COVID-19
breaking news & updates
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Bulletin Publishing Schedule for July
During the month of July, the Bulletin will be published once a week, on Wednesday. Twice a week publication (Monday and Thursday) will resume in August.
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COVID Test Resources
Food Pantries
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COVID in California: Positive trends suggest latest surge may be turning corner
California's BA.5 surge may have peaked, with new cases trending down, according to state data analyzed by The Chronicle. The state reported an average of 43 new daily cases per 100,000 residents on Tuesday, down from 49 per 100,000 two weeks ago. The Bay Area is also showing improvement, with 38 cases per 100,000 as of Tuesday, a 21% decrease since July 12. California's average coronavirus test positive rate, which reflects the proportion of tests coming back positive, fell to 15% after peaking at 16.3% on July 15. Hospitalizations, a lagging indicator of pandemic trends, are rising. There were 4,826 people hospitalized with COVID-19 across the state Tuesday -- up from 4,377 two weeks ago -- with 907 in Bay Area hospitals. Deaths are also up. Nearly 44 people die of COVID-19 daily in California, with the Bay Area reporting seven new daily deaths. SF Chronicle Read more
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L.A. County coronavirus weekly death rate 70% higher than in Bay Area: Why so much worse?
There are various reasons that could explain why L.A. County has a higher death rate. The nation’s most populous county, L.A. County is structurally at higher risk from COVID-19 waves due to a higher rate of poverty and overcrowded housing. Additionally, vaccination and booster rates are generally higher in the Bay Area, and anecdotally, some have observed that voluntary masking seems more common in the Bay Area than in L.A. County.
A key metric that would determine whether L.A. County remains headed toward a mask mandate is whether there are 10 or more new weekly coronavirus-positive hospital admissions for every 100,000 residents. L.A. County on Thursday reported the rate was 11.4. Citing new data available through Saturday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that rate had fallen to exactly 10.
Throughout this late spring and summer pandemic wave, most public health officials in Bay Area counties have not publicly suggested the need for a renewed local mask mandate. The lone exception, Alameda County, rescinded its own mask mandate three weeks after implementing it on June 3. Because the other highly populated Bay Area counties did not join with Alameda County’s decision, its mask mandate attracted significantly less attention in the Bay Area. LA Times Read more
Bay Area car buyers suffer sticker shock, desperate dealers scramble for used vehicles
Gokcen and Yasin Ceran have a teenage son who just started driving, so the Morgan Hill couple spent Thursday in the South Bay looking to buy a car — amid record prices for new and used vehicles.
“It’s terrible timing,” said Gokcen, 47, a principal at a San Jose elementary school. Yasin, 47, a San Jose State University business professor, added, “It’s expensive.”
With the COVID pandemic creating a severe computer chip shortage, new vehicles are pricey and scarce, pushing many buyers toward used cars, which is driving up prices for those, too. Around the Bay Area, where prices for new and used cars top the national average, and new cars are selling at the second-highest prices in the U.S., would-be buyers suffer unprecedented sticker shock and salespeople keep lonely vigils over lots that before the viral outbreak overflowed with factory-fresh cars.
“In over 22 years in this business, I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Dmitriy Shamilov, senior sales manager at Envision Honda in Milpitas. “We usually have more than 700 new cars on this lot and now I have less than 10.” East Bay Times Read more
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COVID Vaccine/Treatment News |
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BA.5 and BA.4 make up 95% of new cases in U.S.
The highly transmissible BA.5 coronavirus variant made up 82% of the sequenced cases in the U.S. last week, with its BA.4 sister strain making up an additional 13%. The two omicron sublineages have effectively crowded out BA.2, at 0.3%, and BA.2.12.1, at 5%, which drove the spring wave of COVID-19 cases across the nation. The U.S. is averaging about 120,000 new cases per day, up from 105,000 a month ago before the newer subvariants gained dominance. SF Chronicle Read more
Reformulated COVID vaccine boosters may be available earlier than expected
The Biden administration may scrap plans to let more younger adults get second COVID-19 boosters this summer. Instead, officials are trying to speed up availability of the next generation of boosters in the fall, NPR has learned.
