Los Angeles Times - 03.04.2020

B2 FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2020 LATIMES.COM

Tonight’s Mega Millions
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For Wednesday, April 1, 2020

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Mega number is bold

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Winners per category:
No. of
winners

Amount
of prize(s)
5 + Mega 0 —
5 1 $24,
4 + Mega 7 $1,
4 235 $
3 + Mega 375 $
3 9,994 $
2 + Mega 4,674 $
1 + Mega 22,104 $
Mega only 32,475 $

Powerball
Powerball number is bold

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Jackpot:$170 million

California winners per category:
No. of
winners

Amount
of prize(s)
5 + P-ball 0 —
5 0 —
4 + P-ball 1 $26,
4 24 $
3 + P-ball 82 $
3 1,821 $
2 + P-ball 1,692 $
1 + P-ball 12,181 $
P-ball only 30,066 $

Winning jackpot ticket(s) sold in other
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For Thursday, April 2, 2020

Fantasy Five: 13-14-25-26-

Daily Four: 3-7-9-

Daily Three (midday): 2-2-

Daily Three (evening): 6-2-

Daily Derby:
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(7) Eureka
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Race time: 1:45.

Results on the internet:
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General information:
(800) 568-
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Lottery results

Kim Prather, a leading
atmospheric chemist at the
Scripps Institution of
Oceanography, wants to yell
out her window at every surf-
er, runner and biker she
spots along the San Diego
coast.
“I wouldn’t go in the wa-
ter if you paid me $1 million
right now,” she said.
The beach, in her estima-
tion, is one of the most dan-
gerous places to be these
days, as the novel
coronavirus marches si-
lently across California.
Many beachgoers know
they can suffer skin rashes,
stomach illness and serious
ear and respiratory infec-
tions if they go into the water
within three days of a heavy
rain, because of bacteria and
pathogens washing off roads
and into the ocean. Raw or
poorly treated sewage enter-
ing the ocean also poses ma-
jor health risks.
Prather fears that SARS-
CoV-2, the virus that causes
COVID-19, could enter coast-
al waters in similar ways and
transfer back into the air
along the coast.
In her research, Prather
has found that the ocean
churns up all kinds of par-
ticulate and microscopic
pathogens, and every time
the ocean sneezes with a big
wave or two, it sprays these
particles into the air. She be-
lieves that this new co-
ronavirus is light enough to
float through the air much
farther than we think. The
six-feet social distancing
rule, she said, doesn’t apply
at the beach, where coastal
winds can get quite strong
and send viral particles
soaring.
“It’s not going to kill you if
you miss a few surfing ses-
sions, but it could if you go
out there and get in the
wrong air,” she said.
Scientists across the
globe are scrambling to
learn the basic characteris-
tics of the virus, and so far,
neither the World Health Or-
ganization, the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Pre-
vention nor local health
agencies have warned that
the virus can be spread by
ocean spray or coastal
breezes.

And though the virus has

been detected in sewage, sci-

entists are still investigating

whether it remains infec-

tious in fecal matter — and

whether it survives treat-

ment in a wastewater facil-

ity. In the eyes of California

health officials, beaches

pose a threat by drawing

crowds of people who will

congregate too closely and

trigger a chain of infections.

It hasn’t been easy keep-

ing Californians off the

beacheven with those con-

cerns, despite stay-at-home

orders and officials urging

the public to avoid crowding

popular areas. By now most

beaches, trails and parks in

California have been roped

off in an effort to slow the

spread of COVID-19, which

has overwhelmed hospitals

and escalated medical emer-

gencies across the nation

and world.

Even the Coastal Com-

mission, usually the gate-

keeper of California’s land-

mark lawthat declares ac-

cess to the beach is a funda-

mental right, is allowing

local officials to put up tem-

porary signs and barricades

—citing the emergency need

to protect health and safety.

Patrol cars can be heard

blasting social distancing

rules along Ocean Avenue in

Santa Monica. In Manhat-

tan Beach, a surfer was

slapped with a $1,000 fineaf-

ter he ignored warnings by

police and lifeguards cau-

tioning him not to go in the

water.

Prather, who directs the

Center for Aerosol Impacts

on Chemistry of the Envi-

ronment, a large research

hub at Scripps backed by

$40 million from the Na-

tional Science Foundation,

sent her researchers and

students home long before

California officials issued

stay-at-home orders. She

suspected this virus was

contagious by air, and knew

from past studies that co-

ronaviruses can be excreted

in fecal matter. She worries

SARS-CoV-2 could enter the

ocean from sewage spills,

and then reenter the atmos-

phere.

Coronaviruses are en-

cased by what she calls a

“hydrophobic” lipid, or fatty,

membrane. Fat tends to

float to the surface of water,

similar to oil in a vinaigrette

dressing. When waves break

and all the foam and bubbles

pop, Prather said, “all that

stuff — the viruses, the bac-

teria, pollutants, all the goo-

ey, oily stuff — just launches

into the air.”

