COVID-19
breaking news & updates
|
|
|
"With a J&J vaccine, we’ll be able to accelerate the vaccine rollout for our country and for the world."
Dan Barouch, a virologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston
|
|
|
COVID-19 Vaccine Makers Tell Congress U.S. Supply Will Surge Soon
COVID-19 vaccine makers told Congress on Tuesday that U.S. supplies should surge in the coming weeks due to manufacturing expansions and new vaccine authorizations. Executives from Pfizer Inc, Moderna Inc and Johnson & Johnson - speaking at a hearing at the U.S. House of Representatives - said they would be able to supply enough vaccine to have fully inoculated 130 million people in the United States by the end of March. Reuters Read more
|
|
|
New Analyses Show Johnson & Johnson’s One-Dose Vaccine Strongly Protects Against Severe COVID-19
The one-shot coronavirus vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson p rovides strong protection against severe disease and death from Covid-19, and may reduce the spread of the virus by vaccinated people, according to new analyses posted online by the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday. The vaccine had a 72 percent overall efficacy rate in the United States and 64 percent in South Africa, where a highly contagious variant emerged in the fall and is now driving most cases. NY Times Read more
|
|
|
Johnson & Johnson Says It Will Be Able to Provide 20 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Doses by End of March
Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson says it will be able to provide 20 million U.S. doses of its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine by the end of March, assuming it gets the greenlight from federal regulators. J&J disclosed the figure ahead of a Congressional hearing on Tuesday looking at the country's vaccine supply. White House officials cautioned last week that initial supplies of J&J's vaccine would be limited. ABC7 Read more
|
|
|
FDA Says COVID Vaccine Makers Can Modify Shots as Variants Emerge
The Food and Drug Administration has laid the groundwork for drugmakers to be able to react quickly to emerging coronavirus variants and get modified products to the public without the need for extended clinical trials. "We are using every tool in our toolbox to fight this pandemic, including pivoting as the virus adapts," Dr. Janet Woodcock, acting FDA commissioner, said in a statement Monday. NBC News Read more
|
|
|
Which Bay Area County is Doing The Best Job Vaccinating Older Residents?
For older Bay Area residents, the chances of snagging a coronavirus vaccine appear to depend a great deal on where you live. An analysis by the Bay Area News Group found there is a significant variation by county when it comes to who is getting the shot. In Contra Costa County, more than 70% of the population who are 75 and older had already gotten at least one dose of the vaccine, as of Feb. 19. But in Alameda County, it was around 45%. In Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, roughly 54% of residents 75 and up had gotten a shot. Mercury News Read more
|
|
Biden Targets Diverse Groups With Vaccine Hesitancy For COVID-19 Funds
The Biden administration has awarded millions of dollars to counter fear and misinformation in communities of color that have indicated they're concerned about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine. Over the past three weeks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded more than $17 million to several organizations planning vaccine education, according to the Department of Health and Human Services funding database.
|
|
|
Why COVID Vaccines Are So Difficult to Compare
Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi knows that a vaccine that offers 70% protection against COVID-19 could be a valuable tool against the coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria - especially if that vaccine is cheap and doesn’t have to be stored at extremely cold temperatures. But what if another vaccine - one that is more expensive to buy and to store - was 95% effective?
|
|
Calling All Vaccinators: Closing the Next Gap in COVID Supply and Demand
Beating back COVID right now comes down to balancing supply and demand. With hopes pinned to vaccines, demand has far outstripped the supply of doses. But, as an increasing number of vaccine vials are shipped in coming weeks, the concern about shortages may well shift to human capital: the vaccinators themselves.
|
|
|
Confirmed Cases
Bay Area: 402,924
California: 3,544,398
U.S.: 28,309,558
Alameda County
Vaccines Administered: 350,830
Cases: 79,930
Deaths: 1,218
Test Positivity: 4.6%
Hospitalized Patients: 200
ICU Beds Available: 78
Cases are very high but have decreased over the past two weeks (-54%). The number of hospitalized COVID patients has also fallen in the Alameda County. Deaths have remained about the same level. The test positivity rate in Alameda County relatively low, suggesting that test capacity is meeting current demand. NY Times
|
|
Reported Deaths
Bay Area: 5,213
California: 49,913
U.S.: 504,135
Contra Costa County
Vaccines Administered: 281,761
Cases: 61,865
Deaths: 653
Test Positivity: 5.0%
Hospitalized Patients: 106
ICU Beds Available: 48
Cases are very high but have decreased over the past two weeks (-43%). The number of hospitalized COVID patients has also fallen in the Contra Costa County area. Deaths have remained about the same level. The test positivity rate in Contra Costa County is high, suggesting that cases may be undercounted. NY Times
|
|
|
Assemblymember Bill Quirk Hosting COVID-19 Vaccine Zoominar
Friday, February 26, 2-3 p.m.
