VOL 39 NO 41 | OCTOBER 10 – OCTOBER 16, 2020

PRSRT STD U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 746 Seattle, WA

VOL 39 NO 41 OCTOBER 10 – OCTOBER 16, 2020 FREE 38 YEARS YOUR VOICE

More ways to get your flu shot, as health professionals cite urgency

Special Health Issue SENIOR CARE SO IMPORTANT  3

WHAT'S COVID TESTING LIKE?  5

PUBLISHER'S BLOG: TRUMP IS OLD  7

Photo by George Liu

Reader suggests new approach to ending homelessness

Encampment in the ID

75-year-old ICHS patient, Zhaolun Shi, recently came to one of the health clinic’s flu shot events and said he makes sure to get vaccinated every year.

Healthcare professionals recommend you get your annual flu shot now—and are adding new ways to make it as safe and convenient as possible.

Annual flu shots are more important than ever to reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lessening flu cases helps to avoid a “twindemic” and adding strain on the health care system.

“Anything we can do to differentiate and figure out whether this is flu or COVID is helpful.”

DR. LAKSHMI DEEPA YERRAM

see ICHS on 4

Photo from ICHS

By Angela Toda ICHS

Local Taiwanese American brings showers to homeless in Puerto Rico Through Doctors Without Borders

Dear Editor,

■

see ALLEN on 3

In San Juan, Puerto Rico, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) doctor Jonathan Caldera and MSF nurse Rosa Cifrian walk through La Peninsula to provide home-based medical care for people who lack access to health services.

By Mahlon Meyer NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Amidst the tropical trees and scrub brush, the trailer with its assortment of electronic gear, plastic

tubing, and gigantic plastic tubs doesn’t look like much. But when attached to a pickup truck, it can be hauled all over the island and quickly turned into a portable shower unit for up to four people.

The portable shower trailer was designed for the homeless and drug users in Puerto Rico by Wayne Chang, a Boeing engineer —one of many projects undertaken by Doctors Without Borders during

the pandemic.

In a departure for the well-known aid organization, also known as Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), emergency see MSF on 11

Photos from Medecins Sans Frontiers

I agree with Patricia Fong (October 3–9 Northwest Asian Weekly issue) that there is a big homeless problem in the Chinatown-International District (CID) and that the issues of Covid-19 exacerbate the situation even more. What I don’t agree with is the idea that removing these encampments is going to magically solve this problem. In fact, the city swept the CID encampments just a few months ago only to see the camps come right back. As a resident of the CID, I watched on May 21 as the Navigation Team, which included over 40 police officers and only four social service workers, tore down people’s camps and threw all of their possessions away. There were no plans for where people were supposed to go once the

412 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104 • t. 206.223.5559 • f. 206.223.0626 • editor@nwasianweekly.com • ads@nwasianweekly.com • www.nwasianweekly.com

asianweekly

38 YEARS

OCTOBER 10 – OCTOBER 16, 2020

■ NAMES IN THE NEWS

ICHS Clinics receive 2020 Immunize Washington awards

McDonald’s/APIA Scholarship Program

Photo from ICHS

American Heart Association’s Bernard J. Tyson Impact Fund

Photo by Jeff/Singer/Redux

ICHS patients celebrating their recognition as an ICHS Super Kid, complete with vaccine completion certificates and capes

Bernard J. Tyson

International Community Health Services (ICHS) has been recognized for its success protecting children through vaccination. All four of ICHS’s medical and dental clinics were honored with gold or silver level awards in the 2020 Immunize Washington Provider Recognition Program. This year marks the fifth consecutive year that ICHS has achieved gold status.

“Immunizations provide a safe, proven defense to help parents make sure children grow up strong and healthy,” says Dr. Asqual Getaneh, ICHS chief medical officer. “They provide almost complete protection against serious diseases like measles...Not only that, but getting vaccinated helps protect everyone, even those who are not vaccinated, by contributing to herd immunity and lowering the overall risk of infection.”

In Washington, youth younger than 19 can receive immunizations for free. 

Aaliyah Mae Lewis of Tacoma is among the inaugural class of McDonald’s/APIA Scholars.

She was awarded $20,000 ($5,000 per year) to put toward her studies at Gonzaga University, where she will major in Education.

“When we created the McDonald’s/APIA Scholarship program last year, we had no idea that the need for educational support would Aaliyah Mae Lewis become greater as a result of the pandemic,” said Jimmy Ferguson, a Texas-based McDonald’s owner/operator and APIA Scholars board member.

The scholars were selected for their academic achievement, leadership, and community involvement. Emphasis was also placed on first-generation college attendees and high financial need.

The scholarship application period is currently open and runs through Jan. 14, 2021. Students and parents are encouraged to learn more or apply at apiascholars.org. 

The American Heart Association is seeking parties interested in its Bernard J. Tyson Impact Fund. The fund will support nonprofit and for-profit organizations with community-based sustainable solutions to the social determinants of health challenges in the Puget Sound, particularly those related to food insecurity and housing.

You may submit your expression of interest by 5 p.m. on Oct. 15. Go to heart.org/en/bernard-j-tyson-fund. 

Photo from Jane Zhang

Health startup launches telemedicine product

Jane Zhang

Remmie Health, a start-up for telemedicine business founded by a Seattle-based biomedical engineer, Jane Zhang, launched its first telemedicine product on Sept. 30.

Remmie is the first FDA-registered ear-nose-throat monitor and application that connects patients and healthcare providers.

In the virtual life era where telemedicine and digital health are becoming the new normal for medical check-ups, Remmie is expected to be a rising trend for families to track their symptoms and have a consultation with a provider safely at home with its built-in telemedicine monitor and application. 

We’re here when you need us When uncertainty clouds your way, you can count on Banner Bank. Our superheroes have helped people dream big and reach their goals for more than 130 years.

So call us when you need a Puget Sound-area banking hero. We’re here to help.

Learn more at bannerbank.com, or call us at: (800) 272-9933

Photo from McDonald's

2

northwest

OCTOBER 10 – OCTOBER 16, 2020

YOUR VOICE

■ HEALTH

asianweekly northwest

3

By Morgan Brice OVERLAKE HOSPITAL

For our senior community, access to timely and safe healthcare is imperative.

“My message to patients and their families is that it’s still very important to get your routine medical care during this pandemic,” said Dr. Kentaro Nishino, geriatrician at Overlake’s Senior Health Clinic. This year has been quite challenging, as Nishino looks back on the years he has spent serving his community as a primary care physician.

