Doo More

Enough with the platitudes and generic news. I, for one, would love to see this paper get back to its roots – LOCAL NEWS. How about an issue that affects all of us? People thoughtlessly leaving their dog’s business everywhere but where it belongs – in a BAG in YOUR trashcan. I cannot believe the number of times I have seen dog poop on CVR. On the sidewalk! Clean up after your dogs! And do not bag it and put it in a neighbor’s trash can. No one wants to live with the lingering stench of your dog’s poop. It is time for people who own dogs to own up to the responsibility of disposing their pets’ poop in a responsible and thoughtful way. You don’t see me throwing my cats’ kitty litter around the neighborhood.

Lynda Thompson
Riviera

Give it Up

It’s hypocritical for the Thorns to call Rep. Salud Carbajal a socialist. I would challenge them to look up the word; it’s actually a noble word. If the Thorns don’t like the term, I would suggest, they give up their Social Security checks and Medicaid card, no?

Thomas Carlisle

PS: Ms. Lurie – I would suggest to you, look up the word fairness. Since you’ve taken the helm of the ship, I haven’t seen one liberal letter. Your predecessor was at least fair in this regard. I think you’re off to a poor start.

Two Sides

Just started to read the new MJ and am surprised and saddened by so many changes. In the “good old days” there were personal opinions from all sides, both with the Editorial and selection of Letters to the Editor.

How about presenting two sides of the questions as was done in the past?

Jean von Wittenburg

(Publisher’s Note: We ran every local letter we received during this election cycle. We too were surprised we didn’t get more letters in support of Das Williams. – TLB)

Corona Care

Dear Colleagues, as some of you may recall, when I was a professor of pathology at the University of California San Diego, I was one of the first molecular virologists in the world to work on coronaviruses (the 1970s). I was the first to demonstrate the number of genes the virus contained. Since then, I have kept up with the coronavirus field and its multiple clinical transfers into the human population (e.g., SARS, MERS), from different animal sources.

The current projections for its expansion in the US are only probable, due to continued insufficient worldwide data, but it is most likely to be widespread in the US by mid to late March and April.

Here is what I have done and the precautions that I take and will take. These are the same precautions I currently use during our influenza seasons, except for the mask and gloves:

1) NO HANDSHAKING! Use a fist bump, slight bow, elbow bump, etc.

2) Use ONLY your knuckle to touch light switches. elevator buttons, etc… Lift the gasoline dispenser with a paper towel or use a disposable glove.

3) Open doors with your closed fist or hip – do not grasp the handle with your hand, unless there is no other way to open the door. Especially important on bathroom and post office/commercial doors.

4) Use disinfectant wipes at the stores when they are available, including wiping the handle and child seat in grocery carts.

5) Wash your hands with soap for 10-20 seconds and/or use a greater than 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer whenever you return home from ANY activity that involves locations where other people have been.

6) Keep a bottle of sanitizer available at each of your home’s entrances. AND in your car for use after getting gas or touching other contaminated objects when you can’t immediately wash your hands.

7) If possible, cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue and discard. Use your elbow only if you have to. The clothing on your elbow will contain infectious virus that can be passed on for up to a week or more!

What I have stocked in preparation for the pandemic spread to the US:

1) Latex or nitrile latex disposable gloves for use when going shopping, using the gasoline pump, and all other outside activity when you come in contact with contaminated areas.

Note: This virus is spread in large droplets by coughing and sneezing. This means that the air will not infect you! BUT all the surfaces where these droplets land are infectious for about a week on average – everything that is associated with infected people will be contaminated and potentially infectious. The virus is on surfaces and you will not be infected unless your unprotected face is directly coughed or sneezed upon. This virus only has cell receptors for lung cells (it only infects your lungs). The only way for the virus to infect you is through your nose or mouth via your hands or an infected cough or sneeze onto or into your nose or mouth.

2) Stock up now with disposable surgical masks and use them to prevent you from touching your nose and/or mouth (We touch our nose/mouth 90X/day without knowing it!). This is the only way this virus can infect you – it is lung-specific. The mask will not prevent the virus in a direct sneeze from getting into your nose or mouth – it is only to keep you from touching your nose or mouth.

3) Stock up now with hand sanitizers and latex/nitrile gloves (get the appropriate sizes for your family). The hand sanitizers must be alcohol-based and greater than 60% alcohol to be effective.

4) Stock up now with zinc lozenges. These lozenges have been proven to be effective in blocking coronavirus (and most other viruses) from multiplying in your throat and nasopharynx. Use as directed several times each day when you begin to feel ANY “cold-like” symptoms beginning. It is best to lie down and let the lozenge dissolve in the back of your throat and nasopharynx. Cold-Eeze lozenges is one brand available, but there are other brands available.

I, as many others do, hope that this pandemic will be reasonably contained, BUT I personally do not think it will be. Humans have never seen this snake-associated virus before and have no internal defense against it. Tremendous worldwide efforts are being made to understand the molecular and clinical virology of this virus. Unbelievable molecular knowledge about the genomics, structure, and virulence of this virus has already been achieved. BUT, there will be NO drugs or vaccines available this year to protect us or limit the infection within us. Only symptomatic support is available.

I hope these personal thoughts will be helpful during this potentially catastrophic pandemic. You are welcome to share this email. Good luck to all of us!

‪James Robb, MD

A Sign of the Times

I know the California primary ends tomorrow, but given that we have many more months of campaigning before the November election I would like to register a complaint about people placing candidates’ lawn signs on public property.

This morning I drove by one for Andy Caldwell on the lawn in the upper village near Union Bank and Via Vai. I see signs for candidates near freeway on-ramps. I see them on public property all across APS…

Such behavior shows a blatant lack of regard for the rules and does not bode well for anyone who is seeking public office.

SO STOP!!!

If candidates understood how much that turns voters off, perhaps they would. I for one will not vote for anyone whose signs are placed on public property.

If a candidate cannot follow simple rules like that, they’re not fit to govern!

Penelope J. Lawson

Our Apologies

At the end of On the Record (Feb 27-Mar 5), the story should have said that Montecito Trail Foundation’s endowment goal is $750,000 rather than that amount being stated as the actual endowment.