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Written by: Suresh Dhaniyala, Clarkson University and Byron Erath, Clarkson University

Published: 21 January 2021

 

A fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has been found in at least 20 states, and people are wondering: How do I protect myself now?

We saw what the new variant, known as B.1.1.7, can do as it spread quickly through southeastern England in December, causing case numbers to spike and triggering stricter lockdown measures.

The new variant has been estimated to be 50% more easily transmitted than common variants, though it appears to affect people’s health in the same way. The increased transmissibility is believed to arise from a change in the virus’s spike protein that can allow the virus to more easily enter cells. These and other studies on the new variant were released before peer review to share their findings quickly.

Additionally, there is some evidence that patients infected with the new B.1.1.7 variant may have a higher viral load. That means they may expel more virus-containing particles when they breathe, talk or sneeze.

As professors who study fluid dynamics and aerosols, we investigate how airborne particles carrying viruses spread. There is still a lot that scientists and doctors don’t know about the coronavirus and its mutations, but there are some clear strategies people can use to protect themselves.

Airborne particles are still the biggest problem

The SARS-CoV-2 variants are believed to spread primarily through the air rather than on surfaces.

When someone with the coronavirus in their respiratory tract coughs, talks, sings or even just breathes, infectious respiratory droplets can be expelled into the air. These droplets are tiny, predominantly in the range of 1-100 micrometers. For comparison, a human hair is about 70 micrometers in diameter.

The larger droplets fall to the ground quickly, rarely traveling farther than 6 feet from the source. The bigger problem for disease transmission is the tiniest droplets – those less than 10 micrometers in diameter – which can remain suspended in the air as aerosols for hours at a time.

With people possibly having more virus in their bodies and the virus being more infectious, everyone should take extra care and precautions. Wearing face masks and social distancing are essential.

Spaces and activities that were previously deemed “safe,” such as some indoor work environments, may present an elevated infection risk as the variant spreads.

The concentration of aerosol particles is usually highest right next to the individual emitting the particles and decreases with distance from the source. However, in indoor environments, aerosol concentration levels can quickly build up, similar to how cigarette smoke accumulates within enclosed spaces. This is particularly problematic in spaces that have poor ventilation.

With the new variant, aerosol concentration levels that might not have previously posed a risk could now lead to infection.

What can you do to stay safe?

1) Pay attention to the type of face mask you use, and how it fits.

Most off-the-shelf face coverings are not 100% effective at preventing droplet emission. With the new variant spreading more easily and likely infectious at lower concentrations, it’s important to select coverings with materials that are most effective at stopping droplet spread.

When available, N95 and surgical masks consistently perform the best. Otherwise, face coverings that use multiple layers of material are preferable. Ideally, the material should be a tight weave. High thread count cotton sheets are an example. Proper fit is also crucial, as gaps around the nose and mouth can decrease the effectiveness by 50%.

2) Follow social distancing guidelines.

While the current social distancing guidelines are not perfect – 6 feet isn’t always enough – they do offer a useful starting point. Because aerosol concentrations levels and infectivity are highest in the space immediately surrounding anyone with the virus, increasing physical distancing can help reduce risk. Remember that people are infectious before they start showing symptoms, and they many never show symptoms, so don’t count on seeing signs of illness.

3) Think carefully about the environment when entering an enclosed area, both the ventilation and how people interact.

Limiting the size of gatherings helps reduce the potential for exposure. Controlling indoor environments in other ways can also be a highly effective strategy for reducing risk. This includes increasing ventilation rates to bring in fresh air and filtering existing air to dilute aerosol concentrations.

On a personal level, it is helpful to pay attention to the types of interactions that are taking place. For example, many individuals shouting can create a higher risk than one individual speaking. In all cases, it’s important to minimize the amount of time spent indoors with others.

