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There were 53 new cases of coronavirus reported in Monterey County today, bringing the total to 43,1574 cases, with one new death reported.  Nationwide, cases rose for the third day in a row, with 81,769 new cases for a cume total of 31.114 million. Deaths rose by 773 to 561,200. In California, there were 3,434 new cases, for a total of 3.695 million while deaths rose by 135 to 60,325. Please stay home and stay safe as much as possible.
Please join Lory Carriedo, Julia Cruz-Moreno and Maria Quiroz on the second Monday every month from 5:30 to 7:30 for a caregiver support group sponsored by Natividad Medical Center. It can be lonely and depressing during the COVID-19 lockdown so all are encouraged to join in. Call 1-800-624-8304 for more details.
Living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be extremely difficult. A new medical device called Zephyr, which is working miracles in some people. The tiny lung valve needs to be implanted in the lungs via a bronchoscope. The one-way valve blocks air from invading the damaged part of the lungs, where it can get trapped and hinder breathing. “The instant I woke up from anesthesia, I felt the difference,†said one woman who had the device implanted. Cardio Pulmonary Associates on Garden Road in Monterey would have more information on the non-surgical device which 20K people have already been treated with.
https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2020/lung-disease-breakthrough.html
There were 41 new cases of coronavirus reported in Monterey County today, bringing the total to 43,104 cases, with two new deaths reported.  Nationwide, cases rose for the second day in a row, with 81,320 new cases for a cume total of 31.033 million. Deaths rose by 977 to 560,427. In California, there were 3,195 new cases, for a total of 3.692 million while deaths rose by 133 to 60,190. Please stay home and stay safe as much as possible.
After the death of a loved one, it can be difficult to deal with bills, insurance, and Social Security. Of the 5.7 million people awarded Social Security benefits in 2019, 886K were survivors of deceased workers. In total there were 3.9 million widows and widowers receiving benefits in 2019. You should report to the Monterey County Social Security office when a spouse dies. Their number is 1-800-772-1213. Unfortunately, you cannot report a death or apply for survivors benefits online. The calculation is that if your deceased spouse was taking Social Security, your benefit will be the greater of your benefit or your spouse’s benefit. If you are not yet collecting Social Security and you’re at least 60, the best way to maximize your benefits are to collect the survivors benefit at your current age and then switch to retirement benefits starting at age 70.
Everyone wants to keep their brains working in full order as long as possible, and the key can be healthy living, getting the proper amount of exercise and social interaction. The latter is easier said than done given the massive spreading of coronavirus. Although board games can be fun, with COVID-19 many seniors are turning to video games. According to an AARP survey, 44% of adults over the age of 50 played video games in 2019 versus 38% in 2016. That’s 10 million more older gamers! About a quarter of gamers play multiuser games, which can increase social interaction which will hopefully ward off early onset of Alzheimer’s Disease. Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away. There are great people at our local chapter of Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan’s Ranch. They also have a 24-hour hotline if you need support at 800-272-3900.
There were 6 new cases of coronavirus reported in Monterey County today, bringing the total to 43,063 cases, with two new deaths reported.  Nationwide, there were 73,200 cases (up from 65K yesterday), for a cume total of 30.951 million. Deaths rose by 935, for a total of 559,450. In California, there were 2,273 new cases, for a total of 3.689 million. Deaths rose by 131 to 60,057. Please stay home and stay safe as much as possible.
The Monterey police are warning local residents of a phone scam where callers identify themselves as law enforcement and demand payment, threatening you with arrest if you don’t comply. Some identify themselves with the actual names of local or federal law enforcement. They will ask you to buy bitcoin or gift cards and then read the serial numbers off of the cards. Your caller ID may show the call is coming from a local law enforcement agency, the FBI or the IRS. If you receive a suspicious call, you can contact the Monterey Police Department at 646-3830 or 646-3914.
An investigative reporter unveiled an expose on a chain of nursing homes in California called Country Villa which has 18 nursing homes that have been unlicensed for years. Two of their facilities lost over a dozen of residents due to COVID-19.  The Staye of California requires that nursing home operators be licensed by the California Department of Public Health, which oversees nursing homes. But the Department has allowed the owner to operate with a “pending license†for years. The owner, Shlomo Rechnitz, has acquired 81 nursing homes with 9,000 beds, making him the largest operator in California. “I’m just a little speechless when it comes to this ownership nightmare in California and now it’s gotten to this point,†said Molly Davies, the Los Angeles County long-term care ombudsman. In Monterey, our ombudsman said that they have not had in-person access to assisted living facilities during the pandemic, a situation which is just making things worse.
Lou Gehrig’s disease, or ALS, seems similar to Alzheimer’s disease but attacking the body rather the brain. There is no cure for either disease, and the ailment just continues to progress and leave you more and more debilitated. However, USA Today recently ran an article about three promising themes:
Many are hopeful that Amylyx’s AMX0035 which got a $2.2 million grant from the $111 million Ice Bucket Challenge, will be approved by the FDA.  Findings for AMX0035’s Phase 2 trial were so promising that the ALS community is pushing the FDA to fast track approval. They have gone so far as to ask the FDA to skip a Phase 3 trial, the only time in history that the ALS Association has asked the FDA to do so. However, it’s a long-shot. If you or a loved one are struggling with ALS, contact the Monterey Chapter of ALS here:
http://web.alsa.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=14647&NONCE_TOKEN=D30086CF168CADF46857EB53C986C9EA