“I continue to be inspired by the resilience and strength of our senior ALLEN from 1 encampment was removed.

Now the camps are back. So, are we going to do the same exact thing again expecting a different result?

What we really need in the CID and this whole city is to look at what actually works in ending homelessness instead of just asking the city and the police to remove people experiencing homelessness from our sight. It doesn’t

population as they face this very difficult crisis,” he said. The concern about exposure to COVID-19 in the clinical setting has dominated fears expressed by patients here and all over the country.

“We still have patients who aren’t coming in and we are even seeing a decline in their overall health, due to their fear of not coming in to see their doctor.”

There is no doubt COVID-19 can be serious, but other conditions—like high blood pressure and diabetes—if left untreated or mismanaged, can cause harm as well.

For Nishino’s senior patients, utilizing virtual care options has

been critical.

“There have been some technical challenges, but we have been able to connect and take care of many patients, in the comfort and safety of their own home. Family members have also been stepping up, by helping their loved ones use this option whether it’s on the computer, a tablet, or smartphone.”

The patient population in the senior health setting is the highest risk population, when it comes to severe symptoms and hospitalization connected to COVID-19.

With that information alone, it is essential that these patients and their families are responsive to the need for social distancing, hand-

washing, and masking.

“Oftentimes, it can be a significant sacrifice to decrease contact with your loved ones and miss important family events,” said Nishino. “I try to encourage patients that their efforts are truly making a difference. Not only in their health, but the health of their families and others.”

Seniors should continue to seek their routine care, and right now it is more important than ever. “We don’t know how much longer this pandemic will last, so staying on top of your overall health needs to be a priority.” Nishino concluded, “We are all in this together, so don’t lose

take much research to find that using the housing first model for homelessness assistance actually helps people remain stably housed. What housing first does is provide basic needs like food and a place to live before attending to other needs, like getting a job or attending to substance use issues. Different studies have shown that between 75% and 91% of households were able to remain stably housed for long periods if they were rapidly re-

housed. Studies have also shown that it is cost effective, with one study showing that it costs $23,000 less to use the housing first model than to utilize a shelter and emergency service program. So, why isn’t the city using programs like this to actually end homelessness? Especially as the pandemic worsens, we should be expecting even more people to lose stable housing. In this time of world crisis, we should be showing our humanity to other

people.

I do think we need to contact our mayor and city council members. But, not to remove the camps with a sweep. Instead, we should ask them to use proven solutions to end homelessness in the CID so that people aren’t having to live in these conditions anymore. What I want to see in my neighborhood is for these camps to disappear, not because police came and tore them down, but because the people have

Photo from Overlake Hospital

Routine care for seniors more important than ever

Dr. Kentaro Nishino

hope. We will come out of this stronger as a community.”  found stable housing and can lead stable lives. This is a way to get to the root of the problem instead of constantly doing police sweeps, which we have seen don’t work. Let’s hold our city officials accountable for our neighborhood, but let’s try an approach that will actually work.

Sincerely, Andy Allen CID Resident 

4

asianweekly northwest

38 YEARS

OCTOBER 10 – OCTOBER 16, 2020

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR OCT

CITY OF SEATTLE VIRTUAL LEGAL CLINIC 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Sign up: bit.ly/free-daca-clinics Learn more: www.seattle.gov/daca

8 SINEGAL RECEPTION 5-7 p.m.

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10 EDI INCLUSION FUSION ...

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Cost: Free Register: ediorg.org/our-events/ inclusion-fusion-transformed

ICHS from 1 International Community Health Services (ICHS) is giving streamlined “one-stop” flu shot events to help increase the number of people who get vaccinated. Out-of-towner Anna Rosanova recently stopped by the ICHS Medical Dental Clinic in the Chinatown-International District. She and her husband were in the area to visit relatives, and were able to walk in, get their shots, and walk out within minutes. ICHS also offers similar “fast and easy” vaccinations through its on-site pharmacies, as well as making it easy to include a flu shot with a regular doctor’s visit or appointment.

“I try to get it every year just to lower the chances of getting sick,” said Rosanova, a clinical dietician. She said the only time she ever got the flu was the year she didn’t get vaccinated.

“The other reason is, if we get

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Link: zoom.us/meeting/ register/tJAudqvqzIiHdAiIW1GrPaoldPHI3m1WuRx PAINT AND SIP CLASS WITH STACY NGUYEN, BENEFITTING EDI 7 p.m.

Cost: $25 donation to EDI + cost of supplies Register: edi2020.ggo.bid

COVID, I want to know that it's COVID, not the flu.”

Patients and ICHS staff give the quick, in-and-out a thumbs up.

“Patients love it,” said Yoyo Wu, ICHS medical assistant.

She pointed out that ICHS multilingual staff also speak a number of languages, which helps the process. “It doesn’t matter if you have insurance or not. Just walk in.”

The best time to go is before the flu starts circulating in the community, which according to the CDC peaks between December and February.

“You definitely want to make sure you have been vaccinated by the end of October,” said Lisa DiFedele, ICHS infection prevention and control administrator. Age can be a consideration.

Immunity wanes faster in older people and takes two weeks to develop. “Those over 65 might want to wait until October to

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21-24 ENGAGING VIRTUAL MEETINGS CONFERENCE $0-$224 engagingvirtualmeetings.pathable.co

create a longer immunity period.”

Experts say it is better to get your vaccination too early or too late versus not at all. Many COVID-19 and flu symptoms look the same, so getting vaccinated will help narrow a diagnosis. “Given we are slowly heading towards the influenza season, anything we can do to differentiate and figure out whether this is flu or COVID is helpful,” said Dr. Lakshmi Deepa Yerram, ICHS medical director. “A key difference between COVID-19 and influenza is that we can treat influenza if we catch it early, but there’s not much as far as treatment goes, for COVID-19.”

Flu, COVID-19, and the common cold might each show signs of cough, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, and headaches.

Generally, flu and COVID-19 symptoms are more intense than cold symptoms, while a loss of taste and smell is a clear sign of

COVID-19.

“If you are experiencing any respiratory symptoms, you should immediately call your doctor, who may advise getting tested for both COVID-19 and influenza,” said DiFedele. “The results will help guide your recovery and prevent you from spreading illness to others.”

