COVID-19
breaking news & updates
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Marin Wastewater Data Show Array Of COVID-19 Variants
COVID-19 was more prevalent in Marin County in December than it has been since public health officials started collecting wastewater data to measure transmissions, officials said. Data collected on Dec. 26 support what health officials have seen in recent weeks, with 24 outbreaks across Marin and at least 10 Omicron variants circulating through the community. More cases are expected to appear following the holidays, said Dr. Matt Willis, Marin’s public health officer. “To me, that’s a sign that we’re definitely seeing more transmissions in our community,” Willis said Friday. Mercury News
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SF Emergency Room Physician Opens Up About Leaving Twitter Over Rampant COVID Misinformation
A local emergency room doctor, Kaiser's Dr. Graham Walker, dedicated to debunking COVID-19 conspiracy theories is giving up that fight, on Twitter at least, claiming that misinformation is running wild on that platform. And the data backs up that claim. A number of UCSF doctors have become semi-famous on Twitter over the course of the pandemic, for their COVID-19 insights that present complex data in easy-to-understand plan language. But then the Elon Musk takeover of Twitter happened, and under Musk's COVID-denying leadership, the site’s COVID misinformation policies were tossed out the window. SFist Read more
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San Joaquin County Officials Urge Residents To Test For COVID-19 Before Returning To Work, School
San Joaquin County Public Health Services is encouraging residents to test for COVID-19 as the year comes to an end, whether they are experiencing symptoms or not. The county’s recommendation comes as health officials anticipate another surge of the virus to start 2023 following large gatherings celebrating the holidays and New Year. “We are happy to offer the convenience of getting tested and treated in one location and we’re thankful that members of our community will benefit from medication that can decrease their risk of hospitalization or death,” Dr. Maggie Park, San Joaquin County Public Health Officer, said in a media statement Thursday. Mercury News Read more
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COVID Vaccine/Treatment News |
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COVID-19 Vaccines, Prior Infection Reduce Transmission of Omicron
Vaccination and boosting, especially when recent, helped to limit the spread of COVID-19 in California prisons during the first Omicron wave, according to an analysis by researchers at UC San Francisco that examined transmission between people living in the same cell. The study demonstrates the benefits of vaccination and boosting, even in settings where many people are still getting infected, in reducing transmission. And it shows the cumulative effects from boosting and the additional protection that vaccination gives to those who were previously infected. The likelihood of transmission fell by 11% for each additional dose. UCSF Read more
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Why Is California's Most Vulnerable Population Not Up-To-Date On COVID Vaccinations?
As the country battles yet another COVID winter surge, health care providers are left wondering why less than 50% of California's nursing home residents aren't up-to-date on their vaccinations. "Many of us feels like no one cares," said Dr. Mike Wasserman, a nationally recognized geriatrician who formerly sat on the state's vaccine advisory committee. "What we've been suggesting is literally a reset on the approach, we literally have to start from the beginning." CDC data shows only 49% of nursing home residents are up-to-date on their vaccinations in California, as of late Dec. It's even worse among nursing home staff - only 36% are up-to-date. ABC7's data analysis found the rates among both groups started to trend down this week, while deaths continue rising.