Assemblymember Bill Quirk invites your participation in a COVID-19 Vaccine Zoominar set for tomorrow, February 26, from 2-3 p.m. Come learn more about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine from respected scientists and hear from county health experts on the latest updates regarding vaccine distribution. Participating experts include: Aneeka Chaudhry, Alameda County Health Care Services Agency; Sarah Stanley, UC Berkley School of Public Health; and Dr. Timothy Brewer, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and of Medicine. Register
|
|
|
Alameda County Gets Closer To Entering Red Tier
Alameda County is moving closer to the red tier, which could mean fewer restrictions on public life in the near future. Alameda County is currently in the most-strict purple tier, which indicates widespread risk, of the state's four-tiered, color-coded COVID-19 risk system. The red tier is the next-best tier and indicates substantial COVID-19 risk.
The county has seen its daily COVID-19 case rate per 100,000 residents drop sharply in recent weeks. San Leandro Patch Read more
|
|
|
San Mateo, Marin Counties Advancing Into Red Reopening Tier; S.F. Stays Purple For Now
San Mateo and Marin counties on Tuesday advanced to the second-most restrictive category of California's reopening blueprint, according to California Department of Public Health. Both exited the purple tier, the category that imposes the strictest coronavirus rules. Currently, all but 11 counties in the state are in the purple tier. But Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday that as coronavirus case rates continue to plummet in the Bay Area and across California, five counties are transitioning to red and he anticipates another eight will be allowed to loosen restrictions next week - and “even more still in two weeks.” SF Chronicle Read more
|
|
|
Alameda County Hits 1,200 Coronavirus Deaths
The coronavirus death toll in Alameda County reached 1,200 on Monday, the same day that the national toll hit 500,000. Those two grim statistics are a testament to the fury of COVID-19, but pushing back against the formidable disease are advancements in delivering vaccines to residents. Castro Valley Patch Read more
|
|
|
San Francisco Lifts Strict Travel Restriction: "This is Not a Travel Free-For-All"
San Francisco residents who travel outside the Bay Area are no longer required to quarantine for 10 days when they arrive home, but the city is still encouraging its residents to follow the state's travel advisory that advises against nonessential travel far from one's home, city officials said in a statement released Tuesday. The city introduced the mandatory quarantine in mid-December in response to a surge in cases triggered by Thanksgiving travel. While the quarantine was mandatory, a system wasn't in place to ensure people followed it. SF Gate Read more
|
|
Terrifying "Post-COVID Syndrome" is Next Focus For Researchers in Bay Area and Beyond
The end of the pandemic feels tantalizingly near as vaccines arrive and the pace of new infections slows. But a new coronavirus mystery is set to keep researchers busy in the Bay Area and across the country for years to come. Doctors call the medical conundrum “post-acute COVID syndrome.” Scientists prefer “post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection.” But those suffering from the multitude of frightening symptoms that don’t go away just call themselves “long-haulers.” SF Chronicle Read more
|
|
|
The Other Pandemic Health Threat: Bay Area Experts Say It's Time to Get Up and Exercise
After nearly a year of staying close to home, people are feeling not only the mental toll of the pandemic, but the physical toll too. Without frantic school drop-offs, morning commutes, or pickup games of basketball after work to keep our bodies moving, many of us are leading increasingly sedentary lives. SF Chronicle Read more
|
|
Coronavirus & Preps: Does the Court System Provide Best Path Back For Indoor Sports?
A San Diego lawyer who won a court ruling that could pave the way for the return of all youth sports said he planned to file similar lawsuits in Alameda and San Francisco counties as well as other Bay Area jurisdictions. East Bay Times Read more
|
|
|
State/National/International News |
|
"Grim and Horrific Milestone": Biden Marks More Than 500K American Lives Lost to COVID-19
President Joe Biden addressed Americans Monday night after the U.S. reported more than 500,000 deaths from COVID-19 since the pandemic started nearly a year ago.
"Today we mark a truly grim and horrific milestone," Biden said from the White House. "500,071 dead. That’s more Americans who’ve died in one year in this pandemic than in World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War combined." KTVU Read more
|
|
|
California’s Coronavirus Strain Looks Increasingly Dangerous: "The Devil is Already Here"
A coronavirus variant that probably emerged in May and surged to become the dominant strain in California not only spreads more readily than its predecessors but also evades antibodies generated by COVID-19 vaccines or prior infection and is associated with severe illness and death, researchers said. In a study that helps explain the state’s dramatic holiday surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths - and portends further trouble ahead - scientists at UC San Francisco said the cluster of mutations that characterizes the homegrown strain should mark it as a “variant of concern” on par with those from the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil. LA Times Read more
|
|
|
Things Quiet Down for Health Care Workers, at Least for Now
The winter COVID-19 surge not only strained hospital capacity to the breaking point, it exhausted and demoralized health care workers. So we checked back in with one doctor and one nurse to see how things were going now that cases and hospitalizations have been falling. UCSF nurse Jamille Cabacungan says she she was extremely busy during the surge tending to people sick with COVID-19. Now, she says there are far fewer patients with the virus, but she’s still got a lot of work due to all those elective procedures that were put on hold and are now being attended to. KQED Read more
|
|
|
What's Safe To Do After Getting The COVID-19 Vaccine?
