chinese medical literature suggests citizens there had gastrointestinal symptoms before respiratory symptoms (Medpage.com 03/09/20) and that the virus was found in a few stool samples.

  Either seasonal flu or COVID-19 can be confirmed by available tests.

Ethnicity is not a transmission factor. In China there was already a high incidence of respiratory disease (high smoking rate), urban density and the mortality numbers were based on confirmed cases only.

Persons who have been in close contact with a person confirmed to have COVID-19 are at risk (your health care provider will contact Skagit County Health Department) but someone leaving a 14 days quarantine period does not pose a risk to other people. People who live in or have recently been in an area with ongoing spread are at some increased risk of exposure but the person before you generally would need to test positive. or be identified by public health staff as a risk.

As logistically available, tests confirming COVID-19 can be administered for symptomatic and “asymptomatic exposed” community members.

COVID -19 symptoms present by day 5 on average but may be as short as two days or as long as 14 days. Many COVID-19 patients have a mild case. Those with chronic medical conditions that may already strain health face a stronger recovery challenge. Keep fever control medications, fluids and helpers available. Supplemental oxygen or hospitalization can be needed for a minority of patients.

COVID-19 may survive on high touch surfaces for few or several hours depending on surface porosity. Wipe down household surfaces with disinfectants or a household cleaning spray. There is some CDC literature that has discovered COVID-19 in the stool of an infected person, emphasizing the significance of strict hand-washing.

Attention to your own health advocacy is essential.

(1) Secure fever mitigation meds. Store extra refills of your routine medications.

(2) You could prepare to “shelter-in-place (https:/www.fema.gov/disaster/4339/emergency-preparedness) not because this is necessary now but this site states clearly what you might need on hand if you decide to stay home.

(3) Exercise your healthy lungs now: deep breath with your arms raised while sitting or standing, concentrate on a slow inhale and longer exhale to dilate the distal portions of your lungs . Open windows.

(4) Stay cozy and warm. Try yoga or meditation because relaxed is best.

(5) Continue your good nutrition efforts and add in fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains.

(6) Walk outside as briskly as you can or get more interior steps each day in order to create high levels of circulating oxygen in your body.

(7) Unless your health care provider told you to limit your fluids, drink copious amounts of fluids: this helps to maintain a high blood volume and fosters the clearance of toxins via the kidneys.

(8) Reach out to your neighbors to open communication in a new and positive way and make firm mutual offers of help and support.

By Dorothy Downes

Dorothy Downes, RN, MSW, MPA, a community member, worked for CDC researching the transmission of communicable disease and is currently practicing as a case manager in a post-ICU respiratory hospital in Seattle. The best source of advice on medical issues is your personal physician, ARNP or PA.