Good morning! Here are your top California health stories for the day.
Californians Alarmed By Coronavirus, But Experts Say Risk Is Still Low For Americans: At least two Bay Area counties have opened public health emergency centers this week to disseminate accurate and up-to-date information about the outbreak, and several stores reported running low on respiratory masks. But public health and infectious disease experts said for now, people in the Bay Area and other parts of the U.S. should be far more concerned about influenza than the new coronavirus. Two cases of coronavirus have been reported in California, in Los Angeles and Orange counties; the three others are in Washington state, Illinois and Arizona. “With just a few cases in the United States and none in the Bay Area, we have no evidence there’s human-to-human transmission here,” said Sara Cody, Santa Clara County health officer. Read more from Erin Allday of the San Francisco Chronicle and Alejandro Serrano of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Find more coronavirus news below.
San Francisco Electronic Health Records Startup Settles Allegations Over Opioid Scheme: Practice Fusion accepted “sponsorship” payments from an opioid maker and other drug companies and, in exchange, allowed the drug companies to influence the design and implementation of an alert system in its electronic health records software aimed at increasing sales of the companies’ drugs, according to the Justice Department. Between 2014 and 2019, health care providers using the software wrote many prescriptions after receiving the alerts that the opioid company and other drug firms helped design, the department said. Practice Fusion agreed to pay $118.6 million to the federal government and states and $26 million in criminal fines and forfeiture. Read more from Catherine Ho of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Below, check out the full round-up of California Healthline original stories, state coverage and the best of the rest of the national news for the day.
More News From Across The State
Sacramento Bee:
Health Care Workers’ Tentative Deal Ends Prolonged UC Dispute
The bargaining team for roughly 17,000 patient care technical workers reached a tentative contract agreement with the University of California, ending one of the institution’s longest-running contract disputes, according to a news release issued Tuesday by Local 3299 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. (Anderson, 1/28)
The San Francisco Chronicle:
California Bill To Allow Denser Housing Faces Make-Or-Break Vote
After a year of heated debate, state Sen. Scott Wiener’s bid to boost housing construction in California faces a critical deadline this week.SB50, which would clear a path for denser housing around public transit and in wealthy suburbs, must pass the Senate and advance to the Assembly by Friday to stay alive. The bill has received strong support from Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, who used her position to maneuver it around a committee roadblock and onto the Senate floor Monday. But its fate is far from settled. (Koseff, 1/29)
Los Angeles Times:
Offenders Age 18 To 20 Would Be Tried As Juveniles Under New Bill
California lawmakers will consider expanding the reach of the state’s juvenile justice system so that those under age 21 are automatically tried as minors — an idea backed by some state probation officers, who say teenagers aren’t mature enough to be held responsible in the same way as older offenders. Though few details are included in the legislation introduced at the state Capitol on Tuesday, Senate Bill 889 was proposed in “recognition that people under 21 still need guidance,” said its author, state Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley). Skinner pointed to other laws, such as restrictions on purchasing tobacco, cannabis and alcohol, that require a person to be 21 as the “adult or responsible age,” she said. (Chabria, 1/28)
Sacramento Bee:
Hearing Impaired In Sun City Lincoln Hills Sue For Equal Access
Sun City Lincoln Hills bills itself as an “active adult community” featuring two golf courses, a spa, 27 miles of walking trails, and concerts and shows that are “open to all.” But the “open to all” part is up for debate. A federal civil rights lawsuit filed by two residents of the 3,000-acre community about 30 miles northeast of Sacramento says the community association has discriminated against them by failing to provide devices and services at its board meetings, theater and elsewhere to help individuals with hearing loss. (Stanton, 1/28)
The New York Times:
China Will Admit International Experts To Help Contain Coronavirus Outbreak
After repeatedly declining assistance from international health officials, Chinese authorities agreed on Tuesday to permit teams of experts coordinated by the World Health Organization to visit China to help contain the growing coronavirus outbreak. The news arrived as federal health officials announced expanded screening measures for passengers from China at 20 ports of entry to the United States. (Rabin, 1/28)
Reuters:
China Agrees To WHO Sending Experts To Study Virus
"The discussions focused on continued collaboration on containment measures in Wuhan, public health measures in other cities and provinces, conducting further studies on the severity and transmissibility of the virus, continuing to share data, and for China to share biological material with WHO," the WHO said. This would contribute to developing vaccines and treatments. (1/28)
Los Angeles Times:
Coronavirus: Flight Evacuating U.S. Nationals From China Diverted
A flight carrying government employees evacuated from the U.S. Consulate in the Chinese city of Wuhan amid a coronavirus outbreak will land at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County instead of Ontario International Airport, officials announced Tuesday night. Curt Hagman, chairman of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, said in a video news release that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told local officials that the flight will be diverted to the base “for the logistics that they have.” (Cosgrove and Wigglesworth, 1/28)
The Mercury News:
Coronavirus: New Details About Diagnosis, Treatment And Vaccine
Since a mysterious illness first appeared in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December, there have been few hard facts about a virus that has now spread to 18 nations, including the United States. On Tuesday, U.S. health officials shared new insights about the virus at a Washington D.C. press conference. There is a race to find answers to the outbreak — before it finds us. (Krieger, 1/29)
The New York Times:
Cordoning The Coronavirus: Countries Limit Travel To China
Countries, cities and businesses across the globe issued new travel warnings on Tuesday, vastly expanding a cordon intended to control the flow of people to and from China, where the authorities are struggling to contain the outbreak of the new coronavirus. In the most drastic measure to limit travel, the Hong Kong authorities reduced by half the number of flights and shut down rail service to mainland China, and they also limited visas — moves that could inspire other governments to follow suit. (Mozur, 1/28)
The Associated Press:
US Beefs Up Screening Of Travelers For New Virus From China
U.S. health officials offered a reality check Tuesday about the scary new virus from China: They're expanding screenings of international travelers and taking other precautions but for now, they insist the risk to Americans is very low. “At this point Americans should not worry for their own safety,” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told reporters Tuesday. (1/28)
The New York Times:
Researchers Are Racing To Make A Coronavirus Vaccine. Will It Help?