The CDC has warned that B.1.1.7 could become the dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant in the U.S. by March. Other fast-spreading variants have also been found in Brazil and South Africa. Increased vigilance and complying with health guidelines should continue to be of highest priority.

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This story was updated Jan. 18 with latest CDC count and map showing B.1.1.7 cases now found in 20 states.

Suresh Dhaniyala, Bayard D. Clarkson Distinguished Professor of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, Clarkson University and Byron Erath, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Clarkson University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Written by: Elizabeth Larson

Published: 20 January 2021

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County, like other parts of California and the nation, is experiencing multiple challenges as it tries to deliver COVID-19 vaccinations to residents.

That’s what Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace told the Board of Supervisors during a special Tuesday morning meeting and the Lakeport City Council at its Tuesday evening meeting.

On Tuesday, Lake County’s COVID-19 cases had risen to 2,612 – nearly 200 new cases since Friday – with two new deaths reported, bringing total deaths to 30.

Pace said Lake County is continuing to have widespread transmission of the virus.

“There's so much virus out in the community right now that you will be in contact with it if you're out and about,” he told the council.

Last week, Lake County recorded the highest new case numbers than it ever has, and this week it’s on pace to do the same, he said.

Public Health records showed that, on Tuesday, the cases had risen by 356 over the previous week.

Both of the county’s hospitals are pretty full, with the eight local intensive care unit beds mostly filled with COVID-19 patients, Pace reported.

Pace noted that, overall, the state’s case and hospitalization numbers are starting to flatten out, with the case surge following Christmas and New Year’s not turning out to be as bad as previously thought.

However, in Lake County, the surge isn’t yet flattening out, although Pace expects to turn the corner in the next week or two.

“Certainly we are often lagging a little behind the rest of California because of our rural nature,” Pace told the council.

He told both the board and the council that Lake County currently is in the most challenging part of the pandemic. Over the next two to three weeks he expects to see the results of the surge include more hospitalizations, which usually follow case increases by a few weeks.

As case numbers continue to rise and vaccinations are still rolling out, Pace encouraged people to continue to lay low and have as little public contact as possible.

Emphasis on vaccinations

In his appearances before the county and city leaders, Pace focused most on the process of rolling out the vaccinations.

Since Lake County received its initial doses of vaccines a month ago, Pace said between 1,500 and 2,000 people have been vaccinated. He said Public Health plans to soon start reporting on vaccination numbers.

Pace said the county currently is getting, at most, about 400 doses of vaccine a week and is focusing on administering those doses before receiving the next shipment.

He said the vaccine supply is extremely limited. While thousands of local residents want it – he said his email inbox is full of messages every day from people seeking to get the vaccine – Public Health is not receiving enough to meet the demand.

Based on the current supply – which the state is providing to the county based on an algorithm – Pace estimated it could take until the end of 2022 to vaccinate half of Lake County’s population, which tops 64,000.

He said there is a lot of frustration in the community because of the speed of vaccinations. “I don’t blame people. It’s very frustrating for me, too.”

The two hospitals and Lake County Tribal Health are getting separate supplies of the vaccine. “Nobody’s getting nearly enough to do what they need to do,” he said.

Pharmacies are supposed to be getting their own doses soon as well, Pace said.

The county recently received a shipment of 400 doses of the Moderna vaccine. Before it could open the shipment, Pace said the state notified the county not to use those doses as they are concerned that they are from a batch that is connected to allergic reactions.

Meantime, the state is trying to figure out what to do with that suspect batch. “So at this point we're just holding on to it,” with no replacement doses for it yet, Pace said.

Based on state guidelines, Pace said Public Health focused its initial efforts on vaccinating health care workers. It’s now focusing on those aged 65 and above, and teachers and school staff so schools can reopen.

Pace said the best way for seniors to get in line for the vaccine is to contact their medical providers. Public Health also had asked senior centers to do outreach to vulnerable seniors. The centers, in turn, have been overwhelmed with calls from people wanting to be vaccinated.