It’s possible to get COVID-19 and the flu at the same time. If this happens, you can become quite ill.

“Your symptoms can be much more intense, up to the point that you might need hospitalization,” said Yerram. For this reason, people in high risk categories, including the elderly, young children, and pregnant women, need to be especially vigilant about getting flu vaccinations. Even though the risk of transmission of COVID-19 and long-term implications has been downplayed in children, they can develop serious complications.

“We have had an unprecedented year, a stressful year,” said Yerram. “Get the flu vaccine to protect yourself, and your family and friends, especially the ones that are high risk. Let’s reduce the stress that this year has already put upon us, the health care system, and the nation in general.”  Call 206-788-3700 for more information about getting a flu shot at one of International Community Health Services’ pharmacies or clinics. All children in Washington state receive flu vaccines for free through age 18. Flu vaccine is covered through most insurance plans for adults and by Medicare part B. ICHS welcomes all people, regardless of insurance status or income. You will not be denied care if you are unable to pay. For more information, visit ichs.com.

View the solution on page 10

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The only weekly English-language newspaper serving Washington’s Asian community. The NW Asian Weekly has one simple goal: “To empower the Asian community.”

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■ HEALTH

OCTOBER 10 – OCTOBER 16, 2020

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5

Eli Lilly and company is attacking COVID-19 on multiple fronts

WE ASKED:

What is the test for COVID-19 like?

asianweekly

Photos from Han Bui

By Dr. Timothy J. Garnett REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION *This article first appeared in the National Black Nurses Association newsletter

"They gave me a bag with a tube, with liquid to put the swab in and a swab. They don’t do it for you... you have to do it yourself.

There’s a pocket farther in your nose, that if you reach it slowly, you will hear a poke. So much easier than I imagined!"

HAN BUI, EVERETT

Photo from Eli Lilly

YOUR VOICE

Dr. Timothy J. Garnett

At Eli Lilly and Company, our purpose—to make life better—has never been more important. We’re bringing the full force of our scientific and medical expertise to attack coronavirus around the world.

Lilly is fighting the pandemic with everything we can: discovering potential medicines to treat and prevent COVID-19, maintaining a reliable supply of our medicines, and supporting patients and communities in times of need.

Quest for treatments

The world urgently needs medicines that can help reduce the impact of COVID-19 while the global scientific community works toward an see GARNETT on 9

Photo from Becky Chan

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES

"The anticipation was worse than the test itself. It felt like a rice grain had gone up my nose, not painful but uncomfortable. Just when I told myself I couldn’t stand it anymore, it was over. I got the results via text on my phone the next day. Negative."

BECKY CHAN, SEATTLE

"I took it three times to make sure that I didn’t have it. Lots of Blacks got it. The test took about 10 seconds. One time, the tester swabbed my nose and another time the throat.

Both tests were negative."

NATE MILES, SEATTLE

"We were instructed to watch a video on COVID testing in advance. All we had to do on test day was drive up to the testing site where a worker gave us a test tube and a swab. You break off a piece of the cotton swab and collect the sample from high up in your nose. You do it right there in your car, and seal it in the test tube before giving it back to the person supervising the test. That’s it!"

DANNEL CHO, RENTON

"I’ve had two tests done at the drivethrough clinic on Aurora. Both times were super fast and efficient. The nasal swab test is a bit uncomfortable— kinda like, when you eat too much wasabi in one go.

But it’s a temporary discomfort. I teared up after the first time, and would not recommend wearing mascara for the test."

VIVIAN NGUYEN, SEATTLE

HERE FOR YOU

ICHS has added telehealth services to our in-person visits so you can safely get the care you need.

See your doctor or dentist from home

WIC & nutrition services by phone

Talk to therapists

Free prescription home delivery

Accepting new patients. All are welcome, regardless of insurance or immigration status. Discounts available.

Stay healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic Call (206) 788-3700

ichs.com

6

asianweekly northwest

38 YEARS

OCTOBER 10 – OCTOBER 16, 2020

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

Chen’s six step method for engaging virtual meetings

John Chen proposes cure for Zoom Fatigue

E N

ngage and interact with every attendee.

ever lead a meeting alone. In a larger meeting, if you as a speaker must focus on the group, but get someone to help you manage chat and security.

G Photos from John Chen

ood looks: Figure out your lighting and background, backdrops can help. Looking good means sounding good, so have a professional microphone.

 

By Janice Nesamani NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY When the world was stopped in its tracks by a virus, John Chen, who claims not to own a crystal ball, guessed things weren’t going to get back to normal soon.

“My dad is a doctor and my mom a nurse, so I know how viruses work. While I love our medical and pharmaceutical industry, making a vaccine doesn’t happen overnight, let alone getting one approved for humans,” Chen said.

So, when we shifted gears to working from home, pairing shirts with our PJs, and frantically locating our unmute buttons, Chen began writing a book to help us navigate the world of virtual meetings. “Engaging Virtual Meetings” will launch on Oct. 21 and might just be a cure for Zoom Fatigue.

“As soon as the Stay-At-Home order hit, we all got this adrenaline rush and urge to figure it out. That is why people stockpiled toilet paper and shelves went empty,” Chen said. It was the same with virtual meetings. Now, seven months in and Chen observes ‘Zoom Fatigue’ on 80% of meetings, especially if you are on mute, with your camera off.

“As humans, we rise to a challenge with our fight or flight mechanism, but that wears off.

A lot of people like to sprint, but how many people train for that marathon? And a virtual marathon is something different,” Chen said.

In January 2020, Chen, who also is CEO of Geoteaming, was set up for his best year ever.

“I had sold programs, gone on the new Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ride at Disney World in February and then in

March, I lost 15 programs,” he said.

His first response was to start a virtual team building course on the strength of his 2011 book called “50 Digital Team Building Games.” After all, he has been practicing these concepts for 35 years. He even quotes research showing that one can increase trust by 20% or more by using technology, such as video, to communicate.

“I started a Virtual Team Building Program that went viral because it got picked up by libraryjournal.org who quoted it as a resource. Librarians worldover, picked it up and shared it.”

Chen’s free class was the clincher!

“That was my gift back to coronavirus to deal with it,” he laughs. His publisher, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., got wind of the class and asked if he wanted to write his second book. “I said, let’s do it.” The book was greenlit and rushed—six months from start to finish.

