COVID-19
breaking news & updates
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COVID Test Resources
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Bulletin Publication Schedule For Next Week
Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, the COVID-19 Bulletin will be published only once next week, on Tuesday, November 22.
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Contra Costa County Offers Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests
Contra Costa County residents can now receive four free at-home COVID-19 test kits through a mail-order program, the county's health department announced Tuesday. The test kits will ship to residents' homes within 5-7 business days, according to Contra Costa Health Services. County health officials are urging residents to test for the virus before attending large indoor gatherings, particularly as COVID transmission continues to increase countywide. NBC Bay Area Read more
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UCSF Infectious Disease Expert: "Right Now BA.5 Is Not The Only Game In Town"
Over the next two weeks, hundreds of thousands of San Francisco Bay Area residents will travel or gather with families or friends in record numbers over the Thanksgiving holiday. And once again a spike in new COVID cases is a concern. UCSF Infectious disease specialist Dr. Peter Chin-Hong says there hasn't been a major spike yet, but there is a slight uptick in new cases. "They (COVID cases) are creeping up slowly, I think that feels invisible to a lot of people but in the hospital I've been seeing COVID cases," he told KPIX. "It's creeping up to about 18 (new cases a day). We have 2 people in the ICU. With the test positivities increasing, the waste water epidemiology showing that COVID levels increasing, so it's a real trend that we are seeing." CBS News Read more
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Yosemite Not Requiring Reservations In Summer 2023
People visiting Yosemite National Park next summer will not need a reservation, the park announced Tuesday. Reservations were required in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in 2022 due to infrastructure repairs. "Yosemite has been grappling with congestion — even gridlock — for decades," the park wrote in a Facebook post. "We want to build from the lessons learned from the last three summers of managed access. Look for an announcement in December, when we'll start seeking your help to design an approach that provides a great visitor experience while protecting Yosemite's natural and cultural resources." NBC Bay Area Read more
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COVID Vaccine/Treatment News |
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CVS Pharmacists Can Now Prescribe COVID-19 Antiviral Treatment
CVS Pharmacy on Nov. 15 announced that pharmacists at more than 9,000 CVS Pharmacy locations can clinically assess COVID-19 positive patients and, if eligible, prescribe Paxlovid, an oral antiviral treatment. In July, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognized the clinical capabilities of pharmacists and granted them the authority to evaluate patients with COVID-19 and prescribe Paxlovid to clinically eligible patients. After evaluating the FDA's guidance and implementing required systems, policies, and training, CVS Pharmacy is now offering the service in 49 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. CVS Pharmacists can assess eligible COVID-19 positive patients and prescribe oral antivirals at most locations. CVS Read more
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COVID-19 Rapid Home Tests Not Highly Sensitive For Omicron
Dutch researchers reveal that the sensitivities of three commonly used rapid antigen tests, when used in asymptomatic people in the Omicron period, were very low and suggest repeat testing after a negative test. The study is published in Clinical Microbiology and Infection. The study was conducted between Jan 2 to Mar 30, 2022, when Omicron accounted for 90% to 99.5% of all cases in the Netherlands. A total of 3,600 asymptomatic people with suspected COVID-19 were tested using one of three at-home rapid antigen tests and a reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test. Home tests were provided within 3 hours of taking an RT-PCR test. CIDRAP Read more
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How To Get Free Or Low-Cost COVID Tests This Holiday Season — And How Best To Use Them
The third holiday season since the pandemic started is approaching, and COVID remains a persistent presence. More than 300 people die of the virus each day, on average, according to NBC News' tally. Testing remains a crucial tool to identify cases and curb spread. But finding low-cost tests and interpreting the results isn't always simple. Here's the latest CDC and FDA guidance, as well as expert advice, about how to get tests without paying out-of-pocket, check when an at-home test expires, and interpret a negative result if you have symptoms or known exposure. NBC News
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The Scientist Behind Pfizer’s COVID Vaccine Says A Flu Pandemic Is Only A Matter Of Time
Even after leading the charge combating the worst pandemic in a century, vaccine researcher Kathrin Jansen doesn’t feel that she can relax. Another pandemic — this one based on an influenza virus — is inevitable, Jansen said at the annual STAT Summit on Tuesday. “Before SARS-CoV-2, we had worried about pandemic flu. And just because corona came first doesn’t mean flu is just sitting there,” Jansen, who recently retired as head of vaccine R&D at Pfizer, told STAT senior writer Helen Branswell. An influenza-based pandemic is only a matter of time, Jansen added: “The question is, does it come tomorrow or 50 years from now?” STAT Read more
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State/National/International News |
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CDC Now Tracking BN.1, The Latest New COVID Variant On The Rise
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now tracking the rise of another COVID-19 variant known as BN.1, according to figures published by the agency this month, marking the latest new Omicron descendant now spreading around the country this fall. Some 4.3% of new COVID-19 cases nationwide are now linked to the BN.1 variant, according to "Nowcast" estimates released on Friday by the CDC. Prevalence of the new strain is largest in the West, in the region that spans Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada. 6.2% of new cases in that area, HHS Region 9, are from BN.1. News of the new variant comes as the nationwide pace of new COVID-19 hospitalizations, which had been falling since September, has begun to inch up again over the past few weeks.
