COVID-19
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Only One Bay Area County Won't Drop Mask Mandate Next Week
Santa Clara is the only county in the greater San Francisco Bay Area that isn't aligning with the state of California and lifting COVID-19 indoor mask mandates after Feb. 15.
Dr. Sara Cody, the county's health director, said at a Wednesday morning press conference that while the Omicron surge is subsiding, she believes the community transmission rate remained too high to stop requiring masking. Cody didn't say specifically when the mandate would be dropped, but she provided metrics that she's considering, including the number of hospitalizations. SFGate Read more
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With California’s Mask Mandate Set To End, Should You Go Maskless? Here’s What UCSF’s Dr. Wachter Says
As states across the country - including California - announce plans to lift mask mandates for people who are vaccinated, will you take off yours? UCSF’s Dr. Bob Wachter took to Twitter to explain that the decision should depend on your personal risk factors and the specifics of the situation. In his view, deciding to keep the mask or ditch it as Omicron subsides are both “reasonable decisions.” He gave the example of a party he went to this weekend in Florida, which was intended to be outdoors — until it started raining, forcing the party inside and forcing Wachter to decide if he was going to stay, eating and drinking inside without a mask, or leave his college friend’s 65th birthday celebration. Such a decision is commonplace for many people these days, he wrote, but how people approach the decision may vary greatly. SF Chronicle Read more
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Bay Area COVID Deaths Rise Sharply, Even As Cases Fall
The number of daily COVID deaths reported in the Bay Area has doubled from two weeks ago but appears to be leveling off in recent days. At the same time, cases and hospitalizations of patients with COVID continue to plunge from the height of the Omicron surge. Coronavirus fatalities in the region have ticked up since Jan. 24, from 11 per day to 22 per day as of Monday, according to state data on seven-day averages of new daily deaths. Statewide, the number of people dying from COVID-19 has climbed from 120 per day to 184 per day over the same period. With the rapid transmission rate of the now-dominant omicron variant of the coronavirus, and continued high case numbers, people are now dying at a much higher rate than they were during the Delta summer surge. SF Chronicle Read more
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Omicron Has Killed 12% More Bay Area Residents Per Week Than Delta
The death toll from the Omicron surge has come into better focus in the last couple of weeks, as hospitalizations and deaths connected to the peak of infections in early January have now been at least partly recorded. And here in the highly vaccinated Bay Area, the infectiousness of the variant still managed to take a bigger toll than the more severe Delta variant did last summer and fall — and there were just as many people in hospitals with COVID this January as there were last January, during the Alpha wave. SFist Read more
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Omicron Worsened BART Ridership Recovery, Fiscal Woes — And Taxpayers May Be Asked To Pay For It
A coronavirus surge fueled by the Omicron variant peaked weeks ago in the Bay Area, but its effects on BART will be felt for years as it exacerbates a ridership collapse and worsens the agency’s looming fiscal crisis, according to a new BART financial outlook. BART, which was already lagging the nation’s rail transit systems in its pandemic ridership recovery, is projecting an even larger loss of ridership over the next decade compared to its pre-Omicron financial outlook in October. Mercury News
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Food Bank Says One In Four Alameda County Residents Need Help Getting Groceries, With Increased Need Driven By Pandemic
People having trouble making ends meet pulled into an East Oakland parking lot for groceries courtesy of the Alameda County Community Food Bank. Even with the pandemic entering its third year, new people keep coming, including those who never needed this kind of help before. The food bank says before the pandemic about one in five Alameda County residents needed help with groceries. During the pandemic, it has grown to one in four. KTVU Read more
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J.&J. Pauses Production Of Its COVID Vaccine Despite Persistent Need
Johnson & Johnson’s easy-to-deliver Covid-19 shot is the vaccine of choice for much of the developing world. Yet the American company, which has already fallen far behind on its deliveries to poorer countries, late last year quietly shut down the only plant making usable batches of the vaccine, according to people familiar with the decision. The facility, in the Dutch city of Leiden, has instead been making an experimental but potentially more profitable vaccine to protect against an unrelated virus. NY Times Read more
