Tuesday, June 14, 2022 | California Healthline

The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat:
COVID-19 Infections Rising In Sonoma County But Not Severe Illness; No New Mandates

Two weeks after the Memorial Day weekend gatherings, Sonoma County health officials say there’s been a slight uptick in known COVID-19 infections. Add to that the number of unknown COVID-19 infections or infections that don’t get reported due to home testing, and there’s a lot more SARS-CoV-2 going around than the official count. (Espinoza, 6/13)

VC Star:
Ventura County’s COVID-19 Wave May Have Peaked

COVID-19 continues to infect people across Ventura County, but the wave that began more than a month ago may have hit a plateau, a public health official said Friday. New state public health data show nearly 28 cases an infection a day per 100,000 county residents, more than five times higher than the rate in late April. (Kisken, 6/12)

San Francisco Chronicle:
One Year After California’s Reopening, ‘Wily’ COVID Still Stymies Return To Normal

June 15, 2021, dawned cool and carefree across the Bay Area, where for the first time in well over a year, it finally looked like there might be a way out of the COVID-19 pandemic — and it might not be too far off. California officially “reopened” that day last year, dropping almost all public health restrictions that had been keeping people mostly at home and preventing the economy from humming back to life. Coronavirus cases were at their lowest levels since the pandemic’s earliest weeks. Hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID had plummeted. Nearly half of all Californians were considered “fully” vaccinated — a remarkable achievement just six months after the vaccines had been authorized. (Allday, 6/14)

San Francisco Chronicle:
UCSF’s Wachter Says His Wife Now Likely Has Long COVID And Her Health Is ‘Not Great’

Dr. Bob Wachter, UCSF’s chair of medicine, says his wife, Katie Hafner, is doing “not great” weeks after getting COVID-19 and is suffering brain fog and other symptoms. Providing an update on Hafner’s condition following the journalist and author’s positive test in May, Wachter said in a lengthy Twitter thread Monday that “many people ask how my wife fared after her COVID case — we truly appreciate the concern. The answer is: not great.” (Vaziri, 6/13)

CNN:
CDC Adds 3 Places To ‘High’ Risk List, Including Mexico And UAE

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday placed three new destinations in its “high” risk category for Covid-19, including a North American travel behemoth. In April, the CDC overhauled its ratings system for assessing Covid-19 risk for travelers. (Brown and Hunter, 6/13)

The Washington Post:
Covid Is Making Flu And Other Common Viruses Act In Unfamiliar Ways 

More than two years into the coronavirus pandemic, familiar viruses are acting in unfamiliar ways. Respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV, typically limits its suffocating assaults to the winter months. Rhinovirus, cause of the common cold, rarely sends people to the hospital. And the flu, which seemed to be making a comeback in December after being a no-show the year before, disappeared again in January once the omicron variant of the coronavirus took hold. Now flu is back, but without one common lineage known as Yamagata, which hasn’t been spotted since early 2020. It could have gone extinct or may be lying in wait to attack our unsuspecting immune systems, researchers said. (Stead Sellers, 6/13)

San Francisco Chronicle:
S.F. Plan To Cut $9.5 Million In COVID Funds Would Worsen Equity Gap, Latino Nonprofit Leaders Say

Leaders of the organizations that served San Francisco’s Latino community during the pandemic urged city officials Monday to halt plans to eliminate COVID assistance funding from the budget, saying the “disinvestment” will only lead to further health inequities. Several dozen members of the Latino Task Force and the San Francisco Latino Parity and Equity Coalition, which consists of more than 20 nonprofits, said at a news conference at City Hall that nonprofits were crucial to the city’s COVID response and economic recovery plan, and that their work is critical in helping Latino and Black residents who were disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus. (Flores, 6/13)

CIDRAP:
Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine’s Safety Slightly Bests Pfizer’s 

