LANCASTER, Pa. — Farmers are busy. Stopping to change out of their barn shoes and clothes can be a hassle. But it’s the simplest act that can save their herds from disease.

Penn State Extension veterinarian Hayley Springer laid out the chain of transmission of animal diseases and the steps farmers can take to reduce the risk of an outbreak on their farms during Cattle Feeders Day on Tuesday at the Lancaster Farm and Home Center. Poultry and hog farms generally practice much stricter biosecurity than cattle producers do, but Springer said beef people shouldn’t be scared off. Biosecurity is not all hazmat suits and masks.

“Biosecurity is an everyday thing,” she said. “It’s an important part of every operation.”

There are four different levels of biosecurity plans. Most farmers know of national and regional plans that have been implemented for cases of foot-and-mouth disease and brucellosis. Springer focused on farm-level biosecurity. Beef producers should know the farm’s borders before setting up their biosecurity plan. Farmers will have a better grasp of an outbreak if they can identify boundaries such as a designated parking space for visitor vehicles on their property. What is outside the farm borders, such as another cattle herd, can also be important. For some diseases, cattle on a neighboring farm can pose a transmission risk.

“You can manage what happens inside your farm, but you don’t have a lot of opportunity to manage what happens outside your farm,” she said.

Farm visitors also pose a risk. Many people in the animal ag industry work with livestock on multiple farms. “We want to keep those two herds separate to a point,” Springer said. “We want to respect their herds too.”

Most infections originate from fomite transmission, which is when bacteria or viruses transfer to animals from an object like shoes. Two of the most damaging illnesses in cattle are anaplasmosis and foot-and-mouth disease, and both can spread quickly, Springer said. Foot-and-mouth disease was eradicated in the U.S. in 1929, but a reintroduction could be costly.

The USDA would like beef producers to start using RFID tags. The reason? It will help animal health officials if there’s a statewide disease stop mandate, Springer said.

Photo by Courtney Love

Producers who practice good animal husbandry are on the right path for biosecurity. Farms should use protocols for vaccines, animal identification and new animals arriving at the farm. Springer suggested farmers practice disinfecting syringes and employ single-use needles when vaccinating their herds. She also reminded farmers that consistent cleaning of equipment is important. New animals should quarantine for 21 to 30 days after their arrival. This allows farmers to do a full health check-up on these cattle and gives an opportunity to a catch disease symptoms early, Springer said.

Cattle with identification like ear tags or RFID tags go with a good biosecurity plan. USDA would like to see more beef producers adopt RFID tags because it will help animal health officials if there’s a statewide disease stop mandate, Springer said.

“If we get a foreign animal disease, we want to know where it is,” she said. “If we can quickly trace back where those animals have been, we can break that down and we can reduce the number of animals under a stop movement.”

Beef producers who practice good animal husbandry are on the right path for biosecurity. Both are something all producers should keep in touch with. 

Photo by Courtney Love

A good plan doesn’t stop at needles and footwear. Beef farmers can encounter risk with contract haulers and their trailers. Swine trailers are disinfected more often than trailers hauling cattle, Springer said.

“When cattle step up on that truck full of manure, they are stepping into that perfect fomite,” she said. “I think whether cattle are coming on or off, we should disinfect those trailers.”

Springer encouraged producers, especially those who contract haulers, to discuss having those trailers cleaned prior to coming on to their farms. Springer used the Beef Quality Assurance Daily Biosecurity Guide, created for producers by the beef checkoff. The guide is also taught in all level one Beef Quality Assurance classes, said Emma Foster, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Beef Council.

“It’s something every farmer should keep in touch with,” she said. 

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Cleaning and home-keeping expert Becky Rapinchuk is the woman behind Clean Mama. The Australian housekeeping expert runs a platform with hundreds of thousands of fans.

The influencer, with a huge 747,000 Instagram followers on the @cleanmama account, uses a daily cleaning product found in every household for her oven.

Rebecca told Express.co.uk: “Dish soap works great at tackling grease.”

The expert, who also shares tips with her fans on her Facebook page, recommends making your own cleaner with it, using a simple method.

