The COVID Report
Trying to decipher the dashboard regarding COVID-19 in the wastewater seems to be getting easier for me. The last measure reported was for September 18 and that tells us that the viral load was at 166% compared to the baseline from 2020. There doesn’t seem to be a recent percentage of positivity. Despite the downward trends in the wastewater and hospitalizations, COVID-19 is still out there.
The updated COVID-19 vaccine is out there; unfortunately, one has to look for it; especially if one is uninsured. Vaccines.gov is a bit of a dud–or maybe vaccines aren’t all that accessible yet. According to the CDC, Walgreens and CVS are participating in the Bridge Access Program, which is being paid for with leftover pandemic funds so the 25 to 30 million uninsured can have access to the shot–at least through December of 2024.
At least one uninsured person I know was turned away from a CVS (when they showed up) because of shortages that made them prioritize what they had for insured individuals. Considering that Bridge Access Program is a public-private venture, this shouldn’t be happening. Luckily, that person has become more of a fan of Walgreens, who provided the shot no questions asked.
I also heard through the grapevine that the County may not be providing them just yet, or they have shortages, too. And neither them nor the city health department seems to have a portal with which to register. So, this roll-out isn’t all that great. But at least money is being exchanged, right? Note: The shot is $150 if one is uninsured or denied by CVS.
The City Elections
As an avid voter, I feel so untargeted by candidates running for Mayor and City Council. Or I feel targeted by candidates for which I have no intention of voting. Perhaps money is being spent on the ground by those candidates I like, but the ads from people for whom I have no intention of voting are on the air and in my mailbox. Bottom line: This is one boring election in which one (if one is paying attention at social media) only sees selfies and event photos on Facebook; and, most of the time, it’s the same people in the photos. Certainly, it seems like the same people in the direct mail pieces.
With so much talk about democracy being threatened, our side doesn’t seem to be making much effort to improve the democracy we have. We cannot be content with lower voter turnouts and calling it “democracy.” But I’m at a point where I’m not sure it can be fixed. Or if those in charge ever want to fix it. People seem to care less; at least, until something happens to them.