“I wrote this book in eight weeks. In the middle of which I even had one of the first 200-person virtual conferences for a Fortune 100,” Chen said. The conference turned out to be a boon because it christened the book.

“The book was titled Virtual Team Building, but my publisher wanted to change it.

The reason: only 10% of the world is interested in building teams virtually, but everyone is meeting virtually and having the same challenges and problems,” Chen said.

While Mark Twain is said to have averaged around 1,600 words a day, Chen claims he averaged 6,000 for the last five days.

“I reused 20% of my last book because in the virtual team building classes, what I

John Chen

knew was even more true.”

“I can’t make vaccines, but I can make your next virtual meetings just a little more engaging,” Chen said.

While it focuses on two platforms— Zoom and Microsoft Teams—his tips can be applied to any platform.

“I hope readers learn how to make their virtual meetings engaging. If not for yourself as a host, do it for your attendees who are suffering,” Chen said, getting existential. “If we could reduce suffering in the world by a little bit, that would be great—and virtual meetings is our new world.”

Chen has worked with about 2,000 people, helping them host and lead virtual meetings with amazing results. One man used three tech-

A

ir traffic control means two people can’t talk at the same time. As rooms get bigger, it gets harder to control, monitor the air or voice channel so it’s efficient.

G

et productive with virtual tools: from the chat window to simultaneously editing a document to high-end tools. We are all here to do work when we are not having fun with family or friends.

Figure out the right tools for the right job for the right audience.

E

nd on a high note. It comes from product marketing research which says that in a 60-minute demo, architect your last five minutes to have a high point for a sale. Virtual meetings are the same.

niques from Chen’s course to make a presentation to his Chamber of Commerce and reported the presentation was a hit.

“He told me people loved him and his session, they got a chance to talk to each other, and those are big things,” Chen said.

Another woman hosted paid business networking meetings and hadn’t been able to have her meetings end on time despite cutting 16 minutes of content. see CHEN on 10

YOUR VOICE

■ PUBLISHER'S BLOG

OCTOBER 10 – OCTOBER 16, 2020

President Trump is 74 years old, and former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden will be 78 in November. But biologically, Biden is likely younger…

Trump’s older biological age could explain why he was infected with COVID last Thursday, and ended up in a hospital for three days. Most people were not surprised that Trump got infected due to his resistance towards social distancing and wearing masks. Continuously, he campaigned in big crowds with no precautions, and not requiring attendees to wear masks. One retiree said she was surprised that he didn’t get COVID sooner.

The immediate cause for Trump’s COVID was he got it from his senior aide, Hope Hicks. However, the long-term causes for Trump are more apparent. He’s male, 74, and overweight: all highrisk factors for COVID. According to statistics, males account for 15% of COVID deaths. According to Science, an online journal, many of the sickest COVID-19 patients have been people who are obese. Those over 60 belong to the vulnerable age group for COVID. There’s a clock in our body, and not just our brain, but every organ of our body. They all have their own timetables. Our cells have lives of their own.

But if we abuse our bodies, which Trump does a lot, our bodies would lose their ability to fight against diseases due to self-destructive impulses.

Biden’s and Trump’s diets Trump is famous for indulging in junk food. A steak and meat person, he shuns vegetables, and welcomes meatloaf, pork chops, and french fries.

A lover of McDonald’s, his security detail has ordered for him burgers, milk shakes, and Diet Coke. During his campaign, he also enjoys Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Neither Biden nor Trump smoke or drink. However, Trump’s vice is Diet Coke, of which he drinks several a day. Although it has no calories, sugar, or fat, it offers no nutrients. It has been linked to the development of type 2 diabetes and heart disease in several studies. Research has found that just one serving of an artificially sweetened drink per day is associated with an 8–13% higher risk of type 2 diabetes. Trump is overweight, he could be pre-diabetic or already a diabetic. He just tries to hide his condition.

Trump is not a breakfast person. Breakfast is the most important meal for us to build a healthy body.

Health experts would suggest a big breakfast, but going easy on lunch and dinner. Too big of a dinner would affect our digestive system and sleep. If you have dessert as well with dinner, the sugar will go right into your bloodstream, and it will turn into fat later.

If Trump eats breakfast, it will be bacon and eggs. Eggs are good for protein and nutrients, but not bacon, a processed meat. Bacon, which goes into your gut with a dose of nitrosamines, will damage the cells in the lining of the bowel, and can lead to cancer, according to a World Health Organization study.

Biden is more disciplined about his eating than Trump. According to the Washington Post, Biden’s speaking contract showed a health-conscious diet.

He requested mixed nuts, a fruit plate, and a meal of angel hair pomodoro, a caprese salad, and raspberry sorbet with biscotti.

We are what we eat. For not eating breakfast, add one year to Trump’s age. Eating junk food, add another year. Being overweight, add one more year. For Biden’s healthy eating, we subtract one year from his age.

Biden works out, Trump does not Lean and fit, Biden works out five days a week.

Trump likes to sit and watch hours of television, especially Fox News. The amount of sitting would explain why Trump is obese. At 6’3”, he weighs 244 lbs. Healthy experts say he should weigh 10

7

DY'S CLOCK' SERIES

He’s OLDER

than Biden

Donald Trump

northwest

PART 3 of the 'SLOW YOUR BO

Trump’s biological age:

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

asianweekly

Joe Biden

pounds less. At six feet, Biden weighs about 185 lbs.

For his vigorous workouts and lean body, we subtract one year from his age.

For someone in such a demanding job like Trump’s and doesn’t exercise, it clearly affects his temper. Exercise can release tension and stress. It boosts our spirit. That explains why Trump is often in bad moods.

The White House can provide the world’s best gym to accommodate any president’s needs. It also has a swimming pool. The White House exercise room is probably underutilized because Trump doesn’t use it. The Clintons and Obamas made good use of it.

Trump golfs at his own private golf courses on weekends. Exercising once a week is not sufficient. He has gained four pounds since 2018. But given his tight campaign schedule, I doubt he has much time to golf lately.

There is no question, his body is in terrible shape. Add one more year to his real age for not exercising.

Trump’s sleep habits What Trump loves to do at night is not sleep, but tweet. He sleeps perhaps three to four hours a night, as he told Fox News, and sometimes, even less, especially if he’s in a lousy mood during the day.

Sleep helps the body to fight bacteria, viruses, and germs, which give us all kinds of illnesses. What does it say about his body’s immunity? For poor sleep, add another couple of years to his biological clock. Add two years for his bad sleep habits.