He told the supervisors that the vaccine rollout is complicated, frustrating “and very imperfect,” adding he didn’t have a good solution for it yet.

Later, he told the council that the rollout has been “very chaotic,” and the situation isn’t yet under control.

He said the state may be changing its guidelines for distributions in the coming weeks and loosening up its vaccine release.

Lakeport City Councilman Michael Froio noted that, two months ago, pharmaceutical companies said they would be putting out enough of the vaccine. He asked Pace where the logjam was.

“That is the million dollar question right now,” said Pace.

The state is saying it doesn’t have enough of the vaccine. “If you look around the country everyone is having the same problem,” Pace added.

Earlier this week, it was reported that there is no federal vaccine stockpile as the federal government had told governors.

Froio asked Pace if Public Health is holding back enough vaccine for the second doses, and Pace said yes, adding that the state is considering changing its guidelines to push out more initial doses rather than holding the second doses in reserve.

Looking ahead

Pace said Public Health is currently doing stand up clinics for the seniors and teachers who have been given appointments through their current process. The clinics are running six days a week – three in Clearlake, three in Lakeport.

They’re also looking at getting some mobile vaccination sites to go to employers or agricultural workers. However, he said they don’t yet have the staff to do that.

“That’s ultimately where we hope to go with this,” he said.

Once they get more vaccine doses, Pace said Public Health will do mass vaccination clinics such as has been done for flu shots through events like the Heroes of Health and Safety Fair.

While Pace hopes the vaccine supply will soon open up significantly, he said state officials are “not really telling us” if and when that will happen.

“This is going to be a big, long term rollout, I think, over months, and we’ll need a lot of people and a lot of coordination to get these pieces in place in a good way,” he told the supervisors.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

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Written by: Elizabeth Larson

Published: 20 January 2021

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Following a record-breaking week of new COVID-19 cases in Lake County, the Board of Supervisors in a special Tuesday morning meeting voted to approve rolling back in-person services to the public as a way of protecting staff and also agreed to consider extending its date for restoring Friday office hours for the public.

The action to authorize the temporary reduction of county services to the public will potentially take the county back to how it operated in the initial months of the pandemic last year, and follows the board’s decision on Jan. 5 to temporarily close its chambers to the public.

Prior to the discussion on Tuesday, Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace told the board that last week saw the largest number of new COVID-19 cases to date, with this week on track to do the same.

The numbers posted by Public Health showed that COVID-19 cases totaled 2,612 on Tuesday, up by 356 cases over the previous week.

In her written report, County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson, also noted “dramatically” worsening pandemic conditions in recent weeks, “with an increasing number of COVID-19 positive cases impacting the County workforce.”

On Tuesday, Huchingson reviewed the board’s action on Jan. 5 to create an ad hoc committee to work with department heads in the efforts to comply with the county’s COVID-19 Public Health Emergency - Worksite Protection Protocol.

Supervisors Tina Scott and Moke Simon were appointed to represent the board on the committee.

Huchingson said the committee has met several times. “We were a bit surprised by the discussion,” she said, adding they were appreciative of the department heads for their candor.

Department heads told county leadership that they support rolling back in-person services right now in favor of pivoting back to how they operated in the spring, when many services were provided without in-person contact, she said.

The resolution directs department heads to immediately replicate steps taken during the earlier closure of county offices “by temporarily providing for service delivery to the public without in-person contact except in situations where in-person contact is unavoidable due to court obligations and state law requirements, or where limited in-person contact is necessary for purposes of service of process, recordation of property-related documents, and/or providing fiscal services to public entities and independent special districts.”

When in-person contact is unavoidable, the resolution directs department heads to ensure full compliance with all provisions of the COVID-19 Worksite Protection Protocol.

Department heads also need to determine how best to provide limited access to allow those functions, notify the public by posting signage at the departmental office as to the method in which services will be delivered and the limited circumstances in which in-person
contact will be permitted.

