Virtual City Townhall COVID-19 Questions - 4.23.20

COVID-19 TESTING

How can I get tested? Verily, which is a South San Francisco based biotech company, was the very first company in the country to do mobile testing. They have set up a facility that has been very successful. It is setup at the San Mateo County fairgrounds in the City of San Mateo, just a few miles south of South San Francisco. You can get tested there by going online first. Their website, where you sign up to get tested is www.projectbaseline.com. Fill out a questionnaire and you can do the drive through testing there. We are very proud that is a South San Francisco company getting that done!

When is the City of South San Francisco going to implement general testing for all of its residents? This is for peace of mind and knowing that I am able to join the workforce and can go see and be with family again. There is not yet an initiative to do communitywide testing of those who are not symptomatic to see if they are able to go back to work. First, it would be a lot broader than just South San Francisco. We're a very dense urban area and would also have to test Brisbane and San Bruno to make sure we have area immunity. But for the individual that is not yet in place, I would again try Verily if you'd like to get it done yourself.

If you ask any physician who is involved in responding this pandemic, I think across the board we do all think that community based testing and widespread testing is a major part of having a return to normal. With that major testing, we have to do it in a smart and thoughtful way where we get information that we know what it means and what we can do to act on it. So right now, there's still limitations with the test. We've done an amazing job of making new tests that work in new ways, but don't yet know necessarily what the significance of these tests are in terms of using them to clear the community, go back to work. For example, one of the tests can find out if you have an active infection. Another test might be good at telling if you've developed antibodies, but doesn’t necessarily do both of those tests on a broad based community level and understand whether or not that means that we can clear people to go back to work. We don't yet know enough about the virus and its behavior to really make educated decisions on that at this time, but we are working on it. There are initiatives in place in many other places where they're doing focused large scale testing of the community. While it's not yet at the point where they should have every person, they are looking at the understanding the overall amount of people who are infected in the over amount of people have antibodies that can help guide us what to do with that information. We will probably soon hit the capacity point where we can start doing more testing. We want to make sure that we do the right thing with that information we're gathering, because at this point, we just don't know the significance of those results.

We are waiting for the science to catch up where we can do that broad based community testing so we can go back to the real normal that we all enjoyed six months ago. But in the meantime, let's do what we know is appropriate - wear a mask and maintain social distancing. If you feel sick, stay home. The shelter in place will allow us to go back to work sometime in late May. As you know, we'll do the best we can with the precautions that have been provided.

How accurate are the tests? So the tests have varying accuracy based off of what they are. The PCR tests, which are the nasal swabs, are very accurate at detecting the presence of the virus itself. The antibody test which is done using blood can be somewhat variable. Now, when they're negative, they're pretty darn good at saying that the patient does not have antibodies for the virus and they're positive it may or may not have as good performance. And that's more a factor of all tests being imperfect and the amount of patients who have the problem. These statistics do impact the performance of the test, so we have good test. We just don't necessarily know how much we can rely on them just yet. But a positive nasal swab does indicate virus.

Is the testing data that has been gathered by the City, County or State level. Can we be sure it is being used only for this COVID-19 virus situation? So far, the tests that we're doing, the only information that we would be able to get from them is for COVID-19. There is no data that would be collected outside of the COVID-19 inception. Now, if you're hospitalized, they gather other data about what's going on with you, other medical problems. Your course of care, your health, all of those things that are pertinent to your medical care. But any testing that's done outside of the hospital for the purposes of COVID-19 is solely for the purposes of COVID-19.