The new strategy is aimed at trying to balance protecting people this summer with keeping people safe next winter, when the country will probably get hit by yet another surge.
But the possible shift is being met with mixed reactions. The Food and Drug Administration could make a final decision by the end of the week.
The dilemma facing the FDA is that the immunity many people have gotten from getting vaccinated or infected has been wearing off. At the same time, the most contagious version of the virus to emerge yet — the omicron subvariant BA.5 — is making people even more vulnerable.
The FDA is trying to get the vaccine companies to make the reformulated booster shots available even sooner — possibly as soon as September. If the bivalent boosters can be accelerated, the FDA would skip opening up fourth shots of the original vaccines this summer and just wait for the new double-barreled omicron vaccines in the fall. NPR Read more
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Can the BA.4 and BA.5 Variants spread outdoors?
“Even small quantities of the virus floating around could infect you if you are not wearing a mask,” said Dr. Janak Patel, director of the Division of Infectious Disease and Immunology at the University of Texas Medical Branch, adding that this could be the case for certain outdoor settings, too — a situation that was generally considered OK for the past two-plus years of the pandemic.
So, does this mean you’re at risk every time you step outside? Are we back to square one with the pandemic? No, thankfully. But there is increased risk as we continue to deal with a more transmissible virus strain. Here’s what experts know and don’t know about COVID spread outdoors:
“We’re hearing anecdotal reports of people testing positive who think they got it outdoors,” said Dr. Scott Roberts, associate medical director of Infection Prevention at Yale New Haven Hospital. “Right now we’re waiting on additional data to confirm that COVID transmission is occurring outdoors.”
Roberts added that since BA.5 is more transmissible than prior variants indoors, it is likely that it’s more transmissible outdoors, too. Roberts stressed that COVID spread outdoors is much less common than spread indoors, but nothing is perfect. Overall, spending time outside is “a safer mechanism of prevention against COVID” because of the unlimited ventilation.
That being said, not all outdoor spaces are created equal.
Patel stressed that if you’re going to crowded outdoor events like weddings, sports games and entertainment events, you should follow health precautions while we wait on data about the current subvariants’ spread outdoors.
“The key is really just ensuring that there’s adequate distancing,” particularly if you’re in a situation where someone sneezes or coughs within a few feet of you, Roberts emphasized. While it’s less dangerous than being indoors when someone sneezes, there’s still a risk of infection from a very contagious strain like BA.5. .Huff Post Read more
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Lower sex drive and hair loss among long Covid symptoms
A reduced sex drive, hallucinations and hair loss are among a wider set of long Covid symptoms, according to a study of people who were infected but not hospitalised during the pandemic.
The most common symptoms in the weeks and months after a bout of coronavirus have long been known to include loss of smell and shortness of breath. The NHS list of common Covid symptoms also includes signs such as fatigue, rashes and brain fog.
Now researchers have been able to show that people with long Covid often experience an “extremely broad” variety of symptoms, including less well-known side effects such as amnesia, and an inability to perform familiar movements or commands.
Anuradhaa Subramanian, lead author of the study said, “Women are, for example, more likely to experience autoimmune diseases. Seeing the increased likelihood of women having long Covid in our study increases our interest in investigating whether autoimmunity or other causes may explain the increased risk in women.
“These observations will help to further narrow the focus on factors to investigate what may be causing these persistent symptoms after an infection, and how we can help patients who are experiencing them.” The Guardian Read more
Current COVID BA.5 Symptoms that doctors are seeing the most
The current COVID-19 variants are more transmissible than ever, leading to a higher rate of infection throughout the country and increased risk associated with most activities.
The current strains are unique for reasons beyond their transmissibility, too. They also can cause some different symptoms compared to earlier strains of the virus.
Here, experts share the COVID-19 symptoms that are most common right now and other differences they’ve seen with these current variants.
Like other recent variants, a sore throat is a very common symptom with BA.5.