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A Latina Scientist Co-Created A New COVID Vaccine. She's Nominated For The Nobel Peace Prize
María Elena Bottazzi doesn't forget where she comes from. Her face softens as she, in the midst of complex scientific terms, speaks of Honduras as if she had left Tegucigalpa, its capital, yesterday. “It never crossed my mind to look for a job at a multinational" company, she said with a broad smile in a video interview with Noticias Telemundo. "I am Central American and doing nonprofit projects is my way of giving back a little of what Honduras has given me.” Together with Dr. Peter Hotez, Bottazzi, 56, a microbiologist, led the team from the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development that created the Corbevax vaccine for COVID-19, a patent-free drug that last month already received emergency authorization for use in India. NBC News
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"The Next Culture War": Vaccines For Young Kids
Pfizer and federal officials are scrambling to speed up COVID vaccines for kids under 5 — but polls indicate plenty of parents may be on the fence about getting their child vaccinated right away. Officials are trying to get first shots into the littlest arms to protect against severe disease and hospitalization — which, while rare for young kids, is still a real threat. But parents of younger children are generally more cautious, which for some could mean a race to get the shots once their kids are eligible while others choose to wait. Axios Read more
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Weak Response From Some U.S. Bishops As Priests Spread Vaccine Misinformation
Some U.S. Catholic priests have peddled conspiracy theories about microchips in vaccines and power-hungry global cabals exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to institute a one-world government. Others have spread blatant untruths about COVID-19, telling their flocks and online audiences that the pandemic is not real, that the vaccines are immoral and could even kill them. "There is evidence that the jab is harmful even deadly," Fr. Paul Kubista of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis wrote in his parish bulletin last October. "If you took the Coronavirus-19 'vaccine' you will probably be dead in two years," Fr. David Nix, a priest in the Archdiocese of Denver with a large social media following, wrote on his Facebook page last summer.
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Chinese Scientists Say They've Developed A New, Highly Accurate COVID Test That Gives Results In 4 Minutes
Chinese scientists say they have developed a new coronavirus test that is as accurate as a PCR lab test but gives results within four minutes. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are widely considered the most accurate and sensitive for detecting the virus that causes COVID-19, but they usually take several hours. During the surge of the highly transmissible Omicron variant many labs were unable to keep up with heavy testing demand, resulting in long delays. Researchers from Fudan University in Shanghai say they have a solution.
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Polio, Chickenpox, Measles, Now COVID. It’s Time To Consult History On School Vaccine Mandates
The rapid spread of Omicron across the nation — and the finding that vaccines continue to provide strong protection against severe disease — brings COVID-19 one step closer, perhaps, to truly earning its place on the list of diseases that have been tamed by vaccines. These include polio, measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox, all of which most kids must generally be vaccinated against before they enter school or day care. Some states have announced COVID vaccine requirements for certain students. But not everyone agrees that vaccine mandates for children are the way forward. Kaiser Health News Read more
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State/National/International News |
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Fauci Says “Full-Blown” Pandemic Is Almost Over
As the number of new COVID cases continues to plunge across the country, Dr. Anthony Fauci has offered his most hopeful assessment of the pandemic yet, telling the Financial Times this week that the United States was “certainly” exiting the most dangerous phase. He also expressed optimism that COVID restrictions, including mask mandates, could soon be lifted. “As we get out of the full-blown pandemic phase of Covid-19, which we are certainly heading out of, these decisions will increasingly be made on a local level rather than centrally decided or mandated,” Fauci said in a new interview. “There will also be more people making their own decisions on how they want to deal with the virus.” The remarks come as more states, and notably, Democratic-leaning ones, lift Covid restrictions—with some like New Jersey easing mandates in schools and others loosening mandates on businesses. Mother Jones Read more
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"Now Is Not The Moment" To Drop Mask Rules, CDC Director Says As States End Mandates