HEALTH-RELATED

I work for an essential business, so I wear my mask at work. And any time that I'm at another essential business, I always have a mask on. Sometimes I feel like I can't breathe and that I'm not completely oxygenating my body and that's very concerning. Besides exercise, what are some other practices or lifestyle changes that I can make to ensure I don't suffer from other lung related health problems or become a carbon dioxide retainer? Your overall risk of becoming a carbon dioxide retainer or having long-term health issues is exceptionally low. The holes that are in the mask that allow the gases to pass through, especially a fabric mask, are large enough that most of the gas should be able to pass the very easily, and especially the carbon dioxide which diffuses in air very quickly, should be able to pass through quickly enough that it shouldn't cause any long term health effects. Now, if you're wearing a traditional fabric mask, a bandana, or even a surgical mask, the holes as well as the space around the sides of the mask should be large enough. So we want to make sure that all of the breath that you breathe out is being filtered through the mask and not through an exclusion port.

It has been on the news that African Americans are being affected hard by the COVID-19 virus. Can you explain why this is the case? Very few communities of color in general, not just the African-American community do seem to have a significant increased risk of bad outcomes with COVID-19. While the reasons are still being investigated and are still unclear, we see it most in areas with the most income inequality and socioeconomic inequality, which may be a factor. People who have less access to healthcare may have more chronic underlying conditions, which might make them more at risk for cohabitating.

FACEMASKS

Is it a requirement to wear face coverings in all grocery stores and other public places? The County has issued that order. That order is effective in all cities, including South San Francisco. It was effective on Monday and they began enforcing it on Wednesday. Everyone who is out in public must wear a mask. People who are in their places of business, if they’re restaurant workers or they're working in a grocery store, should be wearing a mask. If you feel comfortable, you can remind them they should be wearing a mask. Otherwise, call our Police non-emergency line and we're in the business of politely reminding people that there are orders in place and you should be wearing a mask. We're trying to take, as our Police Chief said earlier, the soft approach to this and most people do take that to heart and abide by those orders.

How often should homemade facemasks be washed? We don't have definitive information yet. The CDC does recommend that the facemasks are washed regularly. The overall recommendations that washing a face mask after a day of use is generally a good idea. Now, if a facemask is visibly soiled or heavily saturated with liquid or perspiration, it's much more important to wash it sooner. In general, washing your mask after a day of use would be both safe and prudent. In terms of washing facemasks, hand-washing with warm water and soap is definitely good as well as washing then drying with a hot air dryer. Washing the mask in your normal washing machine with normal detergent should also be appropriate for washing.

Do children need to wear facemasks? That’s a very good and very important question. It is imperative that children less than 2 years of age do not wear a face covering. That's because children in that age group are susceptible to suffocation and decreased respiratory drive if they have something covering their face. Your infants and your toddlers do not have anything covering their face, period. The order also delineates that children under 12 years of age are not required to wear a face covering. The only thing that is absolutely definitive is children under two should not be wearing facemasks.

Can you clarify if I need to wear a mask when I walk my dog and exercise in the park? It is recommended but not required that you wear a mask when you are out exercising, walking, or walking your dog, but you must maintain social distancing. As long as you stay at least six feet away from others. If you're outside walking your dog, running that sort of thing, you do not need to wear a mask.

Do N-95 masks prevent the wearer from contracting COVID-19? Can you tell us what is so special about an N-95 mask? Yes, under certain circumstances it would. Those certain circumstances are if there is a high amount of aerosolized virus that is present in immediate proximity to where you were standing. So if somebody coughs, sneezes or if you're doing a procedure on somebody and you're essentially right in their immediate proximity, yes, it would. Now, that being said, the N-95 mask is much more challenging to wear appropriately. It has to be fit-tested to make sure that actually works appropriately and has to be very specific to your face. Additionally, the N-95, while they are better at reducing the amount of virus that you might inhale, pose a potential increased risk being worn outside of the health care situation because they are more difficult to take on and off and because they are more difficult to clean. People tend to reduce them and touch the outside and they might touch the outside of that mask that they've been reusing and then touch their eyes, touch their nose, not wash their hands immediately. It's been found in a study that people who are wearing an N-95 mask touch and adjust the mask more throughout the day. So unless you're in a health care setting where you can get a new mask daily or have appropriate decontamination of the mask, the N-95 masks for the general public may increase your risk of infection if they're not worn entirely properly.

