Virus Watch Podcasts

This month Dr. Allison Berry, Public Health Officer for Clallam and Jefferson Counties, and Willie Bence, Director of Emergency Management for Jefferson County gave a report to the Board Of County Commissioners about communicable diseases, earthquakes, and community emergency prep. Dr. Berry also answered listener questions. There is a public information session on Neighborhood Prep at the the Jefferson County Library in Port Hadlock at 10:30am on March 20. Also, if you want to report on what you FELT when the earthquake happened this morning (10 miles deep off the coast of Orcas Island on 3/3/25 at 5am) go to https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/uw62078906/tellus.

This month on the Public Health Report to the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners, Public Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry talked about the surge that is currently happening with RSV and FLU, especially among children in schools. Both of these viruses can present as common colds, so to err on the side of caution, she recommends staying home if sick, wearing masks in crowded spaces, and getting seen in a clinic or doctor’s office for testing and treatment. Avian Influenza has seen 67 human cases across the US, but none here in Jefferson County, almost all those cases among workers in poultry and dairy farms. Cats need to be kept indoors if they tend to kill birds, as they can contract avian flu. Your cat can give you avian flu if they get it, so if your cat is sick, get them to the vet.

Director of Emergency Management Willie Bence recommended more following distance when driving in this snowy weather. We are predicted to have more this coming Wednesday.

Both Dr. Berry and Willie talked about adjusting to the new reality of the new administration in Washington DC.

This Month on the BOCC Public Health Report, Dr. Berry talked about many different viruses: Covid, Influenza, Pertussis, Avian flu, RSV, and Norovirus. And Willie Bence answered a listener question about what to hold on to when we “drop, cover and hold” in an Earthquake.

The Jeffco. Dept. of Emergency Management is holding a series of presentations on Emergency Prep; the first (on individual preparation) is on Thursday, January 16 from 10:30am tp Noon at the Library in Port Hadlock. Family, and neighborhood prep presentations will follow in February and March respectively.

Flu season is here nationwide. Norovirus is around and presents as a sudden onset of vomiting; it is severe but usually clears in just a few days. The vomit can aerosolize so it can be quite contagious. Washing hands and masking up around anyone who has it can stop the spread. If you are sick, do not prepare food for others.

Another COVID booster will be available in the spring and for those 65 and older, it is recommended twice a year, as the virus does not go away in the summer months yet.

This month, Dr. Allison Berry, Public Health Officer for Clallam and Jefferson Counties, issued the Public Health Report to the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), and said there is very little COVID-19 in Jefferson County, but there is a slight uptick in surrounding areas, in ER admissions for COVID-19. Uptake of the vaccine booster is low, so she did encourage those who are at greatest risk to get the shot. Because Covid is no longer a national or state emergency, programs from Jefferson County Public Health to send people to homes and facilities where elderly populations live are not bringing the boosters directly to them. Avian infuenza has not seen a human to human transmission as of yet. There are some isolated cases in the US and in Canada of patients who have contracted the virus from other sources. Anyone with a domestic flock is encouraged to avoid interactions with wild birds, especially around water sources. Willie Bence, Director of Emergency Management, was not in attendance this month. Next month’s BOCC Health Report will be broadcast January 6 at 9:45am on KPTZ, so listeners are encouraged to get their questions into Dr. Berry and Willie Bence by noon Friday, January 3 to [email protected].

This Month on the BOCC Health Report, Dr. Allison Berry says all respiratory viruses are low in Jefferson County. Flu season is starting on the east coast, so we can expect it here in about a month – around the holidays,” says Dr. Berry. Willie Bence says we can expect more seasonal wind events, and that the precipitation will be higher than average during the winter, with lower than average temperatures, so prepare for power outages now.

Dr, Allison Berry and Willie Bence deliver the Monthly Public Health Report to the Jefferson Board of County Commissioners on 10/07/2024. Good news currently as a there are low numbers of Covid-19, and no RSV, and Influenza cases currently. Willie Bence talks about the Great Washington Shake out coming up on 10/17 at 10:17 am

Public Health Officer for Clallam and Jefferson Counties, Dr. Allison Berry spoke about COVID-19 and the latest omicron variant KP-3 which is prevalent now in the community. The latest vaccine has the KP-2 variant in it which is closely related to KP-3 so it should provide good protection. Folks should not WAIT to get the vaccine, if you were thinking of waiting until around the holidays, especially if you are in a high-risk group (over 65, immunocompromised.) She said because it is so prevalent now that increasing protection with the vaccine is a good idea. If you had Covid this summer, it’s best to wait on getting the vaccine for two months past your last infection.

Director of Emergency Management Willie Bence spoke to the Commissioners about the mop-up of the 2620 Road Fire and that the fire risk level was lowered last week, which made charcoal barbecues possible for the Labor Day weekend. 

The following is a recording of the presentation during the Public Health briefing at this week’s Board of County Commissioners meeting made by Jefferson and Clallam County Public Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry. The summary below was provided by Jim Burke, producer of KPTZ’s Tuesday’s Local News.

Dr. Berry and the commissioners talked about getting less information on COVID-19 from CDC, long COVID, Avian Flu, as well as thanks for KPTZ’s contribution to getting the word out on COVID-19 during the pandemic.

Please note that the monthly health report here is taking a hiatus until September.

Public Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry and Director of Emergency Management Willie Bence spoke to commissioners and the public at the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting Monday April 1st for the monthly Health Report, and answered questions from KPTZ listeners and the commissioners.

Dr. Berry said that three respiratory illnesses have dipped in number; RSV, Flu, and Covid-19 are all downtrending. She said in terms of Covid-19 that across the US, hospitalizations are down and locally there is far less of the virus in Port Townsend wastewater. Covid is still here however, so she recommends wearing a mask in the airport, while boarding and during descent while traveling by air. 

Measles was mentioned and the reason there is any in the US is because fewer people are getting vaccinated, she said. Especially in children, it can cause severe disease and require quarantine of 21 days for kids to stay home from school, whether they have measles or haven’t been vaccinated should there be an outbreak at school. But right now there seems to be no measles here in Jefferson County or in the I-5 corridor of Puget Sound.

Willie Bence said there will be an event with helpful information about wildfire and smoke impacts especially for those in sensitive groups (children, the elderly, and anyone with asthma or other respiratory illnesses) on Wednesday, April 10 at Finnriver Cider Garden from 5:30 to 7pm.

The following is a recording of the presentation during the Public Health briefings at this week’s Board of County Commissioners meeting made by Jefferson and Clallam County Public Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry. Also Willie Bence, Director of Emergency Management, gave a report.

In her report to the Jefferson Board of County Commissioners, Dr. Berry explained the new CDC guidance which breaks from self-isolation with COVID infections, (because cases are getting less severe) and a new recommendation that anyone 65+ should get another booster if it has been more than 4 months. Dr. Berry describes the new CDC guidance as a replacement of public health directives with individual guidelines and protections (Wear a mask! Get a booster!)

Director of Emergency Management Willie Bence said that March, April and May can be a slow time for the EOC (fingers crossed) He recommended that people sign up for NIXLE ALERTS and described how to do that, including setting personal preferences on the NIXLE website.