latimes--2020-03-28--Column: Enough walks already: A dog's view of stay-at-home

I just went to pet my dog and , with the calculated coolness of a celebrity , she cut me .
The brief side-eye acknowledgment , the slow stand-up , the casual removal of self to another room ; it was all shockingly familiar .
“ She ’ s not taking questions at this time , ” I could almost hear her publicist say .
I get it ; pets are under a lot of pressure these days .
Particularly dogs , which are currently experiencing increased demands for photos , cuddles and “ conversation ” in these days of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also overwhelming volume when it comes to requests for walks , a bark-breaking-barrage of home deliveries and the inevitable irritations of constant human companionship .
It ’ s got to be stressful , even for dogs that , like my own two , have consistently expressed extreme displeasure when the family unit is in any way disrupted , moping when anyone leaves , then hurling themselves at us with wild “ it ’ s been years ” enthusiasm when we return .
Not to mention barking distrustfully at any non-immediate-family members who even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have known for years .
Their dearest wish , they have made clear with those pleading eyes whenever a suitcase appears — indeed their only wish for years — has been to be with us all day , every day .
Well , now that wish has been granted .
Thanks to the coronavirus , my husband and I , along with two of our three children are home together nonstop .
And it would appear that as intelligent as dogs may be , they do not grasp the notion of irony , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s admonition that more tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones .
Because here we are , the ( almost ) entire family , 24/7 , trying to figure out what in the world to do with ourselves — and ain ’ t that , if you ’ ll pardon the pun , a bitch ?
If only dogs kept a journal , it might go something like this .
March 13 OK , here we go .
Main Dog Walker and Hardly Ever Dog Walker brought a bunch of suitcases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back after being gone forever and now apparently she ’ s off again — so typical — and this time it looks like she ’ s taking the Last of the Litter with her ; the other two young ones have already been gone forever .
If they leave MDW behind it might be OK since he is the most generous with the treats and the walks , but he does yell a lot when we bark .
Even though barking is our job .
This family is the worst ; they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they never take us and I wish they would just stay home because we love them so much .
I didn ’ t mean it when I said they were the worst .
March 15 I can ’ t believe it !
They ’ re not going !
The suitcases are all put away !
It ’ s like we made it happen !
Oh , why didn ’ t we wish for something better , like eating raw meat every day or always smelling like we rolled in a thousand dead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
HEDW is super mad because something called Airbnb is not doing something called a refund , and it is raining again so we had to poop on the patio .
But they didn ’ t even yell and the LOTL seems very sad , unpacking her suitcase , which means lots of good cuddles .
March 17 They are all watching TV a lot and we get to sit on the couch with them even if we fart !
Which is often !
They are all also on the phone constantly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very distracted , one of them will look up and say , “ Hey , did anyone feed the dogs ?
” and no one knows the answer and so we get fed again !
March 16 Two walks today !
Unprecedented .
We wish MDW wouldn ’ t watch the news so much ; it seems to make him upset .
March 17 Life continues to be amazing .
The Middle One came home , which is great because she leaves her suitcases open on the floor forever and they are full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sleep there lots .
She also leaves wrappers and bowls of cereal around and often they are half full .
Bonus food !
Waiting for First of Litter because we can hear his voice a lot through those shiny things they carry around , but so far nothing .
It is OK , though .
We are mostly all together and it is the best .
March 19 Wow , are we getting in shape .
Suddenly everyone wants to walk us .
We are going to be super-cut by summer , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I had no idea there were so many of us in this neighborhood .
Collies and sheepdogs and Yorkies and lots of goldens — we just met an Irish wolfhound ; where has she been hiding ?
And even when we ’ re not walking , the others are right by our front door , which means lots of cool barking .
March 20 We may have to cut down on the barking .
On top of all the new dogs , the number of delivery guys is off the chain .
Seriously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In fact , things are getting a little tense in general .
Something about long lines at the grocery store .
“ Hoarders ” are apparently a bad thing .
Silver lining : “ Plenty of table scraps in case the dog food runs out.
” Wait , what ?
March 22 What is this thing called Zoom anyway ?
HEDW and MO keep talking into screens all the time and getting mad at us when we want to come see them .
Pretty rich considering all those previous demands for cuddles .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ off the bed because , apparently , we were snoring too loud and the screen could hear us and it was “ embarrassing.
” If we kicked the humans off the bed when they snored too loud that is all we would be doing all night .
March 24 So many walks .
Seriously , can these people not walk by themselves , ever ?
Many of the dogs we meet are feeling the same — exhausted .
Mercifully , it rained pretty hard this afternoon , but that means more TV and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the humans forget we are not toys , we are real and real things do not want to be touched 24/7 .
You can only have your belly scratched so many times a day before it begins to feel , well , invasive .
Also MO keeps creeping up on us to take our picture , but only after she rearranges our pillows and blankets to make us look “ cute.
” I thought we were always pretty cute , but still she needs to “ edit ” our pictures .
Which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t ask to have our pictures taken .
March 26 Are they honestly never going to leave this house again ?
Do they think we live to keep them company ?
I refuse to go for another walk ; don ’ t they know you need a rest day once in a while ?
How are the lines at the grocery store because we are sick of scraps and want our dog food again .
And stop touching us !
OK , you can touch us sometimes because we do still love you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of you and two of us , so a little social awareness would be helpful .

I just went to pet my dog and, with the calculated coolness of a celebrity, she cut me.
The brief side-eye acknowledgment, the slow stand-up, the casual removal of self to another room; it was all shockingly familiar.
“She’s not taking questions at this time,” I could almost hear her publicist say.
Advertisement
I get it; pets are under a lot of pressure these days. Particularly dogs, which are currently experiencing increased demands for photos, cuddles and “conversation” in these days of “Safer at Home.” There is also overwhelming volume when it comes to requests for walks, a bark-breaking-barrage of home deliveries and the inevitable irritations of constant human companionship.
It’s got to be stressful, even for dogs that, like my own two, have consistently expressed extreme displeasure when the family unit is in any way disrupted, moping when anyone leaves, then hurling themselves at us with wild “it’s been years” enthusiasm when we return. Not to mention barking distrustfully at any non-immediate-family members who even approach our door, including people they have known for years.
Their dearest wish, they have made clear with those pleading eyes whenever a suitcase appears — indeed their only wish for years — has been to be with us all day, every day.
Well, now that wish has been granted. Thanks to the coronavirus, my husband and I, along with two of our three children are home together nonstop. And it would appear that as intelligent as dogs may be, they do not grasp the notion of irony, are not familiar with St. Teresa’s admonition that more tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones.
Because here we are, the (almost) entire family, 24/7, trying to figure out what in the world to do with ourselves — and ain’t that, if you’ll pardon the pun, a bitch?
If only dogs kept a journal, it might go something like this.
March 13
OK, here we go. Main Dog Walker and Hardly Ever Dog Walker brought a bunch of suitcases into the house. HEDW just got back after being gone forever and now apparently she’s off again — so typical — and this time it looks like she’s taking the Last of the Litter with her; the other two young ones have already been gone forever. If they leave MDW behind it might be OK since he is the most generous with the treats and the walks, but he does yell a lot when we bark. Even though barking is our job. This family is the worst; they are always going off somewhere, forever, and they never take us and I wish they would just stay home because we love them so much. I didn’t mean it when I said they were the worst.
Advertisement
March 15
I can’t believe it! They’re not going! The suitcases are all put away! It’s like we made it happen! Oh, why didn’t we wish for something better, like eating raw meat every day or always smelling like we rolled in a thousand dead fish? But they are all home! HEDW is super mad because something called Airbnb is not doing something called a refund, and it is raining again so we had to poop on the patio. But they didn’t even yell and the LOTL seems very sad, unpacking her suitcase, which means lots of good cuddles.
Entertainment & Arts Column: Has the coronavirus canceled culture? Not on our watch In an attempt to slow the coronavirus, pretty much everything from the Louvre to the NBA has been closed, canceled or postponed. But it takes more than that to really cancel culture. Because if you can’t visit art, you can still make it.
March 17
They are all watching TV a lot and we get to sit on the couch with them even if we fart! Which is often! They are all also on the phone constantly, which is OK because then they are very distracted, one of them will look up and say, “Hey, did anyone feed the dogs?” and no one knows the answer and so we get fed again!
March 16
Two walks today! Unprecedented. We wish MDW wouldn’t watch the news so much; it seems to make him upset.
March 17
Life continues to be amazing. The Middle One came home, which is great because she leaves her suitcases open on the floor forever and they are full of very soft clothes so we can sleep there lots. She also leaves wrappers and bowls of cereal around and often they are half full. Bonus food! Waiting for First of Litter because we can hear his voice a lot through those shiny things they carry around, but so far nothing. It is OK, though. We are mostly all together and it is the best.
March 19
Wow, are we getting in shape. Suddenly everyone wants to walk us. We are going to be super-cut by summer, and the party scene outside is on. I had no idea there were so many of us in this neighborhood. Collies and sheepdogs and Yorkies and lots of goldens — we just met an Irish wolfhound; where has she been hiding? And even when we’re not walking, the others are right by our front door, which means lots of cool barking.
March 20
We may have to cut down on the barking. On top of all the new dogs, the number of delivery guys is off the chain. Seriously. Also, MDW is yelling. In fact, things are getting a little tense in general. Something about long lines at the grocery store. “Hoarders” are apparently a bad thing. Silver lining: “Plenty of table scraps in case the dog food runs out.” Wait, what?
March 22
What is this thing called Zoom anyway? HEDW and MO keep talking into screens all the time and getting mad at us when we want to come see them. Pretty rich considering all those previous demands for cuddles. At one point, we got kicked off the bed because, apparently, we were snoring too loud and the screen could hear us and it was “embarrassing.” If we kicked the humans off the bed when they snored too loud that is all we would be doing all night.
March 24
So many walks. Seriously, can these people not walk by themselves, ever? Many of the dogs we meet are feeling the same — exhausted. Mercifully, it rained pretty hard this afternoon, but that means more TV and more cuddles. Sometimes it seems like the humans forget we are not toys, we are real and real things do not want to be touched 24/7. You can only have your belly scratched so many times a day before it begins to feel, well, invasive. Also MO keeps creeping up on us to take our picture, but only after she rearranges our pillows and blankets to make us look “cute.” I thought we were always pretty cute, but still she needs to “edit” our pictures. Which is not very self-esteem-building; we didn’t ask to have our pictures taken.
March 26
Are they honestly never going to leave this house again? Do they think we live to keep them company? I refuse to go for another walk; don’t they know you need a rest day once in a while? How are the lines at the grocery store because we are sick of scraps and want our dog food again. And stop touching us! OK, you can touch us sometimes because we do still love you the best, but there are four of you and two of us, so a little social awareness would be helpful.
March 27
Where are the damn suitcases?
L.A. DOGS ON THE TOWN
Abby Nieto enjoys time with her dog, Lola, at Burbank’s Five Points park. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Dog in a basket: Seen on The Strand in Hermosa Beach on Thursday before L.A. County beaches were closed. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Dog walking along the Chandler bikeway in Burbank on Wednesday, March 25. (Kent Nishimura/Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
Gloves and a mask have started to become standard gear for dogwalkers, as seen along The Strand on Thursday in Hermosa Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)