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A Promising New COVID Pill Shows Key Advantages Over Paxlovid
In Trial
A new antiviral pill for COVID was found to be as effective as Paxlovid at curbing mild to moderate illness among people at high risk of severe disease in a Phase 3 trial in China. The results, published last Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine, suggest that the treatment had fewer side effects than Paxlovid, the go-to antiviral for high-risk patients. Around 67% of people who took the experimental pill, called VV116, reported side effects, compared to to 77% who took Paxlovid. NBC News Read more
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State/National/International News |
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Highly Immune Evasive Omicron XBB.1.5 Variant Is Quickly Becoming Dominant In U.S. As It Doubles Weekly
The COVID Omicron XBB.1.5 variant is rapidly becoming dominant in the U.S. because it is highly immune evasive and appears more effective at binding to cells than related subvariants, scientists say. XBB.1.5 now represents about 41% of new cases nationwide in the U.S., nearly doubling in prevalence over the past week, according to the data published Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The subvariant more than doubled as a share of cases every week through Dec. 24. In the past week, it nearly doubled from 21.7% prevalence. CNBC Read more
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U.S. Records 100 Million COVID Cases, But More Than 200 Million Americans Have Probably Had It
The U.S. recorded more than 100 million formally diagnosed and reported COVID-19 cases this week, but the number of Americans who’ve actually had the virus since the beginning of the pandemic is probably more than twice as high. COVID-19 has easily infected more than 200 million in the U.S. alone since the beginning of the pandemic — some people more than once. The virus continues to evolve into more transmissible variants that dodge immunity from vaccination and prior infection, making transmission incredibly difficult to control as we go into the fourth year of the pandemic. CNBC
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COVID Experts Look Ahead At The Fourth Year Of The Pandemic: Vaccines, New Variants And What To Expect In 2023
Believe it or not, the world is about to enter its fourth year of living with COVID. 2022 began with an unprecedented surge in cases, driven by the wildly transmissible omicron variant, which overwhelmed many hospital systems. Offshoots of Omicron continued circulating, killing more than 250,000 people in the United States alone. Amid that ongoing toll, many Americans decided the pandemic was over, as vaccine and treatment availability took some of the bite out of the coronavirus’ threat. Masks were no longer required on planes, states largely abandoned what social distancing measures they had left, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed their guidance. And yet COVID is still with us. Grid Read more
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U.S. Announces New COVID Test Requirements For Travelers
From China
The Biden administration announced last Wednesday that travelers from China, Hong Kong and Macau must present negative Covid-19 tests before entering the United States, a move that it says is intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The requirement will take effect on Jan. 5. The announcement, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, came amid growing concern over a surge of cases in China and the country’s lack of transparency about the outbreak there. NY Times Read more
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Researchers May Have Cracked Why Some People Have Long-Term Smell Loss From COVID-19
Last February, Ruth Sheehan recovered from a COVID-19 infection that took away her sense of smell. Nearly two years later, her olfactory world is still dark. The smells of perfume, the Thanksgiving turkey, subtle food seasoning and coffee are similarly lost on her nostrils. Sheehan said she is grateful she mostly came away from the infection unscathed but added: “I definitely miss smelling things. I figured eventually it would come back but it just hasn’t.” Duke researchers may have finally figured out what is happening in the noses of people like Sheehan, who never fully recover. Mercury News Read more
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Pandemic Learning Loss Could Cost Students $70,000 In Lifetime Earnings
Learning loss could shave $70,000 off the lifetime earnings of children who were in school during the pandemic, according to a new study by a Stanford economist. The sobering forecast is based on an analysis of the sharp declines in the scores of eighth-graders on national math tests taken between 2019 and 2022. If the learning losses aren’t recovered, K-12 students on average will grow into less educated, lower-skilled and less productive adults and will earn 5.6% less over the course of their lives than students educated just before the pandemic, said a Stanford University economist who specializes in education.