Cleaning pro Rebecca, who has written four books, said: “Use about one tsp with 16 oz of hot water in a spray bottle, shake, spray and wipe clean.”

For stubborn grease, leave the homemade product on, allowing it to sink in and lift the grease away.

READ MORE: Homeowners can add £10,000 to their property with one interior change

Other popular oven cleaning products include Oven Pride and The Pink Stuff, the latter highly recommended by cleaning influencer Mrs. Hinch.

Rebecca’s books include Clean Mama’s Guide to a Peaceful Home, Clean Mama’s Guide to a Healthy Home, Simply Clean, and The Organically Clean Home.

How to clean an oven

If you are not lucky enough to own a self-cleaning oven, you will have to resort to the old-fashioned method and get scrubbing.

What are the steps to efficiently clean your oven?

• Switch off your oven
• Take out the shelving
• Use a cloth to wipe away any large bits of cooked-on food
• Use a scraper to take out any more difficult to remove bits of cooked-on food

How often should you clean an oven?

There is no consensus among home and cleaning experts as to how often to clean an oven.

Some say three months, while others recommend cleaning it every month.

However often you decide, it is important to keep on top of your oven.

The longer you leave to clean in, the bigger a job it will be. Additionally, dirty ovens are more likely to break down and even pose a fire hazard.

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FUZHOU, China, Jan. 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — E-Home Household Service Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: EJH) (the “Company” or “E-Home”), a provider of integrated household services in China, today announced the Company has launched a new set of preventive anti-virus disinfection and cleaning services for households and indoor public areas amid resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic.

E-Home’s disinfection and cleaning services serve as one of the key preventive measures that works to disinfect air and space, surface of objects such as tables and chairs, windows and elevators via spraying and wiping to kill the pathogenic microorganism.

As China reports a new surge of locally transmitted Covid cases since it found the first omicron variant-caused infection this week, an increasing number of districts and regions are under quarantine and households and enterprises are advised to follow guidance and take preventive measures in order to contain further outbreak of the pandemic.

Mr. Wenshan Xie, Chairman and CEO of E-Home commented: “Preventive measures like our disinfection cleaning services is one of the most effective anti-pandemic measures. Therefore we decide to launch our disinfection cleaning services as a daily service to provide safe and professional assistance for households and enterprises, for different locations such as hotels, schools, factories, restaurants and entertainment chains as all of us try to work together to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.”

“As we keep diversifying our services with our well-trained and professional cleaning team, E-Home will grow as a more reputable brand among our enterprise and household clients. We are confident that all these initiatives will also facilitate our business operation and financial performance in the new year.”

About E-Home Household Service Holdings Limited

E-Home Household Service Holdings Limited is a household service company based in Fuzhou, China. The Company, through its website and WeChat platform “e家快服”, provides integrated household services, including appliance installation and maintenance, housekeeping services, and Internet based home and senior care. For more information, visit the Company’s website at http://www.ej111.com/ir.html.

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements other than statements of historical fact in this announcement are forward-looking statements in nature within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to consider risk factors, including those described in the Company’s filings with the SEC, that may affect the Company’s future results. All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company and its subsidiaries or persons acting on their behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these risk factors.

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SABC wars reach fever pitch

The warring SABC board is set to be summoned to appear before Parliament to account for the crisis that has gripped the public broadcaster in recent months. The outcome of the hearing could plunge it deeper into disarray, as there are fears that should Parliament’s communications portfolio committee deem the toxic divisions within the board beyond repair, it will recommend its dissolution.

Sex in Afrikaans

Their parents and their children have already said they will not watch the new series Sex in Afrikaans, but a couple who participate in it say it will not really make a difference. “No one who truly knows us will be shocked by anything they hear or see, regardless of whether they watch the show or not,” say Brady Fortuin and his wife Tracy-Lynn Brainers.

Motsoaledi vows to clean up home affairs

A full-scale operation targeting senior officials suspected of corruption and gross negligence costing taxpayers millions of rands is under way at the home affairs department.