An observational study today in JAMA Internal Medicine reports a slightly better safety profile for the Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccine than for the Pfizer/BioNTech version in US veterans, but both vaccines had very good safety profiles. … Relative to the Moderna group, Pfizer recipients had an excess per 10,000 people of 10.9 ischemic strokes, 14.8 heart attacks, 11.3 other abnormal blood clotting, and 17.1 cases of kidney injury. (Van Beusekom, 6/13)

The Wall Street Journal:
FDA Advisers To Consider Moderna’s Covid-19 Vaccine For Ages 6 To 17 

A panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration is set to meet Tuesday to consider whether use of Moderna Inc.’s Covid-19 vaccine should be expanded to include children ages 6 through 17. The advisory committee is expected to vote Tuesday afternoon on whether the benefits of vaccinating children in this age group outweigh the risks. The FDA will consider the vote in making a final decision on whether to clear the vaccine for use in children 6 years and older. (Loftus, 6/14)

San Francisco Chronicle:
Paxlovid Rebounds And Vaccines For Little Kids

With Covid infections — and reinfections — becoming more common, many doctors recommend having a strategy in place for the latest Covid tools, including Paxlovid. On this episode of the Fifth & Mission podcast, Chronicle health reporter Catherine Ho joins host Cecilia Lei to talk about what we’ve learned about the anti-viral pill. (6/13)

The Bakersfield Californian:
Newsom Names Bakersfield Man To State’s Board Of Registered Nursing 

Gov. Gavin Newsom named Roi David Lollar, 55, of Bakersfield, to the Board of Registered Nursing. Lollar has been a theater and English teacher at the Kern High School District since 2006. He held several positions at the Delano Joint Union High School District from 2004 to 2006, including drama and English teacher, certificated intern contract adviser, drama club director and Performing Arts Department teacher. (6/13)

Voice of Orange County:
Orange County Grand Jury Questions Sending Firetrucks To Medical Calls

Fire departments throughout Orange County are facing questions from the OC Grand Jury on why they routinely send out fire trucks when there aren’t any fires since a majority of 911 calls are for medical emergencies. In a report titled “WHERE’S THE FIRE? Stop Sending Fire Trucks to Medical Calls,” released last month, grand jurors pointed out that while fire trucks are sent out on nearly all emergency calls, almost 80% of 911 calls in Orange County are for medical assistance, not fires. (Biesiada, 6/13)

San Diego Union-Tribune:
What’s Hot In Life Sciences? Bio International Convention Looks At What’s Next As Pandemic Recedes 

It’s no secret that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the global life sciences industry shined. It ramped up development of everything from diagnostic tests to new vaccines — including two based on previously unproven messenger RNA technology —all within months instead of years. At the Bio International Convention this week at the San Diego Convention Center, the industry took stock of those accomplishments, as well as asked what’s next now that the pandemic has entered an endemic phase. (Freeman, 6/13)

KVPR:
A Worrying Phone Call Adds To Concerns About Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s Cognitive Health

Journalist Rebecca Traister set out to write a profile of the oldest sitting U.S. senator, Dianne Feinstein of California, who turns 89 on June 22. And while Traister’s feature piece does center on Feinstein’s long and storied career, it also evokes questions about the senator’s cognitive health. NPR’s All Things Considered spoke with Traister, a writer for The Cut, about a worrying call she had with Feinstein two days after the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. (Kilpatrick, 6/13)

The Mercury News:
California ‘Red Flag’ Law May Have Stopped 58 Gun Massacres

With Congress poised to expand red flag laws nationally in response to outrage over deadly mass shootings, a new study reveals how California’s six-year-old law is making an impact: It disarmed 58 people who were threatening a gun massacre. The study by the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California-Davis is the first detailed description of California’s gun violence restraining order cases in the state since the law was enacted in 2016. (Woolfolk, 6/14)

