Home
HOMETOWN
14
nta eo
Sale l o o h o-Sc Back-t
wn on o t
th anniversary
20
08 - 2022
ONEONTA
& The Otsego-Delaware Dispatch
2.23* ns are $2 Adoptio September 3 through *other fees may apply .org qSpc a .S w w w -8111 • 607-547
Volume 14, No. 45
Enjoy the lake with boat rentals, Summer Dreams Insert
VISIT www.
AllOTSEGO.com, OTSEGO COUNTY’S DAILY NEWSPAPER/ONLINE COMPLIMENTARY
Oneonta, N.Y., Thursday, August 25, 2022
Polio Rearing Its Ugly Head
Those who attended the Wilco concert on Sunday night at Brewery Ommegang were treated to a fantastic fireworks display just as the show ended. Wilco, making their reprise at Ommegang after performing here in 2012, provided masterful entertainment. They were preceded by an equally dazzling band — Kamikaze Palm Trees. INSIDE ► Bassett healthcare network Midwifery Program nationally honored, page A2 ► Governor urged to sign puppy mill bill, page A3 ► A FEW THOUGHTS ON IMPORTANT THINGS: Our columnists and letter writers this week look at poverty problem in Otsego County, unity, an update on the algae problem and the housing problems we have in our area, pages A4,5, and 6. ►h uman remains found in morris, page A6 ►D r. Bruce Harris cross dedicated at Christ Church, page A8 Follow Breaking News On
AllOTSEGO.com
First COVID-19. Then monkeypox. Now polio. Next, West Nile Virus. And always in the background in Central New York, Lyme disease. The pan-, epi-, and endemics of deadly and disabling diseases doesn’t seem to stop. This week I will try to tackle polio. There are very few people who will read this that remember how much polio terrorized people, especially mothers, in the first half of the 20th century. People become sick, develop muscle paralysis, develop severe weakness, and occasionally have respiratory muscle involvement, which could lead to the use of mechanical ventilation including, by what was called, an iron lung, and ultimately lead to death. I myself remember my mother’s concerns and fears that I did not understand at the time. I had the misfortune of having to see an iron lung in use when I was a medical student, though for a different disease. It’s horrible to think of a person having to try and live their life in such a device. Truthfully that wasn’t much of a life at all. Poliomyelitis, generally known as polio, is an infectious disease caused by a virus. The name comes from ancient Greek. Polios means grey, myelos means marrow and together this refers to the grey matter of the spinal cord. Itis denotes inflammation. That is inflammation of the spinal cord’s gray matter though this can extend to the brain and cause polioencephalitis. On July 18, 2022, the New York State Department of Health notified the Centers for Disease Control of the detection of polio virus type 2 in stool specimens from
an unvaccinated, immunocompetent, young adult from Rockland County New York who had developed acute flaccid myelitis (AFM). This means that some or many of the patient’s muscles had rapidly developed weakness. The patient was hospitalized and on days 11 and 12 after admission Vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2) was found in the patient’s stool. As of August 22, VDPV2 has been found in the wastewater of Rockland County, Orange County, and New York City. Water samples that had previously been tested for COVID-19 were retested for poliovirus which was found in specimens up to 25 days before the patient’s symptoms began and after 41 days after the patient’s symptoms onset. This indicated that there had to be other individuals who were VDPV2 positive in the region. The last case of polio caused by the wild strain in the United States occurred in 1979. The previous cases of any type of polio in the United States have been in 2005, which was a type VDPV type 1. The current case in wastewater indicates the need to maintain high vaccination rates of the type of polio vaccine used in the United States. Since 2000 all vaccinations for polio in the United States have been of the injectable, Inactive Polio Virus type. The oral type of vaccine has been associated with the current outbreak of infection. Polio only occurs in humans and spreads either through fecal to oral transmission or oral to oral transmission. One might be surprised how much fecal matter there is that contaminates many other things
Social Justice and Strategic Planning at OFO This year, Opportunities for Otsego (OFO) committed to building a strategic plan that is centered on social justice. The process with any strategic plan involves analyzing data, setting measurable goals and putting those goals into action. Setting goals to impact conditions of society is more challenging. “We begin by looking inside our own house with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion assessments for the board of directors, management and all 140 employees. Then, based on assessment results, OFO Dan Maskin, Chief Executive can begin to identify and analyze potenOfficer of Opportunities for Otsego, Inc. tial biases within the organization and get everyone involved in ongoing opportunities to craft the definition, and delivery, of a true social justice strategic plan,” Dan Maskin said, Chief Executive Officer at OFO. This will be done by identifying opportunities to bring diversity and inclusion into the organization. “We will review internal policies, recruiting practices, training, succession planning, education, and community outreach. Then we will assign responsibilities across the organization and the board of directors. The process will include a timeframe for rollout, implementation, milestones to track and achieve, and celebrate,” Mr. Maskin said.
As the excellent publication, the Blue Avocado, points out, there isn’t a lot of guidance for organizations that want to create a binding, boardapproved policy that incorporates values, action plans, and accountability related to social justice. “They also point out that direct service impact depends on understanding the community, and in particular, the historical and structural inequities that led directly to the problems being addressed,” he said. “But given all of OFO’s collective expertise in helping the poor, advocating for crime victims and building strength-based approaches with at-risk families, combined with its policy work at the state and national levels, the board of directors firmly believes that these experiences put us ahead of the game as we go on this journey to strengthen our communities, he said.
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST PRINT CIRCULATION 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD
Home of the largest indoor charcoal barbecue pit in the East! 5560 State Highway 7 • Oneonta brooksbbq.com • 607-432-1782