latimes--2020-03-28--Nearing overload in coronavirus pandemic, Mono County sheriff has a message: Stay out

The sheriff of Mono County , home to beloved getaway spots including Mammoth Lakes , has a plea for the city dwellers who usually drive both its winding mountain roads and its economic engine : Stop coming .
With eight confirmed coronavirus cases and a hospital with 17 beds and four ventilators , Mono County Sheriff Ingrid Braun said Friday night that officials are nearing their capacity to handle the outbreak and need outsiders to stay away .
“ Don ’ t come here , ” Braun said .
“ If we get much more , it ’ s just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Although the county is still in single digits on cases , she said , that number translates to the highest per capita rate in the state — nearly double that of San Francisco , the next highest .
“ If you factor in the fact that all of the cases are in the Town of Mammoth Lakes , population [ about ] 8,000 , the rate is more than triple , ” Braun said .
Braun , a former Los Angeles County law enforcement officer , said residents of the mountain county are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home .
But second home owners in the vacation area , along with those seeking rentals to ride out the virus in mountain seclusion are a worry .
Across California , people living in urban areas have been heading to smaller towns in the hopes of escaping exposure to the infection .
That kind of movement carries the virus with it .
Experts have warned that it also poses just the kind of risk Braun is worried about : small hospitals overwhelmed as travelers bring COVID-19 infections with them .
Braun ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county trying gentler measures .
Now , the county is pushing for checkpoints on roads to make sure travel is essential , and locals only .
Sam Roberts , a Mammoth Lakes resident and president of the nonprofit group Friends of the Inyo , last week said people in the area were anxious because visitors from L.A. , about 300 miles away , continued to come despite social distancing measures .
“ When driving up from Los Angeles , travelers make several stops along the way — for gasoline , for food , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they could be picking up the virus and bringing it into town with them , ” Roberts said .
The threat posed by the virus seemed to have eluded massive crowds of rock climbers from across the nation who as recently as still crowded bouldering hot spots just west of the Sierra Nevada town of Bishop , about 45 miles south of Mammoth Lakes .
Defying social distancing , hundreds camped together in the backcountry and piled into local restaurants and watering holes , putting themselves and the community at risk for @ @

Vehicles drive through the Eastern Sierra town of June Lake. The sheriff of Mono County has a plea for the city dwellers who usually drive both its winding mountain roads and its economic engine: Stop coming.
The sheriff of Mono County, home to beloved getaway spots including Mammoth Lakes, has a plea for the city dwellers who usually drive both its winding mountain roads and its economic engine: Stop coming.
With eight confirmed coronavirus cases and a hospital with 17 beds and four ventilators, Mono County Sheriff Ingrid Braun said Friday night that officials are nearing their capacity to handle the outbreak and need outsiders to stay away.
“Don’t come here,” Braun said. “If we get much more, it’s just too much of a stress load.”
Although the county is still in single digits on cases, she said, that number translates to the highest per capita rate in the state — nearly double that of San Francisco, the next highest.
Advertisement
“If you factor in the fact that all of the cases are in the Town of Mammoth Lakes, population [about] 8,000, the rate is more than triple,” Braun said.
Braun, a former Los Angeles County law enforcement officer, said residents of the mountain county are taking social distancing measures seriously and staying home.
“It’s surprisingly cricket quiet,” she said.
But second home owners in the vacation area, along with those seeking rentals to ride out the virus in mountain seclusion are a worry. Across California, people living in urban areas have been heading to smaller towns in the hopes of escaping exposure to the infection.
That kind of movement carries the virus with it. Experts have warned that it also poses just the kind of risk Braun is worried about: small hospitals overwhelmed as travelers bring COVID-19 infections with them.
Braun’s plea comes after a week of the county trying gentler measures. Now, the county is pushing for checkpoints on roads to make sure travel is essential, and locals only.
Sam Roberts, a Mammoth Lakes resident and president of the nonprofit group Friends of the Inyo, last week said people in the area were anxious because visitors from L.A., about 300 miles away, continued to come despite social distancing measures.
Advertisement
“When driving up from Los Angeles, travelers make several stops along the way — for gasoline, for food, to stretch their legs. Trouble is, they could be picking up the virus and bringing it into town with them,” Roberts said.
The threat posed by the virus seemed to have eluded massive crowds of rock climbers from across the nation who as recently as last weekend still crowded bouldering hot spots just west of the Sierra Nevada town of Bishop, about 45 miles south of Mammoth Lakes.
Defying social distancing, hundreds camped together in the backcountry and piled into local restaurants and watering holes, putting themselves and the community at risk for infection.


latimes--2020-03-28--Ports and dockworkers seek delay on ship pollution cuts, citing coronavirus

California ports and dockworkers , already hit by a major slowdown from the coronavirus , are asking state regulators to delay moving forward with new rules intended to reduce air pollution from cargo ships .
They are seeking to delay until January 2021 rules under consideration by the California Air Resources Board that would increase the number of oceangoing ships that , while docked in port , must either shut down their auxiliary engines and plug into shore-based electricity or connect to emissions controls .
The Port of Los Angeles is trying to maintain an “ orderly flow of goods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make sure the nation can sustain its response to the pandemic , executive director Gene Seroka wrote in a March 23 letter to state environmental regulators .
The rule-making process would be difficult , he wrote , “ at a time when we are trying to focus the efforts of our supply chain partners on the singular goal of addressing the COVID-19 crisis.
” Hector De La Torre , a former state assemblyman who sits on the California Air Resources Board , said he would consider the merits of the request but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had expressed opposition to the proposal long before the coronavirus emerged , and that the new requirements would not kick in for years — well after the threat from the virus is expected to ebb .
“ We ’ re seeing a lot of this from a lot of special interests who are trying to take advantage of this horrible situation to seek out suspensions or postponements of regulations , not just at CARB but across government , ” De La Torre said .
“ But we can not trade one public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which in this case is air pollution.
” Dockworkers and a group of California ’ s publicly owned seaports made a similar request in a separate letter on March 24 .
“ This pause would afford ports and port workers time to get through the COVID-19 outbreak and navigate its economic impacts prior to enacting a regulatory change that could complicate economic recovery , ” said the letter to state officials from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the California Assn .
of Port Authorities .
A spokesman for the Port @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that association , said it supports the request “ for more time to work on the development of new , additional requirements.
” “ Given the time and resource constraints that we are all under , it ’ s difficult to participate in the rule-making process at this time , ” said Lee Peterson , spokesman for the Port of Long Beach .
Strengthening those regulations is considered a priority by the Air Resources Board because oceangoing vessels are on track to become Southern California ’ s largest source of smog-forming pollution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced increasing numbers of large ships docked at the state ’ s largest ports to plug in or to connect to machines that scrub their exhaust , but the regulations do not apply to more than half of the 8,000 ocean vessels visiting California each year .
The proposal , which the Air Resources Board had planned to bring for a final vote this spring , would expand those restrictions to additional ports and vessel types over the next several years .
Before the coronavirus crisis , environmentalists and community groups from areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ port pollution worried that L.A. and Long Beach officials and the shipping industry would use their clout to weaken or delay the rules .
“ Many communities have been in health and safety crisis before COVID-19 and have been routinely made to wait for any type of relief , ” said Taylor Thomas with the group East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice .
“ Now more than ever , we need all life-saving measures — which includes reducing air pollution.
” Seroka said the process should be delayed because port workers are busy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their families and colleagues are safe and healthy .
“ I don ’ t think it would be appropriate if the necessary stakeholders didn ’ t have a voice , ” Seroka said at a press briefing Thursday .
Seroka vowed to continue implementing the Port of Los Angeles ’ joint Clean Air Action Plan with the Port of Long Beach to reduce pollution from trucks , cargo-handling equipment and other sources .
Once more people return to work and industry picks up , he said , “ we will be more aggressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