CalMatters:
Some California Immigrants Get Food Assistance, Others Won’t

California is poised to become the first state in the nation to extend food assistance benefits to some undocumented immigrants. But advocates say it’s not enough. The budget bill the state legislature passed Monday includes a proposal by Gov. Gavin Newsom to allow immigrants age 55 and older who are currently shut out of food stamps programs to receive the benefits. (Montalvo and Kuang, 6/14)

CalMatters:
Calls Overwhelm Disability Benefits Call Centers

Christina Cedillo has a sticky note on her computer, reminding her what buttons to press when she calls California’s employment department with questions about disability benefits. But at this point, she doesn’t need it. After calling hundreds of times, she can recite the whole phone tree from memory. (Gedye, 6/14)

The Desert Sun:
Coachella Valley Unified School Buses Late Amid Driver Shortage

The Coachella Valley Unified School District Board of Education acknowledged Thursday that district school buses are routinely running late to pick up students, leaving them in the sun for more than an hour at times and getting them to school after classes begin. … Another issue is air conditioning on buses. Superintendent Luis Valentino said the district is in the process of making sure its entire fleet of buses has air conditioning, but, for now, buses with air conditioning are prioritized for the longest routes and buses that serve special needs students. A district staffer added that the district has ordered 31 buses this year with air conditioning. (Horwitz, 6/10)

San Gabriel Valley Tribune:
Bat Invades Malibu Area Restaurant; Health Officials Urge Diners Who Came In Contact To Check For Rabies 

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is warning visitors who may have come in contact with a bat while at an outdoor Malibu area restaurant to see a doctor for possible exposure to rabies, a fatal neurological disease. Public health officials were notified that a bat flew into a dining area at the Malibu Café at Calamigos Ranch and one person and possibly more handled the bat, which came in proximity of a group of children, the agency reported. (Scauzillo, 6/13)

Siskiyou Daily News:
Northern California’s Yreka Explores Cannabis Dispensary Legalization

City leaders in Yreka will move forward with gathering data and hearing from the community around the issue of cannabis dispensaries. Following public comments at a recent City Council meeting where Elizabeth Tabor, who operates marijuana dispensaries in Weed and Mount Shasta, implored officials to consider a move that would open the door to the legal operation of dispensaries in the city. (Espino, 6/11)

Modesto Bee:
Lung Association Endorses Prescribed Burning Done Right

A new report from the American Lung Association supports prescribed burning as a tool to reduce wildfire fuel. The practice has been hindered in part by concern that the smoke could bother vulnerable people. Some of them live in the Central Valley, one of the most polluted regions in the nation. (Holland, 6/13)

Stat:
Lilly Wins FDA Approval For Treatment For Hair Loss Caused By Autoimmunity

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved an Eli Lilly drug that is the first-ever treatment for alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder that triggers sudden hair loss. The once-daily pill, known as Olumiant, was approved after clinical trials showed that treated patients regrew much of their lost hair. Patrik Jonsson, Lilly’s president of immunology, called the approval a historic moment for patients who until now have had to rely on cosmetic solutions, unapproved creams, and injections to manage the disease. (Wisen and Muthukumar, 6/13)

Stat:
Startup Gets Green Light To Use Apple Watch To Track Parkinson’s Symptoms

Software that enables Apple Watch-based tracking of Parkinson’s disease symptoms has received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration, a move that could open doors for its maker as it strives to reach more people living with movement disorders — and potentially, those who haven’t developed them yet. The StrivePD system uses Apple’s Movement Disorder API to track tremors and dyskinetic symptoms of Parkinson’s from the Apple Watch. The data is all collected in an iPhone application, which allows patients to record their symptoms and keep tabs on medication. (Aguilar, 6/13)

ABC News:
Amid A National Crisis In Youth Mental Health, Surgeon General Says Kids Need To Be Part Of The Solution 

