Coalinga Press

Huron Has 1 Case of “C-19”

Mary Blyth Jones
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What it Means For Coalinga

An informational editorial by Mary Blyth Jones

Anyone who has dealt with the Fresno County Department of Public Health knows that prying information from them is like trying to get … well, like trying to get a pack of toilet paper these days. But this evening, Huron Police Department released this statement:

After the panic Sunday night when it was put out by a fairly credible source that a guest at a social event in Huron had later been diagnosed with Coid-19, I contacted the FCDPH both via telephone and through email. I shared the frustrations others had shared with me regarding the tightly held secrets of which communities actually have active covid cases in Fresno County.

I argued that because we are scattered far and wide, that we frequently cross paths with others from neighboring communities and may have no idea that the water guy, or the delivery fellow, or the tree trimmer (etc.) may have become ill. If we don’t know, how can we self-quarantine? I pointed out that several other counties use zip codes as identifiers and some even plunk a dot on a map. That still preserves the privacy of infected individuals yet provides a measure of awareness in avoiding contact.

FCDPH releases a graph with statistics showing the covid cases in the communities across Fresno County. The top of the graph shows Fresno which has the most cases of C-19. Then the chart goes down, showing fewer cases. After the first five cities, the rest are listed as communities with “Four or fewer cases” of Covid 19. It is not, at this point, confirmed that ANY active cases of Covid-19 are in Coalinga.

However, today Huron Police reported that there is one active case in Huron, but that it had nothing to do with the social event that took place on March 28. (See statement)

I do not share this to bring panic. A lot of people may get this virus and have absolutely no symptoms. Others who get it may have a mild set of symptoms. And some will get it and not recover. But I’m not trying to scare anyone.

The point is this. This illness is real. It is, apparently, in our community. That doesn’t mean that we’re all going to turn into zombies. It doesn’t mean we’re going to lose all of our grandpas. Our community may fare quite well.

But it does mean that we all need to take proper precautions. We need to wear those masks and wash our hands. And stop touching our faces. We need to observe that six foot space. We need to respect others to the point that we do everything in our power to keep others safe from our germs and also avoid getting any possible germs from others.

Sometime I play like I’m a criminal, and I am trying to avoid leaving any DNA at the crime scene. I know I’m quirky. But in my thinking, anything that helps us behave in a cautious manner is going to be helpful not just for me, but for my friends and family.

I have not seen my grandchildren (who live about eight blocks from me) since the Monday before schools closed. I will not see them on Easter. I will go online and chat with them on my Alexa or whatever.

I started playing games with my greater family all stretched across the nation. My great nephew in West Virginia. My nephew in Michigan. My brother in Bakersfield and one in San Diego. We play games on boardgamearena.com. They have a ton of games and we can all chat at the same time.

I read books on videos for my grandchildren, and make messages from “Sharkie,” my silicon hand puppet that the little ones love.

I’m not writing this to brag. I’m writing to hopefully spawn some of your own ideas to connect the space left by the stay-at-home measure.

Someone joked that they knew someone who was still open to do hair and nails: The mortician.

Situation in Fresno County

Last updated: April 7, 2020 at 5:00PM

View Link Here

*Data includes both confirmed and presumptive positive cases of COVID-19.

**Recovery may not reflect clinic recovery; per CDC guidance. Many patients do not require negative confirmatory tests. 

Statistics in Fresno County

Last updated: April 2, 2020 at 4:00PM

These identified individuals are being monitored by the FCDPH Communicable Disease Investigation (CDI) Program. Our health care facilities and community medical providers are actively planning and preparing for patients who have symptoms and complications of COVID-19, but every one of our county residents needs to play a part in reducing the risk of transmission.

This is a contagious disease that takes advantage of close contact and poor hygiene, so please do your part in maintaining at least six feet of distance with your peers, staying home if you are feeling mildly ill, and washing hands and surfaces frequently as part of your daily routine.

This health crisis will require everyone to play a role during this challenging time.

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