Sitole under fire

National police commissioner Khehla Sitole and the police watchdog, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, are at loggerheads over a communication grabber that could compromise some SA Police Service members.

Mahlangu’s ‘crash and flee’ case taken to NPA

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) will decide the fate of former soccer star Jabu Mahlangu (also known as Jabu Pule) following his collision with a taxi last Saturday, in which 15 people were injured.

Companies called in to sanitise schools were irregularly appointed

An official at the Gauteng education department was paid R50 000 by a service provider that scored a tender to decontaminate schools.

The official, Victor Manngo, was responsible for appointing service providers to sanitise schools to stop the spread of Covid-19 between June and August 2020. The department appointed 270 service providers to decontaminate, disinfect, deep clean and sanitise 1 596 schools and other buildings under the purview of the department, including district offices, at a cost of R431 million.

No report, no action on R15m Lesseyton ‘stadium’

Three months have passed and still no one has been taken to task regarding the controversial R15 million Lesseyton sports field in Komani, Eastern Cape. No one has seen a report on the investigation into the matter, which was promised at the beginning of October by the Eastern Cape provincial government through the cooperative governance and traditional affairs department.

The CEO, the wife and nyatsi

Model and influencer Meagan Gallie is set to become top corporate boss Gcina Jordan’s second wife. She is heavily pregnant with their first child.

Thandeka King mum on her return to Uzalo

Top actress Thandeka Dawn King has played down rumours that she could be making a surprise return to the popular SABC1 telenovela Uzalo. Sources said King had been approached to make a comeback, along with other popular original cast members Ntokozo Dlamini, who played the character of Mastermind, and Bonga Dlamini, who portrayed Mkhonto.

ANC power fight: One post, three contenders

Aspirant Eastern Cape ANC chairperson Mlibo Qoboshiyane says past incidents of bloody violence in the province during party leadership contests point to the need for mature candidates to stand side by side and be willing to overlook their differences and build a coherent governing party.

Can thorium replace coal and uranium?

Rather than opting for green energy sources such as solar and wind to reduce carbon emissions, an environmental activist believes that African countries should consider thorium-fuelled nuclear plants for energy generation.

Oscar Mabuyane calls for 2nd term for Cyril

ANC chairperson and Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane says he supports President Cyril Ramaphosa for a second term as party leader, as he will continue with the project of renewal in the governing party.

Inside the DA’s Fritz scandal

Suspended Western Cape community safety MEC Albert Fritz and some of his senior staff allegedly targeted “young, unqualified women without any other job prospects” to harass sexually.

R9m paid for services not rendered

The Moses Kotane Local Municipality in North West is under fire from community activists who claim that the council paid a service provider R9 million in advance for work that was never completed.

Africa must embrace the rule of law

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema believes that the best way for Africa to overcome its economic and stability challenges is by respecting the rule of law and building strong institutions in every country and region.

SIU plea to Ramaphosa: Act on corrupt officials

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has made a plea to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office to push state institutions to discipline officials implicated in Covid-19-related corruption.

Wronged teacher out for revenge

Just when you thought he would be happy after a court ruling granting him a writ of execution to attach assets worth R7 million, a retired teacher wants to expose alleged corruption in the Gauteng education department.

Delivering the  news you need

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With the highly contagious COVID-19 omicron variant expected to peak in Santa Fe County in the coming days or weeks, city government officials are readying contingency plans in case a significant number of employees test positive for the virus.

Though focused on proactive measures to keep city employees from catching the virus, Mayor Alan Webber said he also understands the need to have a backup plan in case city services start to suffer.

“If you can anticipate a crisis, it isn’t a crisis anymore; it is a problem you can address,” he said.

The virus has had a tragic impact on the city’s workforce: Five employees have died from COVID-19, three of them in the Transportation Department.

Community Health and Safety Director Kyra Ochoa said the city has been convening meetings with department heads to discuss staffing issues since the start of the pandemic. But more recently, Ochoa said Brian Williams, director of emergency management and safety, has been working with leaders on a unified crisis management plan in case a significant number of employees test positive and have to quarantine.

