COVID-19
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Bay Area Health Officials Share Guidance To Navigate the U.S.’ Infant Formula Shortage
There continues to be a shortage of infant formula nationwide due to supply chain issues and a recall of infant formula due to bacterial contamination in the Abbott manufacturing plant in Michigan. The federal government is currently working on strategies to increase production of formula and help families access existing stock. Compared to other states California is faring better, but the shortages are still of concern.
Alameda County Health Care Services Agency Read more
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Contra Costa Health Officials Warn COVID Cases, Hospitalizations Rising
Contra Costa County health officials told the county Board of Supervisors Tuesday that COVID-19 numbers are on the rise. "We are seeing a rise in cases widely across the Bay Area," county health director Anna Roth told the board. "The Bay Area health officers, as well as the health officials, last week updated again and reiterated their strong, strong recommendation - not an order, but a strong recommendation - to please mask when you're going indoors. Please stay home if you're not feeling well. And if you have any symptoms, test early and test often. Contra Costa County had 50 people hospitalized with COVID-19 on May 11. By Tuesday, that number had grown to 72 people. CBS News Read more
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Proof of Vaccination No Longer Required To Enter Indoor Public Locations in Oakland
The Oakland City Council has modified its proof of vaccination ordinance, lifting previous vaccination requirements to enter indoor public locations such as restaurants and bars, entertainment venues, recreation centers, gyms and fitness centers, City Hall, theaters, and museums. Under the new ordinance, people entering senior centers and assisted living facilities will still be required to show proof of vaccination upon entry, and masks are required to attend large indoor events of 2500+ attendees. City of Oakland
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Where To Find A COVID Test Near You In The Bay Area
Over 75% of Californians are now fully vaccinated, and over 58% have received their COVID booster shot/ But widespread breakthrough infections in fully vaccinated people and the recent rise in COVID case numbers around the Bay Area are a reminder that COVID testing remains crucial to ending this pandemic. Health experts stress that getting tested for COVID, even when fully vaccinated, is an effective way to stop the spread of the coronavirus faster. But what if you're struggling to find a timely COVID test in the Bay Area — especially when you need the results as soon as possible? KQED Read more
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UCSF Awarded $67.5 Million To Develop New Antiviral Therapies
Scientists at the UC San Francisco (UCSF) Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) and the QBI Coronavirus Research Group (QCRG) have been awarded an initial $67.5 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to support its mission of pandemic preparedness. The award, the largest in UCSF’s history, establishes one of nine Antiviral Drug Discovery (AViDD) Centers for Pathogens of Pandemic Concern across the country. These will be collaborative, multidisciplinary academic-industry research centers to develop candidate antivirals for COVID-19 and other viruses with pandemic potential. UCSF Read more
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Suit Settled Over Piedmont Schools’ COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
With graduation looming and about 98% of Piedmont students vaccinated, the settlement of a lawsuit by two groups against the Piedmont Unified School District over its COVID-19 vaccination mandate is in the rear-view mirror. The two nonprofit groups, Children’s Health Defense and PERK (Protection of the Education Rights of Kids), and parents identified as Jane Doe and Janet Doe challenged the PUSD’s passage last September of an administrative regulation regarding student vaccines for COVID. The entire case was unconditionally settled April 27 in Alameda County Superior Court with a judge striking down in its entirety the school district’s mandate for all students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Mercury News Read more
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COVID Vaccine/Treatment News |
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Pfizer/BioNTech To Seek COVID Vaccine Authorization For Children Under Age 5
Vaccine makers Pfizer and BioNTech said they will complete their submission for emergency use authorization of their COVID-19 vaccine for children under the age of 5 this week after a study of a third dose found it improves the efficacy of the vaccine. Just hours after the news was made public, the Food and Drug Administration announced it expects to convene its independent vaccine advisers, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, on June 15 to review the submission. The companies said that, with three doses, the vaccine performed about as well in young children as it does in adults. The vaccine was well-tolerated, induced a strong immune response, and was 80.3% effective at preventing Covid infections at a time when the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was circulating. STAT Read more
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White House Says COVID-19 Vaccines, Treatments Could Be Rationed Without More Funds
The White House is planning for “dire” contingencies that could include rationing supplies of vaccines and treatments this fall if Congress doesn’t approve more money for fighting COVID-19. In public comments and private meetings on Capitol Hill, Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House coronavirus coordinator, has described a dark future where the U.S. could be forced to cede many of the advances made against the coronavirus over the last two years and even the most vulnerable could face supply shortages.