I will point out all of our police officers, firefighters and E.M.S. personnel have N-95 masks that have been fitted to them and they're trained to use those, but they don't use them regularly. They use a cloth masks regularly. But if they're in a situation where they feel they may be exposed, they'll put on the N-95 mass. For example, if they're responding to a call and the person appears to be sick or tells them they're sick, then they'll put on the N-95 mask.

Are face masks required for people who jog? The order is pretty clear that is recommended, but not required. If you are outside walking or jogging or doing health related exercises, you're not required to wear a mask, but they encourage you to do so. You are required to maintain social distancing. So the actual language of that order is available on the County website which is www.smcgov.org. But the health officers made an exception for those who are jogging. You might imagine how you're breathing when you do that or out walking briskly and felt as long as you maintain social distancing outside. That would be an acceptable exception.

Is it safe to wear an N-95 mask that you already have at home when running essential errands such as grocery stores, or should we wear a different mask? How do you sanitize an N-95 mask? Do you wash with soap and water? The overall answer your question is yes, it is safe to wear the N-95 mask that you already own. If you own an N-95 mask that has an exhalation port, I would not recommend wearing those because that defeats the purpose of the face covering. Order for protecting the people around you in terms of sanitizing the masks. You should not wash an N-95 mask with soap and water. The process for decontaminating an N-95 mask is actually fairly complicated and requires advanced technology and advanced equipment using things like vaporized hydrogen peroxide and is still in the relatively early stages of being able to use it on a mass level. Because of the way they're designed, cleaning them with soap and water would render them ineffective.

BUSINESS RECOVERY

What new requirements in public places will enable us to reopen our businesses very soon? It's not the mask that is the determiner, it is the curve. It is the daily number of people diagnosed with the Coronavirus. That curve has been flattening, which is encouraging. Meaning fewer people are getting the coronavirus. That's being reported on a daily basis. So we're believing that once that gets to a manageable level, that businesses will be allowed to reopen. There should be a change in the upcoming shelter in place order, which will allow some of society to reopen, but not others on the city side.

I am a business owner and will apply on Monday for the San Mateo County Strong Grant program. If I’m unsuccessful, what other help is available to help prevent me from losing my business? There are layers of help, but none of them are particularly easy and there's a lot of frustration. For San Mateo County Strong, it opens on Monday. By the end of next week, the city program should be online that was approved by the city council last night. That would be another round of grants that that would be available. Our goal is to have that up and running by the end of next week. You can apply for that. Also, watch our city website, www.ssf.net. The really big lifeline is coming from the federal government, which by this point has put some two or three trillion dollars into recovery efforts. Today they passed the fourth stimulus bill, recovery bill for coronavirus. The emergency disaster loans can loan you up to 10 million dollars, and some of that is forgivable if you keep your employees on the payroll. That's the big help. The grants from San Mateo County Strong and from the City are $10,000 or $15,000 each. Those are really lifelines to get you to the federal help, which is a lot more. So do engage on our city website. We have a business recovery team that's been stepping up in the City to help you get through that process.

Are there are there return to work guidelines? Businesses should be observing when opening the office and transitioning employees back to work. Yes, there are. So, again, you can go to our website, www.ssf.net, or you can go to the county website, www.smcgov.org. The shelter in place order has very specific guidelines and a form to fill for essential businesses. Anyone who opens their business is required to have a written process, a written procedure to keep their employees safe, to keep the public safe. You have to post that in public for people to see. So, yes, there are guidelines. Those are available online. If you'd like more details, just email us. If you can't find it on the website, we will help there as well.