Ochoa said the city has plans in case staffing drops sharply.

“We’re pretty confident that faced with staffing shortages we will be able to continue to offer essential services to the people of Santa Fe,” she said. “Thankfully we have’t gotten there yet but it’s definitely on the top of our minds and attention.”

The omicron variant, which is now the dominant COVID-19 variant globally, is believed to be at least

10 times more contagious than previous strains and is responsible for 98 percent of new cases worldwide. Another omicron subvariant is gaining steam in Denmark and is reportedly more contagious.

While nationally and across New Mexico, positive rates of the omicron variant continue to trend downward, Santa Fe also might not yet have reached its peak , Ochoa said.

Dr. David Scrase, acting secretary of the State Department of Health, said during a news conference Wednesday he expects the spike to subside statewide around the start of spring.

When asked how city officials expect a spike to affect public safety services, Ochoa said the county and city share a mutual aid agreements between their law enforcement and emergency response agencies. She added, the Santa Fe Police Department also has an internal policy to ramp up staffing, using officers who typically wouldn’t be in the field to respond to critical calls.

Assistant fire Chief Phil Martinez said the fire department has an emergency plan, but has not had to implement it during the pandemic.

If there is a vacancy, he said other firefighters typically work additional overtime hours to cover the gap.

“We have never ‘downed a truck’ or anything like that through this whole thing,” he said.

Webber said he believes both the police and fire departments have a “well-tested” protocol for staffing shortages but if there is any reasonable concern, it might be with the county-run Regional Emergency Communication Center.

The entity fields calls for both the city and county emergency services and has dealt with a staffing shortages as high as

56 percent in recent months.

“That is the point of entry when people dial 911, and that can be a choke point for handling public safety calls,” he said. “The processes for the police and fire department[s] are really strong and well developed … the concern for me is making sure we have people staffing up to take calls from the public.”

Bernard Brown, the communications center director, said in a statement the entity has taken “every step in preventative measures” by locking the office to staff only and expanding disinfecting measures. Brown added, the county contracted with a temporary employment agency to bring in workers with previous experience working for the center.

The city has also already requested most employees work from home and to virtually hold meetings, if possible. Newly hired city employees will have to provide proof of vaccination to be hired, while current employees can either provide proof of vaccination or undergo weekly testing.

The city has also ordered over 30,000 KN95 masks to hand out to employees.

“I think we are in a place where we are not focused on how many people will get it, but focused on what we can do to ensure as few employees get it as possible,” City Manager John Blair said.

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Originally Appeared Here

January 14, 2022January 15, 2022

A wild duck harvested by a hunter in Colleton County, South Carolina, is the first wild bird since 2016 to be found infected in the United States with the Eurasian H5 type of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), officials have announced.

The bird, an American wigeon, was tested by the Clemson University Veterinary Diagnostic Center in Columbia and the diagnosis was confirmed by The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS).

This type of HPAI virus is considered a low risk to people but it can be a danger to the poultry industry, which is an important part of South Carolina’s agricultural economy.

“We’re asking that anyone involved with poultry or egg production, from large farms all the way down to backyard flocks, review their biosecurity practices to assure the health of their birds,” said State Veterinarian Michael J. Neault, who directs Clemson Livestock Poultry Health, which includes the Veterinary Diagnostic Center.

“So far we have no indication that HPAI has jumped from wild migratory birds to poultry and we’d very much like to keep it that way,” Neault said.

USDA has alerted the World Organization of Animal Health, known as OIE, of the discovery as required under international trade protocols.

So far in 2022, Europe has been kept busy with H5 cases of their own, reporting to the OIE scattered infections across the continent from Portugal to Bulgaria. In December, Canada reported two separate cases in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Julie Helm, a veterinarian and poultry specialist with Clemson Livestock Poultry Health, advises South Carolinians to protect small poultry flocks with two simple statements: “Keep it AWAY and Keep it CLEAN.”