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Respiratory Viruses Could Surge Following The Holidays, Public Health Experts Warn
There is growing concern among infectious disease and public health experts that the US could face even more respiratory infections in January. It is “highly likely” that respiratory viruses could spread even more following holiday gatherings and New Year’s Eve celebrations, Dr. William Schaffner, a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, said. “These are highly contagious viruses — and people have generally put COVID-19 and COVID vaccination behind them. They haven’t been all that attentive to flu. They’re not wearing masks,” Schaffner said. “And if you’re close together with other people, it’s an opportunity for all three of these viruses — flu, COVID, and even RSV — to spread from one person to another. So, we do expect a post-holiday surge in these viruses.” East Bay Times Read more
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CDC Warns Of A Rise In Severe Strep A Infections Among Children
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in late December alerted the medical community to an increase in pediatric cases of invasive group A strep infections. Group A streptococci are the same bacteria that cause strep throat and scarlet fever, but invasive infections refer to more serious cases in which the bacteria spread to areas of the body that such pathogens normally don't reach, like the bloodstream. The CDC warned in its health advisory that although rare, "these severe and invasive diseases are associated with high mortality rates and require immediate treatment, including appropriate antibiotic therapy." NBC News Read more
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Help Shape And Impact Alameda County’s Mental Health System
The Alameda County Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Division wants your input and innovative ideas to help strengthen its mental health and wellness programs to better serve you and your community over the next three years. Please participate in a short survey available in three languages - English, Spanish and Cantonese. Take the survey
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Oakland School's Peer-to-Peer Counseling Program Helps Students Cope With Trauma
A week after a student discharged a gun on campus at Madison Park Academy in Oakland’s Sobrante Park neighborhood on Aug. 29, 2022, it wasn’t just the adults who were on edge. “It was fifth period at the time, and I just started about 10 minutes in and we heard over the intercom the principal, ‘It's on lockdown! The school's on lockdown,’” senior Habeeb Tiamiyu recalled. “You could really tell it's serious because of the tone of her voice.” “Everyone started to panic because we don't know what's going on out there,” said senior Laila Goodman, who began texting her mom from inside the school. KQED Read more
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7 Daily Habits That'll Improve Your Mental Health In 2023
Making goals for the new year is a ritual we all take part in right after the holidays pass. Maybe this year you've made a resolution to get out of debt or devote more time and energy to eating better. But after a long and stressful 2022, some of us simply want to care for our minds and nourish our mental health in 2023. Our mental health is the basis for everything we do, including our social and emotional well-being. It impacts every aspect of our life. Being intentional about valuing your mental health will help you connect deeper with others, reduce anxiety and boost your confidence. CNET
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Feeling Off? It Could Be "Ambient" Stress
Americans’ mental health tanked during the first year of the pandemic. More than 36% of U.S. adults experienced symptoms of anxiety or depression in August 2020, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By January 2021, the number was above 40%. It’s not hard to see why. A novel and scary virus was spreading without vaccines to slow it. Cities and states were in various degrees of lockdown for much of 2020, with many people forgoing special occasions and visits with friends and family. Isolation and fear were widespread, and people had every reason to feel acutely stressed. But even as lockdowns lifted, people got vaccinated, and life resumed more of its normal rhythms, many people continued to feel…off. Time Read more
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Fentanyl Crisis/Drug Trends |
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New State Law To Help Save Lives From Opioid And Fentanyl Overdoses On College Campuses Takes Effect January 1
As California students head back to many public colleges and universities in the new year, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is bolstering efforts to raise awareness of and prevent opioid use, addiction, and potential overdose, as the state works to provide students with greater access to the life-saving drug Naloxone. CDPH is working with college and universities statewide to deliver updated educational materials to build additional awareness of the benefits of Naloxone, a life-saving medication used for the emergency treatment of a known or suspected opioid overdose. These efforts are made possible in part by the Campus Opioid Safety Act (Senate Bill 367), which goes into effect on January 1, 2023. CDPH Read more
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California To Receive $470 Million From CVS In Opioid Settlement