As more states announce an end to mask mandates in schools and other public places, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned against lifting such requirements, citing the country’s still-high rate of new infections. “Now is not the moment,” the agency’s chief, Rochelle Walensky, told Reuters in an interview published Tuesday, one day after five states announced major changes in their masking policies. Washington Post Read more
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The Word Surpasses 400 Million Known Coronavirus Cases And Confronts How To Live With COVID
The world surpassed 400 million known coronavirus cases on Tuesday, just one month after reaching 300 million, a staggering increase driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant as governments and individuals worldwide wrestle with how to confront the next stage of the pandemic. It took more than a year for the world to reach 100 million confirmed infections: The first cases were identified in late 2019, and the 100 millionth in January 2021. It took only seven months to double that number, and now six months to double it again. NY Times Read more
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Polls Show How Frustrated Americans Are With The Pandemic
A wave of polls taken as the Omicron variant crested across much of the United States shows new signs that the public’s resolve to combat the coronavirus pandemic is waning. The surveys depict an increasingly frustrated and pessimistic nation that is as worried by the specter of an endless pandemic as it is fearful of the disease. While a majority of voters remain concerned about the coronavirus, the balance of recent polling suggests that the desire to return to normalcy has approached or even overtaken alarm about the virus itself. NY Times Read more
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New COVID-19 Sick Pay For California Workers Approved By Lawmakers
California lawmakers passed legislation on Monday to provide most workers with up to two weeks of COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave, a move policymakers hope will slow the spread of the coronavirus across the state. “We all are quite aware of the surge of COVID-19 cases, and this act will help ensure that those employees that are sick can take the paid sick leave that they need so all of us are protected,” said Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley). For months, labor unions lobbied legislators and Gov. Gavin Newsom to renew the state’s sick leave mandate that expired in September. The new policy includes many of the same provisions of the 2021 law with some new rules negotiated by the business community to prevent abuse of the system. LA Times
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Paying Bills Or Buying Masks: Simple Living With COVID Is Hitting Some Americans Hard
As the human toll of the coronavirus continues to mount, so does the cost that comes with living during a pandemic. Cloth and disposable surgical masks have become staples of pandemic life as many stores, restaurants and businesses require staff and customers to wear them. And many school districts around the country still have mask mandates in place. At-home rapid tests have also become familiar as the surge of coronavirus cases over the new year caused a frenzy as millions of Americans rushed to get their hands on one. Some school districts also require negative tests before students return to campus. For the most part, people have had to cover these expenses up front. NPR Read more
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What Does COVID-19 Do To Your Brain?
Even after the SARS CoV-2 virus has been subdued, the immune system can’t calm down. That is the current theory about what’s behind the strange, lingering and debilitating neurological symptoms of some COVID-19 patients, such as the commonly reported “brain fog,” according to a recent paper in the journal Science. The virus doesn’t cause extensive infection in the brain. Instead, the neurological effects seem to be caused by “friendly fire” — an exaggerated or misguided immune response, as well as damage to the brain’s blood vessels, according to Dr. Serena Spudich of the Yale School of Medicine and Dr. Avindra Nath of the National Institutes of Health. Mercury News Read more
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"Broken Heart" Cases Surge During COVID, Especially Among Women
Groundbreaking research by several top American medical centers has identified a COVID pandemic spike in cases of so-called "broken heart syndrome," a potentially deadly stress-induced heart condition that doctors say is disproportionately impacting women. "My heart felt like it was pounding out of my chest," said Mary Kay Abramson, 63, of Brookeville, Maryland, who was diagnosed with the condition last year. "It just felt like the blood just couldn't get through the heart fast enough." An otherwise healthy and active corporate travel agent, Abramson said the episode occurred without symptoms or warning signs and even surprised the doctors trying to diagnose it.