MISCELLANEOUS I have an appointment to get tested, but I don't have any transportation. Is there any service that can help me? Yes, the County of San Mateo has the lead here. They are the health officials for the entire county. They have reconfigured vehicles that protect both the patient and the driver. If you need a ride to a testing site, they have a phone number (650) 779-9375 and they can arrange transportation and a special vehicle which has been outfitted to protect you and the driver from any contact and get you to a testing site. What are the chances of contracting COVID-19 from grocery shopping? Should we be cleaning all products at home before storing? This is a great question, and the answer is going to be provided from the CDC recommendations. It's very possible the recommendations will change again, but so far, there have been no known cases of transmission from food or food packaging. So right now, the CDC recommendations for growth, all grocery shopping in order to keep yourself safe are to stay at least six feet away from others, wear a mask, don't touch your eyes, mouth or nose, sanitize the handles of any carts or baskets that you use and then wash your hands when you return home. After you put your food away in terms of fresh fruits and vegetables, do wash them with soap and water the same way that you would have normally wash them with soap and water prior to the pandemic. So right now, the most important thing is to protect yourself in public. In terms of how we're approaching our food and food supplies, the recommendations for now are to not make any major changes other than washing your hands after you handle them.

How long does the virus live on different surfaces, especially money, paper, coins, etc? So what we know about the virus so far is that it does survive on surfaces for different amounts of time based on the surface. Right now, the general thought is about 72 hours on plastic or stainless steel, about four hours on copper and about 24 hours on cardboard. What we don't know is whether or not the virus that survives on those surfaces for that long remains as infectious. Because this virus is very delicate and its outer shell is very easily dried out and damaged, it doesn't do well outside of people for very long now. It can be infectious on these surfaces. We just don't know how infectious. We do know how long it's detectable, but we still don't know enough to give really definitive recommendations based on that so far.

Do we know how many cases there are in South San Francisco? The short answer is no. That is because the County will not give us a breakdown by city for two reasons. One, privacy of the patient. They're trying to protect that. And two, they're trying to avoid one city or another being viewed as the center of the epidemic in the County. A number of cities has pushed back on that and demanded the data. But it is collected by county governments. For city staff, we have 900 city staff, including police, fire, and public works and a lot of other people of all city staff. We've only had one employee, one police officer who was tested positive for COVID-19, but he is recovering extremely well, was never hospitalized, is at home, and we expect him back to work in a couple of weeks. We've been very fortunate on city staff. But as far as our residents go, we don't have a sense of that.

Can you clarify that COVID-19 is indeed the leading cause of death? The number of fatalities due to the flu is now less than the virus. For this flu season and for year to date for 2020. That depends on location here in San Mateo County. It is not if you look at New York City, it is the leading cause of death by far. So it certainly depends on exactly where you are and the populations that you're working with now. There is no doubt that COVID-19 is much more serious and much more fatal than the flu.

When will the DMV reopen? We do know that they have suspended the process of saying your driver's license is out of date. So if your driver's license, for example, has expired or is about to expire, do not worry that you will not get in trouble for that.

Are there any limitations in hiking and exercising? It depends. All county parks are closed for hiking the trails, everything in a county park is closed. City parks in South San Francisco are not closed. Our basketball courts, children's play areas, the tennis courts, the bocce courts, those are closed. The open spaces in South San Francisco and for example, Sign Hill, those trails are still open. We ask that you maintain the appropriate social distancing when you do so. If you have that opportunity to get out, get some fresh air and exercise please stay six feet away from others.

When will we have access to ESL in the library? The Library and Park and Recreation both have done a really credible job of pushing resources online. So if you have a computer and you have access, you can go to our library department and you can go to our park and recreation department. There's a virtual recreation area. For example, you can take virtual tours of our galleries around the country.

We've done story time online for children. So we're putting a lot of those resources online. If you don't have a library card, you can get one immediately online and then check out e-books and online videos to our library system. We are waiting for the county health officer to tell us when we can actually do in person to reopen the library and provide those functions. We hope that by the end of May or somewhere around there, we'll be able to provide those services to our community. Know that when we do, we have already done an extraordinary job of cleaning all of our facilities in preparation for opening. Our staff is anxious to get back to serving the public. And we will do so in a safe manner as soon as the county health officer lets us.

