Editorial office. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]

The county of San Mateo has tightened its sanitary measuresAfter three weeks in the "orange" phase, one of the least restrictive, it returned to "red" on Tuesday, which means a substantial risk in terms of the dispersion of the virus, which so far has caused the infection of 12,780 people in the area.

The return to the "red" phase has caused many companies to change their way of operating, closing down indefinitely or completely.

"While this is a setback, we must look to a better future and support local businesses and our restaurants," said Warren Slocum, Chair of the Board of Supervisors. 

"Let's all commit to sponsoring our favorite local businesses to the best of our ability. It could be a curbside pickup or a take-away dinner. Let's help each other as best we can in this difficult time," he added.

According to the New York Times, yesterday, November 17, 119 more people in the county contracted the virus, but no deaths were reported.

The San Mateo County Health Department reported that of the 12,780 cases registered since the beginning of the pandemic until Tuesday, 6,438 have been in women, while 6,341 in men, and one more in a different sex.

The most recent report states that the average number of people a person with the virus will infect is 1.03, a rate that represents that COVID-19 is spreading and has an upward trend.

The document also explains that the Latino community continues to be the most affected with 6,471 of the cases, while 2,891 of the positive results did not report their race or ethnicity.

Among those affected, Caucasians stand out (1,532 cases so far), followed by Asian-Americans (1,265), Pacific Islanders (273), Afro-descendants (158), other races (95), multiracial (88), while ethnic Americans have only reported seven cases so far.

The age group with the highest number of cases is that from 20 to 29 years old (2,596), followed by 30 to 39 years old (2,475), 40 to 49 years old (2,69), 50 to 59 years old (1,638 cases), 10 to 19 years old (1,239), 60 to 69 years old (1,123), under nine years old (727), 70 to 79 years old (470), 80 to 89 years old (279), and over 90 years old (163).

In terms of deaths, the county has reported 168 deaths in the nine months of the pandemic, of which 85 have been women and 83 men.

The Caucasian race has been the most affected in these terms, as 80 deaths correspond to this group, followed by the Asian-American with 39, and the Latin with 38 deaths.

As of yesterday, 29 people had been hospitalized with the virus, 27 of them positive for COVID-19 and two with suspicions.

In response, and as part of the "emergency brake" imposed by California State Governor Gavin Newsom, indoor dining halls, places of worship, movie theaters, museums, zoos and aquariums will have to reduce capacity to 25 percent in the county.

Gym capacity will also be reduced to 10 percent, and small businesses and shopping centers will have to follow capacity limits of 50 percent or 100 people, whichever is less.

Places that, for the time being, can only operate outdoors include game rooms and wine cellars, while bars, breweries and distilleries that do not sell food will be closed. 

Schools that have begun to reopen will not have to close now that the county is back in the red; however, they will not be added to the list.

Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]

The numbers of positive cases for COVID-19 are increasingly high in the state of California, and therefore in the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. But. . , what can i do if i have symptoms of the virus and no health insurance?

According to the San Mateo County Health Department, if no health insurance is available, the potential carrier of the virus can contact the Health Coverage Unit (HCU) at 650-616-2020 or info-hcu@smcgov.org for assistance with screening.

Also, through these contacts, registration assistance can be provided to public health insurance programs such as Medi-Cal, Covered California and ACE.

To use the HCU hotline, you must leave a message with the name of the potential carrier as well as their contact information, then a community health advocate will return the call within 24 hours.

The application can also be made online through the www.coveredca.comThe department was highlighted.

On the other hand, he said that if you need to speak to a nurse urgently, you can dial Health Plan of San Mateo at 1-833-846-877324 hours a day, seven days a week, regardless of health insurance.

That way, a nurse will ask about your symptoms and let you know if emergency care is needed.

For those Medi-Cal patients who do not have a health plan, they can call Medi-Nurse at 1-877-409-9052The COVID-19 team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to answer any concerns regarding COVID-19 and medical issues in general.