Scientists are still debat-

ing the characteristics of

this latest coronavirus. Re-

cent research in the New

England Journal of Medi-

cine found that when the

virus was suspended in a

mist under laboratory con-

ditions, it remained “viable

and infectious” for three

hours — though researchers

have said that time period

would probably be no more

than halfan hour in real-

world conditions.

Charles Gerba, a profes-

sor of microbiology at the

University of Arizona who

has studied coronaviruses in

wastewater since the SARS

outbreak, said these kinds of

viruses have typically been

found to survive two or three

days in raw sewage.

With this new co-

ronavirus, he’s done a few

molecular tests: Though

he’s confirmed that the virus

does wind up in sewage, he

found that more than 90% of

this new coronavirus was re-

moved by typical wastewa-

ter treatment — “it’s very

sensitive to disinfectants.”

Still up for debate, how-

ever, is whether the virus in

the sewage is still infectious.

“One report says yes, an-

other report says no, so we

don’t really know yet for cer-

tain,” said Gerba, whose re-

search focuses on wastewa-

ter removal of viral patho-

gens. As for how long the

virus could survive in salt-

water, there’s not much

data, he said, but pathogens

like hepatitis A or norovirus

tend to survive much longer

in wild environments.

For Prather, she hopes to

fill in more data gaps and is

preparing to test the air par-

ticles along the coast for

signs of the virus — espe-

cially in areas known for in-

consistent water quality.

“People kept saying res-

piratory droplets and sur-

faces, surfaces, surfaces, but

I just felt like no way, this is

something special,” she

said.

Beachgoers

beware: Virus

may be lurking

Pathogen could be

carried to ocean in

runoff and then

kicked into the air by

the surf, scientist says.

By Rosanna Xia

ahead before we begin to see

the benefits of our efforts to

stop the spread of

COVID-19.”

As the COVID-

pandemic continues its

march across California, the

number of cases in the state

swelled to more than 11,

on Thursday — with the

death toll topping 240. Of

those cases, 40% have oc-

curred in L.A. County.

Amid the surge, officials

are continuing to urge the

public to carry on with un-

precedented social distanc-

ing measures while also

rushing to get more supplies

to hospitals amid a rise in

patients.

The rapid spread of the

virus brought new concerns

about whether the state’s

healthcare system can han-

dle the inflow of patients.

Many California hospitals

and local medical centers

are grappling with shortag-

es of supplies amid a

scramble to prepare for

what is expected to be a del-

uge of patients in the coming

weeks.

Although the number of

infections continues to swell

statewide, Gov. Gavin New-

som said he believes the

state’s social distancing ef-

forts have made a difference.

“The ICU numbers and

the hospital numbers, while

they’re growing, are not

growing as significantly as

you’re seeing in other parts

of the country,” he said

Thursday. “We’re not out of

the woods by any stretch of

the imagination.”

Newsom said 816 patients

are in intensive care and

1,922 have been hospitalized

from COVID-19 in California

as of Thursday.

The governor also an-

nounced that Californians

won’t have their water

turned off because of unpaid

bills during the coronavirus

crisis, and those who already

had it turned off since March

4, when the statewide co-

ronavirus emergency went

into effect, will have their

service restored.

Newsom’s directive

comes in response to calls

from environmental justice

organizations for assistance

to low-income residents

facing mounting financial

pressures.

“People are under enor-

mous pressure economi-

cally, and the last thing they

need to worry about now is

not having access to water,”

said Steve Fleischli, senior

director of water initiatives

at the Natural Resources

Defense Council.

Santa Barbara County

recorded its first deathfrom

the virus Wednesday. The

person was in their 60s and

had underlying health con-

ditions, public health offi-

cials said.

Orange County saw its

biggest single-day increase

in coronavirus infections

Wednesday, as officials an-

nounced 107 new cases and

three additional deaths. On

Thursday, officials added 56

cases to the list and three

deaths, bringing the coun-

ty’s death toll to 13.

Riverside County Sher-

iff ’s Deputy Terrell Young

died ofcomplications from

the coronavirus, the depart-

ment said Thursday. He had

served in the department for

15 years and was its first

member to succumb to the

virus.

Fry reported from Los

Angeles, Myers and St. John

from Northern California.

SHOPS ALONG Winston Street in L.A.’s wholesale district have closed as a coronavirus precaution. “This

will be a long haul, and we have many weeks of work ahead,” said Barbara Ferrer, L.A. County health director.

Luis SincoLos Angeles Times

Cases rise but Newsom says

social distancing is working

[County,from B1]

oped the group’s website

and crafted printable fliers

in English and Spanish.

In a matter of days, more

than 350 people signed up to

volunteer.

“Our government is al-

ready at capacity right now,”

Bickerton said. “We really

need to show up as neigh-

bors for each other right now

and fill in the gaps.”

Despite being told they

need to practice social dis-

tancing, Southern Califor-

nians — from Santa Monica

to Santa Ana — are finding

new ways to come together

and turn to their neighbors

for support and guidance.

Faced with unclear direction

from government officials,

communities across the na-

tion are taking steps to look

out for one another, forming

strong neighborhood ties.

