The BRICK Times
Vol. 19 - No. 48
In This Week’s Edition
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
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Inside One Family’s Struggle With COVID-19
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Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 14
Dear Pharmacist Page 15
Inside The Law
─Photo courtesy the Richards family Health employees work at the drive-through testing center at Ocean County College in Toms River. By Judy Smestad-Nunn a phone interview from is in his 60s. The Richards f lew BRICK - Bob Rich- his home in Brick reTwo family mem- home on March 16, ards and his wife Mary, cently. bers in Florida also which is when they flew into Florida’s West “Six members of our developed symptoms came down with a fePalm Beach Airport on extended family, who in the days following ver and chills initialThursday, March 12 to were from New Jersey the wedding. ly, followed by variattend the wedding of and from New York On March 15, the ous other symptoms their nephew, whose City, have tested pos- Centers for Disease including coughing, nuptials were to be itive since they came Control and Prevention body aches and more. held on March 14. After being home home, and one of my advised no gatherings “That’s where I think cousins, who has dia- of 50 or more people in about a week, Mary we picked up the vi- betes, has been hospi- the United States over thought they should (Family - See Page 8) rus,” Bob said during talized,” said Bob, who the next eight weeks.
Page 17
Local Man 3-D Prints Masks For Doctors
By Chris Lundy TOMS R I V ER – W henever there’s a big problem, everyday people often step up to the challenge. Wherever COVID-19 has struck, there has been a shor t age of personal protective equipment for f i rst responders. Globally, the story is the same:
as the numbers of infected rise, so does the demand for masks, gowns, and other necessities among the medical community. Township resident Er ic Mewe ng k a ng, is part of a group of people who have been using their 3-D printers to make masks for medical professionals.
T he se m a sk s a re a plastic shield that drops down from the forehead and creates a kind of splash guard for the wearer. They are not to be confused with the N95 respirator masks that look like surgical masks and fi lter out particles from the air. His group is made
up of people from all over the world. There are about 8-10 people who collectively print about 200 masks a day. A 3-D printer builds an object one layer at a time until it’s complete. In this case, it is literally building a plastic object one tiny layer at a time until it’s real. The printer
is told what to make by giving it a design fi le. That fi le is open source, meaning that people share the file and make changes to it to fit people’s needs. They might get feedback like “it’s too tight on the straps,” and then they make the necessary adjustments. He (Masks - See Page 11)
April 11, 2020
Quarantine May Not Be Safe When There’s Domestic Violence
By Judy Smestad-Nunn BRICK - What is happening behind closed doors during the coronavirus quarantine for families who have a history of domestic abuse? There is no question that tensions are running high for most people who self-quarantine. They are isolated, and when they do venture out, they have to keep a social distance from others. “There has actually been a decrease in [domestic abuse hotline] calls across the state,” said Mary Pettrow, associate service area director of Catholic Charities’ Providence House-Domestic Violence Services. The organization provides comprehensive services to victims of domestic abuse and their children. “Historically, when there’s a crisis, like SuperstormSandy and 9-11, there is quiet before the uptick happens,” she said in a recent phone interview. Victims of domestic abuse can manage for a short period of time while sheltering in place, but now the quarantine has been extended, she said. “A lot of referrals come from school guidance counselors, hairdressers, doctors and others, when people confide in them, but people are not seeing each other since they are now in isolation,” Pettrow explained. Domestic abuse is about power and control. Individuals and families keep the violence a secret so outside people don’t see it, she said. “Social distancing equals physical distancing, so as a society we can still check on each other, we need to check on people,” she said. Pettrow said, “isolation can escalate the violence, especially when there’s outside forces like drinking, and loss of employment, which can cause financial stress and as children are home can escalate in families where violence exists.” Ocean County has one of the highest populations of seniors across the state, so domestic violence is not just an issue for younger families, Pettrow added. (Violence - See Page 9)
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