Keep it AWAY: Keep your poultry and pets away from wild ducks and geese and their environment — ponds, lakes and swampy areas. Take care not to track the wild waterfowl virus back to your flock if you are hunting or hiking in the wild waterfowl environment. Buy new birds from a reputable source. Keep new birds or returning show birds separated from your established home flocks for 30 days. Keep pests (rodents, raccoons, opossums, rabbits) out of bird pens. Keep visitors out of your bird areas; what may they be carrying on their feet, clothing or vehicles?

Keep it CLEAN: Clean cages and coops. Clean any equipment first before it comes onto your property. Wear designated farm shoes and clothing to care for your birds. Wash your hands before and after working with your birds. Change birds’ food and water daily. Wash your vehicles and trailers after visiting other poultry facilities and before you come home — Go through a car wash.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) considers the risk of HPAI H5 infections to the public to be low. No human infections from Eurasian H5 viruses have occurred in the United States.

Nonetheless, USDA Veterinary and Wildlife Services recommends hunters and others to take precautions to protect themselves and the domestic birds they may encounter from the virus:

• Do not harvest or handle wild birds that are obviously sick or found dead.
• Dress your game birds in the field whenever possible. If you must dress birds at home, clean them in an area in which your poultry and pet birds have no access.
• Keep a separate pair of shoes to wear only in your game cleaning area. If this is not possible, wear rubber footwear and clean/disinfect your shoes before entering or leaving the area.
• Do not eat, drink or smoke while cleaning game.
• Always wear rubber gloves while cleaning game or cleaning bird feeders.
• Wash hands with soap and water immediately after handling game or cleaning bird feeders. If soap and water are not available, use alcohol wipes.
• Use dedicated tools for cleaning game, whether in the field or at home. Do not use those tools around your poultry or pet birds.
• Wash all tools and work surfaces with soap and water and then disinfect them.
• Avoid cross-contamination. Keep uncooked game in a separate container, away from cooked or ready-to-eat foods.
• Cook game meat thoroughly; poultry should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit to kill disease organisms and parasites.
• Double bag the offal and feathers. Tie the inner bag; be sure to take off your rubber gloves and leave them in the outer bag before tying it closed.
• Place the bag in a trash can that poultry and pet birds cannot access. This trash can should also be secure against access by children, pets or other animals.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is working with Clemson University, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and federal partners about this recent detection of Eurasian H5.

DHEC strongly urges anyone who handles birds — including hunters and poultry farmers — to follow the recommended precautions for protecting themselves from possible exposure and to talk with a doctor if they have any health concerns regarding a possible exposure.

Want to Discuss?

Get in touch and we will connect you with the author or another expert.

Or email us at [email protected]

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How to care for someone with COVID-19

As you look after your sick family member, remember to take care of yourself too.

Limit the number of caregivers. Ideally, assign one person who is in good health and not at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 – i.e. fully vaccinated, below 60 years old and with no chronic health conditions. 

Help the sick person to follow instructions from their doctor. In general, they should rest, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food.

Monitor symptoms 

Seek medical attention immediately if the sick person has:

• Difficulty breathing
• Chest pain
• Confusion
• Loss of speech or mobility

Some symptoms depend on age. You should seek urgent care if a baby is unable to breastfeed, if a young child has a high fever, or if a child suddenly appears confused, refuses to eat, or if their face or lips turn blue.

Monitor yourself and others in your home for any symptoms of COVID-19 – including fever, sore throat, muscle or body ache, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, shortness of breath dry cough or tiredness. For children the symptoms might vary. Infants’ symptoms can include difficulty in feeding, fast breathing and lethargy. Get tested if you have any of these symptoms.

Take precautions

It is important to follow precautions even if you and other family members are vaccinated. No vaccine protects you 100 per cent against infection and it is possible you may spread the virus to others if you are infected.

Talk to your children about these preventative measures and how it’s important that you all follow them carefully to help stop the spread of the virus. 

Physical distance: Avoid unnecessary contact with the ill person who should stay in a separate room if possible, or at least 1 metre away from others in the household, to reduce the risk of spreading infection.

Wear a mask: Everyone should wear a well-fitting medical mask when in the same room as the ill person (who should wear one as well). 