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For Burned-Out Health Workers, Exhaustion From COVID-19 Surges Mixes With A Sense Of Betrayal
Beneath the bone-deep exhaustion, burned-out health care workers say they are grappling with another feeling: betrayal. Many clinicians have felt that with the waves of COVID have come waves of abandonment — by employers unable or unwilling to protect workers, by lawmakers undercutting public health measures, and by a public resigned to the ongoing crisis. And ultimately, health workers can feel betrayed by themselves, as circumstances outside their control make it painfully difficult to care for their patients or colleagues. STAT Read more
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Long COVID: "My Shame Over 18-Month Work Absence"
Sian Griffiths is desperate to get back to work but feels "ashamed" the "fog of long Covid" has kept her off for the past 18 months. "I can't drive far, I forget to close doors, I burn food and when I'm reading my brain turns some words into others. I lose concentration," she said. Sian is one of a record 1.3 million people in the UK living with long Covid - more than 2% of the population. The only thing that lifts the cloud of long Covid for her is wild swimming. "It feels like the fog disappears, I can think a bit more clearly," said Sian. BBC
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White-Tailed Deer Could Become A Reservoir For The Virus, Putting People And Animals At Risk, Health Experts Say
Experts have been aware since the pandemic began that a virus that emerged from animals, as scientists believe the coronavirus did, could spread back to animals again. It has happened with mink when the virus spread through mink farms in Europe and North America, prompting broad culls. And it has happened with big cats in zoos. It turns out that white-tailed deer, which may wander into urban and rural backyards, are also easily infected. Deer live alongside people in large numbers; there are now about 30 million white-tailed deer roaming the continental United States. Infections in free-ranging deer, which display few outward signs of illness, are tricky to detect and difficult to contain. NY Times Read more
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Australia Will Reopen To Fully Vaccinated Travelers In 2 Weeks
Australia will reopen to fully vaccinated travelers beginning Feb. 21, officials announced Monday. The move comes nearly two years after it first closed its international borders to slow the spread of COVID-19, and several months after beginning a gradual reopening that allowed certain tourists and foreign workers to enter the country. Prime Minister Scott Morrison noted at a news conference that Australia has progressively opened its borders through programs with New Zealand, Singapore, Japan and South Korea, and also began welcoming international students and economic migrants late last year. That welcome will soon be extended to visa holders and international tourists, on one condition. "The condition is, you must be double vaccinated to come to Australia," Morrison said. "That's the rule. Everyone is expected to abide by it." NPR Read more
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Total Confirmed Cases
Bay Area: 1,239,455
California: 8,756,673
U.S.: 77,139,262
Alameda County
Total Vaccines Administered: 3,456,055
Total Cases: 242,243
Total Deaths: 1,660
Test Positivity (7-day rate): 8.1%
Hospitalized Patients (as of 2/9): 230
ICU Beds Available (as of 2/9): 74
As of February 9, cases have decreased recently but are still extremely high. The numbers of hospitalized COVID patients and deaths in the Alameda County area have risen. The test positivity rate in Alameda County is very high, suggesting that cases are being significantly undercounted. NY Times
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Total Reported Deaths
Bay Area: 7,422
California: 81,759
U.S.: 910,205
Contra Costa County
Total Vaccines Administered: 2,403,410
Total Cases: 181,553
Total Deaths: 1,132
Test Positivity (7-day rate): 10.8%
Hospitalized Patients (as of 2/9): 194
ICU Beds Available (as of 2/9): 24
As of February 9, cases have decreased recently but are still extremely high. The numbers of hospitalized COVID patients and deaths in the Contra Costa County area have risen. The test positivity rate in Contra Costa County is very high, suggesting that cases are being significantly undercounted. NY Times
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How To Do An At-Home COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test Correctly
Chances are you’ve seen COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits for sale in drugstores and supermarkets and online. Or perhaps you’ve received your free kits from the federal government, which is currently shipping one billion test kits to families around the nation. (You can order yours here.) The rapid antigen tests give results in 15-20 minutes and are convenient. Self-testing is an important tool in efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus, along with vaccination, masking, washing hands and social distancing. UC Davis Health 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 866 new cases and 5.1 new death per day.
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Over the past week, Contra Costa County has averaged 623 new cases and 2.4 new deaths per day.
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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Alameda County, cumulative
as of 2/9/2022
Oakland: 70,724
Hayward: 32,107
Fremont: 24,448
San Leandro: 14,919
Eden MAC: 13,952
Livermore: 12,351
Berkeley: 11,754
Union City: 10,750
Castro Valley: 8,288
Newark: 7,560
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Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Contra Costa County, cumulative
as of 2/9/2022
Richmond: 27,022
Antioch: 24,643
Concord: 19,690
Pittsburg: 16,007
San Pablo: 11,515
Brentwood: 10,984
Oakley: 9,224
Walnut Creek: 8,896
San Ramon: 7,684
Bay Point: 6,036
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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, and Gordon Galvan. 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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