A few container ships are docked in what is usually a very busy Port of Los Angeles.
California ports and dockworkers, already hit by a major slowdown from the coronavirus, are asking state regulators to delay moving forward with new rules intended to reduce air pollution from cargo ships.
They are seeking to delay until January 2021 rules under consideration by the California Air Resources Board that would increase the number of oceangoing ships that, while docked in port, must either shut down their auxiliary engines and plug into shore-based electricity or connect to emissions controls.
The Port of Los Angeles is trying to maintain an “orderly flow of goods — especially food and medical supplies” to make sure the nation can sustain its response to the pandemic, executive director Gene Seroka wrote in a March 23 letter to state environmental regulators. The rule-making process would be difficult, he wrote, “at a time when we are trying to focus the efforts of our supply chain partners on the singular goal of addressing the COVID-19 crisis.”
Advertisement
Hector De La Torre, a former state assemblyman who sits on the California Air Resources Board, said he would consider the merits of the request but noted that the ports and shipping industry had expressed opposition to the proposal long before the coronavirus emerged, and that the new requirements would not kick in for years — well after the threat from the virus is expected to ebb.
“We’re seeing a lot of this from a lot of special interests who are trying to take advantage of this horrible situation to seek out suspensions or postponements of regulations, not just at CARB but across government,” De La Torre said. “But we cannot trade one public health crisis for an ongoing public health menace, which in this case is air pollution.”
Dockworkers and a group of California’s publicly owned seaports made a similar request in a separate letter on March 24.
“This pause would afford ports and port workers time to get through the COVID-19 outbreak and navigate its economic impacts prior to enacting a regulatory change that could complicate economic recovery,” said the letter to state officials from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the California Assn. of Port Authorities.
Business Truckers, dockworkers suffer as coronavirus chokes L.A., Long Beach ports cargo The nation’s largest port is hurting. That may be a leading indicator of the pain that’s in store for Southern California and the U.S. economy as businesses hunker down to deal with the rapidly expanding new coronavirus.
A spokesman for the Port of Long Beach, which is part of that association, said it supports the request “for more time to work on the development of new, additional requirements.”
Advertisement
“Given the time and resource constraints that we are all under, it’s difficult to participate in the rule-making process at this time,” said Lee Peterson, spokesman for the Port of Long Beach.
Strengthening those regulations is considered a priority by the Air Resources Board because oceangoing vessels are on track to become Southern California’s largest source of smog-forming pollution by 2023.
Existing state regulations have forced increasing numbers of large ships docked at the state’s largest ports to plug in or to connect to machines that scrub their exhaust, but the regulations do not apply to more than half of the 8,000 ocean vessels visiting California each year. The proposal, which the Air Resources Board had planned to bring for a final vote this spring, would expand those restrictions to additional ports and vessel types over the next several years.
Before the coronavirus crisis, environmentalists and community groups from areas hit hard by the health impacts of port pollution worried that L.A. and Long Beach officials and the shipping industry would use their clout to weaken or delay the rules.
“Many communities have been in health and safety crisis before COVID-19 and have been routinely made to wait for any type of relief,” said Taylor Thomas with the group East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice. “Now more than ever, we need all life-saving measures — which includes reducing air pollution.”
Seroka said the process should be delayed because port workers are busy responding to the coronavirus and making sure their families and colleagues are safe and healthy.
“I don’t think it would be appropriate if the necessary stakeholders didn’t have a voice,” Seroka said at a press briefing Thursday.
Seroka vowed to continue implementing the Port of Los Angeles’ joint Clean Air Action Plan with the Port of Long Beach to reduce pollution from trucks, cargo-handling equipment and other sources. Once more people return to work and industry picks up, he said, “we will be more aggressive than ever in cleaning the air.”


latimes--2020-03-28--Whales are dying, but numbers are unknown. Coronavirus has stalled scientific fieldwork

As gray whales began their northern migration along the Pacific coast , earlier this month — after a year of unusually heavy die-offs — scientists were poised to watch , ready to collect information that could help them learn what was killing them .
The coronavirus outbreak , however , has largely upended that field work — and that of incalculable other ecological studies nationwide .
A large network of marine biologists and volunteers in California normally spend this time of year keeping an eye on gray whales , documenting their numbers and counting strandings as the leviathans swim from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who started Point Arena ’ s Mendonoma Whale and Seal Study seven years ago , said the watch was called off Wednesday , as he and his wife were told by a local sheriff to disperse and go home .
“ I guess two people are now considered a public gathering , ” he said , with a wry chuckle .
In Los Angeles , Alisa Schulman-Janiger said she had to shut her survey down March 20 , meaning this will be the first time in 37 years that data on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We had to , ” said Schulman-Janiger , director of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Cetacean Society .
“ We couldn ’ t hazard anybody ’ s health.
” Up and down the West Coast and beyond , field research on a variety of endangered , threatened and migrating species has ground to a halt .
Plovers ?
Abalone ?
They are on their own now , as scientists are forced to stay at home .
Schulman-Janiger said that before her work was called off , she had noticed an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whales .
Even more alarming , she said , were observations of moms with very small calves — baby whales that , to her eye , looked too small to be making a 5,000-mile trip north .
“ They looked like newborns , ” she said .
“ Like what you ’ d typically see in December or January .
Not calves who ’ d just spent months nursing in the lagoons , getting stronger and bigger.
” Last year , 215 gray whales were stranded on North America ’ s Pacific coast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal investigation into this unusual die-off event .
This year , 49 have been stranded , so far , in Mexico .
As local authorities close a growing number of parks and beaches , notifications and alerts about whale strandings and sightings will become increasingly erratic , she said , making it harder for researchers to know what is happening .
“ Field teams may or may not respond to strandings and entanglements depending on the location and personnel availability , ” said Michael Milstein , spokesman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advising its partners “ to follow the guidance provided by local , state , and federal authorities.
” Hundreds of environmental and ecological monitoring projects are now on pause , creating marked data holes in several long-term analyses .
And in some cases , there ’ s been a halt in the protection and vigilance of some endangered species , including the snowy plover .
“ It ’ s springtime , ” said Andrea Jones , Director of Bird Conservation for Audubon California , noting this is when many birds nest and migrate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as are thousands of volunteers who take part in Audubon Society bird counts , vital for judging the health of annual bird migrations .
Elsewhere , in research labs and aquariums across California , scientists are scrambling to adjust their projects and conservation efforts — many of which are time sensitive to the seasons .
Plans to cull an ambitious number of purple sea urchins — aggressive creatures that have devoured the kelp forests in Northern California and crowded out most all other life on the seafloor — for instance , is in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of California campus has closed its labs , and California ’ s coast and ocean research efforts have largely been suspended .
Coastal officials have also lost critical assistance from numerous universities and colleges in monitoring the state ’ s fisheries and marine protected areas .
“ The lack of data impacts everything from fisheries management to assessing the effectiveness of our marine protected area network , ” said Mark Gold , executive director of the state ’ s Ocean Protection Council .
“ The biggest challenge we ’ re facing is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ what ifs ’ need to be considered , ” Heather Burdick , director of marine operations at the Bay Foundation , said Wednesday .
The Bay Foundation , a research nonprofit , is usually out on the water several times weekly to restore kelp and feed the endangered species that scientists have been trying to reintroduce into the ocean .
“ Our team … call today was focused on contingency plans for contingency plans , ” she said .

