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A splash of color Colorthon fundraiser benefits Lompoc Hospital District Foundation
NEWS-PRESS SPECIAL REPORT
Higher number of RSV cases this season Physicians discuss increase in virus and treatments By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS
Participants of the Lompoc Hospital District Foundation Colorthon 5K start the run at the Mission Club in Lompoc on Saturday.
By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
On Saturday, 350 people, 50 more than last year, participated in the Colorthon fundraiser for the Lompoc Hospital District Foundation at the Mission Club Golf Course in Vandenberg Village. “It’s beautiful we had a great turnout,” said foundation President Alice Milligan. “It’s a beautiful day at the country club. People are having a great time enjoying it. They are being sprayed with color and loving it.
We even had people bring kids in strollers.” “It went great. We had a big turnout. There were people showing up late for walk-ins. It was fun. We had a bunch of staff volunteering. It was a good time,” Aaron Poirier, Director of Rehabilitation Services for Lompoc Valley Medical Center (LVMC), told the News-Press. The popular family-friendly fundraising event kicked off at 9 a.m. with a huge spray of color (dyed cornstarch) that coated the shirts of participants. Registrations and dozens
of sponsorships from local individuals and businesses helped the Lompoc Hospital District Foundation meet its initial fundraising goal. While final tallies are not yet in, the event raised more than $30,000, according to Ms. Milligan. During the Colorthon’s 5K event, participants walked and ran throughout the stunningly landscaped Mission Club course, stopping at six predetermined color stations to get coated in an array of vibrant colors. “Everyone was laughing and having a good time with a lot
of Lompoc staff helping out. There was a Zumba warmup beforehand and people were enjoying getting outside, moving their body, getting activity in and supporting a good foundation,” said Mr. Poirier. The proceeds will be used to purchase new equipment and materials for the Rehabilitation Services Department serving LVMC, the Comprehensive Care Center and Lompoc Health, North H Center. The purchases of the new rehabilitative equipment and materials will drastically Please see COLORTHON on A2
Paso Nuevo hosts Halloween Monster Mash By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Paseo Nuevo hosted its annual Halloween Monster Mash on Saturday in Center Court. In the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, members of the community participated in this family-friendly Halloween event. “It’s very much a kind of trick or treating party so to speak; we have a DJ in Center Court. What the peak of it all is the goodie bags we hand out starting at 3 pm in Center Court. There are little backpacks for the kids filled with candy and a promotional card,” Danielle Methmann, Marketing and Events Coordinator for Paso Nuevo, told the News-Press. Paseo Nuevo invited children and families to fill the center with their spookiest and sparkliest costumes in search of sweet tricks and treats. This community event was an opportunity for children to dress up in their best costumes and trick-or-treat in a safe environment. Participating retailers throughout Paseo Nuevo, as well as other downtown businesses, handed out candy from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Please see MASH on A2
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS
People in costume stroll about during the Halloween Monster Mash event at Paseo Nuevo shopping center in Santa Barbara on Saturday.
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Dr. Jenna Holmen
COURTESY PHOTOS
Dr. Daniel Brennan
than 1 year old and adults over 65. Symptoms include severe respiratory distress, rapid breathing, struggling to breathe, and babies can change colors and turn blue. Other symptoms include the usual cold symptoms such as a cough and sometimes fever.” Dr. Brennan told the NewsPress, “RSV is a virus that pediatricians are very familiar with. For most adults and older children, RSV causes typical common cold symptoms such as runny nose, nasal congestion and cough. But for infants, preemies and those with highrisk conditions like asthma, RSV can create enough mucus and inflammation in the lungs to result in hospitalization to provide things like breathing treatments, deep suctioning, supplemental oxygen, intravenous fluids and sometimes respiratory support in severe cases.” The News-Press asked Dr. Holmen and Dr. Brennan, both pediatricians, what precautions parents should be taking to protect their children. “We haven’t seen much in the last two years due to masking,” Dr. Holmen said. “Masking is always an option, but good hand washing is the first line of defense. For babies under a year, try to keep them away from sick children. There is hard work being done on vaccines and one or two are really close. We might get a vaccine in the next year or so.” “If there is an outbreak of RSV at your school or daycare, it may be a good idea to keep your child Please see RSV on A2
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Local health officials have reported seeing higher cases of Respiratory Syncytial Virus this flu season than in recent years and expect this to be a severe season for RSV. “The percentage of admissions for RSV in Kaiser Permanente facilities in Northern California during Week 41 was 0.5% compared to 0.3% during Week 40,” according to the California Department of Public Health, page 14 of the California Weekly Report and Other Respiratory Viruses. The week 41 report is for October 9-15. “We are concerned we are seeing it more than usual. Most people will get it at some time in their life, and you can get it more than once,” Dr. Laura Polito, Sansum Clinic urgent care physician director, told the News-Press. “It is most dangerous in children under 2, the immunocompromised or the elderly. It is presented as a common cold for healthy adults. “This is a lot like what happened with COVID,” she said. “We are mostly concerned with the vulnerable people. We have seen in urgent care eight cases of RSV, which is unusual for this time of year. We usually don’t see any until December or January.” “We have already started seeing cases earlier than normal and several have been quite severe,” Dr. Jenna Holmen of Pediatric Infectious Disease for Cottage Children’s Medical Center told the News-Press. The News-Press asked a Sansum Clinic pediatrician, Dr. Daniel Brennan, how many cases of RSV have been seen in pediatrics so far. “This is difficult to estimate, but I know of several patients already this week who have been hospitalized with RSV, and many others who required visits to the emergency room,” Dr. Brennan said. “We seem to be experiencing a very early start to the cold and flu season. I have seen more RSV and influenza already this October than I recall seeing in October of 2020 and 2021.” Symptoms of RSV include: cough, nasal congestion, runny nose and fevers sometimes. “There is testing available and a rapid test is available now. However, testing is mostly for the vulnerable people. If you feel you need to be tested, contact your primary care provider,” said Dr. Polito. “A rapid test is available in urgent care, but we use it mostly for the vulnerable. RSV is spread by droplets. The six feet (social distancing) rule is a really good rule. It can live on a hard surface for several hours and on soft surface for a shorter period of time,” Noted Dr. Holmen, “For most children and adults, it is like the common cold with extra mucus. The highest risk are babies less
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