Gainesville Ocala Swing and Social Dance Newsletter 2020-3-13

Sweet Swing Weekend, Salsa, Bolero

From my cousin Mangala Narasimhan, a pulmonologist

A nice summary on COVID-19

COVID-19 is the name of a new disease caused by a novel (“new”) variant of a respiratory virus called coronavirus that was first identified in late December of 2019 in China. It appears to have originated in bats and/or pangolins (a type of ant-eater that looks like an aardvark) that spread to humans and then mutated, leading to human-to-human transmission.

More than 80,000 cases were confirmed in parts of China over the last 2-3 months but the country has managed to apparently get it under better control (several thousand have died there but tens of thousands have recovered.) Because there are now cases in more than 110 countries, the WHO announced yesterday that this is now officially a pandemic, which simply means that it is occurring in large numbers almost everywhere in the world.

This virus is not the same virus that causes seasonal influenza (that is usually due to the Influenza A or B virus) and, despite what you may have heard from one media personality, this is not the exact same virus that causes the common cold (that is usually caused by a rhinovirus or other types of coronaviruses). A different type of coronavirus, incidentally, caused SARS and MERS in many countries several years ago and had a high mortality rate.

This is what we know about this new virus so far: 75-80% who get it will develop mild symptoms and recover after a week or two or three. 20-25% will develop moderate to severe symptoms, however, requiring hospitalization. While the overall mortality is 1-2% in the United States, it’s almost a 22% mortality among the elderly (defined by the CDC for this situation as anyone above age 60 or 65), especially those individuals above 80 with chronic health conditions such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, heart disease, and diabetes.

If you think you have signs and symptoms of COVID-19 (coughing, sneezing, runny nose, chills, fever, shortness of breath), you should call your doctor or your hospital’s emergency department before you head over there so they can properly prepare for your visit. Because these signs and symptoms are the same as for the flu or the common cold, doctors and hospitals you contact may only decide to test for coronavirus if you’ve travelled recently (especially to China, South Korea, Italy and Iran), or if you have been exposed to someone with confirmed COVID-19, or if you are taking care of someone with confirmed COVID-19. There simply are not enough tests at this time to test everyone in the country with flu-like signs and symptoms. Dr. Tony Fauci, who everyone in the public health community respects greatly and I have met, called the insufficiency of testing a “failing” during Congressional testimony this week. The WHO had offered testing kits early on but the U.S. declined, preferring to use our own CDC test kits instead, which unfortunately had some flaws in them in the very beginning before those were corrected. We are supposed to have more tests available soon, everyone says.

If you have tested positive for COVID-19, you may be asked to self-quarantine yourself for 14 days if your signs and symptoms are mild. If that happens, you need to keep your distance from everyone at home (the WHO has determined that dogs don’t get COVID-19, so you can cuddle with them.) You may also be asked to self-quarantine if you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, as just happened with a close friend of mine.

If you have moderate or severe symptoms and test positive for COVID-19, you will likely be hospitalized and quarantined there, meaning friends and family may not be able to visit as hospital personnel do their very best to take care of you. Everyone hopes that doesn’t become the norm among those who get COVID-19 because we also do not have enough ventilators available for those who might need it. (Remember that many of the ventilators we do have are being used.)

Because the working assumption in the United States is that the virus is probably everywhere (we don’t know for sure because we are way behind in testing), it is important for everyone to remain calm but certainly engage in social distancing, at least for the next few weeks when the concern is the greatest in the United States. Don’t gather in small or large groups (no parties for a while), don’t shake hands or hug, remember to wash your hands with soap and water often, use a tissue or your elbow to sneeze, and stay home if you can. That’s why they’re cancelling major sporting events, closing schools and universities, and people who work for companies and organizations are cancelling meetings and business travel.

While most people will not get the virus, and most will do fine (they’ll develop mild symptoms) even if they get the virus, we should not forget that this virus appears to be four times more contagious than seasonal influenza; a vaccine against this new virus is still many months away; there are no definitive treatments; and (according to Dr. Fauci) the virus is at least 10 times more lethal than seasonal influenza. We have to do everything possible to prevent it from spreading to those who are vulnerable, who will fare worse than many of the rest of us who may be a little younger.

Please offer to help out your elderly neighbors (and your parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles) with things like grocery shopping and errands but only if you are in absolute good health. A challenge there is that signs and symptoms take about 4-5 days to develop following exposure to the virus. We will all have to be extra careful to avoid getting sick, not just for ourselves but also for our friends and family. For some reason, children younger than 16 can still get this virus and become sick but they seem to have recovered better than adults and the elderly. They still need to be protected, of course.

Final point: People have asked if they can still go to the gym. While the virus does not get transmitted through sweat, it can linger on hard surfaces for several hours if someone with the virus sneezes or coughs on the equipment. If you decide to go, because you don’t have gym equipment at home or just need to go, remember to wipe the machines before and after (preferably with your own antiseptic wipes). No need to wear masks unless you are sick is another point worth mentioning, since there is a shortage of masks. The best hand disinfectant, incidentally, is Purell (good luck finding it) or something with at least 60% alcohol content. Some have made home-made versions of it. When I went to Trader Joe’s yesterday for grocery shopping, I wore nitrile gloves (I have a latex allergy so that is the recommended alternate) while handling anything and everything and then threw them out when I got home.

Stay well and stay safe. And safe travels if you absolutely must travel by plane, train or bus. This virus will go away at some point. Everyone is sure of that. We do not know, however, if it will return in the fall or next spring, as the virus that caused the Great Pandemic of 1918-1919 did. Time will tell.

Dancing with Andy

All Dancing with Andy Suspended Due to the Virus Pandemic

Monday March 2, 16, 23, 30
For all levels, except New Dancers
5:30 pm Hustle
6:30 pm Waltz and Foxtrot
7:00 pm Salsa
7:30 pm Israeli Dancing
At Congregation B'nai Israel, 3830 NW 16 Blvd
$10 per night, or
$5 students, or
$5 per family for Israeli Dancing per night, or free for students

Thursday March 5, 19, 26
For all levels, except New Dancers
7:00 pm West Coast Swing, Lindy
8:00 pm Waltz
9:00 pm Argentine Tango
At Congregation B'nai Israel, 3830 NW 16 Blvd
Cost per person
$60 for 4 week beginner series, or
$10 per night for experienced dancers, or
$5 students, or
$5 Argentine Tango only, students free

Thursday April 2, 23, 30, May 7
4 Week Beginner Series for New Dancers
Experienced dancers meet at the same time
7:00 pm West Coast Swing, Lindy
8:00 pm Waltz
9:00 pm Argentine Tango
At Congregation B'nai Israel, 3830 NW 16 Blvd
Cost per person
$60 for 4 week beginner series, or
$10 per night for experienced dancers, or
$5 students, or
$5 Argentine Tango only, students free

Thursday March 5, 19, 26
At the Senior Center
Noon to 1:00 pm Line Dancing
Sign up via Santa Fe College Community Education, 352-396-5193, www.sfcollege.edu/cied/communityed

If financial considerations are keeping you from dancing, let me know.

Gainesville and Ocala Dance Calendar

For details for events see the
Gainesville and Ocala Dance Calendar

Dance Quotes

Laziness may appear attractive, but work gives satisfaction. ~ Anne Frank

Ongoing Dancing

• Argentine Tango with Andrea Pham in a private home. pham.andrea@gmail.com
• Argentine Tango with David and Thuy in a downtown private home for free. david.chayes@gmail.com

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