In the early days of January, as cases of a strange, pneumonia-like illness were reported in China, researchers at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland readied themselves to hunt for a vaccine to prevent the new disease. They had clues that a coronavirus, similar to ones that caused the SARS outbreak in 2003 and MERS in 2012, was the culprit. Dr. Barney Graham, deputy director of the Vaccine Research Center at the N.I.H, urged government scientists in China to share the genetic makeup of the virus so his team could begin its race to develop a vaccine. (Sheikh and Thomas, 1/28)
Reuters:
One Week Sufficient For Recovery From Mild Virus Symptoms: China NHC Expert
An expert at China's National Health Commission (NHC) said on Tuesday one week is sufficient for a recovery from mild coronavirus symptoms. The remarks were made by Li Xingwang at a press conference in Beijing, where he also said mild coronavirus symptoms do not present as pneumonia, but just slight fever. (1/28)
The New York Times:
How Do Bats Live With So Many Viruses?
If previous outbreaks of coronavirus are any indication, the Wuhan strain that is now spreading may eventually be traced back to bats. Dr. Peter Daszak, president of EcoHealth Alliance, who has been working in China for 15 years studying diseases that jump from animals to people, said, “We don’t know the source yet, but there’s pretty strong evidence that this is a bat origin coronavirus.” He said, “It’s probably going to be the Chinese horseshoe bat,” a common species that weighs up to an ounce. If he’s right, this strain will join many other viruses that bats carry. SARS and MERS epidemics were caused by bat coronaviruses, as was a highly destructive viral epidemic in pigs. (Gorman, 1/28)
The Associated Press:
Warren Offers Infectious-Disease Plan Amid China Outbreak
Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has announced a plan to prevent, contain and treat infectious diseases as a new viral illness spreads in China. The Massachusetts senator on Tuesday unveiled a plan that includes fully funding the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's pandemic prevention and response programs. (1/28)
The New York Times:
F.D.A. Warns Purell To Stop Claiming It Can Prevent Ebola Or Flu
The Food and Drug Administration has warned the maker of Purell hand sanitizers to stop claiming its products can prevent people from catching the flu, Ebola virus, the MRSA superbug and norovirus. In a notice dated Jan. 17, the F.D.A. told Purell’s maker, Gojo Industries, that its unsubstantiated claims that Purell could reduce the potential for infection or prevent illnesses violated the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. The agency said it was reclassifying Purell as an unapproved drug, rather than an over-the-counter product. (Kaplan, 1/28)
Stat:
FDA Wants To Know How Instagram Influencers Sway Patient Views On Drugs
In 2015, Kim Kardashian promoted a morning-sickness pill to her millions of followers on social media, boosting sales by 21% over just a few months, a high-profile example of how so-called influencers can hold sway over the public at large. But given that there are countless influencers lurking on social media — some of whom are celebrities, others are lesser-known cheerleaders — the Food and Drug Administration plans to study the extent to which these paid endorsements affect consumers who take prescription medicines. (Silverman, 1/28)
The New York Times:
U.S. Accuses Harvard Scientist Of Concealing Chinese Funding
Charles M. Lieber, the chair of Harvard’s department of chemistry and chemical biology, was charged on Tuesday with making false statements about money he had received from a Chinese government-run program, part of a broad-ranging F.B.I. effort to root out theft of biomedical research from American laboratories. Dr. Lieber, a leader in the field of nanoscale electronics, was one of three Boston-area scientists accused on Tuesday of working on behalf of China. His case involves work with the Thousand Talents Program, a state-run program that seeks to draw talent educated in other countries. (Barry, 1/28)