California is expected to receive about $470 million from a multistate settlement with CVS over allegations that the pharmacy chain contributed to the country’s opioid crisis, the state attorney general’s office said Tuesday. Last year, CVS Health and Walgreens agreed to pay about $5 billion each to settle a raft of lawsuits brought by state and local governments accusing the chains of filling prescriptions that should have been flagged as inappropriate, helping to fuel an epidemic that has killed more than half a million Americans over the last 20 years. LA Times Read more
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As Fentanyl Overdose Deaths Keep Rising, Efforts To Reverse Trend Meet Liability Fears
As fentanyl overdose deaths rise unabated, California is at the forefront of the fight to reverse the grim trend. But organizations that distribute overdose reversal drugs worry that their increasingly bold efforts to save lives could land them in legal trouble. Some, such as an outdoor center in San Francisco that opened in January, have generated wide attention. The facility — which in addition to distributing naloxone to opioid users helped connect them with social services — drew criticism from residents who claimed it encouraged drug abuse by allowing people to use on site. It closed earlier this month. Los Angeles Times Read more
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Final Tally: Nearly 107,000 U.S. Overdose Deaths Last Year
Nearly 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, according to final figures released in late December. The official number was 106,699, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. That’s nearly 16% higher than the nearly 92,000 overdose deaths in 2020. Earlier, provisional data suggested there were more than 107,000 overdose deaths last year. The numbers may have changed as some additional death records have come in, a CDC spokesman said. Also, provisional data includes all overdose deaths, while the final numbers are limited to U.S. residents, he noted. AP Read more
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Scientists Explore Using Psychedelics To Treat Alcohol, Drug Disorders
Melanie Senn’s father, long dead, appeared to her as she lay back in the dimly lit room at the Santa Monica clinic, a mask over her closed eyes, and the psychedelic trip began. More precisely, it was his thumb. It was disembodied and huge, materializing in her mind to wipe away her own image. Just as a parent might lick a thumb, she said, and use it to clean the dirtied cheek of a child. “It wasn’t like an aggressive move,” said Senn, 51, recounting the experience. Her father’s thumb had appeared right after the word “goodbye” stretched before her, like a banner in the sky. “It was like, ‘Goodbye. We’re going somewhere else. And you cannot take this version of yourself,’” she recalled.
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What Are Cardiac Arrest, Heart Attack And Heart Failure?
Heart disease is a leading killer around the world and the top cause of death in the United States. It killed an estimated 17.9 million people in 2019, representing 32% of all deaths globally, according to the World Health Organization. But not all heart disease is the same. It can affect the blood vessels to the heart or brain, heart muscles and valves, and other areas of the body. Cardiovascular diseases can require long-term treatment, or they can come on suddenly and seriously. Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, 24, suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field during the first quarter of Monday night’s game between the Bills and Cincinnati Bengals, his team said. It’s not clear what caused his cardiac arrest. CNN Read more
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New Research: This Activity Can Reduce The Risk Of Metastatic Cancer By 72%
According to recent Tel Aviv University research, aerobic exercise can significantly lower the chance of developing metastatic cancer by 72%. The researchers found that high-intensity aerobic exercise increased internal organs’ consumption of glucose (sugar), decreasing the amount of energy available to the tumor. SciTechDaily Read more
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The novel coronavirus could help us cure cancer. Well, certain cancers. The COVID pandemic gave the pharmaceutical industry the push it needed to finally finish developing messenger-RNA technology so that companies such as Moderna and Pfizer could use the tech for its COVID vaccines. Now the pharmaceutical industry is using the same mRNA platforms for cancer vaccines. Dozens of these new vaccines are in development—and experts say there’s a chance they’ll drive the biggest decrease in cancer mortality in decades. The Daily Beast Read more
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Total Confirmed Cases
Bay Area: 1,874,171
California: 11,836,402
U.S.: 100,848,390
Alameda County
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the Latest Figures
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Total Reported Deaths
Bay Area: 9.529
California: 98,696
U.S.: 1,094,103
Contra Costa County
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the Latest Figures
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Why You Should Rest — A Lot — If You Have COVID-19
Until recently, running was a major part of Emma Zimmerman’s life. The 26-year-old freelance journalist and graduate student was a competitive distance runner in college and, even after she graduated, logged about 50 miles per week. So she tentatively tried to return to her running routine roughly a week after a probable case of COVID-19 in March, doing her best to overcome the malaise that followed her initial allergy-like symptoms. Each time, though, “I’d be stuck in bed for days with a severe level of crippling fatigue,” Zimmerman says. Time
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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, Surlene Grant 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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