The resolution also directs department heads to support remote work assignments for county employees to the greatest extent possible, gives them the continuing authority to define essential and non-essential workers and said they shall direct nonessential workers to shelter in place or provide remote work assignments when possible.

The board will review the resolution at least once every 30 days “until pandemic conditions improve to the extent that regular service delivery can be resumed.”

Scott said they didn’t want to wait another Tuesday to bring the matter to the board because of their concerns for the workforce.

“If COVID goes through one of our departments, then that department gets completely shut down,” she said, adding that they want to provide services while keeping staff safe.

“Protecting our workforce should be No. 1 for us,” said Simon.

He said they heard from department heads about their concerns as well as wanting to continue to serve the community as much as possible.

Simon said they have had cases of COVID-19 in departments and, like Scott, pointed out that an entire department could be shut down because of the virus.

Board Chair Bruno Sabatier said he had conflicts over the proposal.

“We are not leading with the best of examples for everyone to follow,” he said, explaining that he doesn’t see county departments doing exactly what local businesses are being asked to do.

“We need to step up our game,” he said. “We need to set the rules and set the tone.”

He also was concerned that some members of the public might not have access to the necessary technology to meet virtually with county staff.

Simon said the topic of tightening up protocols and having the county set an example was a topic of discussion with department heads.

Scott De Leon, who heads Community Development, Public Works and Water Resources, said all three of those departments work with the public a lot and he realizes the inconvenience.

On Jan. 8, he said the line of people who came to the courthouse to speak to Community Development staff at the county extended way down the hallway. “Frankly, it’s very disturbing to see that.”

De Leon said they have made dropboxes available, staff is working on FAQs for the website, they are planning to add cameras for every workstation so staff can have virtual consultations with the public and they are going to implement electronic building applications.

“We’re already working towards making it as efficient as we possibly can,” he said, adding, “We’ve encouraged working from home as much as possible.”

De Leon said some building inspectors will probably be working remotely soon as well.

Assessor-Record Richard Ford said his staffers already are doing telework, they have a dropbox outside of their office and they make appointments with title companies to come in and do recording work. He said they plan to improve their previous logistics.

The board ultimately approved the resolution 5-0.

Date to resume Friday office hours to public may be pushed back

In November, the board had directed staff to phase out a temporary policy instituted in 2018 that closed county offices to the public on Fridays. The board wanted a soft reopening to start in January, with offices to be reopened on Fridays by April 1.

However, considering the current circumstances, Sabatier asked Huchingson to put the matter back before the board for further discussion.

Sabatier said by having closed the board chambers and reducing in-person services, the county is sending conflicting messages and contradicting safety protocols by still moving forward with its previous plans for the Friday reopening.

Rather than saying the transition back to full Friday openings needs to be done by March 31, he suggested a compromise to say that the process won’t start until that date, with the board to review progress in the coming months.

“I’m in complete agreement right now,” said Simon.

Ford told the board his department will probably continue with its soft opening plans as Fridays tend to have far less traffic than the rest of the week.

Huchingson suggested having the ad hoc committee discuss the reopening with department heads next week and then come back to the board with a resolution to fit the situation better.

The board agreed and reached consensus to pursue that suggestion.

In other business on Tuesday, the board approved updates to the county’s COVID-19 Return to Work Protocol including aligning the county’s policy with Cal OSHA Emergency Temporary Standards, and also adding new information regarding testing, training, handling multiple infections and outbreaks, exclusion of COVID-19 cases investigation of workplace COVID-19 cases, correction of hazards and OSHA FAQs, and a requirement for department heads to certify their compliance and post it with update certificates.

At Sabatier’s request, the board also took up an additional item regarding state Senate Bill 74, the Keep California Working Act, which would provide another $2.6 billion in grants for businesses.

The board voted to give the bill its support and to ask the two cities to sign on and provide a united front.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.