Waves lap over a dead gray whale at Limantour Beach on May 23, 2019, in Point Reyes Station, Calif. Whales are again washing up dead in Mexico, but California’s stay-at-home requirements have prevented researchers from documenting what is happening in the state.
As gray whales began their northern migration along the Pacific coast, earlier this month — after a year of unusually heavy die-offs — scientists were poised to watch, ready to collect information that could help them learn what was killing them.
The coronavirus outbreak, however, has largely upended that field work — and that of incalculable other ecological studies nationwide.
A large network of marine biologists and volunteers in California normally spend this time of year keeping an eye on gray whales, documenting their numbers and counting strandings as the leviathans swim from Mexico to the Arctic.
Advertisement
Scott Mercer, who started Point Arena’s Mendonoma Whale and Seal Study seven years ago, said the watch was called off Wednesday, as he and his wife were told by a local sheriff to disperse and go home.
“I guess two people are now considered a public gathering,” he said, with a wry chuckle.
In Los Angeles, Alisa Schulman-Janiger said she had to shut her survey down March 20, meaning this will be the first time in 37 years that data on the northern migration will not be complete.
“We had to,” said Schulman-Janiger, director of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Cetacean Society. “We couldn’t hazard anybody’s health.”
Up and down the West Coast and beyond, field research on a variety of endangered, threatened and migrating species has ground to a halt. Plovers? Abalone? They are on their own now, as scientists are forced to stay at home.
Advertisement
Schulman-Janiger said that before her work was called off, she had noticed an unusually early migration, with several skinny whales.
Even more alarming, she said, were observations of moms with very small calves — baby whales that, to her eye, looked too small to be making a 5,000-mile trip north.
“They looked like newborns,” she said. “Like what you’d typically see in December or January. Not calves who’d just spent months nursing in the lagoons, getting stronger and bigger.”
Last year, 215 gray whales were stranded on North America’s Pacific coast as they migrated north, sparking a federal investigation into this unusual die-off event.
This year, 49 have been stranded, so far, in Mexico.
As local authorities close a growing number of parks and beaches, notifications and alerts about whale strandings and sightings will become increasingly erratic, she said, making it harder for researchers to know what is happening.
“Field teams may or may not respond to strandings and entanglements depending on the location and personnel availability,” said Michael Milstein, spokesman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, adding that the agency is advising its partners “to follow the guidance provided by local, state, and federal authorities.”
It’s not just whales.
Hundreds of environmental and ecological monitoring projects are now on pause, creating marked data holes in several long-term analyses. And in some cases, there’s been a halt in the protection and vigilance of some endangered species, including the snowy plover.
The timing couldn’t be worse.
“It’s springtime,” said Andrea Jones, Director of Bird Conservation for Audubon California, noting this is when many birds nest and migrate. Research teams are stuck indoors, as are thousands of volunteers who take part in Audubon Society bird counts, vital for judging the health of annual bird migrations.
Elsewhere, in research labs and aquariums across California, scientists are scrambling to adjust their projects and conservation efforts — many of which are time sensitive to the seasons.
Plans to cull an ambitious number of purple sea urchins — aggressive creatures that have devoured the kelp forests in Northern California and crowded out most all other life on the seafloor — for instance, is in limbo pending stay-at-home restrictions.
Every University of California campus has closed its labs, and California’s coast and ocean research efforts have largely been suspended. Coastal officials have also lost critical assistance from numerous universities and colleges in monitoring the state’s fisheries and marine protected areas.
“The lack of data impacts everything from fisheries management to assessing the effectiveness of our marine protected area network,” said Mark Gold, executive director of the state’s Ocean Protection Council.
“The biggest challenge we’re facing is the planning for the unknown. So many ‘what ifs’ need to be considered,” Heather Burdick, director of marine operations at the Bay Foundation, said Wednesday.
The Bay Foundation, a research nonprofit, is usually out on the water several times weekly to restore kelp and feed the endangered species that scientists have been trying to reintroduce into the ocean. “Our team … call today was focused on contingency plans for contingency plans,” she said.


latimes--2020-03-28--How bad will the next few weeks be for California as coronavirus cases surge?

Looking east , California can envision its coronavirus future in the overflowing hospital wards of New York City .
Looking west , it can draw hope from the disease ’ s swift decline in Asian nations that quickly imposed strict physical-isolation measures on infected people .
Two months after its first confirmed case of the deadly respiratory illness in California , the state is preparing to confront what public health authorities agree will be the cruelest month — an April that portends a peak in sickness and death .
How cruel remains to be seen .
Officials hope that sharp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imposed by Gov .
Gavin Newsom on March 19 , and subsequently ratcheted up in some cities and counties , will hobble the COVID-19 ‘ s racehorse spread .
The enormous social reengineering of recent days has closed businesses and emptied public places .
But its ultimate effectiveness remains one of multiple unknowns — dependent on innumerable actions by millions of Californians .
Preparing for the worst , hospital administrators across the state continued Friday to clear all available beds for an influx of patients .
San Francisco ordered priority testing for doctors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health practitioners from becoming super-spreaders of the disease .
Los Angeles County shut all of its beaches to limit social interaction .
And the Navy hospital ship Mercy cruised into the Port of Los Angeles , with 1,000 beds and 800 staffers ready to help ease the county ’ s healthcare system .
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in California jumped from 1,468 on Sunday to 4,598 Friday , while deaths climbed from 27 to 93 .
But because the case count remains reliant on testing , which is being expanded but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actual incidence of the disease is certainly much more widespread .
“ The numbers can get huge , which means the implications for the healthcare system are equally dramatic , ” said Barbara Ferrer , Los Angeles County ’ s public health director .
“ Without slowing the spread , we could easily overwhelm our system here in L.A. County and the entire healthcare system in California.
” Although a system overload remained the fear , one projection from University of Washington epidemiologists suggested that California ’ s 9-day-old stay-at-home order might keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And Dr. Robert Kim-Farley , a UCLA epidemiologist , said Friday that after a considerable uptick in cases , “ I think we should be able to see some leveling off of those numbers in a couple of weeks , because of the physical distancing measures.
” While the U.S. now stands to have the worst outbreak of any developed country in the world , UC Berkeley biostatistics professor Nicholas Jewell said California will soon learn whether its limits on work and public movement have paid dividends .
Because of a lag time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transmission of the illness and the onset of symptoms , gauging the benefits of physical distancing takes time .
With California ’ s stay-at-home order eight days old on Friday , people reporting the illness might have been infected prior to the limitations .
“ We need another week or two to really tell if California ’ s fairly quick shelter in place did make a difference , ” Jewell said .
“ It has the potential to make a huge difference .
I know that mathematically … But I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Some experts remain fearful that the disease curve will flatten , but at a dangerous level that sends too many patients to hospitals for months .
“ The problem is not the peak of the epidemic wave , ” said Stanford University infectious disease expert John Ioannidis .
“ The problem is : How long are we above the point of saturation for the medical system ?
” But projections from the University of Washington ’ s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation show California could end up with a milder peak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ projected to have .
While New York state could see its worst daily death toll of roughly 550 fatalities from the coronavirus by the second or third week of April — with a range that includes as few as 124 deaths daily to a maximum of 1,357 on the possible worst day — California could see its worst daily death toll in late April , perhaps around 150 deaths in a single day , the computer simulation found .
A best-case scenario puts the California toll at two deaths a day and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily at the peak in late April .
The study acknowledges a number of possible outcomes .
In all , it suggests California could see 6,109 deaths , but there ’ s a wide variation — as few as 898 deaths and as many as 13,650 deaths .
New York would see 10,243 deaths , with as few as 5,167 deaths and as many as 26,444 deaths .
And the death toll for the U.S. , for instance , could range from 38,000 to 162,000 .
The University of Washington researchers cautioned that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , gleaned from thousands of computer simulation runs to come up with a single , most-likely outcome .
Unlike other models of the trajectory of the new coronavirus , the study relies on death counts from the United States and around the world .
The scientists believe those numbers are more reliable than counting the confirmed number of infections , which vary greatly because of disparate testing rates around the U.S. and the world .
And the variations on the number of hospital beds that will be needed in California also diverged wildly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 36,000 .
The ICU bed demand also got a broad projection , from a low of 90 to a high of 5,700 .
“ What we think we ’ ll see is a quite late peak in the epidemic in California , and that ’ s because there ’ s been a very slow trajectory of growth — of deaths and cases in California , ” said Dr. Chris Murray , the author of the study and of the institute .
“ And that may be because of earlier social distancing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ certainly it is not the trajectory we ’ re seeing in New York , or Louisiana , or Georgia , for example.
” The debate over possible outcomes was put into clear view in the Silicon Valley , where the city of San Jose projected the number of possible deaths for the region , only to promptly have its estimate called into question by officials in Santa Clara County .
City officials said during a discussion with the San Jose City Council on Thursday that they projected a death toll from the illness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and as high as 16,000 , by the end of May .
A day later , Santa Clara County released a statement saying it had not “ produced , reviewed , or vetted ” the San Jose projections .
The lessons from overseas seem to be that physical-isolation measures can work , said Kim-Farley , the UCLA epidemiologist .
Italy imposed strict orders to stay in the home , but it ’ s likely they went into place only after the coronavirus had spread widely .
“ I would be expecting that within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cases or deaths will slow down and ultimately will become less and less , like we saw in China , ” Kim-Farley said .
American experts will also be looking overseas to see what happens when social separation rules are loosened , as they will be when the Chinese begin to return to work in the coming weeks .
“ It ’ s hopeful they would not see a major second wave , ” Kim-Farley said .
“ That is the $ 64,000 question : What will happen ?
” The uncertainty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctors and other hospital workers who are preparing for an onslaught of cases .
An emergency room nurse at one large hospital in Los Angeles said anxiety is rising among staff as the number of COVID-19 patients grows , with fears exacerbated by a global shortage of protective gear .
“ A lot of us are really scared to go to work , ” said the nurse , who was not authorized by her institution to speak to the media .
“ Our families are literally afraid when we come home from work.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital failing to abide by physical-distancing rules , she gets mad .
“ We wish we could stay home too , ” said the nurse , who declined to be named .
“ But we can ’ t. ” An operating room nurse at a Kaiser Permanente hospital in Los Angeles County shared that sense of foreboding , saying guidance on how workers should best protect themselves changes daily , with the guidelines steadily becoming less rigorous .
“ We ’ re all just kind of like , ‘ What in the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is not what we signed up for , ” said the nurse , who also asked not to be named .
“ We didn ’ t think we would ever be in the position of healthcare workers working in a Third World country , in the middle of the woods … It ’ s been chaos.
” Another unknown is how California ’ s homeless population will affect the crisis .
California has more than 150,000 people living in unstable housing conditions , with 108,000 living outdoors .
The tens of thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a risk to hospitals because they are especially susceptible to severe cases of the novel coronavirus — they are aging , often have underlying health conditions and live in environments where sanitation is difficult .
Boston researcher Thomas Byrne compares the homeless population to those in nursing homes , and points out that those living on the street often have the medical conditions similar to housed people 20 years older .
Byrne released a study this week that predicts up to 2,600 homeless people in Los Angeles alone could wind up in hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could need intensive care , tying up crucial resources .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom last week set in motion an ambitious plan to move tens of thousands of homeless people into hotels and motels .
But so far , only a few thousand unsheltered people across the state have been relocated to shelters and a few hundred of the first available rooms — though Newsom said more than 4,000 have been leased or purchased .
Kim-Farley urged Californians to remain hopeful , saying : “ There is life after COVID-19 .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mankind .
We will overcome this .
”