Regular handwashing: Wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub regularly, especially after any contact with the sick person.

>> Read: Handwashing tips for kids

Ventilation: Ensure that shared spaces (e.g. kitchen, bathroom) are kept well ventilated (keep windows open). 

Cleaning and hygiene: Use dedicated dishes, cups, eating utensils, bed sheets and towels for the ill person. Wash all of them with soap and hot water.

Identify surfaces that are frequently touched by the ill person (such as chairs, tables, bed frames, door handles and toys) and clean and disinfect them daily.

>> Read: Tips on cleaning and disinfecting

Clean and disinfect the bathroom using gloves (if available) after each use by the sick person if they are unable to do so themselves. 

Dirty laundry from a sick person can be washed with other people’s items, but precautions should be taken: 

• Handle the sick person’s laundry with gloves (if available). 
• Launder items with soap or detergent, using the warmest appropriate water setting and dry items completely – both steps help to kill the virus.
• Wash your hands with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand rub, immediately afterwards. 
• Consider storing laundry in disposable bags rather than your usual laundry basket.

Use a separate garbage bag for the sick person to dispose of used tissues, masks and other waste safely.

Visitors should not be allowed until the patient has completely recovered and has no signs or symptoms of COVID-19.

Follow national guidance on how long the sick person should remain isolated and whether others in the home should as well. WHO recommends sick people should self-isolate for 10 days from the start of any symptoms, plus three days after symptoms end.

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COVID-19 hygiene practices for Coronavirus prevention banner. Text board in public space with rules, practice social distancing, wash hands often, clean surfaces, sanitizing surfaces.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how people interact with each other and their cleaning practices at work and home. Whether you already had strict cleaning practices, you still had to adjust them to ensure you clean your home safely and reduce the risk of infection. This article will discuss how COVID changed cleaning and disinfecting practices.

How Often To Clean

At the start of the pandemic, there wasn’t any conclusive research on how long the virus stayed on surfaces. However, research suggests that depending on the surface and temperature, the virus that causes COVID-19 could stay on surfaces for serval days.

The pandemic has forced people to clean regularly and multiple times a day to remove particles of the virus on surfaces. Additionally, to reduce the risk of infection, people have been advised to clean their households when they can visibly see dirt or when needed. So, surfaces have to be cleaned before and after they’ve been used.

Moreover, if anyone at home has COVID, you should clean and disinfect surfaces regularly or when a surface has been touched or used to reduce the spread of germs. Alternatively, you can outsource the service from a trusted professional like Pur Cleaning Services Colorado Springs and others. Trusted professional cleaning services follow strict guidelines regarding safely cleaning and disinfecting contaminated surfaces.

Cleaning Supplies

Most people use basic cleaning supplies (broom, mop, cloth, bleach, vinegar) to clean their homes. However, you may find, as a result of COVID, that you’ve added products or started using a different brand to clean and disinfect surfaces.

Each country has a product list with the approved products that can be used to clean and safely disinfect your home. It’s recommended that people use products containing 70% ethanol and 0.05% sodium hypochlorite to clean and disinfect their households.

Cleaning Different Surfaces

Cleaning different surfaces with the same method isn’t enough anymore. Households should adopt new practices for cleaning different surfaces. For cleaning things like rugs, drapes, and carpets, use soap and water to clean these. Alternatively, you can hire a professional for carpet cleaning. They can provide disinfecting services using health-recommended products.

Clothing

When cleaning, most put on something light and comfortable. However, clothing is another thing that has changed in peoples’ cleaning and disinfecting process. Following recommended guidelines, people should wear personal protective equipment (PPE) when using certain products when disinfecting their homes.

Additionally, it’s recommended that people wear a mask when cleaning areas where a person who had COVID-19 occupied. Once you’re done cleaning and disinfecting, change into clean clothes and wash your clothes. More importantly, properly dispose of PPE that can’t be reused.

