10 minute read
Community Above Self
Batavia Rotary and the Interact Club
In 2019, members of the Batavia Interact Club put in hundreds of hours of volunteer time.
Advertisement
Interact is Rotary International’s service club for young people. We are proud to sponsor a club at Batavia High School. As members of the Batavia Interact Club, students prosper as they serve our community. This school year Interact plans to focus on socially distant volunteer opportunities as the world changes with the fluid COVID-19 situation. Follow their journey in socially distanced volunteerism on twitter @BataviaInteract. In other news, it’s not too late to get in on the Corvette Raffle tickets. Purchase tickets at bataviarotarycharities.com. For more information on Rotary: BataviaRotaryClub.org. Email: info@BataviaRotaryClub.org.
Meet your neighbors, make an impact, and do something really great!
Batavia United Way delivers
Since the pandemic hit in March, Batavia United Way has been working collaboratively with numerous community organizations to support Batavians in need. Over 300 bags of groceries have been delivered to seniors, restaurant workers, and families affected. BUW, in concert with Salvation Army, is providing rent assistance to qualifying residents. We have also provided funding for additional Meals on Wheels clients. We could not do this and more without community support. Please consider supporting our Double Your Donation fall campaign or the 5K/10K Race. More information can be found on our Facebook page or website bataviaunitedway.org.
United Way volunteers deliver groceries.
The Batavia Moose Lodge is part of an international organization of men and women dedicated to caring for young (Mooseheart) and old (Moosehaven), bringing communities closer together, and celebrating life. There’s no better feeling than making a difference in the lives of children, seniors and communities. Special community events are open to the public such as Moose-a-Palooza. Events are open to members and qualified guests only, unless stated open to the public. If interested in learning more about our organization, please contact us.
The Batavia Lions Club has served Batavia residents since 1974; but, many people still ask, “Who are the Lions”? Lions take an active interest in the unique civic, cultural and social needs of the community where we live and work—“We Serve”. Perhaps we’ve helped you with vision or hearing needs through our school or adult programs. Perhaps you’ve seen us lending support at a park district event or partnering with United Way, the food pantry or other service agencies in our community—“We Serve.” Join us in supporting Batavia! Come serve with us! Learn about the Lions at batavialionsclub.org.
Even through times of social distancing and virtual meetings, Kiwanis members continue to step up to help those in the community and in their workplaces. As of May 20, Kiwanis Club of Batavia PastPresident and Past Lt. Governor for Divisions 10/11 and her co-worker at Northwestern Medicine had sewn more than 200 headbands to assist in making hours of maskwearing much more comfortable. This kindness continued as they outfitted many in their departments and throughout the hospital with these comforting gifts. For more information on the Kiwanis Club of Batavia contact us at Kiwanis60510@hotmail.com
Staying safe and healthy this fall
by Tim Sullivan
We now know…no community is immune from COVID-19, not even Batavia. In fact, there has been an increase in COVID viral infections recently. As we emerge from a depressing season of hibernation, it is tempting to forego the recommendations of medical professionals to maintain social distancing, and wearing masks. Like the drive to produce an effective vaccine, there is the urge to return to the old normal at warp speed.
The beautiful summer weather is just too nice to ignore. Most of our local restaurants are open again, offering dining inside and out. How do you dine on River St., all humor aside, wearing a mask? How do you maintain social distancing on the bustling streets of Batavia? How do you avoid touching what others have touched at the Batavia Farmer’s Market?
In a recent press release, Kane County Health Department Director Barbara Jeffers urges residents to continue taking steps to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the community. “We have seen a steady increase in the number of positive cases over the past month,” states Jeffers. “We are seeing too many people disregarding recommendations that is leading to COVID-19 related increased illness and subsequent death”.
The Illinois Department of Public Health had added Kane County to its watch list. This designation occurs when two of the six metrics identified by the state reach the warning level. For Kane County, the two measures that were above the set threshold include the new case rate and number of deaths. The new case rate in Kane County reported by IDPH for the week ending Aug. 8 was 105 per 100,000 and goal is to be below 50 per 100,000.
There were seven deaths reported by IDPH during that week, up from five the previous week and four the week before that. The warning level for this measure occurs when there are two consecutive weeks with more than a 20% increase. Kane County is meeting stated thresholds for other measures. Director Jeffers reports that IDPH adding Kane County to the watch list is a reminder for the community that the pandemic is not over yet.
“We are all in this together,” says Jeffers, “by practicing proven measures today, we will reduce future cases, which in turn reduces disruptions in our business and school communities.”
The county has since been removed from the watch list, although the case rate remains high at 80 per 100,000. “We appreciate the community’s efforts in reducing
the spread of this virus but caution that we should remain vigilant,” Jeffers said. “COVID-19 remains in our communities, so we must continue practicing our social guidance to reduce the impact in our schools, homes and businesses.”
