WWJTD?
July 17, 2021
How to take back some control in the COVID era
By Roberta Millstein
With COVID cases re-surging in California and locally as a result of the highly transmissible “delta variant”, it is hard not to feel powerless. Maybe you got vaccinated (I hope so – if not, please do). Maybe you are still wearing a mask when indoors in public places (I hope so – if not, please do – Yolo County is now recommending it).
And yet, we sit here and watch the numbers rise yet again, the product of yet again opening too soon even as the voices of many epidemiologists told us not to. Our political leaders bowed to public pressure and who suffers? Well, everyone, individuals and businesses alike. We’ve taken the shortsighted route and with numbers trending up again we’re headed back to the bad scenarios we thought we left behind.
What can we do? I ask myself, WWJTD? That is, What Would John Troidl Do? In these times I am especially missing the wise guidance of John Troidl.
I don’t know for certain what he would say, but as he did so many times while he was still alive, I expect he would urge us to get tested regularly. Yes, even if you’ve been vaccinated. Being vaccinated dramatically reduces your chances of contracting COVID, but it doesn’t eliminate the possibility entirely, and I don’t think it eliminates the possibility of transmitting the virus, either.
What does testing do? Well, for one thing it gives us a better picture of what our local COVID rates are. Knowledge being power, with more people getting tested we would have better and earlier information about how to act. Perhaps our elected officials might react more promptly.
On a more personal level, it allows us to modify our behaviors. If you test positive, you know to stay home, avoid contact with others, avoid spreading the disease further. Keep in mind that if you are vaccinated, you are more likely to be asymptomatic if you do catch the virus, so again, testing might bring an unexpected surprise.
With Healthy Davis Together, it couldn’t be easier. There are currently five locations where you can be tested in Davis:
- Davis High School, 315 W 14th St. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. (Closed for lunch 12:45 to 1:30 p.m.)
- Montgomery Elementary School, 1441 Danbury St. Monday through Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (Closed for lunch 1 to 2:15 p.m.)
- Emerson Junior High School, 2121 Calaveras Ave. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. (Closed for lunch 11:15 a.m. to noon)
- Harper Junior High School, 4000 E Covell Blvd. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m to 4:15 p.m. (Closed for lunch 12:15 to 1:30 p.m.)
- Mondavi Center, 523 Mrak Hall Dr. Seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Closed for lunch 11:15 a.m. to noon)
If you’ve not done it before, it’s super fast to sign up (go to https://healthydavistogether.org/testing/) and super fast to do the test itself. I’ve yet to have to wait at all. You walk in, they give you your vial and a tiny bit of water, you put the water in your mouth, spit in the vial, give the vial back, and you are done. Sometimes you even get a gift card to a local Davis business. Win-win.
Meanwhile, you’ve taken back a bit of control and done something positive for yourself, for your family and friends, and your community.
And please! If you haven’t gotten vaccinated yet, that is likewise free and easy to do – check out this page for info: https://healthydavistogether.org/vaccines/.
Because I don’t want to go back to the restrictions we had before. Do you?
Thanks, Roberta. I'd like to add that on three occasions I have walked in to the local Davis testing sites, most recently at the Davis High School in the morning, did not have to wait even though I did not have an appointment and got my result that very next morning. Very easy and convenient.
Posted by: Nancy Price | July 17, 2021 at 05:29 PM
Good point, Nancy. You don't even have to have an appointment. Drop in when you can.
Posted by: Roberta L. Millstein | July 17, 2021 at 05:44 PM