Handling Trash

Before the pandemic, you may have used a single or two trash bins in your household, even when someone was sick. However, COVID-19 may have changed that. You may have even removed and disposed of trash without using gloves and simply washing your hands with water. However, these practices have changed in many households.

Various health organizations have recommended that people should have a designated trash bin for people who are sick with COVID-19. Additionally, it’s recommended that people use gloves when disposing of and removing trash bags. More importantly, they should wash their hands immediately with soap and water.

Handling Food

A lot of people had concerns regarding whether you can contract the virus through food. Misinformation has caused people to panic about getting infected. However, health organizations have recommended practices people can follow when preparing and handling food.

Health officials recommend washing hands before and after preparing and eating food. Additionally, they recommend that people wash unpacked food, wipe packaged food items before opening or storing them, and if you’re eating takeout, remove the food, place it on a plate, and dispose of the container.

It’s important to note that there’s no evidence suggesting people getting COVID-19 from food. But it’s possible to get infected from the touch contaminated surfaces.

Conclusion

The change in cleaning and disinfecting practices may be tiresome, but they are there to ensure you protect your household from the risk of infection. At the end of the day, it’s for your benefit.

If you find yourself not having time to properly clean your home, then hire a trusted professional to clean and disinfect your home. Remember, a surface may look visibly clean, but it doesn’t mean all the particles from the virus have been cleaned. It’s better to be safe than sorry, especially in these uncertain times. Consider the ideas mentioned here as you plan and prepare.

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Our dog can’t get up without help anymore, and what it comes down to is that she’s dying. I hear her breathing now, on her quilted bed by the woodstove, settled in for a long January night. We think that she’s 15. We adopted her years ago from the only rescue group in town, and at the time they didn’t know how old she was either, only that she’d been tied to their front gate one morning in February and her ears were frostbitten by the time they cut her loose. But she was alive and finally free of the type of person who leaves a dog alone in the predawn darkness. So we think she’s 15. What we do know is that our two boys grew up with her, and that makes this even harder. It seems that every 15 years or so my wife and I find ourselves in this same situation — broken and wondering what to do with an empty collar. In a few days, that will be us again.

So after months of mask-wearing, distancing, and dying, there’s this: a dog that needs to take one final trip to the vet. I’m not up for it, but it’s what comes next.

Our families have avoided the worst of the pandemic, with our older son testing positive the same day President Trump announced his own infection. Unlike the former president, our son didn’t need specialized care and continued his classes at home, online, much as he had been doing in his dorm, although now without a sense of smell. Then there was my uncle who died quietly in his chair one spring night — not of COVID directly but from the hospital’s reluctance to readmit him even as an infection from recent surgery brewed inside him. My aunt woke up alone that morning, and now, for her, that’s how each new day starts. Recently my nephew and niece each tested positive and their vaccinated parents are bracing for what may be their turn.

It’s the not knowing that wears you down.

On the counter, next to Moxie’s nail clippers and anti-inflammatory pills is a new bottle, a seven-day course of amoxicillin. Nearby there’s a fine-tooth comb that she no longer tolerates. So when we boost Moxie to her feet, she plods about, leaving tufts of fur behind. Once she’s up and moving she still dutifully follows, herding us along just as she always has, reminding us of what we’ve always suspected — that she’s part shepherd. She wears a harness with a handle now, and when it’s time for her to go outside, we swing her smoothly — like a suitcase — from the porch to the ground. Outside she brightens, scooping mouthfuls of snow. She still has good days, but they aren’t all good days. My wife and I discuss how many bad days a dying dog should have to endure. When she starts to get cold, we swing her back up on the porch. More time by the woodstove. There are still good moments in those bad days.

But for Moxie, those bad days are building up. We’re doing what we can to make sure they’re not all bad days, but our local clinic is nearly impossible to get into. Because of COVID, they’re down two vets, so we’ll need to book an appointment three weeks out just to put down our failing girl. We’re doing our best to keep her comfortable, but we worry it’s not enough. Last night we bought thick gauze pads, Neosporin, and a roll of bandages to wrap her infected elbow. The wound there is weeping and round and raw. We sit down beside her, Denise and I, one of us gathering the dog in our arms and the other disinfecting and wrapping and taping.