Soumya Karlamangla, Anita Chabria, Rong-Gong Lin II, James Rainey

The Navy hospital ship Mercy arrives at the Port of Los Angeles on March 27. The vessel, which could provide an extra 1,000 beds, will not be used to treat COVID-19 patients but will accept patients with other medical issues in an attempt to relieve the burden on hospitals.
Looking east, California can envision its coronavirus future in the overflowing hospital wards of New York City. Looking west, it can draw hope from the disease’s swift decline in Asian nations that quickly imposed strict physical-isolation measures on infected people.
Two months after its first confirmed case of the deadly respiratory illness in California, the state is preparing to confront what public health authorities agree will be the cruelest month — an April that portends a peak in sickness and death.
How cruel remains to be seen. Officials hope that sharp limitations on work and public activity, imposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on March 19, and subsequently ratcheted up in some cities and counties, will hobble the COVID-19‘s racehorse spread.
The enormous social reengineering of recent days has closed businesses and emptied public places. But its ultimate effectiveness remains one of multiple unknowns — dependent on innumerable actions by millions of Californians.
Preparing for the worst, hospital administrators across the state continued Friday to clear all available beds for an influx of patients. San Francisco ordered priority testing for doctors and nurses to try to prevent sick health practitioners from becoming super-spreaders of the disease. Los Angeles County shut all of its beaches to limit social interaction. And the Navy hospital ship Mercy cruised into the Port of Los Angeles, with 1,000 beds and 800 staffers ready to help ease the county’s healthcare system.
Advertisement
Tracking the coronavirus in California The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in California.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in California jumped from 1,468 on Sunday to 4,598 Friday, while deaths climbed from 27 to 93. But because the case count remains reliant on testing, which is being expanded but still lags behind other states, the actual incidence of the disease is certainly much more widespread.
“The numbers can get huge, which means the implications for the healthcare system are equally dramatic,” said Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County’s public health director. “Without slowing the spread, we could easily overwhelm our system here in L.A. County and the entire healthcare system in California.”
Although a system overload remained the fear, one projection from University of Washington epidemiologists suggested that California’s 9-day-old stay-at-home order might keep the hospital overload below catastrophic levels. And Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, a UCLA epidemiologist, said Friday that after a considerable uptick in cases, “I think we should be able to see some leveling off of those numbers in a couple of weeks, because of the physical distancing measures.”
While the U.S. now stands to have the worst outbreak of any developed country in the world, UC Berkeley biostatistics professor Nicholas Jewell said California will soon learn whether its limits on work and public movement have paid dividends.
1 / 83 Socially distanced bikers and walkers, against a backdrop of the Queen Mary, make their way along pedestrian and beach bike path on the first day that Long Beach reopened the path on Monday May 11, 2020. The city of Long Beach eased a few of its public health restrictions, allowing under certain guidelines the reopening of pedestrian and beach bike paths, tennis centers and courts. Beach bathrooms are also reopening, but the parking lots and beaches still remain closed. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 2 / 83 Traffic remains light on the southbound 110 Freeway headed toward downtown Los Angeles on April 28. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 83 Dominique Barrett, center, known as “King Vader” to his 2.4 million TikTok followers, prepares to shoot a video on April 30 in Glendora. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 83 Cody Purcell of Redondo Beach rides a wave, glowing from the bioluminescence, in Hermosa Beach, CA, after midnight Friday morning, May 8. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 5 / 83 Friends play spikeball, a game perfect for social distancing on an open but restricted San Buenaventura State Beach. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 83 The majority of golfers are wearing masks while hitting balls on the driving range at Van Buren Executive Golf Course in Riverside. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 83 Beaches including Harbor Cove Beach were open but beachgoers were not supposed to be sitting on the sand. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 83 Tango instructor Yelizaveta Nersesova leads a Zoom tango event from her Los Angeles home April 27 that brought together hundreds of dancers from around the world. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 83 Grocery store workers, joined by United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 770 representatives and community members, hold a rally in support of strict social distancing on May 1 at a Ralphs store in Hollywood where 19 employees have tested positive for COVID-19. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 83 Mostly masked commuters keep their distance from one another on a Metro bus in downtown Los Angeles on April 29. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 83 Gregory Kuhl, 69, heads home after a shopping trip in Hollywood on April 28. Big cracks in the street, cars parked in driveways blocking sidewalks and uneven pavement levels make navigating his route difficult. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 83 Tenants and their supporters from across Los Angeles gather at city hall to call on L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, the L.A. City Council and California Gov. Gavin Newsom to cancel rent and mortgage payments during the COVID-19 crisis. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 83 Aerial view of over 100 vehicles lined up at the West Valley COVID-19 testing center at Warner Center in Woodland Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 83 Senior Mason Wise, left, helps his sister, Mackenzie, a sophomore, clean out her PE locker at El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills. School officials were allowing no more than five students at a time on campus to take home their belongings. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 83 Shuttered storefront businesses in the garment district of Los Angeles. California’s unemployment rate has skyrocketed since the statewide coronavirus shutdown took effect. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 83 Healthcare workers celebrate as Claudia Martinez is discharged from the ICU after she recovered from COVID-19 at Scripps Mercy Hospital in Chula Vista. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 83 Carson residents Kaeli Burks, 3, left, and her cousin Bailey Watson, 5, look out the window of their car after their mothers helped them with self-testing at a new drive-up testing site for COVID-19 in Carson. Free COVID-19 testing is available to all city residents thanks to a partnership between the city and US Health Fairs. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 83 Norm and Tracy Kahn enjoy eating dinner outside on a small cafe table sitting in blue chairs on their side yard during the coronavirus pandemic on April 27 in Riverside. “During this pandemic, eating outside offers us an opportunity to change surrounding and appreciate the calmness of being outdoors among trees, scents from nature and the sounds of birds,” she said. Also adding, “Mixing up where we eat puts variety into our days and takes away the sameness of feeling trapped at home.” (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 83 Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center nurses carry supplies outside the hospital. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 83 Tom Sean Foley pauses on a walk with his kids, Cathelen Claire, “C.C.,” 3, and Timothy Joseph, 4, to take a photo in front of the “Love Wall,” mural by artist Curtis Kulig, outside of Smashbox Studios in Culver City. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 83 Protesters stand along Mission Blvd. in Pacific Beach during A Day of Liberty rally on April 26. The protesters were against the government shutdown due to the coronavirus. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 22 / 83 People make orders at a food truck along Shoreline Avenue in Long Beach. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 83 Medical staff, wearing protective gear, work inside a COVID-19 isolation area inside the emergency department at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center in Los Angeles, where patients with the virus are being treated. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 83 Neighbors practice social distancing while enjoying the nice weather near The Strand in Hermosa Beach. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 83 Counter-protesters attend a protest to call on state and local officials to reopen the economy in downtown Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 83 A group of protesters cheer on cars during a vehicle caravan protest to call on state and local officials to reopen the economy in downtown Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 83 Cedar Mountain Post Acute Rehabilitation staff member Navi Cavaltera waters a flower pot put up by the community to show their support for the nursing staff of the facility in Yucaipa. Eighteen of 20 coronavirus-related deaths in Yucaipa were residents of the skilled nursing facility. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 83 A pedestrian wearing a protective mask passes a mural on a store on Melrose Avenue in the Fairfax district of Los Angeles. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 83 Jonte Florence, a freestyle dancer, does a handstand on a mostly empty Hollywood Walk of Fame. Florence said he normally performs for hundreds of tourists along the busy street. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 83 The Tyrannosaurus rex overlooking the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue wears a protective mask while practicing social distancing. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 83 Businesses are shuttered and pedestrians are few and far between on Hollywood Boulevard. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 83 Daniel Rogerson wears a vintage military gas mask while riding a bike along the beach path in Santa Monica, which is closed to enforce social distancing because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 83 A face mask seller in colorful dress appears to be part of a mural behind a bus stop on Soto Street in Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 83 Life around Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard and Soto Street has slowed down as California officials extended stay-at-home orders into May and residents entered Easter weekend with unprecedented limits on their movements. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 83 UC Irvine Medical Center health care workers return their gratitude as about 25 Orange County first responder vehicles participate in a drive-by parade of gratitude as they battle COVID-19 at the hospital. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 83 Billy Budd, 55, of Hollywood, walks along Hollywood Boulevard with a protective face covering. Budd is a scenic artist for movies and television who is currently out of work due to the coronavirus outbreak. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 83 Stuart Reyes and his sister, Stephanie, sell masks for $5 each on the 3000 block of West Century Boulevard in Inglewood. Stuart Reyes said he is selling masks to support his mother. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 83 A jogger runs on a closed trail past dozens of pieces of caution tape, torn off by hikers and mountain bikers at El Escorpion Canyon Park in West Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 83 Alex Herron and nurse Mercy Pineda at a blood drive sponsored by USC athletics and the American Red Cross at USC’s Galen Center. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 83 Los Angeles City Hall displays blue lights to show support for healthcare workers and first responders. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 83 After being indoors for several days because of rainy weather and coronavirus stay-at-home orders, Olivia Jacobs, 4, and her mom, Cia Jacobs, enjoy a warm and sunny afternoon making chalk drawings on the sidewalk in front of their home in West Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 83 An Oceanview Plaza security guard sports a whimsical mask while on patrol. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 83 Jacob De Wilde, left, and Lesli Lytle load a car with food during a food distribution organized to mark Good Friday. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 83 As a late season storm continues to make its way across the Southland, a young basketball player dribbles along an alley through an Elysian Park neighborhood in Los Angeles. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 83 People are silhouetted in a window of an apartment building in Hollywood, where a stay-at-home order remains in effect to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 83 The Wilshire Grand Center display blue lights and a heart to show support for healthcare workers and first responders. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 47 / 83 Women wear masks as they stroll along Highland Avenue in Hollywood. Wearing masks while outdoors is mandatory in the city of Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 83 Patients are removed from Magnolia Rehabilitation and Nursing Center after 39 tested positive for the coronavirus and nursing staff was not showing up to work. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 49 / 83 A specimen is turned in at the new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 50 / 83 Hippie Kitchen in Los Angeles hands out food, water and toiletries to homeless people and residents of skid row. Additionally, masks were offered to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) 51 / 83 Nurses pose for a fun photo during a break in drive-through public testing for the coronavirus at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 52 / 83 A woman shows a notice from her doctor that allows her to obtain a test for coronavirus at a new drive-up testing site in a parking lot at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 53 / 83 A person who wishes to remain anonymous strikes from her car to support McDonald’s employees who are demanding the company cover healthcare costs of any worker or immediate family member who gets sick from COVID-19 in Los Angeles. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 54 / 83 Cassidy Roosen, with Beach Cities Health District, holds up a sign that says, “We’re All in This Together,” while waiting to direct cars at a drive-through, appointment-only coronavirus testing location at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 55 / 83 Juliann Hartman, center, and her husband, Butch, wave signs they created to cheer up people on Calabasas Road in Calabasas during the pandemic. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 56 / 83 Grace Carter, 15, of Riverside, practices a dance routine at home after dance classes and school were canceled. She has to use the Zoom app on her iPhone to practice with her dance group. “It’s hard,” she said. “My bedroom is a smaller space. I miss all my friends at the studio.” (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 57 / 83 A man works from his home in Long Beach. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 58 / 83 A San Bernardino County healthcare worker takes a sample at a coronavirus drive-through testing site at the county fairgrounds in Victorville. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 59 / 83 A Metro general service employee disinfects a bench in Boyle Heights. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 60 / 83 A runner jogs past the Pottery Barn in Pasadena. Some businesses in the area have boarded up their stores. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 61 / 83 Raquel Lezama and daughter Monica Ramos collect meals for their family at Manual Arts High School. Lezama was laid off from her $17.76-an-hour job at a Beverly Hills hotel. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 62 / 83 The Iron City Tavern in San Pedro tries an incentive to lure takeout customers. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 63 / 83 Healthcare workers gather outside UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center to call for further action from the federal government in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 64 / 83 Kristen Edgerle, of Victorville, collects information from a blood donor before drawing blood at The Richard Nixon Presidential Library blood drive during the coronavirus pandemic in Yorba Linda. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) 65 / 83 Shauna Jin, of Los Angeles, with her dog, Bodhi, practices social distancing with John Kiss, of Los Angeles, at the entrance of Runyon Canyon Park in Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 66 / 83 A lending library had some additional useful items, including a roll of toilet paper and cans of beans and corn, in a Hermosa Beach neighborhood. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 67 / 83 Protesters drive by the Getty House, the home of L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, in Hancock Park. Tenant advocates are demanding a total moratorium on evictions during the coronavirus crisis. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 68 / 83 Venice residents Emily Berry and Gavin Kelley take a break at Venice Beach. Berry, a cocktail waitress at Enterprise Fish Co., lost her job due to the coronavirus outbreak. Kelley, a manager at a performing arts school with a focus on music, said that he still has a job and that classes at the school will resume online this coming Monday. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 69 / 83 The JW Marriott at L.A. Live is sharing a message of hope with red lights in 34 windows, creating a 19-story display on the hotel’s north side. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 70 / 83 Juan Diaz Jr., a lifelong Dodgers fan, prays that the season will start by May in front of Dodger Stadium on what would have been opening day. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 71 / 83 Hayley, CEO and founder of Love My Neighbor Foundation, right, dances with Crystal Armster, 51, while she and her colleagues continue to feed the homeless on skid row amid the pandemic. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 72 / 83 A masked passenger on a Metro bus in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 73 / 83 Dede Oneal waits for a coronavirus test at the Crenshaw Christian Center in South Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 74 / 83 A man in a mask passes a closed restaurant along Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 75 / 83 Artist Corie Mattie paints a mural on the side of a pop-up store as a man takes a picture in West Hollywood. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 76 / 83 Medical assistant Zoila Villalta works with Rosie Boston, 32, of Glendale, who is donating blood for her first time at L.A. Care Health Plan downtown. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 77 / 83 A couple wait for a bus outside the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 78 / 83 With all Los Angeles schools closed until further notice, LAUSD buses sit idle in Gardena. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 79 / 83 A lone traveler makes his way to catch a flight in Tom Bradley International Terminal. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 80 / 83 Denise Young looks on as her daughter, Allison, 9, a fourth-grader at EARThS (Environmental Academy of Research Technology and Earth Sciences) Magnet School in Newbury Park, receives a Chromebook. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 81 / 83 Hollywood Boulevard is devoid of the usual crowds. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 82 / 83 Michael Ray, 11, plays before a movie at the Paramount Drive-In. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 83 / 83 Isabella Leader, 15, counts how many flags have been left for World War II veteran Lt. Col. Sam Sachs who was celebrating his 105th birthday at the Mom & Dad’s House, an assisted living facility, in Lakewood. Lt. Col. Sachs appealed to the public for birthday cards after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of a big celebration and wound up receiving thousands, including a letter and photo from President Trump. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Because of a lag time of as much as two weeks between transmission of the illness and the onset of symptoms, gauging the benefits of physical distancing takes time. With California’s stay-at-home order eight days old on Friday, people reporting the illness might have been infected prior to the limitations.
Advertisement
“We need another week or two to really tell if California’s fairly quick shelter in place did make a difference,” Jewell said. “It has the potential to make a huge difference. I know that mathematically … But I don’t know that with any degree of certainty.”
Some experts remain fearful that the disease curve will flatten, but at a dangerous level that sends too many patients to hospitals for months. “The problem is not the peak of the epidemic wave,” said Stanford University infectious disease expert John Ioannidis. “The problem is: How long are we above the point of saturation for the medical system?”
California Here are 8 bizarre scenes from empty downtown Los Angeles As we all adjust to our new lives under the umbrella of the coronavirus, Los Angeles Times photographer Luis Sinco gives us a look at downtown Los Angeles with the spotlight on Broadway.
But projections from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation show California could end up with a milder peak of cases than New York state is projected to have.
While New York state could see its worst daily death toll of roughly 550 fatalities from the coronavirus by the second or third week of April — with a range that includes as few as 124 deaths daily to a maximum of 1,357 on the possible worst day — California could see its worst daily death toll in late April, perhaps around 150 deaths in a single day, the computer simulation found.
A best-case scenario puts the California toll at two deaths a day and a worst-case projection envisions as many 370 deaths daily at the peak in late April.
The study acknowledges a number of possible outcomes. In all, it suggests California could see 6,109 deaths, but there’s a wide variation — as few as 898 deaths and as many as 13,650 deaths. New York would see 10,243 deaths, with as few as 5,167 deaths and as many as 26,444 deaths. And the death toll for the U.S., for instance, could range from 38,000 to 162,000.
The University of Washington researchers cautioned that their projections are freighted with considerable uncertainty, gleaned from thousands of computer simulation runs to come up with a single, most-likely outcome.
Unlike other models of the trajectory of the new coronavirus, the study relies on death counts from the United States and around the world. The scientists believe those numbers are more reliable than counting the confirmed number of infections, which vary greatly because of disparate testing rates around the U.S. and the world.
And the variations on the number of hospital beds that will be needed in California also diverged wildly, from as few as 1,200 to nearly 36,000. The ICU bed demand also got a broad projection, from a low of 90 to a high of 5,700.
“What we think we’ll see is a quite late peak in the epidemic in California, and that’s because there’s been a very slow trajectory of growth — of deaths and cases in California,” said Dr. Chris Murray, the author of the study and of the institute. “And that may be because of earlier social distancing. We don’t know. But certainly it is not the trajectory we’re seeing in New York, or Louisiana, or Georgia, for example.”
The debate over possible outcomes was put into clear view in the Silicon Valley, where the city of San Jose projected the number of possible deaths for the region, only to promptly have its estimate called into question by officials in Santa Clara County.
City officials said during a discussion with the San Jose City Council on Thursday that they projected a death toll from the illness of at least 2,000 for Silicon Valley and as high as 16,000, by the end of May. A day later, Santa Clara County released a statement saying it had not “produced, reviewed, or vetted” the San Jose projections.
The lessons from overseas seem to be that physical-isolation measures can work, said Kim-Farley, the UCLA epidemiologist.
Italy imposed strict orders to stay in the home, but it’s likely they went into place only after the coronavirus had spread widely. “I would be expecting that within another week or two … the number of cases or deaths will slow down and ultimately will become less and less, like we saw in China,” Kim-Farley said.
American experts will also be looking overseas to see what happens when social separation rules are loosened, as they will be when the Chinese begin to return to work in the coming weeks. “It’s hopeful they would not see a major second wave,” Kim-Farley said. “That is the $64,000 question: What will happen?”
The uncertainty did not sit easily with nurses, doctors and other hospital workers who are preparing for an onslaught of cases.
An emergency room nurse at one large hospital in Los Angeles said anxiety is rising among staff as the number of COVID-19 patients grows, with fears exacerbated by a global shortage of protective gear.
“A lot of us are really scared to go to work,” said the nurse, who was not authorized by her institution to speak to the media. “Our families are literally afraid when we come home from work.” When she sees people outside the hospital failing to abide by physical-distancing rules, she gets mad.
“We wish we could stay home too,” said the nurse, who declined to be named. “But we can’t.”
An operating room nurse at a Kaiser Permanente hospital in Los Angeles County shared that sense of foreboding, saying guidance on how workers should best protect themselves changes daily, with the guidelines steadily becoming less rigorous.
“We’re all just kind of like, ‘What in the world did we get ourselves into?’ This is not what we signed up for,” said the nurse, who also asked not to be named. “We didn’t think we would ever be in the position of healthcare workers working in a Third World country, in the middle of the woods … It’s been chaos.”
Another unknown is how California’s homeless population will affect the crisis.
California has more than 150,000 people living in unstable housing conditions, with 108,000 living outdoors. The tens of thousands of people living on the street represent a risk to hospitals because they are especially susceptible to severe cases of the novel coronavirus — they are aging, often have underlying health conditions and live in environments where sanitation is difficult.
Boston researcher Thomas Byrne compares the homeless population to those in nursing homes, and points out that those living on the street often have the medical conditions similar to housed people 20 years older.
Byrne released a study this week that predicts up to 2,600 homeless people in Los Angeles alone could wind up in hospitals with the coronavirus, and about 900 could need intensive care, tying up crucial resources.
Gov. Gavin Newsom last week set in motion an ambitious plan to move tens of thousands of homeless people into hotels and motels. But so far, only a few thousand unsheltered people across the state have been relocated to shelters and a few hundred of the first available rooms — though Newsom said more than 4,000 have been leased or purchased.
Kim-Farley urged Californians to remain hopeful, saying: “There is life after COVID-19. It is not an existential threat to all of mankind. We will overcome this.”