As of press time, Biden’s campaign had not responded to my request for information on how many hours a night Biden sleeps. All I found in an online search is, he sometimes dozed off during meetings when he was vice president.

Anger issues for both Trump’s appetite for rage is just as immense as his ego. He likes to run the White House with fear when he doesn’t like what he sees or gets what he wants, or when people don’t praise him or give him credit when he thinks he should. Lately, it’s the Nobel Prize. He thinks he deserves it because of his role in bringing Israel and two tiny Arab countries in normalizing relations.

His debate with Biden illustrated his intense rage.

When Biden said, “A lot more people are going to die unless he gets a lot smarter very fast.” The word “smart” provoked him instantly.

“Did you say smart?” Trump asked. “There’s nothing smart about you.”

Biden has a “volatile temper” too, according to the New York Times. But at the presidential debate last week, Biden was able to stay cool. The debate hurt Trump more than Biden, emotionally and physically.

The Chinese believe that our body is driven by its inner

COVID DIAGNOSIS TELLS WHY

BIDEN Biological age: 75 (estimated) Real age: 77 Healthy diet, no junk food: -1 year Exercises 5 days a week: -1 year Weight: 185 lbs -1 year Sleep: info unavailable Anger management: Able to control anger. No years added or subtracted.

TRUMP Biological age: 85 (estimated) Real age: 74 Skips breakfast: +1 year Diet includes junk food and lots of meat: +2 years Exercise: none during the week and occasional golfing on weekends +1 year Weight: 244 lbs (10 pounds overweight) +1 year Sleep: 3-4 hours a night +2 years Anger management: uncontrollable anger all the time +1 year COVID side effects: +3 years

energy. Trump’s anger has damaged his internal vitality in addition to the stresses of preparing for the debate.

Our vitality needs to be replenished every time we have done a major task, such as the debate by taking in nutritious food, and rest and relaxation.

Otherwise, our brain and the rest of the body can’t recuperate from what we give out. But no, Trump kept going to fundraising events in addition to his Rose Garden event nominating Amy Coney Barrett as Supreme Court Justice. The media called it a “superspreader” event. He could have gotten COVID from that event, and later more spread from Hicks.

His short and long-term health problems linked to unmanaged anger, a stressful schedule, and a lack of sleep tripled his chances of getting COVID. Everything Trump does to himself disrupts the daily rhythms of his body.

Add two more years to Trump’s age for his never-ending anger.

Trump’s COVID side effects will weaken his lungs, heart, and kidneys for years to come.

For his new condition, add three more years to his age.

With all those years of self-inflicting wounds, Trump’s biological age is 85. One more thing, Biden said, “Listen to the sciences,” while Trump attacks

scientists and their research. After Trump’s COVID experience, you would think that he learned his lesson. No, he took off his mask deliberately in front of cameras when he returned to the White House. He downplayed the virus again by saying, “Don‘t be afraid of COVID... don‘t let it dominate your life.”

Does Trump understand what a virus is? I bet the only thing Trump knows about a virus is, it can infect and kill a person.

Had he really known what a virus means, he would not tempt fate.

The origin of the word “virus” is from Latin, meaning “toxin.” According to a book, “The Body” by Bill Bryson, “Most of the time, they (viruses) are as lifeless as a mote of dust, but put them into a living cell, and they will burst into animate existence and reproduce as furiously as any living thing... They are incredibly successful.” Some viruses can live as long as 30,000 years like the one discovered in Siberia in 2014. Frightening!

Trump’s infection is a wake-up call for those who live in a bubble and an unhealthy lifestyle.

It never hurts to be a little more curious towards science and the coronavirus. You never know how it will help you and your loved ones in the long run.  Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.

8

asianweekly northwest

38 YEARS

OCTOBER 10 – OCTOBER 16, 2020

■ HEALTH & COMMUNITY

South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act The South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act passed the House of Representatives on Sept. 29. The bipartisan legislation will raise awareness about heart disease in South Asian communities throughout the United States, while investing in strategies to reverse this deadly trend.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the first South Asian American woman ever elected to Congress, said, “I am proud that the House passed my bipartisan legislation as a significant step in raising the alarm, reversing the trend of

heart disease in our communities, and saying to South Asian American communities across the country, we see you and we are ready to help.”

The legislation would direct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary to create grants to provide funding for community groups involved in South Asian heart health promotion and to develop culturally appropriate materials to promote heart health in the South Asian community.

It would also direct the HHS Secretary to fund grants

through the National Institutes of Health to conduct research on cardiovascular disease and other heart ailments among communities disproportionately affected by heart disease.

Studies have shown that South Asians in the United States—people who immigrated from or whose families immigrated from countries including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal —are experiencing a dramatic rise in heart disease.

South Asians make up 25% of the world’s population, but

50% of global cardiovascular deaths. Additionally, South Asian Americans are four times more at risk of developing heart disease than the general population, have a much greater chance of having a heart attack before age 50, and have emerged as the ethnic group with the highest prevalence of Type 2 diabetes, which is a leading cause of heart disease.

Seattle has been among the top five metro areas in the country when it comes to the population of certain South Asian groups. 

Rep. Pramila Jayapal

UW secures grant to advance Southeast Asian research and community engagement The Southeast Asia Center at the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies and the Libraries at the University of Washington (UW) will spearhead a new initiative of innovative collaborations to explore the effects and consequences of authoritarianism in Southeast Asia and on Southeast Asian American communities in the United States.

The $1 million grant will develop expertise, capacity, and resources on Southeast Asia.

“We are excited to develop our work

to engage scholars and students in the crosscurrents and interconnections between the U.S. and Southeast Asia,” said Celia Lowe, chair of the Jackson School’s Southeast Asia Center. “This grant will help build a vibrant and relevant future for Southeast Asian Studies.”

The grant includes introducing Southeast Asian Studies graduate students to archival practices. An undergraduate research class will study applicable museum artifacts, with a focus on making collections meaningful and accessible

to communities of Southeast Asian heritage, and in Southeast Asia. The grant also will train a Southeast Asia librarian through a two-year program supported by a partial tuition fellowship from the UW iSchool.

Jenna Grant, assistant professor in an-

thropology, and Vicente L. Rafael, professor of history, will lead a collaboration with filmmakers, archivists and documentation specialists from partner institutions in Cambodia, the Philippines, and Burma. 

