Daily Sitka Sentinel

March 6, 2020, Letters to the Editor

COVID-19
Dear Editor:
I am writing to you in my capacity as SEARHC’s Chief Medical Officer, as well as a long-time Sitka resident.
At SEARHC, we are closely monitoring COVID-19, formerly called the novel coronavirus. We are preparing our staff and facilities to ensure that our patients, communities and staff have the best, quality care possible. Presently, there are no known COVID-19 cases in Alaska.
I assure you that SEARHC has a comprehensive response plan. This includes working directly with our EMS squad and their leadership, as well as communicating regularly with our State Department of Health and state emergency operations center. We have established a unified command structure for emergency situations and have established careful protocols for screening and caring for patients in our facilities, in line with recommendations from scientists and doctors at the Centers for Disease Control. We have inventoried our supplies which are adequate if we are careful and judicious in use. We also recently established covid19.searhc.org, a webpage with news and resources for you, our community members, as well as a “hot line” to provide answers to specific questions during regular business hours: 907-966-8799.
You can support the health of our community by staying calm and committing to healthy practices within your homes and businesses. Please remember that the most significant health threat we are facing at this time is influenza, which has already killed over 18,000 people in the U.S. this flu season. Avoid close contact with people who are sick, (if you are sick you should stay home). Cover your mouth and nose if you sneeze. Wash your hands with soap frequently, and especially before you eat. Avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes because this is how we often contract a virus. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work, and school.
If you begin to feel ill, and you don’t have any underlying health conditions, please don’t panic. Stay home and get better by resting, drinking plenty of fluids, and staying away from smoke or alcohol. Please do not come directly to the hospital and request or demand a test for COVID-19. In spite of what you may hear in the media, there are very limited supplies of tests available in Alaska (and elsewhere) and those tests will be used in high-risk cases. Everyone should also understand that a test is not a treatment or a cure for this virus.
If you begin to feel ill and you do have underlying health conditions, such as heart disease, cancer or lung disease, please call your provider’s office. By calling ahead to make an appointment before arriving, you will help our SEARHC staff take steps to keep other people from getting infected or exposed. When you call, make sure you tell the provider if you think you may have been exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19.
More information on prevention and treatment of COVID-19 can be found at covid19.searhc.org. During regular business hours, questions can be answered at our COVID-19 “Hot Line” for SEARHC communities and patients: 907-988-8799.
Dr. Elliot Bruhl MD


Dear Editor:
At the Assembly meeting last Tuesday, it was so uplifting to see so much thoughtful discussion and engagement. I am grateful to everyone who took their time to share their experiences and knowledge and to the Assembly for their willingness to consider joining with AFN and the local Sitka Advisory Committee to the Alaska Dept of Fish & Game in declaring a climate emergency.
I have lived in Sitka my whole life and I plan to move back after college. In my 18-year lifetime, I have already seen the climate change more than I ever thought was possible, and I am dreading the future changes if we don’t take action. Although the resolution didn’t pass, the discussion was encouraging. Additionally, it did accomplish one of its goals: it got the conversation started.
We understand that this is a process that takes time, but it is also an issue that requires urgency.
Now, the group Youth for Sustainable Futures is working with Assembly members to draft a new resolution. This process has been such a valuable experience for our group and we’re so grateful to the Assembly members, especially Gary Paxton and Kevin Mosher, for their willingness to meet with youths, and for taking the time to explain their perspectives while also helping us find common ground and a path forward together.
After those conversations, our group and some Assembly members started discussing the possibility of reinstating a climate action leadership task force. This idea sounds really promising, especially if the task force includes youth. Youth for Sustainable Futures is made up of students from all three high schools, and we think it would be amazing if the task force included a seat for a representative from each of the high schools as well.
Even if the Assembly reinstates a task force, it is still important to pass the resolution declaring a climate change emergency. Local action is important, but state and national action is even more valuable. If the Assembly passes an emergency declaration, it gives our group leverage to lobby our senators for action.
We are looking forward to working with our community leaders to plan for our futures.
Cora Dow