Coronavirus Family Vaccination

We have been vaccinated! Aside from sore arms and tiredness the 1st 2 days we had no side effects.

My wife received the J and J two days before the news broke about blood clots. That was over 3 weeks ago so she should be out of the danger zone. Also, the FDA has allowed the J and J shot to be used again.

I was vaccinated a week later during the J and J hiatus so I was left with the two-shot option. I received the Pfizer shot. I had no problem scheduling a shot 48 hours later through the city's Carbon Health site.

Last week, my sons booked their shots but they were cancelled. Not because of shortages, blood clots, or equity tiers but because of the Chauvin verdict.

Los Angeles city officials feared that its citizens would not be able to handle the jury's decision.

My sons received their shots a couple of days later - a couple of days after school reopening.

The vaccination program, early high infection rate in Los Angeles, and ongoing precautions seem to be putting the city in a great situation.

This week Los Angeles County made the numbers to move to the least-restrictive yellow tier for reopening meaning 1.9 new covid cases for every 100,000 residents. One more week of these low numbers and we will move from orange to yellow.

Yellow means that indoor fitness centers, bars, amusement parks, and stadiums would all be able to start operating or if operating already, increase their capacity percentages.

Being vaccinated means life is almost back to normal. A week ago, a coworker shook my hand. It was so odd, yet so normal. It felt really good. I did sanitize afterwards, but having that physical contact with someone who did not live in my immediate household over the last 14 months was liberating.

But we are not out of the woods yet. There is still negative news: deaths in India soaring, covid booster shots may be needed - for years, new variants keep appearing, so we still have to take precautions.

The entertainment industry just extended their covid safety measures that were set to expire today, April 30, to June 30. That means continued covid tests - I had seven in the last week alone.

As coronavirus' reign seems to be coming to a close, my blog posts will be weekly or every other week depending upon new coronavirus developments.

Take care and be safe.

Coronavirus - Gray-Area Vaccinations

I think someone in the government is reading my post. After last week's post, I read that 4 new super vaccination sites opened in Los Angeles County. Those were in the pipeline it turns out, but like so much of the coronavirus and coronavirus vaccination news, it is hard to find and hard to separate fact from fiction.

Last week, I said one way Israel is vaccinating so many people so quickly is that they have a standby line so that at the end of the day, if there is any vaccine left they put it in someone's arm rather than let it go to waste. The reason why there can be left over vaccine at the end of the day is because people cancel their appointments or don't show up and any vaccine defrosted has to be used within 6 hours or get dumped.

Two weeks ago, I heard someone had received the vaccine and did not fit in any of the priority categories, but since their company was in the industry and had vaccine left over they started inoculating the rest of their employees. Last week, I heard similar stories about other companies doing the same thing.

And then there was The Los Angeles Times story last week about "unofficial" standby lines where people are waiting outside clinics - sometimes all day - for the hope that there will be left over vaccine at the end of the day. Some people are lucky and actually receiving the vaccine, but most are not and go back and wait again the next day.

The Times' article commented about the wealthy jumping the vaccine priority queues to get the shots, but they are standing in the same "unofficial" lines anyone else could. And the 3 stories I heard had nothing to do with wealth in terms of who is receiving the "unused" vaccines. No one I have heard about has paid for early access to the vaccine. It was a more of who you know and where you worked.

There are moral and perhaps legal issues here, but in the end people are beginning to receive vaccinations at a much quicker rate by plying the gray area of vaccinations which in the end helps society as a whole as more people are vaccinated.

In the last week, new coronavirus cases in Los Angeles County have dropped from 39,000 a day to 23,004. Deaths are still at their unforgivable high levels, but hopefully that is due to the delayed correlation between new cases and the death rate and we will see a decrease in deaths soon.

There is hope.

Take care and be safe.

Posts weekly

Coronavirus - Herd Immunity In Los Angeles

Los Angeles reported that 1 out of every 3 people in the County have been infected with Covid-19. We may be the first population group outside of Sweden to try herd immunity. Herd immunity to a virus is when 60-80% of a population has a virus' antibodies in their system. We are already at 33% infected. At this rate, in another couple of months we could hit 60%.

Los Angeles opened its first vaccination super center this weekend with a trial run for 2,000 people. They hope to inoculate 12,000 people a day when it is fully operational. That would be 120,000 people every ten days. Good numbers. I look forward to those numbers increasing as more centers are opened.