What can South San Francisco residents do to help during the COVID-19 crisis? Well, the first thing is please abide by the shelter in place orders and take care of yourself, your family, your neighbors, and stay at home. If you must go out, wear a mask, maintain social distancing, and wash your hands. You can also volunteer if you are so inclined at our four-hour community volunteer corps, probably a month ago now, we stood up a community volunteer corps of civic-minded individuals willing to help those in need. We have seen a really dramatic rise. And the human need. The human need side of this. People have lost their jobs. They're burning through their savings. They need food. We have seniors who are not comfortable going to the grocery store. We have those that are sick and presumably quarantined at home who need help. So we do have a community volunteer corps. Again, you can go to our website (www.ssf.net) and sign up if you feel comfortable helping us deliver meals to seniors. We're doing that every day of the week and again tomorrow. We have a very large food distribution at Hillside School right off of Sister Cities Boulevard. And we have a lot of volunteers there to help bring people in and deliver food there. So there are plenty of volunteer opportunities. Number one, take care of yourself and take care of your neighbors. Number two, if you're inclined and have that ability, please volunteer. There are plenty of places where we will need your help.

What is the phone number to report non-compliance of COVID-19? For an emergency, it is always 9-1-1. But the best phone number for non-emergency calls to report a public order violation would be (650) 877-8900, for the Police front office, where we can transfer and dispatch if needed or we can take the call straight at the front office. If you call 9-1-1, it just goes right to a dispatcher and it makes it harder for us to triage because it has to be answered as soon as possible.

Is there an updated list of businesses allowed to open in the coming week? Are hair salons considered essential? Hair has been ruled not essential. That's why nationwide there's a great increase in the number of home hair dye sales and nail polish sales have gone way up because that is non-essential businesses. We do have a list of businesses that are currently open and that's available again on our website (www.ssf.net), as well as the South San Francisco Chamber of Commerce web site (www.ssfchamber.com). It is encouraged that everyone please buy something from those businesses, help them stay in business. Many of our restaurants are doing takeout or delivery, or you can buy gift card from one of our businesses for use later in the year or buy a gift card and give it to our police chief or other first responder as a thank you that help our businesses stay in business. We keep that list up to date. as far as what businesses will be open in the future, we don't yet know because it is dictated by the County health officer. And hopefully in mid to late May, we'll get a revised shelter in place order, which will give us some guidance on which businesses may reopen as long as they exercise the appropriate health protocols.

How is the homeless population being handled, specifically bathrooms, for example, in downtown? Many of the homeless in California have now been housed. The State of California has rented entire hotels, including some hotels in San Mateo County, none in our city but nearby for the homeless to shelter during this time. As we go out on a daily basis and police go out, we're actually seeing fewer homeless on the streets of South San Francisco as a result as far as bathrooms in the downtown. We do have our downtown bike patrol every day in the downtown on their bicycle's walking the streets. And to date, that has not been reported as a problem.

I'm tired of hearing about the number of infections and deaths. Any news on recoveries? And what are those numbers? The vast majority, the absolute overwhelming majority of people who get infected with COVID-19 will recover after a mild course of illness. Even the vast majority of people who require hospitalization will recover. Right now, as we're still trying to find out the exact burden of the disease, I can't tell you the specific numbers. But from what we do understand so far, at least four out of five people who get sick with COVID-19, will go on to recover and do well. The amount of scientific discovery and the amount of collaboration and teamwork we've seen not only from universities and researchers, but from private industries and businesses is unprecedented. We are working with the entire force of the whole world behind us to not only find a cure and not only to contain this, but we're going to come out of this not only stronger and better than we were before, but with so much more scientific understanding about how to prevent this in the future.