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Vaccines Are Still Mostly Blocking Severe Disease
For the past year and a half, since the COVID-19 vaccines first became available—even as last summer’s reprieve gave way to Delta’s surge, then Omicron’s; even as the coronavirus continued to rack up mutations that lifted its speed and its stealth; even as millions of vaccinated Americans caught the pathogen and passed it on—there’s been one huge slice of solace to cling to: The shots we have are still doing an excellent job of staving off severe disease and death. The Atlantic Read more
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Can Novavax Persuade Holdouts To Get Vaccinated?
Can an old-school vaccine persuade these holdouts to roll up their sleeves at last? The folks at Novavax sure hope so. Their COVID-19 vaccine works the old-fashioned way, delivering an exact replica of the spike protein into the bloodstream so the immune system can scope out its enemy in advance. It’s the same approach used to immunize people against shingles and flu. Some people “may prefer tried and true technologies” for COVID-19 vaccines, Dr. Filip Dubovsky, the chief medical officer of Novavax, said. Though he described himself as a fan of the mRNA vaccines, he said others “may not like the concept of ... turning their body into a little vaccine factory.”
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Pfizer Offers Low-Cost Drugs And Vaccines—Including COVID Treatments—To World’s Poorest Countries
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer on Wednesday said it will make its entire portfolio of patented medicines and vaccines available to low-income countries on a not-for-profit basis in a bid to narrow the global healthcare gap that came under renewed scrutiny during the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. drugmaker said it would sell its patented medicines and vaccines available in the U.S. and EU on a not-for-profit basis to the world’s poorest countries. Forbes Read more
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State/National/International News |
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Another Omicron Subvariant, Known as BA.2.12.1, Has Become The Dominant Form Among New U.S. Virus Cases
Another form of the Omicron subvariant BA.2 has become the dominant version among new U.S. coronavirus cases, according to federal estimates on Tuesday, a development that experts had forecast over the last few weeks. There was no indication yet that the new subvariant, known as BA.2.12.1, causes more severe disease than earlier forms did. BA.2.12.1 made up about 58 percent of all new U.S. cases, according to estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the week ending May 21. NY Times Read more
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California Schools Try to Outrace COVID Outbreaks
A fourth-grade camping trip led to one outbreak, a high school prom to another. But even with COVD cases rising as schools head into the final stretch of the academic year, most California districts have not moved toward reinstating mask mandates. That stance has left many parents confused and concerned as they witness or hear about COVID outbreaks among students after field trips and proms. Up and down California, school administrators are running out the clock, hoping to outrace the outbreaks.
