COVID-19 Community Report

You can know someone for a while, and still not understand their depth and brilliance, or their contributions to the world.

I had the pleasure today of interviewing Dr. Koen Van Rompay, whom I first met many years ago when he attended a meeting of Soroptimist International of Davis to talk about his work with Sahaya International. Over time I learned about his groundbreaking work helping to develop and test the anti-viral drug Tenofovir, used in the prevention and treatment of  HIV. He is a virologist at the California National Primate Research Center at UC Davis, with expertise in nonhuman primate models of viral infections, and is currently working toward a vaccine for coronavirus.

With reopening and its attendant risks firmly in mind, we take a deep dive into public health again with Dr. Mary Ann Limbos of Yolo County Public Health.  Then we hear from a doctor of a different sort, Dr. Andy Jones, who has taught writing classes at UC Davis since 1990.

With Dr. Mary Ann Limbos we ask what kinds of numbers are we seeing statewide, and here in Yolo County? What kinds of metrics does the County keep a close eye on, and what would be the tipping point for closing down again? In a difficult situation during an unprecedented time, Dr. Limbos is our foremost source of information here in Yolo County.

On Episode 22, we're joined by Dr. Cindy Pickett to talk about how the Davis school district and families, faculty, and its administration have weathered the past few months. We will also speak with Anoosh Jorjorian, a project coordinator with the Yolo Interfaith Immigration Network -- a group serving and advocating for immigrants in Yolo County.

For three years, Dr. Pickett has served as the associate vice provost for Faculty Equity and Inclusion at UC Davis, and has been a faculty member in the Department of Psychology. She also serves as the president of the Davis Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees. In its planning for fall classes, the district is focusing on strategies that can be flexible and can move back and forth between in-person learning and online teaching, depending on guidelines provided by a variety of state agencies and Yolo County. Click here to view upcoming and past school board meetings via djusd.tv, and to provide public comments for the meeting, email BOE@djusd.net

Back in April, I interviewed then-YIIN President David Lichtenhan about their ApoYolo Project. Today, Anoosh Jorjorian joins me to talk about the project's milestones and current needs. They need bilingual volunteers to work directly with families in Davis, and can also use general volunteers to help with administrative and social media work (they do not need to be bilingual). Here's where you can sign up to volunteer.

Contact them via their website for information at https://www.yiinyolo.org/

#communitymedia #community radio #YoloCounty #covid19

In Episode 20 we talk with Dr. Jonna Mazet and gain an insightful peek into the world of #virushunters. Mazet is an epidemiologist and Executive Director of the University of California, Davis One Health Institute. She is a professor of Epidemiology and Disease Ecology at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, where she focuses on global health problem solving, especially for emerging infectious disease and conservation challenges. Mazet is a leader in the field of One Health and is active in international research programs, most notably in relation to disease transmission among wildlife, domestic animals, and people and the ecological drivers of disease emergence.