“I feel like we are in a mo-

ment in time where we are

watching a lot of systems feel

like they are crumbling, and

we feel paralyzed. We feel

helpless in this big thing.

This is a tangible way for

someone to help,” Bickerton

said about Westside

Friends. “A lot of us are read-

ing the news and feeling anx-

ious and wondering what’s

coming, but we can turn to

our neighbors and offer to

pick up extra groceries.

Something simple can make

a huge difference.”

As of Tuesday, Westside

Friends had helped more

than 50 people. Bickerton

and Lim had deployed more

than 60 block captains

throughout the Westside

who reach out to their imme-

diate neighbors and serve as

apoint of contact for re-

quests for help. They cre-

ated a phone number people

can call for assistance. The

pair also launched a similar

program in San Bernardino

County.

Lim said she hopes that

more people are encouraged

to start something similar in

their own communities.

She’s made the fliers, block

captain manual and other

information available on the

websiteso that others can

duplicate their efforts.

“It’s in our hands, and no-

body knows about your

neighborhood better than

you,” she said. “I feel like the

earlier people can organize

and create this network, the

better off everyone will be. If

you find what I’m doing in-

spiring, then do it too.”

During Westside Friends’

first week, people who called

for help tended to be disa-

bled, chronically ill and

elderly. One needed a meal

delivery. Another asked for

someone to pick up her

prescriptions.

Yet another was a woman

who was immunocompro-

mised. She didn’t need help

but wanted to make sure

that she had someone to call

in case she did. Some who

called lived outside the

Westside area but had got-

ten a hold of thenumber.

Westside Friends still sent

help.

The next wave of calls

came from people who had

been laid off. They asked for

food.

By the third week, Bick-

erton said, they were work-

ing on providing mental

health resources and setting

up check-in calls or chats for

people who live alone. West-

side Friends also matched

more than 25 young volun-

teers with older folks. For

instance, a USC student is

now doing weekly grocery

deliveries and pharmacy

pickups for a senior citizen

in Mar Vista.

So far, the help is greater

than the need, Bickerton

said.

In Santa Ana, it’s a simi-

lar story.

A little more than two

weeks ago, Nathaniel

Cooper, 38, recruited more

than a dozen of his neigh-

bors to serve as volunteers in

Washington Square, a his-

toric neighborhood in down-

town Santa Ana. They

walked door to door, drop-

ping off fliers on neighbors’

doorsteps.

“So far it’s a glorified toi-

let paper ring,” Cooper said.

He described it as a good

thing but expects the need

to grow in the coming

weeks, as a wave of illness is

predicted to hit Southern

California.

To date, the group has

fielded one call from some-

one who wanted to know

how to get tested for

COVID-19. That neighbor

was given the phone number

to the Orange County health

department. One neighbor

connected with another who

could help with child care.

In other cases, people

have helped connect infor-

mally on the Washington

Square Neighborhood

Assn.’s Facebook page. One

neighbor offered lemons on

her porch for the taking. An-

other offered free cat food.

One mother offered a free set

of toy train tracks.

But some are raising con-

cerns that such acts of kind-

ness could lead to inadvert-

ent spread of the virus.

In New York City, a coun-

cil member from hard-hit

Brooklyn was quoted as say-

ing he had concerns that vol-

unteers helping neighbors

could put some of the most

vulnerable at risk.

Bickerton said Westside

Friends already provides

guidelines on how to keep

oneself and others safe

during deliveries, such as

dropping off groceries at

doorsteps and frequent

hand washing. She said

the group will continue to

adapt and respond to the

risks involved.

“But even a grocery deliv-

ery involves handling by a

chain of people who could

spread illness. Any time a

package is handled or a door

is opened, we run a risk,” she

said. “We also run a risk of

leaving behind our commu-

nity members at a time of in-

credible need, from strains

on mental health to job loss

to a fear of the unknown. We

can’t afford not to help each

other now.”

In Culver City, Dan O’Bri-

en, who administers the

city’s unofficial Facebook

page, first put up a quick

post for volunteers on the

group’s page. It has more

than 10,000 members.

“If you want to help, just

say ‘me’ in the comments

field,” he posted. He had a

few hundred people chime

in.

That’s when O’Brien, a

television and film editor,

decided to coordinate volun-

teers. He created a Google

document that volunteers

can fill out with what they

are willing to do. More than

150 signed up in the first few

days.

In some ways, this kind of

grass-roots organizing can

be more efficient than gov-

ernment, which often con-

tends with inherent chal-

lenges, O’Brien said.

“We don’t have to deal

with all the hurdles they

have to deal with, making

sure all our I’s are dotted and

Ts are crossed,” he said.

But overseeing a Face-

book group of thousands of

neighbors presents its own

challenges, O’Brien said.

“Sometimes the page can

get political and quickly turn

ugly,” O’Brien said of the

Facebook page. “But just

when I’m ready to burn it all

down, someone will ask for

help and a thousand people

will jump in.”

Neighbors help neighbors in L.A.

CRISTIN LIMhelped launch Westside Friends, a

network assisting neighbors amid the pandemic.

Jason ArmondLos Angeles Times

[Neighbors,from B1]