With the coronavirus' exponential spread and vaccinations hopefully increasing exponentially as well, we may have herd immunity even sooner and Los Angeles may go from a hot spot crisis zone to a beacon of hope.

I watched a CNBC report that Israel has enough vaccinations for everyone over 16 by March. It was quite fascinating as LA County's website predicts I will be vaccinated for Covid-19 sometime in May or June. How did Israel do it (Israel/US):

- Population 9 million / Los Angeles County 10 million (US 331 million) - Universal health care / Combination state run, private medical care (US is the only developed nation in the world without universal healthcare by the way) - Large vaccination centers have been running for over a month / LA opened first center Friday - Standby line for anyone if unused vaccine is available at end of day / nothing similar in LA - Reserved enough doses for entire population from 1 supplier / US reservations were spread across suppliers - some still waiting for FDA approval

Hopefully, the US can learn best practices from its fellow countries: universal healthcare, more vaccination centers, standby lines, follow up on research and target the most promising drugs to reserve in advance.

California has floated the idea of a standby line - online standby. A more expensive and time consuming process, but at least it is a step in the right direction.

In conclusion, there is hope. The two waves of coronavirus vaccinations and infections are rushing together. It seems like one way or another Los Angeles will acheive herd immunity much sooner than predicted and lockdowns will be a thing of the past.

Take care and be safe.

Posts weekly

Coronavirus Moving To Suburbia

Still building with fewer available tenants?

I had no idea that Facebook and Twitter would tell their employees they could work from home forever.

In one of my early post about the Coronavirus, I mentioned one of the economic impacts of the pandemic would be a hit to commercial real estate. If even 25% of office workers permanently work from home once the pandemic ends, that would be 25% less office space businesses would need to lease.

Ouch.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/05/22/coronavirus-remote-work-post-pandemic/5242420002/

My wife's company still has their office employees except a skeleton crew working from home and there are no plans on calling them back into the office. 

Once companies' leases are up, I imagine a lot of downsizing of office space will be going on.

I had also imagined that some people may move out of the cities if they didn't have to be there. 

CNBC reported that said 13,000 apartments stood empty in Manhattan - twice the number from last year. 

Observer reported that Jennifer Lawrence sold her Upper Eastside Manhattan penthouse apartment. She bought it for $15.6 million in 2016 and just sold it for $9.99 million. Ouch.

https://observer.com/2020/08/jennifer-lawrence-sells-upper-east-side-new-york-penthouse-apartment-at-loss/

I think about Downtown Los Angeles which has been going through a major renovation/gentrification of its old hotels and warehouses and turning them into expensive lofts for young professionals. New restaurants, bars, art galleries and the like were popping up. Does this mean it was all for naught? If you are not working in downtown, why would you move there? Even though it has improved over the last twenty years, it still smells, homeless wander the streets at all times of the day and night, and the only green space is in Grand Park which is far (a mile) from most of the new development.

Mall-anchoring department stores are closing, movie theaters (huge commercial property renters) are in serious financial danger, and concerts and sporting events will undoubtedly be different for years to come.

And while summer whether allows for restaurants to serve diners outside, what is going to happen come fall and winter if there is still no vaccine? Living in LA, the seasons don't matter much (sun, sun, and maybe a sprinkle, then more sun), but I imagine in New York and South Dakota, outdoor dining will probably lose its allure in winter.

Ouch.

To sum up, the things that drew people to the city are changing.

While all of this is scary news, it is a fascinating time to see the world changing before our eyes. 

Can you imagine what the world will be like next summer?

Take care and be safe.

Posts Tuesday and Saturday

Getting Tested For Coronavirus

Success! I was in and out of the drive-thru testing site in only 40 minutes.

Now the five-day wait for the results.

So why did I get tested if I am not showing any coronavirus symptoms?

When the Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti announced last week that residents could be tested for coronavirus with or without symptoms, I thought, Great! If I can show employers that I have coronavirus antibodies, perhaps that will give me a leg up on getting hired when the entertainment industry reopens. Also, the mayor said, testing everyone would help the city track the coronavirus' spread.

The following day I learned that this was not an antibody test, but a test to determine if you currently have the live virus. Should I still go, I wondered.

I decided to go for two reasons. First, I was curious. Was I an asymptomatic carrier who could be infecting people at the grocery store, at take out, and when I delivered food to my mother? Second, I felt that by taking the test, I was helping the city with their study.

As mentioned above, the testing center was very efficient.