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COVID-19 Hospitalizations Are Rising In Infants Under 6 Months, CDC Director Says
COVID-19 hospitalizations are rising among babies under 6 months old, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging mothers to get vaccinated to reduce the risk of infection in those not yet eligible for shots, the agency’s director said. In recent months, children younger than 6 months old have faced the second-highest rate of hospitalization across all age groups, trailing only behind those of senior citizens, Dr. Rochelle Walensky said last week. Since the Omicron variant took off in the U.S. in December, hospitalization rates of children too young to be vaccinated rose faster than those of older age groups. LA Times Read more
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Hidden in the glare and din of election coverage, dangerous developments in the COVID attack could mean disastrous holidays for Americans. All the pieces are in place for a huge viral spike that could cost very large numbers of lives and dollars. “53 million Americans expected to travel on roads and in the skies this Thanksgiving holiday,” ABC reported last year at this time. This month, travelers and gatherings face a host of problems, starting with two viciously contagious variants. Daily Kos Read more
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Doctors Sue To Block California COVID Disinformation Law
As an emergency physician at Stanford and Mills-Peninsula hospitals who has treated hundreds of COVID-19 patients, Dr. Ram Duriseti recalled bucking a prevailing treatment strategy early in the pandemic of rushing the sickest patients onto ventilators not only to help them breathe but to reduce spread of the virus. The medical world has since backed away from such aggressive use of ventilators, Duriseti said, but he fears in the near future his professional instincts could cost him his medical license under a new California law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed at the end of September. Set to take effect next year, it bars doctors from spreading misinformation about COVID-19. Duriseti has joined four other California physicians in filing a federal lawsuit against Newsom and the state medical board arguing the law violates doctors’ constitutional First Amendment free speech and Fourteenth Amendment due process rights. East Bay Times Read more
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CDC Map Puts 7 States In Worst Category For Flu Activity
The CDC has seven states, plus Washington, D.C., in the highest category for flu activity. Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina and Virginia are all categorized as “very high.” The Hill
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Parents Are Missing Work At Record Rates To Take Care Of Sick Kids
This fall has been a blur of runny noses, body aches and lost paychecks for Jacob Terry. His 18-month-old daughter came home from day care with Respiratory Syncytial Virus a few weeks ago. Now he’s got it, too, while trying to juggle child care responsibilities with his job as a marketing freelancer. “If I don’t work, I don’t eat. I’m medicating myself and staying up all night to catch up. It’s one big mess," Terry said. Washington Post Read more
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Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) |
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CDPH Reports First Flu And RSV Death In A Child Under Age 5
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) on Monday reported the first death of this winter season of a child under the age of 5 due to flu and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Young children are most vulnerable to severe complications from RSV and the flu, especially if they have underlying medical conditions or were born premature. To protect patient confidentiality, no additional information, including where the death occurred, is being released at this time. CDPH Read more
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RSV Hospitalization Rate For Seniors Is 10 Times Higher Than Usual For This Point In The Season
The respiratory virus season has started early in kids this year and flooded children's hospitals in many parts of the country – especially with respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV. But adults can get RSV, too. Although RSV does not typically send as many adults to the hospital, it can be a serious and even deadly disease for seniors and people with underlying health conditions. And with more kids getting RSV, the chances that adults will be exposed also rise. Some doctors say they are starting to see an uptick in adult patients. CNN Read more
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Total Confirmed Cases
Bay Area: 1,793,236
California: 11,420,361
U.S.: 98,121,465
Alameda County
Check the Dashboards Below for
the Latest Figures
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Total Reported Deaths
Bay Area: 9,343
California: 97,149
U.S.: 1,075,472
Contra Costa County
Check the Dashboards Below for
the Latest Figures
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What A "Tripledemic" Means For Your Body
Your body is likely to encounter multiple different virological foes this season — perhaps even at the same time. When you board a plane, or see a show, or eat out, you’re facing a more varied swirl of viruses than in recent years. How should you expect your body to cope? The Atlantic 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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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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