When is the moment when you know that it’s time? When is the moment when you scoop her in your arms and drive? It feels close. That moment will come even as the pandemic grinds on, and while I’m not sure when this virus will release us, I’m now certain that its final days will come. The weeks ahead will no doubt bring more bad days, but I’m certain that good days will start to pile up again. It’s what comes next.

Snow falls lightly on our porch tonight. I load the woodstove with dry maple and ash, and it soon blooms into light. And by the fire, an old dog settles in for what will be at least one more night.

George Rogers is a high school teacher and writer living in northern New York. He reports that not long after he wrote this essay, Moxie died peacefully at home, surrounded by the humans who loved her.

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With the highly contagious COVID-19 omicron variant expected to peak in Santa Fe County in the coming days or weeks, city government officials are readying contingency plans in case a significant number of employees test positive for the virus. 

Though focused on proactive measures to keep city employees from catching the virus, Mayor Alan Webber said he also understands the need to have a backup plan in case city services start to suffer.

“If you can anticipate a crisis, it isn’t a crisis anymore; it is a problem you can address,” he said.

The virus has had a tragic impact on the city’s workforce: Five employees have died from COVID-19, three of them in the Transportation Department. 

Community Health and Safety Director Kyra Ochoa said the city has been convening meetings with department heads to discuss staffing issues since the start of the pandemic. But more recently, Ochoa said Brian Williams, director of emergency management and safety, has been working with leaders on a unified crisis management plan in case a significant number of employees test positive and have to quarantine.

Ochoa said the city has plans in case staffing drops sharply.

“We’re pretty confident that faced with staffing shortages we will be able to continue to offer essential services to the people of Santa Fe,” she said. “Thankfully we have’t gotten there yet but it’s definitely on the top of our minds and attention.”

The omicron variant, which is now the dominant COVID-19 variant globally, is believed to be at least 10 times more contagious than previous strains and is responsible for 98 percent of new cases worldwide. Another omicron subvariant is gaining steam in Denmark and is reportedly more contagious.

While nationally and across New Mexico, positive rates of the omicron variant continue to trend downward, Santa Fe also might not yet have reached its peak, Ochoa said.

Dr. David Scrase, acting secretary of the State Department of Health, said during a news conference Wednesday he expects the spike to subside statewide around the start of spring.

When asked how city officials expect a spike to affect public safety services, Ochoa said the county and city share a mutual aid agreements between their law enforcement and emergency response agencies. She added, the Santa Fe Police Department also has an internal policy to ramp up staffing, using officers who typically wouldn’t be in the field to respond to critical calls.

Assistant fire Chief Phil Martinez said the fire department has an emergency plan, but has not had to implement it during the pandemic.

If there is a vacancy, he said other firefighters typically work additional overtime hours to cover the gap.

“We have never ‘downed a truck’ or anything like that through this whole thing,” he said.

Webber said he believes both the police and fire departments have a “well-tested” protocol for staffing shortages but if there is any reasonable concern, it might be with the county-run Regional Emergency Communication Center.

The entity fields calls for both the city and county emergency services and has dealt with a staffing shortages as high as 56 percent in recent months.

“That is the point of entry when people dial 911, and that can be a choke point for handling public safety calls,” he said. “The processes for the police and fire department[s] are really strong and well developed … the concern for me is making sure we have people staffing up to take calls from the public.”

Bernard Brown, the communications center director, said in a statement the entity has taken “every step in preventative measures” by locking the office to staff only and expanding disinfecting measures. Brown added, the county contracted with a temporary employment agency to bring in workers with previous experience working for the center.

The city has also already requested most employees work from home and to virtually hold meetings, if possible. Newly hired city employees will have to provide proof of vaccination to be hired, while current employees can either provide proof of vaccination or undergo weekly testing.

The city has also ordered over 30,000 KN95 masks to hand out to employees.

“I think we are in a place where we are not focused on how many people will get it, but focused on what we can do to ensure as few employees get it as possible,” City Manager John Blair said.

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