Check out this YouTube video from the City of Los Angeles on what to expect:

Testing What To Expect

To summarize:

• No eating or drinking 20 minutes before test
• A hazmat-dressed worker, you can only see their eyes,  confirms that you have an appointment, watched the YouTube video, and then hands you the test.
• Sitting in your car, you take the test: cough 5 times, swab your mouth, then seal everything up as indicated on the instruction card.
• Then you drive up to a firefighter who takes your packet with a grabber claw like my grandma had and then you are free.

 Now the wait.

One concern was whether I was taking a test from someone who had symptoms. The mayor said that prior to opening the testing to everyone, the city had excess capacity for testing. I read a report that 3,000 testing slots were not being used daily. He felt the more people tested the better so city officials could get a better handle on how many people have been infected.  Also, anyone with symptoms or first responders would receive testing priority. That is one reason my sign up date was five days from the date I made the appointment.

I am glad I took the test.  I hope everyone else has an opportunity to do so sooner, rather than later.

Is anyone else planning on taking a coronavirus test?

Take care and be safe.

Posts Tuesday and Saturday

Coronavirus Lessening Restrictions

Brighter days ahead?

"Spain and Italy preparing to begin lifting restrictions as fatalities continue to decrease…" -  People

"Cuomo says he believes 'the worst is over'…" - Al Jazerra

"…improving China trade data." - CNN

(links to full articles below)

While the headlines are saturated with the negative consequences of the coronavirus - lockdowns, deaths, companies shuttering, the stories above and a number of others indicate that there are good times ahead.

China began lifting restrictions last week.Spain and Italy are starting this week. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying it is over. Far from it. Restrictions are still in place in all three countries. But these countries are providing a glimpse of how life may slowly return to normal in the United States and the consequences.

One of the first things that happened in Wuhan, China was 50,000 citizens fled the city. That gave me pause. If the city was over the virus, why are its citizens fleeing.

Pictures of Spain showed police and metropolitan employees handing out masks to their very few passengers.

Some people say its too early. We need to have a vaccine in place before restrictions can be lifted.

The coronavirus era has been intense, but it is not unheard of.

On Joe Rogan's podcast, his guest remembered the Hong Kong Flu of 1968. According to the CDC, it killed 1,000,000 globally and 100,000 in the U.S., mostly individuals 65 and older. This virus continues to circulate worldwide as seasonal influenza A today.  Ten years before that flu, the Asian Flu had similar mortality statistics.

With swine flu in 2009, people were told to stay home if sick. I remember this one. It sickened one of my coworkers who I am thankful to say made a full recovery. This flu actually killed more people younger than 65 as well as those who were pregnant because the theory goes, they had not been exposed to the pandemic of the 60's. Yet, the economy did not shutdown. People were told not to go to work if sick, but that was the extent of the restrictions in my daily life. The CDC also stated this virus continues to circulate around the world as a seasonal flu virus.

Considering two of the most virulent pandemic viruses of the past 50 years are still circulating around the world getting people sick, waiting for a coronavirus vaccine before reopening the economy doesn't sound possible.

What happens during the next pandemic? More months of economic lockdown? Can the world economies afford another economic lockdown?

Current worldwide coronavirus deaths are 119,666 and in the U.S. 23,604 according to Wikipedia tonight.

When does the U.S. lift restrictions? Definitely a thorny issue. Government employees and politicians are definitely earning their salaries.

https://people.com/health/spain-and-italy-will-begin-lifting-coronavirus-restrictions-as-fatalities-continue-to-decrease/

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/coronavirus-deaths-slow-italy-france-live-updates-200413000419105.html

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/13/investing/global-stocks/index.html

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/2009-h1n1-pandemic.html

Coronavirus Education Holiday

Surprising changes to my son's education since the coronavirus hit:

Three-week spring break with no days added to end of the school year

District grading policy: 2nd semester grades will be the same or higher than the 3rd quarter grades

No live classes

Now this last item is just for my son, at least after the first week of his distance learning program. He had to complete worksheets, online quizzes, a test, and watch one video. There were no live or prerecorded lessons from his teachers yet.

Needless to say, my son is very happy.

I have mixed feelings.

I like the fact that due to the light workload he is completing his work on his own in a short amount of time. I like that he feels confident that he can finally keep up with his work. Rather than spending all day at school and hours working on homework every night, he is only spending an hour or two a day on schoolwork. I like that we are not arguing over when he will complete his work.

But, I do not like that a neighboring school district has had a distance program up and running a week before our district.