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YOUR VOICE

■ EDITORIAL

asianweekly northwest

9

The ‘do no wrong’ president?

“Don’t be afraid of Covid,” President Donald Trump tweeted hours before he was discharged from the hospital on Oct. 5.

“Don’t let it dominate your life.”

Trump was hospitalized for three days after being diagnosed with coronavirus—which has killed more than 1 million people worldwide. The nation’s Covid death has passed 210,000—more than any other nation and more than one-fifth of the global total, even though the United States accounts for only 4% of the world’s population.

Trump, 74 years old and overweight, is in the “high risk” category, according to public health experts. His devotees are attracted to what they see as Trump’s strength, and believe him when he compares COVID-19 to the flu. These supporters see a tough leader with a minor affliction, not a sick, old man.

A White House-themed online gift shop is offering $100 “Trump Beat COVID” commemorative coins. Very few of his supporters would change their personal approach to masks or distancing.

“I am very worried that people will take this to mean that ‘if he can beat COVID, I can beat COVID,’” Mangala Narasimhan, an intensive care physician in New York, told USA Today.

“What he got was treatment that nobody gets,” she said. “Nobody.”

Nobody, especially lower-income Americans and people of color, who are most at risk for poor outcomes from the virus.

Trump also got access to experimental drugs—one of only a handful of people outside clinical trials to undergo that type of treatment.

Now his campaign argues that Trump is better qualified than

GARNETT from 5 eventual vaccine. This is particularly imperative for communities of color, which have been disproportionally impacted by the virus, further exacerbating underlying health disparities.

In early June, Lilly advanced the fight into a new era with the start of human studies of the world’s first custom-designed potential treatments for COVID-19—antibodies engineered for their potential to neutralize, and possibly prevent, the disease.

Lilly scientists rapidly developed the first antibody in just three months, after our partner AbCellera and the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) identified it from a blood sample taken from one of the first U.S. patients who recovered from COVID-19.

If successful in clinical studies, Lilly is committed to working with regulatory authorities to accelerate the availability of this potential medicine. Lilly believes that antibodies— in addition to vaccines, antivirals and immunosuppressants—will be im-

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Perhaps the question to all voters, Trump fans or not, should be, “Were you better off four years ago right before the 2016 election, or not?”

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden because, “He has experience now fighting the coronavirus ... Joe Biden doesn’t.”

There are Biden supporters, but they are not as passionate as Trump loyalists. Why does Trump inspire such fierce allegiance and uncompromising support? His die-hard fans think he can do no wrong.

It’s easy to brush off Trump’s base as racist and too dumb to know better. If you are one of the millions who can’t stand Trump, here’s how his base views you. You swallow all the

portant additions to the toolkit in combating COVID-19.

Lilly is studying multiple approaches to attack and prevent the virus. In addition to antibodies, the company is working with NIAID to study a medicine approved to treat rheumatoid arthritis for its potential anti-inflammatory effect in treating COVID-19.

Lilly is also studying another investigational medicine, originally developed for cancer, to see if it can help slow the progression of acute respiratory distress syndrome in COVID-19 patients with pneumonia.

Supporting patients and communities Lilly is committed to supporting people who need our medicines and the communities where we work and live, especially in this time of need.

We've been providing afford-

ability solutions for a long time, but more is needed to help people during this unprecedented period. We want people who need help to contact us.

With stress on our economy, we know many people in the U.S. may struggle to pay for their medicines. So we’ve enhanced our affordability solutions—including launching the Lilly Insulin Value Program, which allows people with diabetes to get their Lilly insulin prescription filled for as little as $35 a month. People can call the Lilly Diabetes Solution Center at 1-833-8081234, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. (Eastern time), or find more information about the Lilly Diabetes Solution Center here.

We’re also participating in the Medicare Part D Senior Savings Model. Once this program begins next year, people using most Lilly insulins—re-

“fake news” the media feeds you and you are blind to the media’s obvious bias. They may not like everything about Trump, but they say the media reports only bad things about him, never the good. They may dislike Trump, intensely, but they despise the other side way more.

It’s possible that a large part of Trump’s base likes him just because he’s a Republican, and has enacted conservative policies—cut taxes, cut regulations, appointed conservative judges. They may not like a lot of Trump’s behavior or rhetoric, gardless of whether they are enrolled in Medicare Part D, a private commercial plan, or are uninsured—will also be eligible to purchase their monthly prescription for as little as $35 a month from a retail pharmacy.

More than 40 million people around the world rely on Lilly medicines every day, many with chronic diseases like diabetes that put them at greater risk of complications from the virus. Our job is to maintain a safe supply of medicines that help keep them well. It’s important to note that Lilly does not currently anticipate shortages for any of our medicines, including all forms of insulin.

Lilly is also committed to doing our part to help slow the spread of the virus. We will be cautious as communities reopen, balancing the need to support health care professional offices and patients with safety

but they like his results. Small business owners who are independent and don’t want the government around; business guys who like deregulation and can make as much money as they want with no interference.

The loyalty of Trump supporters could also be explained

by America’s addiction with entertainment and reality TV. To some, it doesn’t matter what The Donald actually says because he’s so amusing to watch.

If on Election Night 2020, Donald Trump claims victory on the basis of early returns, his fans will, no doubt, join him in crying foul if late mail ballots reverse the results.

Perhaps the question to all voters, Trump fans or not, should be, “Were you better off four years ago right before the 2016 election, or not?” 

concerns.

Lilly and the Lilly Foundation are actively engaged with community partners to address new and complex challenges arising from the coronavirus, including the economic impact on people most vulnerable to the downturn. In our hometown of Indianapolis, we helped launch a community fund to assist in stabilizing organizations that serve individuals and families affected by the pandemic—as well as a fund to support educators and families during the transition to remote learning.

At Lilly, we unite caring and discovery to make life better for people around the world.

We will continue to seek treatments to beat COVID-19 and work with partners to help our communities weather this storm. 

10

asianweekly northwest

38 YEARS

OCTOBER 10 – OCTOBER 16, 2020

CLASSIFIED NOTICE

NOTICE

NOTICE

NOTICE

Superior Court of Washington, County of King Bashir Dahir and and Halima Omar Petitioners, and Habiba Abdi and Bashir Mohamed Respondents No. 20-3-04101-1 KNT Summons By Publication To the Respondent: Bashir Dahir and and Halima Omar, The petitioner has started an action in the above court requesting Non-Parent Custody. Give custody of the child to a non-parent.