Experts Weigh In
If you just got the coronavirus vaccine and your mind is buzzing thinking about all the things you can potentially do now that you’ve got some protection against COVID-19, it’s certainly understandable. This has been an incredibly tough year, and we’ve given up a lot. We haven’t been able to safely go out with friends and family. We canceled weddings and parties. Travel plans got postponed, and birthdays and holidays have been abnormally quiet. Naturally, the jabs in the arm are going to stir up some pent-up excitement about being able to enjoy all the things you’ve been missing.
|
|
|
When Does COVID-19 Become a Disability? "Long-Haulers" Push For Answers And Benefits
When COVID-19 first arrived in the U.S., Jodee Pineau-Chaisson was working as the director of social services for a nursing home in western Massachusetts. By the middle of April, residents at the Center for Extended Care in Amherst were getting sick. In early May, Pineau-Chaisson was tapped for a particular duty: "I was asked to go onto the COVID-19 units to do FaceTime calls so they could say goodbye to their family members," she recalls. "I was very scared." NPR Read more
|
|
Inside The Race To Create a COVID Passport And Change Travel as We Know It
Armand Arton has long prophesied the death of the passport in the form of a paper booklet we carry around with us. But its demise is likely to come sooner, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, he says, as the race to create the first global vaccine passport gets underway. Iceland and Poland started issuing COVID-19 vaccine certificates last month. Denmark, Sweden and Estonia are hot on their heels and Israel's "green pass" will allow its bearers to visit gyms and bars. Forbes Read more
|
|
|
Biden to Make 25 Million Masks Available at Community Health Centers, Food Banks
President Joe Biden's COVID-19 response team announced Wednesday it would make 25 million masks available to Americans at community health centers and food banks.
"We will deliver more than 25 million masks across the country. These masks will be available in more than 1,300 community health centers, and at 60,000 food pantries nationwide," White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said.
|
|
The Most Likely Timeline For Life to Return to Normal
The end of the coronavirus pandemic is on the horizon at last, but the timeline for actually getting there feels like it shifts daily, with updates about viral variants, vaccine logistics, and other important variables seeming to push back the finish line or scoot it forward. When will we be able to finally live our lives again? Pandemics are hard to predict accurately, but we have enough information to make some confident guesses. The Atlantic Read more
|
|
|
Have You Tested Positive for COVID-19?
People who test positive for COVID-19 but aren't sick enough to need hospitalization are still required to isolate at home. CDC Read more
|
|
|
- COVID-19 testing is a good idea, but keep in mind, people who test negative can still harbor the virus if they are early in their infection.
|
|
-
A viral test tells you if you have a current infection.
-
An antibody test might tell you if you had a past infection.
|
|
|
Over the last seven days, Alameda County officials have reported 715 new coronavirus cases, which amounts to 43 cases per 100,000 residents. |
|
Over the last seven days, Contra Costa County officials have reported 1,031 new coronavirus cases, which amounts to 91 cases per 100,000 residents. |
|
|
Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Alameda County, as of 2/24/21
Oakland: 24,751
Hayward: 12,456
Fremont: 7,015
Eden MAC: 5,441
San Leandro: 4,895
Livermore: 3,983
Union City: 3,657
Berkeley: 3,224
Newark: 2,554
Castro Valley: 2,287
|
|
Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Contra Costa County, as of 2/24/21
Richmond: 9,421
Antioch: 8,571
Concord: 7,287
Pittsburg: 6,148
San Pablo: 4,826
Brentwood: 3,350
Oakley: 2,788
Bay Point: 2,548
Walnut Creek: 2,527
San Ramon: 1,830
|
|
|
Mask On!
Protect Yourself While Protecting Others
|
|
Working in collaboration with the Alameda County Public Health Department, the cities of Hayward and San Leandro, and the Castro Valley and Eden Area Municipal Advisory Councils, the District has printed "Mask On" posters for each city in the Eden Health District area. These posters are free of charge and intended for businesses, health clinics, schools, churches, public agencies and nonprofit agencies to display in their entrances. The posters are available in English, Spanish and Chinese languages.
The public is welcome to download and print or share "Mask On" posters from our website.
|
|
|
|
About Eden Health District |
|
The Eden Health District Board of Directors are chair Mariellen Faria, vice chair Pam Russo, secretary/treasurer Roxann Lewis, Gordon Galvan and Varsha Chauhan. The Chief Executive Officer is Mark Friedman.
The Eden Health District is committed to ensuring that policy makers and community members receive accurate and timely information to help make the best policy and personal choices to meet and overcome the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
We welcome your feedback on our bulletin. Please contact editor Lisa Mahoney.
|
|
|
Follow Us on Social Media |
|
|
|
|
|
|