On the other hand, if you have general health concerns, you can call the New Patient Contact Center, regardless of health insurance status, at 650-372-3200From 8:15 am to 4:30 pm, or through the www.smchealth.org/smmc-new-patients.

It is important to maintain general guidelines to avoid spreading the virus, such as frequent hand washing for at least 20 seconds, or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer after being in a public space, blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.

You should keep at least 6 feet away from other people. Wear a mask or cloth face shield when you go out in public spaces.

When in private places without a mask, always cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze.

For more information, you can visit the site smchealth.org/coronavirus.

Gloria Sanchez Aguilar. Peninsula 360 Press.

Amidst the confusion and chaos of a global pandemic, there is a significant group of people who refuse to wear masks despite established evidence of their effectiveness.

If their emphasis on personal freedom, their misrepresentation of science and their passion for defending their position is familiar, it is probably because the tactics have been used for years by another group: anti-vaccines. Both share important similarities.

First, there is the emphasis on personal choice, freedom and rights. "He's my son, I decide about him," in the case of the anti-vaccine, and "I have rights. You can't make me wear a mask," in the case of the mask. Both have taken root in the context of a cultural moment that emphasizes the individual over the community, self-interest over the common good.

It is no coincidence, then, that pleas to wear a mask to show respect and protect others, or to get vaccinated to achieve what is commonly known as herd immunity, have fallen on deaf ears. Both movements have also misrepresented and questioned scientific knowledge and sometimes even attacked health experts in an attempt to discredit them.

Antivaccines continue to claim that vaccines cause autism, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, and anti-sniffs have claimed that wearing a snorkel makes carbon dioxide levels rise to dangerous levels - not true.

Both the anti-vaccine and the anti-smoking device have promoted behaviors, along with the misinformation and mistrust they've sown, that are dangerous, especially at a time when COVID-19 continues to cause thousands of deaths every day and the country faces an uphill battle to convince Americans to use a mask, as well as get a vaccine against the virus, which is sure to happen soon.

People's opposition to using the mouthpiece has to do with their personality traits, the individual way they react to each situation. Resisting its use can respond to multiple causes, fear, rebellion, confusion, vanity, ignorance, among others. For some, complying with these measures can mean the loss of their freedoms. Or feeling that they are bowing down to others, showing weakness according to their criteria. When people are told what to do, there is a tendency to question it and resist.

It's the psychological tendency to react to people telling you what to do. People who have conflicts with authority often oppose it, cannot follow orders, reveal themselves, and this is usually gestated from childhood. There is also the defiant negativistic disorder, they are individuals who oppose and challenge everything, nothing convinces them or satisfies them.

In these and previous ones it is totally predictable that they will oppose the use of mouthguards. People with antisocial personality disorder can be expected to refuse to use masks because they have no social conscience. Some are embarrassed to see that they are afraid of getting infected, they have a misunderstanding of personal weakness. Some more are those who, under any circumstances, put doubt, not reason, first.

A doubt that goes through the guts more than the brain. They are those who believe that the COVID-19 is an invention, does not exist and is used to control others. Some argue that mouthpieces are uncomfortable, being tubed will be much more uncomfortable. At this time the use of masks not only reduces the risk of infection, but has become an act of solidarity among people.

Specialists believe that the aggressive behaviour of some can be redirected with education to understand its importance in health matters, instead of considering it as an imposition. The pandemic is not over, we must not let down our guard. If we have already taken care of ourselves for so many months, why neglect ourselves now? Our life is the most valuable thing we have, along with our youth, the only thing we cannot get back.

Let's be aware of this, we are not immortal, the magic thought of "it won't happen to me" is a denial, there are no foundations to support it. The activation of scenarios to mobilize the economy has generated important outbreaks. Hence the need not to lower our guard. We need to take care of our lives and be in solidarity with our compatriots to stop the contagion.

Gloria Sánchez Aguilar has a degree in Psychology and works as a psychotherapist