You must respond to this summons by serving a copy of your written response on the person signing this summons and by filing the original with the clerk of the court. If you do not serve your written response within 20 days (or 60 days if you served outside of the state of WA) after the first publication of this summons(60 days after September 19, 2020), the court may enter an order of default against you, and the court may, without further notice to you, enter a decree and approve or provide for other relief requested in this summons. In case of a dissolution, the court will not enter the final decree until at least 90 days after service and filing. If you serve a notice of appearance on the undersigned person, you are entitled to notice before an order of default or a decree may be entered.

Your written response to the summons and petition must be FL Non-Parent 415, Response to Non-Parent Custody Petition. Information about how to get this form may be obtained by contacting the clerk of the court, by contacting the Administrative Office of the Courts at (360) 705-5328, or Washington LawHelp: www.washingtonlawhelp.org. If you wish to seek the advice of an attorney in this matter, you should do so promptly so that your written response, if any, may be served on time.

This summons if issued pursuant to RCW 4.28.100 and Superior Court Civil Rule 4.1 of the State of Washington. Dated 9/4/2020. Serve a Copy of Your Response on: Habiba Abdi and Bashir Mohamed, File your Original Response with the Clerk of the Court at: King County Superior Ct 516 3rd Ave Seattle, WA 98104.

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“I shared one of our principles called ‘Never Zoom Alone.’ She got her meeting to end on time while including the content she had to cut down by having two people to help her,Chen said.

For those of us struggling with virtual meetings at home, Chen calls out three problems he often sees. The first, forgetting to unmute.

“I’m thinking of printing t-shirts with ‘You’re on Mute,’ so all you have to do is wear the T-shirt and stand up if the speaker is on mute,” he said.

The second flaw is to not design your meeting to be engaging.

“If you want engagement, engage. In a mid-size meeting, for instance, ask people to physically raise their hands. Get people to turn on their cameras. Make people a part of your meeting,” Chen said.

The third flaw is more complicated but common: not designing meetings for psychological safety.

“Google researched top-performing teams in the world and found their secret sauce wasn’t the team’s style, players, managers, computers, or money, but that team members felt safe to take risks with other people in their group or meetings,” Chen said. A way he suggests we do that is to let people talk in their own time.

But is it that simple to read your participants or the room virtually? Chen thinks that as a speaker, you really need new setups. For instance, his setup has six monitors on which he can enable Gallery View to watch around 250 participants at a time.

“I can ask everyone to applaud and look through the screen, call a person by name, say thank you, or call someone who is not applauding and ask them to. That person

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is in a 250-person room wondering how I can see them.”

Chen tells us about author and motivational speaker Tony Robbins, who reportedly spent $5 million on his setup.

“He can see 20,000 people in a 360-degree stadium. You actually see footage of him running around virtually high-fiving everyone. You can literally feel that energy in the meeting.”

What Chen finds unique is that humans are designed to engage and connect. He recalls a recent host who ended the meeting with: Thank you for letting me into your home.

“Isn’t that lovely because I’m getting a tiny window into your home. I see some of your art, or hear your dogs bark. I never knew that until today, that really got to me,” he said.

Chen proposes tools to help us connect better virtually—the first audio and video, the second is chat.

“Twitch.tv, the live streaming platform for gamers, has a chat screen where you can ‘blow up the chat room.’ The room has over 10,000 people and the chat moves so fast, you can barely read it. But kids get emotion from that. They can feel whether the audience is engaged with what they are doing or not,” he said.

Chen suggests the use of emotions (on Zoom) where you can cheer, clap, or do a ‘ta-da,’ and change the color of hands to match your skin tone. “People should take advantage of these tools for diversity and inclusion.”

The third tool he heralds as a powerful engagement tool is Breakout Rooms.

“On Sept. 21, Zoom released self-directed breakout rooms where people can change rooms if they don’t like the one they are assigned to,” Chen said. “As people, we want to be in control of our expe-

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riences. Imagine bumping into a person and having a great conversation, we’re replicating things that happened face to face.” Chen points out that it is up to the virtual speaker to find ways to engage with people and teach them.

But there’s a flip side to this engagement —the phenomenon of ‘Zoom Bombing.’

People getting into your meetings to disrupt it most commonly through racist or sexual backgrounds or comments.

“People who haven’t been able to control this have had to end meetings. It’s terrible people would use their time in this way, but it happened to me thrice.”

On the third occasion, Chen was in the middle of testing out a virtual Santa experience.

“Some people came in with a Nazi flag as their backdrop and said a lot of disparaging things. So, my co-hosts and I reverse zoom-bombed them.” Chen got his participants, except for ‘Santa’ and another friend who was dressed as a Cookie, to hide by turning off their cameras.

“As soon as the Zoom bombers came in and began talking, I muted them, removed their ability to unmute themselves, and then on cue, 17 cameras turned on. Santa told them they were bad kids and all of us started singing, ‘Here Comes Santa Claus.’

Then, we posted it to Twitter to shame them,” he said. Now, that’s what we call an engaging meeting.

But with families and friends meeting virtually and schools having virtual classrooms, Chen suggests having Passwords and Waiting Rooms turned on for meetings.

“It’s unfortunate but it’s essential to know, which is why I have a whole chapter dedicated to security in my book. When and if Zoom Bombers get in, mute, and then remove them, ensure

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your account is set up so if you remove someone, they cannot get back in. He also recommends that people report Zoom Bombers.

“Zoom has a way to track a person and can ban them. The other thing is to turn off screen sharing for others by default.”

Chen’s book with all its tips and tricks is available for presale on Amazon and Goodreads. It will also hit independent local bookstores. But since our new reality is virtual, you can also go to engagingvirtualmeetings.com/conferences where Chen is launching his book with a 4-day virtual conference from Oct. 21-24.

“For the price of the ticket, you get a book shipped to your house and get to experience nine of the top virtual speakers. My friends and I will demonstrate different techniques of how we can be engaging with each of you,” Chen said. The last day of the conference is called Celebrate Day with fun activities such as a scavenger hunt, bingo, trivia, and a dance class. “If you’ve thought about how you can have a virtual activity with your group, this is a great place to get ideas.”  Janice can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com SOLUTION from SUDOKU on page 4.

