HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0843.126 2018-2020 COUNTY CLERK
COUNTY OF HAWAI'I
RECEIVED
Time I0;S5pm By e
Thu 3/19/2020 10:55 PM
Testimony on covid-19 County Response Date MAR 19 2020
To: Council Testimony
Aloha Hawaii County Council,
I'd like to share some of my personal story and how it relates to my understanding of the
challenge we face with our new pandemic covid-19, and how I clearly understand what steps
need to be done so we can begin to gain control over this seemingly difficult unfolding crisis.
I understand this clearly because I'm a survivor of tuberculosis. I acquired Tb in 1976 from a
family friend who came to live with my parents, he had recently returned from Thailand and
during his stay at our house he became symptomatic,both my parents and myself were exposed
and being an infant with lower immunity came down with the infection. The first 3 years of my
life were spent taking the medication streptomycin and daily doctors visits, also a spinal tap once
per week. (They check to see if the virus has entered spinal fluid. If so, then it is to late and
treatment is ended) I was cured at age 3. In the case of the family friend,because he was an
adult, he was ordered to a quarantined treatment center in Oahu. It was not voluntary, but
mandatory and paid for entirely by the CDC. He was also cured. Because I was an infant I was
allowed to stay in my parents care in South Kona
In the case of tb here in the islands all prenatal mothers are tested if they have not been before
and children are tested before allowed to attend public school, also you need a tb test before
working in the food service industry. Tuberculosis is similar to covid-19 in that it is transmitted
similarly by oral droplets and atomized particles from coughing and sneezing and it is very
infectious. We won that battle, and it is curable.Now we need to do the same thing to cv19.
What we immediately need is the ability to begin mass public testing. With mass testing we will
be able to minimize the duration of any travel quarantines as well as begin public testing wether
you are showing symptoms or not.
Everyone needs access to testing. With mass testing we will be able to more quickly identify
individual and community spread in hotspots and will be able to respond faster to isolating and
treating those people as patients. As we currently have no viable treatments nor vaccines or cure,
we will need to be able to sustain this process for a long time into the long term future until
treatments are available.
Thank you very much for all of your work advocating the needs of our community and together I
believe that this problem as monstrous as it seems, Covid-19 is winnable. I'm proof that Tb has
been winnable. Best wishes to you all and Godspeed for us all.
Sincerely,
Brandan Pounds
Comm. No. 0•110
Ref. To: P Cd1.i
Ref. Dote MAR 2 0 2020