Delta Variant Update

Dr. Ric sent out an email about 4 weeks ago, giving us some personal updates & letting us know he would be holding a CCTT (Community Contact Tracer Training) Zoom update today at noon. I attend these because he gives us updates on the latest information about SARS-CoV-2 & COVID-19. It is also a way for us to hear what's happening with our fellow contact tracers on all the islands.

Then he sent another email just a week ago, updating us on the Delta variant & also providing more information about the Delta variant. It was not looking good.

Then yesterday he sent yet another email about the Delta variant. The time frame between Dr. Ric's emails were getting shorter; something important was brewing & it was the Delta variant! Much of today's discussion was on the Delta variant, how contagious it was, & what each of us personally should do about it. In short, as compared to the original virus that we were dealing with one year ago the Delta variant is more contagious, spreading to 8 or 9 people from one infected person; the original virus was only as contagious as the common cold, spreading to about 2 people from one infected person. Dr. Ric recommended maintaining physical distancing, masking up, staying away from large indoor events, &, most importantly, getting vaccinated. Even though vaccinated people can contract the Delta variant more easily than the original virus, it provides protection by ameliorating the illness so you are less likely to end up in the hospital or dying. 

Less than half of us have signed in at this point.

We still had some arugula from the previous CSA box so I used that in a proothie this morning. It has a slightly bitter taste.

I have been looking for Gardener's Hand Repair Protective Conditioner since I used up the last of the tube I had a few years ago. I recently found it at Kokua Market. It is the best thing I have found to keep my hands from getting chapped & cracked during the winter. Since I worked outdoors with dirt & other stuff, I washed my hands often; Gardener's Hand Repair helped protect them. I also used it when I was gardening. The directions say, "Massage liberally all over the hands. It's like wearing a liquid glove that heals and preserves skin while protecting against future environmental damage." 

After the CCTT update with Dr. Ric I went over to The Most Excellent Cook & The Bronco Dude's condo to help them move some things over to the Kaimukī house. As we were driving back to the house, I saw someone lying on the ground underneath the mango tree on the opposite side of the road; there were 2 motor scooters nearby & several people around the prostrate person. As I drove The Bronco Dude back to the condo we saw a firetruck had arrived; it was still there when I got back from dropping him off. But there was no ambulance so it may not have been that serious; or perhaps the ambulance was still on its way to the scene, though I did not hear a siren even as I drove away.  

At 2:25 p.m.

At 2:46 p.m.

Later in the evening, The Most Excellent cook texted me. We went to Himalayan Kitchen for dinner. After Dr. Ric's update today I decided their large open air dining area was a good place to be around unmasked people whose COVID hygiene habits I did not know about. We only saw one group eating indoors, everyone else was in the open air portion at tables spaced way more than 6 feet apart. An added bonus is that Himalayan Kitchen has good food! In hindsight, people consciously choosing to eat at an open air restaurant probably means they practice at least a minimal level of good COVID hygiene. But I forgot to take photos dinner.

The cats were in their usual places this morning; Keala on the couch & Luna in the carrier. And S'mores was no where in sight.

Keala.

Luna.

The Aix weather app forecast drizzle here until midmorning, then partly cloudy skies, returning to drizzles in the evening; that was fairly accurate. For Kapaʻau it forecast rain all day; that seemed likely. For Marysville it forecast rain until midday, then very cloudy skies for the rest of the day; it was certainly cloudy during the daylight hours.

Kaimukī at 7:01 a.m.

Honomū at 7:01 a.m.

Marysville at 7:02 a.m. HST.

Kaimukī at 1:47 p.m.

Kaimukī at 6:27 p.m.

Honomū at 6:28 p.m.

Marysville at 6:28 p.m. HST.

According to the Hawaii Volcano Blog on the Big Island Now website; a geostationary satellite is assisting volcanologists with Hawaiian volcanoes. This past week it was picking up imagery from the wildfires & also transmitting that information to the scientists.

As predicted, Tropical Storm Hilda is no more, it has disappeared off the Central Pacific hurricane tracking graphic. Tropical Depression Jimena has weakened & become Post-Tropical Cyclone Jimena; it is expected to dissipate in a couple of days. An area of disturbance south of us also shows up on the graphic; it is forecast to have a 30% chance of becoming more organized in the next 5 days.  

This evening I was wondering what things were like when I decided I would go to Utah for Tomiko & David's wedding next week; so I checked. It was about 6&1/2 weeks ago on June 22nd when I got the email from Tomiko about the upcoming wedding; there were 20 new cases reported in the state that day with 622 active cases, a 1.1% test positivity rate, & 57% of the population was fully vaccinated. So very different from today.

There were 628 new cases of COVID-19 reported today, bringing the total known cases up to 45,245. There were 2 new deaths reported increasing the death toll to 540; currently there are 4,781 cases considered active. There have been 1,744,560 doses administered, providing 60.6% of the population with full vaccination and 67.8% of the population with one dose.

I am glad they are again providing information about case investigation timeframes. I am also glad they are providing the information on why we are unable to get a hold of some people.  

Hauʻoli lā Hānau e Mary & Brianna!