THE SENTINEL REACHES 9 OUT OF 10 ADULTS IN GOLDENDALE
Goldendale, Washington
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022
Vol. 143 No. 7
$1.00
PEGGY WOODARD
NEW HOMES DROP IN: Nam Sung Whitner stands at the site of new housing being place by TLC Modular Homes in Goldendale. Whitner is bringing in the new homes primarily targeted at seniors, helping meet a pressing need for new residences in the area.
New homes aim at helping the community LOU MARZELES EDITOR Nam Sung Whitner got out of the housing business years ago when she sold the Ponderosa Motel in Goldendale. But a higher purpose pulled her, and her son, back in. The two are now putting up and renting housing units chiefly aimed at seniors and people of restrictive financial means. “I don’t know why I’m doing this,” Nam Sung says, even as she explains exactly why: it’s a calling to help in the community. And she’s not alone. Others in town are also putting in housing in a market desperately in need of more residences. By mostly word of mouth, people are already on a
waiting list for more houses. Last week, Nam Sung watched three new homes, supplied and installed by TLC Mobile Homes of Goldendale, placed on sites near the Bible Baptist Church. “TLC has been great to work with,” she says. “They do good work, and they’ve been very helpful throughout the whole process.” The homes will have six units available for rent, with some already taken. “Someone’s moving into one next week,” she states. It’s been almost a year since Nam Sung began planning her housing project. “I started working on this last March,” she says. The effort has been well worth the wait.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION NEWS
Senate votes to ban high-capacity gun magazines AZEB TUJI WASHINGTON STATE JOURNAL
In an effort to tackle gun violence and strengthen public safety, the state Senate passed legislation Feb. 9 that bans the sale of high-capacity magazines—anything over 10 rounds—but doesn’t prohibit the use of high-capacity firearms already in possession. “High-capacity magazines make it easy for shooters to inflict maximum damage by allowing more shots to be fired without needing to pause to reload. Because of this we see these acces-
sories favored by mass shooters,” said Sen. Marko Liias D-Everett, prime sponsor of the legislation. Liias said an analysis by Boston University’s Michael Siegal showed the single best predictor of mass shooting rates is whether a state allows for the sale of high-capacity magazine weapons. He said in the past 50 years large-capacity magazines have been used in about 75% of gun massacres with 10 or more deaths, and 100% of shootings with more than 20 deaths. The bill was approved by the
See Ban page B1
Statewide Covid restrictions begin to relax BROOKLYNN HILLEMANN WASHINGTON STATE JOURNAL
With data indicating a decline in cases and COVID-19 related hospitalizations, the state is entering a period where restrictions can be lifted, Gov. Jay Inslee said. While there is no date to end the universal indoor mask mandate, Inslee said the pause on elective
surgeries and procedures at hospitals will end on Feb. 17. Additionally, the mandate requiring masking for outdoor events with 500 people or more will expire a day later. “I think it would be helpful for Washingtonians to have a goal and helpful for them to do whatever planning is necessary for that transition,” Inslee said. The announcement comes days after several states, including California and Oregon, said they will begin dropping mandatory mask requirements. Oregon state officials said most restrictions will be lifted by
See Covid page B1
KVH secures Covid antiviral oral medications and monoclonal antibody therapy Treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 is now available at Klickitat Valley Health to vulnerable people who need it most. KVH applied for and has received an initial supply of Pfizer’s COVID-19 oral antiviral product, Paxlovid, co-packaged with ritonavir and Merck’s COVID-19 oral antiviral, molnupiravir. This is significant because these oral antivirals are an athome COVID-19 treatment option for those who are high risk of severe illness. KVH also offers Sotrovimab, the only monoclonal antibody therapy on the market in the U.S. that’s shown in lab studies to be effective against the omicron variant. The treatment must be given by infusion within seven to 10 days of the onset of COVID-19 symptoms for it to work. Sotrovimab is administered in the hospital under prescription and clinical supervision by a provider. Who is eligible to receive oral antiviral treatment for COVID-19? Both Paxlovid and molnupiravir will be available by prescription only. These antiviral pills won’t be available by prescription to everyone, though, and the eligibility criteria differs for each. Pfizer’s Paxlovid will be available to people who: • Have tested positive for COVID-19 and have not yet been admitted to the hospital and • Are high risk for developing severe COVID-19 and • Are 12 years of age or older (and at least 88 pounds) Merck’s molnupiravir will be available to people who: • Have tested positive for COVID-19 and have not yet been admitted to the hospital and • Are high risk for developing severe COVID-19 and • Have no alternative FDA-authorized COVID-19 treatment options accessible to them or that
are clinically appropriate for them and • Are 18 years of age or older “We recommend that patients work with their provider to understand whether they are eligible to receive an oral antiviral, as well as which option is best for them,” said Annie Stone, ARNP and KVH Chief Clinical Officer. What’s the difference between the two COVID-19 pills? Both the Pfizer and Merck COVID-19 pills are antivirals, working to keep the SARS-Cov-2 virus from replicating properly — thereby reducing viral load, which can help reduce symptom severity. However, each pill does so in a slightly different manner. How Pfizer’s COVID-19 pill, Paxlovid, works and is administered Paxlovid consists of two pills taken together, nirmatrelvir and ritonavir. When studied in clinical trials, Paxlovid reduced COVID-19-related hospitalizations by almost 90%. How Paxlovid is administered: • Three tablets (two tablets of nirmatrelvir and one tablet of ritonavir) taken together orally twice daily for five days How Merck’s COVID-19 pill, molnupiravir, works and is administered Molnupiravir works by introducing mistakes into the virus’ genetic code, preventing the virus from replicating properly. When studied in clinical trials, molnupiravir reduced COVID-19-related hospitalizations by 30%. How molnupiravir is administered: • Four tablets taken orally every 12 hours for five days Do I still need to take COVID-19 antiviral pills if I’m not feeling sick yet? “If you’ve tested positive for COVID-19 and meet the criteria above, call your doctor as soon as
possible to discuss whether this treatment may be right for you. “For antiviral pills to be most effective, they need to be taken as early in the disease course as possible and within five days of symptom onset. The sooner the better—even if you’re not feeling symptoms yet,” said Stone. Are there potential side effects to taking COVID-19 antiviral pills? “As with most medications, there are side effects to taking these oral antivirals for COVID-19. “They also have the potential to interfere with other drugs and impact other health conditions, so be sure to discuss the medications you’re taking and preexisting health conditions you have with your provider,” said Stone. Side effects of Paxlovid include: • Impaired sense of taste • Diarrhea • High blood pressure • Muscle aches Paxlovid is not recommended for people who have severe kidney or liver impairment. Side effects of molnupiravir include: • Diarrhea • Nausea • Dizziness Molnupiravir is not recommended for use during pregnancy, unless the patient’s provider determines that the individual benefit of taking this drug outweighs the known risks. COVID-19 pills vs. COVID-19 vaccines: Do I still need to get vaccinated? Neither Paxlovid nor molnupiravir is authorized for pre-exposure or post-exposure prevention of COVID-19, and neither can substitute the need for vaccination. “If you have any questions regarding COVID-19, getting vaccinated or about the use of new medications, we always advise patients to reach out to their provider,” said Stone.