YOUR VOICE

■ ASTROLOGY

OCTOBER 10 – OCTOBER 16, 2020

asianweekly northwest

11

Predictions and advice for the week of October 10–16, 2020

By Sun Lee Chang

Rat—A backhanded compliment is worse than saying nothing at all. When it counts, choose your words carefully.

Dragon—When you are able to set the terms of engagement, leave no doubt as to what your expectations are.

Monkey—Thinking about bending the rules for someone? Consider whether this is a one-off or if it will turn into a habit.

Ox—Worried about not having a clear-cut plan?

There is no time like the present to start preparing one.

Snake—To hope for something is to risk disappointment, but there is also the chance to gain or experience the opposite.

Rooster—Your appetite for adventure could lead you to new heights, but it is not without its share of uncertainty.

Tiger—Why quibble about the little things? If it is of minimal importance, it is better to let it go.

Horse—An unexpected development has you wondering what to do next. The best choice could be the least obvious option.

Dog—Learning how to fall is as crucial as knowing how to stand. Don’t be afraid of the former.

Rabbit—You know a good combination when you see one. This opportunity might be too tempting to pass up.

Goat—Are you committed to making a meaningful change? Following through will require you to be honest with yourself.

Pig—Hastiness could be reflected in the quality of your work. Take your time and do it right the first time.

WHAT’S YOUR ANIMAL SIGN? RAT 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 OX 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009 TIGER 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010 RABBIT 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011 DRAGON 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 SNAKE 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 HORSE 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014 GOAT 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015 MONKEY 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016 ROOSTER 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017 DOG 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018 PIG 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019

*The year ends on the first new moon of the following year. For those born in January and February, please take care when determining your sign.

response teams were sent not only to war-torn African countries—but also to the United States.

“We have been looking at the situation in the United States for many years, and asking ourselves, are we able to respond to these particular needs and would we be an added value compared to other providers,” said Sophie Delaunay, former project manager for Puerto Rico. “MSF realized there were structural gaps in the U.S. system that could be met by our emergency work.”

Puerto Rico was just one of a number of other areas in which MSF moved in to provide assistance. In New York, the organization provided hand-washing stations and other health measures to at-risk populations. In New Mexico and Arizona, it offered health education for Native American populations. In Florida, it provided public health guidance and COVID-19 testing for migrant farm workers. And in Michigan, it trained workers in nursing homes.

But Puerto Rico provides, perhaps, the starkest evidence of the need for such an intervention. Virtually abandoned by the federal government during hurricanes and other disasters, denied statehood, the island has the highest poverty rate in the entire United States and the lowest per-capita income, not to mention widespread corruption, and a massive brain drain as doctors and nurses have fled the island for the mainland, leaving it even more vulnerable during the pandemic.

As a result of corruption, neglect, and impoverishment, parts of the island have running water only every other day—a disaster during the spread of

Photos from MSF

MSF from 1

Wayne Chang working with MSF in Puerto Rico

the coronavirus. So when MSF was evaluating where it could have the greatest impact, Puerto Rico was on the list.

It was in this way that Chang, 32, a Taiwanese American Boeing liaison engineer, got involved. It started in April, soon after Boeing had shut down its factories. Chang received an email.

He had worked with MSF before. An autodidact, as a teenager in Mill Creek he had taught himself how to build computers and how to program them. Eventually, working with MSF, he built an aluminum forge from scratch in South Sudan to produce usable aluminum ingots.

When he arrived in Puerto Rico, after quarantining, he and other MSF volunteers worked with local NGOs to assess the greatest needs.

MSF doctors began making house calls to people suffering from chronic conditions, homebound out of fear of going to the hospital or due to sickness. MSF also began distributing hygiene kits to a large population of homeless people and drug users. And they hired award-winning artists to paint

murals showing proper mask use and hygienic measures.

But Chang’s journey was different.

One of the local nonprofits worked with homeless and intravenous drug users.

“This is who we are,” Chang said he told them, in his halting high school Spanish. “What do you need?”

They took him on a ride around the island, where drug users would emerge out of hiding and approach the local nonprofit workers.

“They knew them, they knew them all by name,” he said.

Wayne learned that under normal circumstances, a network of YMCA-type facilities provided showers to those living on the streets. But most of them were closed because the volunteers that staffed them were older and were afraid of contracting COVID. “We would like showers,” said the local nonprofit.

So Chang’s team first went to Delaunay, who had the final say, to discuss a budget.

The cheapest alternative would be to provide a plastic bag of water attached to a tree with

a hose running out, they explained. But she authorized more after a group discussion.

Chang and his colleagues scoured the island for parts.

They waited outside local Home Depots that would not allow them inside, because of local policy. They ordered from a local Costco. And eventually, they found in the middle of the island a number of gigantic, abandoned oil containers, around 225 gallons each, that they transported back in a giant U-Haul trailer.

“They barely fit,” said Chang.

After scouring the insides with degreasers and cleansers, they were fit to hold water.

And so, using countless other pieces of local equipment, including an electric pump that usually supplies water to a house, Chang constructed a portable shower trailer.

Standing on a rack, under a tent, the shower stall provides room for two people with enough distance for safety.

Fans evacuate air to disperse aerosols. And Chang built a backpack sprayer so workers could spray down all the walls with chlorine between each

use.

Immediately afterward, he made a video showing how to use it for the local nonprofit that would take over.

Such a move was part of MSF’s traditional practice—training and encouraging local groups to carry on its emergency work. And sometimes local doctors or other aid workers, who are often hired by the organization, are inspired to continue on their own.

In Puerto Rico, after the agency closed its operations last week, a group of four local doctors formed their own nonprofit based on MSF practices.

MSF will close all its operations in the United States this month.  For more information or to donate, go to doctorswithoutborders.org.

To donate to the local nonprofit in Puerto Rico directly, go to: globalgiving.org/donate/44758/ intercambios-puerto-rico-inc.

Mahlon can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

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asianweekly northwest

OCTOBER 10 – OCTOBER 16, 2020

38 YEARS

LILLY FOR BETTER The human race has always been curious, hopeful and resilient. Discovery is our purpose on this planet. It’s our calling and the spirit that’s defined Lilly since day one. After more than a century and nearly 100 medicines and countless innovations, we’re still searching for the next great discovery that will make life better for people around the world. lilly.com 2020 CA Approved for External Use PRINTED IN USA ©2020, Eli Lilly and Company. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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1/22/20 3:44 PM