latimes--2020-03-28--Column: "Is anybody around here sick?" Street doctor races to get ahead of coronavirus

It was late morning when Dr. Susan Partovi and nurse practitioner Jen King set out from downtown Los Angeles on a mission — to track down some of their homeless patients , check on their welfare and warn them about the dangers of the coronavirus .
With so many other daily challenges homeless people have to deal with , Partovi said , the seriousness of an invisible threat hasn ’ t sunk in yet with some of those living in tents .
The most vulnerable , she said , including those with severe physical and mental illness , need more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own safety and that of others .
“ I don ’ t think they fully grasp it , ” said Partovi , who works for Homeless Health Care Los Angeles .
“ It ’ s not real to some of them.
” What is real is that while the virus has dramatically altered the daily routines of most people , locking us up in the comfort of our own homes , little has changed for those without a roof over their heads .
At 5th and San Pedro , in the heart of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in proximity — still lined the streets .
As I headed west , through normally crowded downtown Los Angeles , it was as if there ’ d been an evacuation order and everyone but the destitute got the memo .
No traffic .
No busy office workers running errands .
Just an endless array of misery .
At 5th and Figueroa , a distressed man naked from the waist down wandered into the middle of the intersection , and two police officers were trying to reel him back onto the sidewalk .
West @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the view , tarps and tents were even more visible than usual .
Partovi and King ’ s first goal was to find a 56-year-old man King had been caring for over the last several weeks .
He ’ s diabetic and had been hospitalized for foot wounds , then released .
“ Foot ulcers are so very common in diabetics .
They can get infected and if you don ’ t treat that , it can lead to an amputation , ” Partovi said .
“ We had him admitted and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” I asked if it was wise to release him from the hospital without a home to return to .
“ It ’ s a double-edged sword , ” Partovi said .
“ They might be trying to keep people out of the hospital so they don ’ t get COVID-19 , but they should ’ ve confirmed a place for him to go to .
… We ’ re trying to find recuperative care for him.
” On Wilshire Boulevard , across the street from The Home Depot , Partovi approached a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patient ’ s name .
“ Que pasa ?
Todo esta bien ?
” Partovi asked , moving among the blue tarps to see if everyone was OK and if anyone had seen her patient .
Partovi was a teenager at Santa Monica High years ago when her church group made pilgrimages to Tijuana to assist the poor .
She still vividly recalls a housing development at a landfill and the physician ’ s assistant who ministered to the sick and injured on the trips .
That was when she knew , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mission would be poverty medicine .
The patient finally limped out of a tent with two bandaged feet , but none of the symptoms of coronavirus .
Partovi and King asked him some questions about his recovery and escorted him across the street to their van in the Home Depot parking lot .
Once there , they turned the parking space next to the van into an outdoor clinic .
I watched as Partovi grabbed her medical bag , which also serves as a handy stool for a street doctor .
She took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removed the patient ’ s bandages to have a look .
“ This actually looks pretty good , ” Partovi said as she examined the man ’ s right foot .
Partovi peered into a deep gash on the man ’ s instep and asked King for a suture remover .
The doctor used the tweezer-like tool to remove dead tissue and clean up the wound before rewrapping it .
Then she checked the other foot , which also had some lacerations that were healing .
It was a simple medical procedure , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in waves as I watched in admiration .
Two selfless front-liners were taking a risk in the middle of the pandemic to help someone in need , here in such an unlikely setting .
They wore masks , but social distancing was impossible .
This work is nothing new for Partovi , who has practiced street medicine for years .
She signed up quickly for earthquake disaster relief in Haiti 10 years ago , where she said it was not uncommon for advanced medical procedures such as amputations to be performed in makeshift @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , doctors operated under a mango tree with a goat walking by .
King , who moved west from Boston late last year after becoming a nurse practitioner , said she fell in love with street medicine because of the singular purpose and camaraderie of the people who do this work .
She particularly enjoys the satisfaction of building relationships with people in need , earning their trust and knowing their gratitude .
King said friends and family worry about her safety , especially now , when there ’ s more to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communicable diseases .
“ If the person I ’ m treating has a cough or fever , or if I have any suspicion they have coronavirus , I have … a gown and face shield and mask and gloves to put on , and that ’ s what I do , ” King said .
“ But I feel like when you sign up for this job , you sign up to take certain risks and you have to treat people as safely as you can.
” Partovi and King returned the patient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be back later if they could make an arrangement for him to move temporarily into a hotel .
There , King would continue to make daily visits to treat his wound and make sure he had enough insulin and antibiotics .
Next on their list of regular patients was a homeless mentally ill man who has been living in Echo Park .
Partovi and King looked for him at the McDonald ’ s on Glendale Boulevard , where he can often be found , but there was no sign of him .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a shopping cart .
He said he was feeling fine , and knew of the patient Partovi was looking for .
Try the Rite-Aid , he said , the Vons and Triple Beam Pizza on Sunset Boulevard .
They tried all those locations with no luck , then traveled to Koreatown to check on an encampment they were familiar with outside Founder ’ s Church .
There , a dozen tents lined the street , and Partovi and King were joined by a registered nurse named Heidi Roth , who had a day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked Partovi if she could help out as a volunteer .
The three of them went tent by tent , offering bottled water , snacks and hygiene supplies .
“ We ’ re really blessed to have our homes to stay in with our families , ” Roth said .
“ But so many people have nobody , and if we as providers can ’ t help them , who will ?
” Partovi called out to those inside tents .
“ Is anyone around here sick ?
” she asked .
People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Partovi said she hasn ’ t found a case yet in any homeless encampment , but given the underlying medical conditions so many people have , the virus could spread quickly and she ’ s trying to get ahead of it .
She explained to the encampment dwellers what symptoms to look out for .
Fever , cough , shortness of breath .
“ Do you have a mask ?
” she asked , passing one to a woman who was without .
“ If someone is really sick and having difficulty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ If you ’ re sick , you should stay inside your tent and not come out on the street.
” She asked two men if they were staying in the same tent , and , if so , recommended they keep as much distance between them as possible .
One man asked if anyone could deliver a Porta Potty because residents of this encampment couldn ’ t always get into the nearby gas station bathroom .
“ Everybody ’ s worried , ” a homeless man named Patrick told me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here , what can we do about it ?
“ We don ’ t have a lot of options , ” said his friend Jhon .
Partovi asked me several times to remind the public and public officials reading this column that there ’ s always a shortage of resources , but the problem is all the more urgent during the pandemic .
Obviously there ’ s a need for more temporary housing solutions for the most vulnerable populations , she said , including those with severe mental illness , who might not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We need phones , ” Partovi said , so people can call for help in an emergency .
Also hand sanitizer , tents , dumpsters and syringe bins .
For information on how to help , check the Homeless Health Care Los Angeles website at hhcla.org .
At last count , nearly 60,000 people in L.A. County were homeless , and the pandemic ‘ s crippling effect on the economy could well lead to greater numbers in the future .
The challenge is overwhelming , which makes the determined , faithful , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ angels all the more stirring .
By day ’ s end , Partovi ’ s team had arranged for the first patient of the day — the man with the wounds on his feet — to be moved into a hotel .
One down , tens of thousands to go .