Guidance includes wearing a face covering, maintaining six foot social distance, washing hands frequently, avoiding large gatherings, and staying home when you are ill. The Kane County Department of Health is announcing implementation of additional measures to enhance their response. An additional 90 full-time contact tracers will be conducting investigations and tracing activities, a fivefold capacity increase.
The department’s goal is to respond to every case within 24 hours of identification so staff can quickly provide guidance to ill and
Visit maskup4batavia.com for facts about mask wearing.
potentially exposed residents. “It is important for residents to answer the phone and participate in the investigation process” says Jeffers, “in cooperating with the investigation, residents are potentially saving someone’s life by stopping the spread of the virus.”
What is most alarming about the spread of this disease is “community
spread.” This occurs when someone gets a virus without having any idea where they got it. Community spread can begin with just one infected person attending a gathering of a large or even small group of people. Community spread makes it very difficult to trace the infection back to the original carrier. It takes just one infected person in a group, large or small, to put the entire group at risk.
It is estimated that about 45% of people who contract COVID-19 will have no symptoms. This is one of the biggest challenges regarding the virus. It is clear that asymptomatic people may still have the ability to unknowingly spread the virus to others (nebraskamed.com).
“It really depends on how high the viral load is in your body. That’s what determines how easily you can spread the virus to others,” says Nada Fadul, MD, Nebraska Medicine infectious diseases specialist. Viral load refers to the amount of viral particles in the body.
Once you understand how the coronavirus spreads you can take the steps necessary to not only avoid contracting the disease yourself but also infecting others. Experts now agree COVID-19 spreads primarily from person-to-person. Transmission can happen through droplets or aerosols, airborne transmission, surface transmission, fecal matter.
When an infected person sneezes, coughs or even talks they are projecting air from their nose and mouth that carries droplets that in most cases are not even visible to the eye. If you’re within six feet of these droplets you will be breathing some part of it into your lungs. The virus can live on surfaces for two to three days. So, touching a surface that contains a virus and then rubbing your nose, mouth or eyes can deliver the virus into your system. Now
What if I have to travel?
SPRINGFIELD, Aug. 17—The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) launched its new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) travel map to help inform residents of potential risks associated with traveling during the pandemic. The map indicates countries and U.S. states with increased risk of COVID-19 based on case rates.
“Travel may increase the chance of becoming infected and spreading COVID-19,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “While staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, we know that it may not be possible to avoid all travel. We encourage people who are traveling, whether for work or otherwise, to check out the map before making plans.”
Locations that have an average daily case rate of 15 cases per 100,000 or greater are designated as “higher risk” on the map, which can be found at dph.illinois.gov/covid19/travel.
Do not travel when you are sick or with someone who is sick. When traveling, it is especially important to wear your mask, to keep six feet
Locations with an average daily case rate of 15 per 100,000 (higher risk) are shown in purple. of distance between you and others as the actual bus, train, or plane you are not traveling with, and wash ride. Remember to take precautions your hands frequently or use hand when stopping for gas, food, and sanitizer if soap and water are not bathroom breaks when traveling available. by car or RV and as you interact
When considering travel, think with others and frequently touched about the destination. It is also surfaces. important to think about needed For health questions about precautions for moving through COVID-19, call the hotline bus, train, or airport terminals, at 1-800-889-3931 or email check-in and security lines, as well dph.sick@illinois.gov.
there are studies that suggest that viral particles can be found in human feces. If you or someone else with the virus doesn’t wash their hands after using the bathroom it’s possible to infect things that you touch.
While scientists think that the virus is spread mostly through people with symptoms, they also agree that it is possible for people who are asymptomatic to pass it on. An infected person can pass on this disease without even knowing they have it.
More and more studies are indicating that asymptomatic carriers of the virus, including children, can transmit the disease. Currently, the best know way to prevent the spread is to wear a mask, wash your hands, and practice social distancing.
The potential long-term effects are beginning to alarm scientists.
An article found on sciencemag.org reveals, “The list of lingering maladies from COVID-19 is longer and more varied than most doctors could have imagined. Ongoing problems include fatigue, a racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, achy joints, foggy thinking, a persistent loss of sense of smell, and damage to the heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain.
“The likelihood of a patient developing persistent symptoms is hard to pin down because different studies track different outcomes and follow survivors for different lengths of time. One group in Italy found that 87% of a patient cohort hospitalized for acute COVID-19 was still struggling two months later. Data from the COVID Symptom Study, which uses an app into which millions of people in the United States, United Kingdom, and Sweden have tapped their symptoms, suggest 10% to 15% of people—including some “mild” cases—don’t quickly recover. But with the crisis just months old, no one knows how far into the future symptoms will endure, and whether COVID-19 will prompt the onset of chronic diseases.”
So, how do we, as a community, deal with this ongoing pandemic? The answer, in the stark reality of a new world, is that we do the best we can. Until an effective vaccine is found the best we can do right now is wear a mask as recommended, maintain social distancing whenever possible, and follow the guidelines of medical professionals.
