POLIO PLUS - Tom Cicchini

We are honored to have the Polio Plus chairperson for District 5180, Tom Cicchini with us today. Tom has a 30+ years’ experience with Raymond James Financial Services, CA.

He operates his business busing the dba Beacon Wealth Strategies, LTD.

 

Tom has a long-distinguished record of service with Rotary and is currently a member of the Rotary Club of Point West.

Tom presented a detailed slide show with some interesting comparisons between COVID-19 and the Poliovirus, and then about polio plus, history, money spent and the various District Goals and fund-raising events.

 

 

Both generate fear and suspicion. Both kill by interfering with respiration, have many asymptomatic cases and have the ability to mutate.

The Polio virus is exclusively a human virus going back thousands of years and spread only by humans. COVID-19 can spread from humans to animals by respiratory drops while the Polio virus is an intestinal virus. Paralytic polio affect primarily children and adolescents while COVID-19 primarily affects older adults and those with debilitating underlying conditions.

What we learned from Polio is the need for prevention and the Holy Trinity, the need to create effective, long-lasting vaccines, global cooperation (funding research and communication), and a network to disseminate information.

There was a task force created in 12/2020, creating awareness with Club volunteers, a Rotary and Vaccine cold chain, a worldwide effort to address the pandemic. Helping with logistics which are complex, storage and transportation, a seamless cold change needing equipment, personnel and processes. Tom provided in slides below some interesting facts about Polio...