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Brain Fog, Other Long COVID Symptoms Can Last More Than A Year, Study Finds
The devastating neurological effects of long COVID can persist for more than a year, research published Tuesday finds — even as other symptoms abate. The study, published in the journal Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, is the longest follow-up study of the neurological symptoms among long COVID patients who were never hospitalized for COVID. The neurological symptoms — which include brain fog, numbness, tingling, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus and fatigue — are the most frequently reported for the illness. NBC News Read more
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Why The Air At The Gym May Be More Likely To Spread COVID
Many gyms and health clubs seem to be filling up again with people eager to return to their old routines and communities or get in shape for summer, at the same time that new Omicron variants are pushing COVID infections up. So, how safe is it to go back to the gym? Put another way, how many microscopic aerosol particles are the other cyclists in your spin class breathing out into the room? How many is the runner on the nearby treadmill spewing forth? A small study about respiration and exercise published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences provides some rather startling answers. NY Times Read more
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Pandemic-Weary Americans Plan For Summer Despite COVID Surge
A high school prom in Hawaii where masked dancers weren't allowed to touch. A return to virtual city council meetings in one Colorado town after the mayor and others tested positive following an in-person session. A reinstated mask mandate at skilled nursing facilities in Los Angeles County after 22 new outbreaks in a single week. A COVID-19 surge is underway that is starting to cause disruptions as the school year wraps up and Americans prepare for summer vacations. Many people, though, have returned to their pre-pandemic routines and plans, which often involve travel. U.S. News & World Report Read more
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Most Americans Want People To Mask Up While Traveling
As Americans head into the summer travel season, coronavirus cases — and hospitalizations somewhat — are rising in many parts of the country, especially in the Northeast. This shift prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week to advise people in communities at high risk to go back to wearing masks in indoor public spaces, including on public transportation. Face masks, though, are still optional in most places, even those with rising case numbers. That leaves travelers to decide for themselves whether to don a mask while riding in an airplane, train, subway, or taxi. Healthline Read more
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CDC Adds Five New Destinations To "High" Risk Category For Travel, Including The Bahamas
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added five new destinations to its "high" risk category for travelers on Monday. The Central American country of Belize, the Bahamas archipelago in the North Atlantic, the mountainous British overseas island territory of Montserrat, the Caribbean island country of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the southern African country of Eswatini were all moved to Level 3, or "high" risk for COVID-19. The Level 3 "high" risk category is now the top rung in terms of risk level. CNN Read more
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Total Confirmed Cases
Bay Area: 1,411,984
California: 9,506,402
U.S.: 83,648,710
Alameda County
Primary Vaccine Series Completed: 86.2%
Total Cases: 280,429
Total Deaths: 1,878
Test Positivity (7-day rate): 8.0%
Hospitalized Patients (as of 5/25): 80
ICU Beds Available (as of 5/25): 96
The community level of COVID-19 in Alameda County is medium based on cases and hospitalizations, according to the most recent update from the C.D.C. on May 19. The number of hospitalized COVID patients has risen in the Alameda County area. Deaths have remained at about the same level. NY Times
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Total Reported Deaths
Bay Area: 8,429
California: 91,154
U.S.: 1,003,603
Contra Costa County
Primary Vaccine Series Completed: 86.6%
Total Cases: 205,271
Total Deaths: 1,306
Test Positivity (7-day rate): 11.4%
Hospitalized Patients (as of 5/25): 78
ICU Beds Available (as of 5/25): 39
The community level of COVID-19 in Contra Costa County is medium based on cases and hospitalizations, according to the most recent update from the C.D.C. on May 19. The number of hospitalized COVID patients has risen in the Contra Costa area. Deaths have remained at about the same level.
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How New Variants May Impact Your Chances Of COVID Reinfection
Last year, it seemed as though coronavirus reinfections were rare. Yes, they happened, but the vast majority of people who had already had COVID likely wouldn’t contract the virus again anytime soon. But recent data suggest reinfections are becoming more common, especially as new variants take hold. New York’s health department recently published a report that shows a little over 4% of all COVID infections in the state have been reinfections — and that nearly 87% of them have occurred since December 2021. HuffPost Read more
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- 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.
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A viral test tells you if you have a current infection.
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An antibody test might tell you if you had a past infection.
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Over the past week, Alameda County has averaged 835 new cases and 0.3 new deaths per day.
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Over the past week, Contra Costa County has averaged 535 new cases and 0.4 new deaths per day.
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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Alameda County, cumulative
as of 5/25/2022
Oakland: 81,689
Hayward: 35,348
Fremont: 29,343
San Leandro: 16,972
Berkeley: 15,990
Eden MAC: 15,530
Livermore: 13,761
Union City: 12,247
Alameda: 9,989
Castro Valley: 9,725
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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Contra Costa County, cumulative
as of 5/25/2022
Richmond: 29,608
Antioch: 26,871
Concord: 22,140
Pittsburg: 17,413
San Pablo: 12,529
Brentwood: 12,308
Walnut Creek: 10,679
Oakley: 10,166
San Ramon: 9,470
Martinez: 6,951
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About Eden Health District |
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The Eden Health District Board of Directors are Chair Mariellen Faria, Vice Chair Pam Russo, Secretary/Treasurer Roxann Lewis, Gordon Galvan and Ed Hernandez. 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.
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