Facing a growing mental health crisis among America’s teens and young adults, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy says the problem is not something adults can fix alone. Adults need “to make sure that we’re hearing from kids so that their stories are our guiding light,” Murthy said. “Ultimately, we will know when we’ve reached the finish line when they’re doing well and they tell us they’re doing well and when data tells us that as well.” After declaring a national advisory on the youth mental health crisis late last year, Murthy is now participating in a two-day conference called the Youth Mental Wellness Now! Summit, hosted by The California Endowment. (Smalls-Mantey, 6/14)

Reuters:
Monkeypox DNA Found In Semen In Handful Of Cases, Researchers Say 

Fragments of the monkeypox virus have been detected in semen in a handful of patients in Italy, raising questions over whether sexual transmission of the disease is a possibility, scientists said on Monday. The monkeypox virus is understood to spread through close contact with an infected person, who may shed the virus via its hallmark skin lesions or large respiratory droplets. Many of the monkeypox cases confirmed in the current outbreak are among sexual partners who have had such close contact. (Grover and Parodi, 6/13)

CIDRAP:
UK Reports 194 More Monkeypox Cases As US Total Hits 49

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced today it has detected 104 additional cases of monkeypox in England, bringing the UK total to 470 cases. … In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said there are now 49 US cases in 17 states. California has the most, with 15, followed by New York with 11, and Illinois with 8. (Soucheray, 6/13)

Axios:
More Monkeypox Testing Needed To Understand How Far Its Spread

A lack of testing is keeping public health officials in the dark about how widespread monkeypox is in the United States and posing new uncertainties for the medical system. Why it matters: The lack of robust disease-tracking harks back to the troubled early response to COVID-19 and could bode ill for local health systems still grappling with the virus, its aftereffects and the impending flu season. (Dreher, 6/14)

AP:
Yelp CEO Says Abortion Rights Stand Is A Risk Worth Taking

Many major companies have chosen to stay quiet on the abortion debate, but Yelp and its CEO Jeremy Stoppelman have chosen a different path. The San Francisco-based online reviews site is among the handful of companies covering travel costs for employees and their dependents who must travel out of state to obtain an abortion, a thorny topic that’s poised to become the chatter of many boardrooms if the Supreme Court overturns the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. If Roe falls, roughly half of U.S. states are expected to ban or put greater restrictions on abortion. (Hadero, 6/13)

The Hill:
Harris To Convene Privacy Experts To Talk Stakes Of Roe V. Wade 

Vice President Harris is slated to meet with privacy, constitutional law, and technology experts to discuss what is at stake if the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion ruling is overturned by the Supreme Court. A White House official said the discussion on Tuesday will focus on real-world implications should the landmark ruling be overturned, touching on topics such as privacy, contraception, and in vitro fertilization. (Oshin, 6/13)

Sacramento Bee:
Sacramento County Sets 2nd Site For Homeless Tiny Homes

Sacramento County officials are considering opening a second tiny home village off Florin Road for homeless individuals in south Sacramento. The site, located at 7001 East Parkway, would house 45 tiny homes, according to a county news release Monday. The site would include food, bathrooms, 24/7 security, and help finding permanent housing for up to 56 people at any given time. (Clift, 6/14)

Index-Tribune:
Sonoma City Council To Revisit Homeless Parking Program

The Sonoma City Council on Wednesday will consider extending its homeless safe parking program through the end of the year and establishing a task force to address long-term city policies surrounding homelessness. The June 15 meeting marks the latest round of council deliberations over how to best meet the needs of residents without homes in a city with few choice locations at which to service them. (Walsh, 6/13)

Los Angeles Times:
A For-Profit Mission To House The Poor Gets Praise And Flak

The day that Star Owens welcomed a swarm of dignitaries and TV cameras into her new home in South Los Angeles last fall marked the debut of a bold challenge to the city’s way of building homeless housing. The 28-unit Avalon apartments — constructed without taxpayer money in less than half the time and at less than half the cost of a typical subsidized project — would house nearly 60 formerly homeless adults and children. (Smith, 6/14)