According to David Souleles, the director of the COVID-19 Response Team at the University of California, Irvine, the most common symptoms of recent COVID infections include coughs, congestion fatigue and headaches.
One of the most ubiquitous issues, though? “Sore throats are very commonly reported,” he said.
However, it’s important to remember that this may not be exclusive to BA.5. It takes the scientific community time to compile recent infection data since variants change so quickly, Souleles said. Plus, if you test with an at-home test, there’s no way of knowing what variant you had.
Overall, people feel pretty sick or wiped out when they have it.
“[This strain is] causing bad cold to flu-like illness,” said Dr. Pritish Tosh, an infectious diseases physician and researcher at Mayo Clinic. And exact symptoms and severity tend to vary depending on many factors, including age, medical history and infection history.
But, Souleles said “if you talk to the average person who had COVID, many will tell you it’s the sickest they’ve ever been without going to the hospital.”
It appears people are getting infected and seeing symptoms faster.
According to Souleles, people are testing positive after exposure at a faster rate than earlier in the pandemic.
A year ago, it “might have been more like seven to 10 days after their exposure period,” he said. Now, most people will test positive three to five days after exposure.
“We’re definitely seeing a more rapid progression to symptoms after exposure.” Huff Post Read more
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State/National/International News |
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Some COVID orphans in California will get financial help
In a small town in California’s Central Valley, a trio of siblings lost both their parents to COVID-19 within two weeks of each other in 2021. Their deaths made the oldest son a pseudo-parent to his teenage siblings overnight and forced the brothers and sister to figure out a future without their mom and dad.
In California, 32,000 children under 18 have experienced the death of a parent or primary caregiver from COVID-19, according to research by the Global Reference Group for Children Affected by COVID-19. Those children — so-called “COVID orphans” — are likely to face not just financial hardship but a lifetime of mental health, educational, relational and emotional challenges, researchers say.
Now, California has become the first state to create a financial safety net for some COVID orphans when they reach adulthood. The state has allocated $100 million in its recently adopted budget for the Hope, Opportunity, Perseverance, and Empowerment for Children Trust Account Fund, which will seed trust funds for low-income children who lost a parent or primary caregiver to COVID-19. Trust funds will also be created for long-term foster youth.
Latino children account for the majority — 66% — of COVID orphans in California. Many of them are the sons and daughters of essential workers who were already facing economic uncertainty before the pandemic.
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International News
CDC adds 6 places to its 'high' risk category for travel, including 2 Central American countries
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added six destinations to its "high" risk category for travel on Monday.
Two Central American countries -- El Salvador and Honduras -- received a Level 3, "high" risk designation. Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland and Fiji were also added to Level 3.
Level 3 became the top rung in terms of risk level in April after the CDC overhauled its ratings system for assessing Covid-19 risk for travelers.
Much of Europe has been stubbornly lodged at Level 3 for months with the summer travel season in full swing. As of July 25, the following popular European destinations were among those remaining at Level 3:
- France
- The Netherlands
- Norway
- Portugal
- Spain
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- Greece
- Ireland
- Italy
Those aren't the only high-profile spots that find themselves at Level 3. Numerous other destinations around the world are among those in the "high" risk category, including the following:
- Brazil
- Mexico
- Canada
- South Korea
- Costa Rica
- Thailand
- Malaysia
- Turkey
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Relentless pandemic casts a shadow on the global economy
More than two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty over how the health crisis will evolve continues to hinder businesses across the U.S.
"As long as we're not sure how many people are going to be working from offices, then it's difficult for owners of restaurants that cater to people in offices to know how many people they should hire, or how big an order they ought to place," Peter Goodman, global economics correspondent for the New York Times, told CBS News. "So there are all sorts of uncertainties within the economy."
Surging consumer demand, coupled with broken supply chains, is also behind the soaring inflation that's currently slamming Americans and others around the globe. Central banks around the world are moving to raise interest rates in an effort to tame inflation, which slows economic growth.