It was late morning when Dr. Susan Partovi and nurse practitioner Jen King set out from downtown Los Angeles on a mission — to track down some of their homeless patients, check on their welfare and warn them about the dangers of the coronavirus.
With so many other daily challenges homeless people have to deal with, Partovi said, the seriousness of an invisible threat hasn’t sunk in yet with some of those living in tents. The most vulnerable, she said, including those with severe physical and mental illness, need more than ever to be housed for their own safety and that of others.
“I don’t think they fully grasp it,” said Partovi, who works for Homeless Health Care Los Angeles. “It’s not real to some of them.”
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Susan Partovi, left, and nurse practitioner Jen King administer medical aid to a man in a Home Depot parking lot in Los Angeles. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Advertisement
What is real is that while the virus has dramatically altered the daily routines of most people, locking us up in the comfort of our own homes, little has changed for those without a roof over their heads.
At 5th and San Pedro, in the heart of skid row, tents and people — in proximity — still lined the streets. As I headed west, through normally crowded downtown Los Angeles, it was as if there’d been an evacuation order and everyone but the destitute got the memo. No traffic. No busy office workers running errands. Just an endless array of misery.
At 5th and Figueroa, a distressed man naked from the waist down wandered into the middle of the intersection, and two police officers were trying to reel him back onto the sidewalk. West of downtown, with no vehicles blocking the view, tarps and tents were even more visible than usual.
Partovi and King’s first goal was to find a 56-year-old man King had been caring for over the last several weeks. He’s diabetic and had been hospitalized for foot wounds, then released.
Heidi Roth, a registered nurse, hands bread to a man living in an encampment on a Los Angeles sidewalk. She and others are asking if anyone is experiencing coronavirus symptoms. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
“Foot ulcers are so very common in diabetics. They can get infected and if you don’t treat that, it can lead to an amputation,” Partovi said. “We had him admitted and he got discharged a couple of days ago.”
Advertisement
I asked if it was wise to release him from the hospital without a home to return to.
“It’s a double-edged sword,” Partovi said. “They might be trying to keep people out of the hospital so they don’t get COVID-19, but they should’ve confirmed a place for him to go to. … We’re trying to find recuperative care for him.”
On Wilshire Boulevard, across the street from The Home Depot, Partovi approached a row of tents and began calling the patient’s name.
“Que pasa? Todo esta bien?” Partovi asked, moving among the blue tarps to see if everyone was OK and if anyone had seen her patient.
Partovi was a teenager at Santa Monica High years ago when her church group made pilgrimages to Tijuana to assist the poor. She still vividly recalls a housing development at a landfill and the physician’s assistant who ministered to the sick and injured on the trips. That was when she knew, she says, that her life’s mission would be poverty medicine.
The patient finally limped out of a tent with two bandaged feet, but none of the symptoms of coronavirus. Partovi and King asked him some questions about his recovery and escorted him across the street to their van in the Home Depot parking lot.
Nurse practitioner Jen King, right, speaks with a man living in an encampment on a Los Angeles sidewalk. “I feel like when you sign up for this job, you sign up to take certain risks and you have to treat people as safely as you can,” she said. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Once there, they turned the parking space next to the van into an outdoor clinic. I watched as Partovi grabbed her medical bag, which also serves as a handy stool for a street doctor. She took a seat next to King and they removed the patient’s bandages to have a look.
“This actually looks pretty good,” Partovi said as she examined the man’s right foot.
Partovi peered into a deep gash on the man’s instep and asked King for a suture remover. The doctor used the tweezer-like tool to remove dead tissue and clean up the wound before rewrapping it. Then she checked the other foot, which also had some lacerations that were healing.
It was a simple medical procedure, but the humanity on display hit me in waves as I watched in admiration. Two selfless front-liners were taking a risk in the middle of the pandemic to help someone in need, here in such an unlikely setting. They wore masks, but social distancing was impossible.
This work is nothing new for Partovi, who has practiced street medicine for years. She signed up quickly for earthquake disaster relief in Haiti 10 years ago, where she said it was not uncommon for advanced medical procedures such as amputations to be performed in makeshift surgery centers. One day, she said, doctors operated under a mango tree with a goat walking by.
Dr. Susan Partovi, who has practiced street medicine for years, treats a homeless man’s ulcerated foot in a Home Depot parking lot in Los Angeles. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
“You make do,” she says.
King, who moved west from Boston late last year after becoming a nurse practitioner, said she fell in love with street medicine because of the singular purpose and camaraderie of the people who do this work. She particularly enjoys the satisfaction of building relationships with people in need, earning their trust and knowing their gratitude.
King said friends and family worry about her safety, especially now, when there’s more to consider than the usual staph infections and communicable diseases.
“If the person I’m treating has a cough or fever, or if I have any suspicion they have coronavirus, I have … a gown and face shield and mask and gloves to put on, and that’s what I do,” King said. “But I feel like when you sign up for this job, you sign up to take certain risks and you have to treat people as safely as you can.”
Partovi and King returned the patient to his tent and told him they would be back later if they could make an arrangement for him to move temporarily into a hotel. There, King would continue to make daily visits to treat his wound and make sure he had enough insulin and antibiotics.
Next on their list of regular patients was a homeless mentally ill man who has been living in Echo Park. Partovi and King looked for him at the McDonald’s on Glendale Boulevard, where he can often be found, but there was no sign of him.
We came upon another homeless man pushing a shopping cart. He said he was feeling fine, and knew of the patient Partovi was looking for. Try the Rite-Aid, he said, the Vons and Triple Beam Pizza on Sunset Boulevard.
They tried all those locations with no luck, then traveled to Koreatown to check on an encampment they were familiar with outside Founder’s Church. There, a dozen tents lined the street, and Partovi and King were joined by a registered nurse named Heidi Roth, who had a day off from her home healthcare job and asked Partovi if she could help out as a volunteer.
Dr. Susan Partovi searches an encampment for people who may be experiencing symptoms of the coronavirus. “Is anyone around here sick?” she asked. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
The three of them went tent by tent, offering bottled water, snacks and hygiene supplies.
“We’re really blessed to have our homes to stay in with our families,” Roth said. “But so many people have nobody, and if we as providers can’t help them, who will?”
Partovi called out to those inside tents.
“Is anyone around here sick?” she asked.
People emerged and nobody reported any coronavirus symptoms. Partovi said she hasn’t found a case yet in any homeless encampment, but given the underlying medical conditions so many people have, the virus could spread quickly and she’s trying to get ahead of it. She explained to the encampment dwellers what symptoms to look out for. Fever, cough, shortness of breath.
“Do you have a mask?” she asked, passing one to a woman who was without.
Dr. Susan Partovi, left, and registered nurse Heidi Roth visit a homeless encampment in Los Angeles. “We’re really blessed to have our homes to stay in with our families,” Roth said. “But so many people have nobody, and if we as providers can’t help them, who will?” (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
“If someone is really sick and having difficulty breathing, call 911,” Partovi said. “If you’re sick, you should stay inside your tent and not come out on the street.”
She asked two men if they were staying in the same tent, and, if so, recommended they keep as much distance between them as possible.
One man asked if anyone could deliver a Porta Potty because residents of this encampment couldn’t always get into the nearby gas station bathroom.
“Everybody’s worried,” a homeless man named Patrick told me, “but if the virus comes here, what can we do about it?
“We don’t have a lot of options,” said his friend Jhon.
Partovi asked me several times to remind the public and public officials reading this column that there’s always a shortage of resources, but the problem is all the more urgent during the pandemic. Obviously there’s a need for more temporary housing solutions for the most vulnerable populations, she said, including those with severe mental illness, who might not be aware of the current threat.
With so many other daily challenges homeless people have to deal with, Dr. Susan Partovi said, the seriousness of an invisible threat like the coronavirus hasn’t sunk in yet with some of those living in tents. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
“We need phones,” Partovi said, so people can call for help in an emergency. Also hand sanitizer, tents, dumpsters and syringe bins. For information on how to help, check the Homeless Health Care Los Angeles website at hhcla.org.
At last count, nearly 60,000 people in L.A. County were homeless, and the pandemic‘s crippling effect on the economy could well lead to greater numbers in the future.
The challenge is overwhelming, which makes the determined, faithful, compassionate work of the city’s angels all the more stirring.
By day’s end, Partovi’s team had arranged for the first patient of the day — the man with the wounds on his feet — to be moved into a hotel.
One down, tens of thousands to go.
steve.lopez@latimes.com