I do not like that I have heard from families with children in private schools, whether very expensive to relatively inexpensive, that their children have been in full day online classes since the beginning of the crises. I feel that their children are learning so much more than my son.

My biggest fear is that when my son starts school next year, he will be ill-prepared for the rigors of 11th grade after 2 months of light schoolwork and 3 months of summer break. Of course, an almost 5-month educational holiday of relaxation, confidence building, and no homework arguments may turn out to be the best experience for both my son and our family.

This is a new world we have entered, a new educational experiment. I just wish my son wasn't the sample group receiving the less than rigorous education.

Take care and be safe.

Posts: Monday, Thursday, Saturday

Coronavirus Mother Nature Fights Back

"The Earth is shaking less under coronavirus," said the CBS News headline on April 6, 2020.

"Goats take over town amid coronavirus lockdown," CNN, March 31, 2020.

 

"L.A.'s Air Quality Is Better Than Its Been in Decades," Los Angeles Magazine, April 6, 2020.

Article after article is coming out about how quickly mother nature is healing herself and throwing off human's grip as we are forced to stay at home due to the coronavirus. Now if the coronavirus is some ancient bat disease instead of an escaped bio weapon from a Wuhan lab, mother nature really is giving us a kick in the pants.

Everyday, the people of Los Angeles are reminded of how beautiful our city can be. When we look outside our windows and see the bright blue skies and crisp outlines of the city's landscape rather than blurry shapes in front of the usual dingy sky we remember why we love our great city.

The stay-at-home orders have had almost everyone in Los Angeles travel less, whether for business or pleasure. This means fewer cars on the road. NPR said truck traffic has decreased 21% (maybe those are the toilet paper trucks). And there are fewer planes in the sky. For three days after 9/11 when all commercial flights were grounded in the U.S, the United States warmed 3.6 degrees according to a news report from WTAJ News on 9/11/19.  I wonder how much warmer we will be after months of decreased flights.

As if the coronavirus was not enough, mother nature is employing a second method of enforcing the stay-at-home order in Los Angeles. After a dry February, rain has been falling on Los Angeles throughout March and April. So much rain fell on March 22 that it broke a single day record. And as any Angeleno knows, when it rains in LA we panic and stay home.

 

So embrace what nature has to show us: clean air, wildlife running amok, and especially for Angelenos, a less shakier earth.  Soon enough we will be back in the traffic and smog of the city we call home.

Take care and be safe.

Posts: Monday, Thursday, and Saturday

Tacos With Toilet Paper

Buca Di Beppo

"Every order comes with a free roll of toilet paper," said the email from Los Gringos Locos mexican restaurant.

"Meals sealed for safety," said the email from Buca di Beppo.

"...grab your favrorite sauce, some penne, and a bottle of wine to relax tonight!" said Charlie's Trio on their Instagram page.

Thank goodness for technology and social media.

Can you imagine if the coronavirus hit prior to the year 2000? Before social media and online marketing were thing? Before Uber, Postmates, and Doordash?

How would these restaurants advertise they were still open - especially the independents?  Flyers? Buying radio and tv air time? Or relying on people blindly phoning numbers in the good old Yellow Pages to see if they were open?

Unknown Author is licensed under
CC BY-NC_ND

I think that all three social media messages were effective. The first one focused on levity, the second on safety, and the third on tranquility. I've purchased from two of these establishments based on the messages and I'm sure I will purchase from the third before the week is out.

I've been very concerned about how restaurants would survive under the stay-at-home restrictions. I have always heard that restaurant margins are thin. How are they paying rent with no dine-in customers? I read on Eater that restaurants are hoping for government assistance to help with rent and other costs*,  but  I imagine there will be fewer restaurants, especially independents, once the coronavirus blows over. And if the government institutes a full lockdown like in China and Italy? What then?

Unless that doomsday scenario happens, I am impressed by how effective restaurants are in using technology to advertise to their customers and to continue to remain open.

losgringoslocos.com

As we all scout for food for our tables, don't forget take out and delivery, not just to vary your diet and

avoid doing dishes, but to support your local restaurants so they are around once the stay-at-home orders are lifted.

Besides, who doesn't need a free roll of toilet paper nowadays.

Take care and be safe.

Posting schedule: Monday, Thursday, Saturday

  

*https://www.eater.com/2020/3/19/21185918/how-can-goverment-assistance-help-restaurants-actually-need-in-the-form-of-relief