When borrowing costs increase, "You're less likely to borrow, you're less likely to spend, you're less likely to hire," Goodman said. "That cools off economic activity and prices come down."
But deliberately slowing a country's economic growth also reduces work opportunities and shrinks markets where businesses can sell their wares, he added. "You lift rates when you're worried about inflation; you lower rates when you're worried about not enough jobs, not enough growth." . CBS News Read more
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Op-Ed from the UK - by Andy Welch
The most crushing thing about getting Covid so late? Knowing I’m not a medical marvel
Two lines? Really? There must be some mistake. This was what went through my head last week, on seeing my first positive lateral flow test. Ah, maybe it’s a duff test, I thought, sitting at the foot of my bed feeling slightly shocked but otherwise absolutely fine and symptomless.
So I did another one. That was positive, too, the line next to the little T so thick and vibrant it seemed to be animated on the test strip. Would a third be wasteful? And seeing as I believed every negative test to be accurate, why should the positive be so much less trustworthy?
The further proof I craved arrived over the next four or five hours, as I proceeded to feel increasingly dreadful. My God, the aches! The fever! And during a heatwave, as well. The humanity!
Until last week I was among the 15% of people in England who had never had Covid. According to UK Health Security Agency figures released last week, people like me are accounting for about 55% of cases in the current Covid wave, driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of Omicron.
Perhaps it’s relief that I’ve finally got Covid out of the way? No more wondering what it’s like.
And perhaps it’s just gratitude – that I am now emerging seemingly unscathed, thanks no doubt to the genius of the vaccine and my prior decent health. More than 200,000 people in the UK weren’t as lucky, and in my darker moments last week, I thought about them a lot. The Guardian Read more
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China approves Genuine Biotech's HIV drug for COVID patients
China on Monday gave conditional approval to domestic firm Genuine Biotech's Azvudine pill to treat certain adult patients with COVID-19, adding another oral treatment option against the coronavirus.
The availability of effective COVID vaccines and treatments is crucial in laying the groundwork for China's potential pivoting from its "dynamic COVID zero" policy, which aims to eliminate every outbreak - however small - and relies on mass testing and strict quarantining.
The Azvudine tablet, which China approved in July last year to treat certain HIV-1 virus infections, has been given a conditional green light to treat adult patients with "normal type" COVID, the National Medical Products Administration said in a statement.
"Normal type" COVID is a term China uses to refer to coronavirus infections where there are signs of pneumonia, but the patients haven't reached a severe stage.
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Total Confirmed Cases
Bay Area: 1,569,899
California: 9,871,930
U.S.: 87,858,093
Alameda County
Primary Vaccine Series Completed: 84.8%
Total Cases: 329,463
Total Deaths: 1,963
Test Positivity (7-day rate): 5.2%
Hospitalized Patients (as of 7/26): 47
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Total Reported Deaths
Bay Area: 8,621
California: 92,595
U.S.: 1,017,880
Contra Costa County
Primary Vaccine Series Completed: 83.2%
Total Cases: 236,243
Total Deaths: 1,373
Test Positivity (7-day rate): 16.9%
Hospitalized Patients (as of 7/26): 107
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Exercise more than the recommended amounts for the longest life, study says
A longer life may mean scheduling in even more than the recommended amount of weekly exercise, according to a new study.
Adults should get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous physical activity a week, according to the World Health Organization. But people who surpass those levels live longer than those who don't.
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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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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Alameda County, cumulative
as of 7/26/2022
Oakland:94,202
Hayward: 40.341
Fremont: 35,814
San Leandro: 19,884
Berkeley: 18,919
Eden MAC: 17.686
Livermore: 15,927
Union City: 14,347
Alameda: 12,126
Castro Valley: 11,704
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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Contra Costa County, cumulative
as of 7/26/2022
Richmond: 33,045
Antioch: 30,332
Concord: 25,534
Pittsburg: 19,455
Brentwood: 14,122
San Pablo: 13,927
Walnut Creek: 12,778
San Ramon: 11,891
Oakley: 11,478
Martinez: 8,250
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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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