Upswing In Number Of San Diego Flu Cases Hints At Possibly Ferocious Flu Season
But it's still a bit early to make too many dire predictions.
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Flu Report Shows Elevated Activity Continuing In San Diego County
The region’s latest weekly flu report, released Wednesday by the county Health and Human Services Agency, adds 182 confirmed influenza cases to the season total, nearly 80 more than were tallied last week and more than four times as many as were detected from Nov. 26 through Dec. 2 last year. No new flu-related deaths were reported this week, and about 2 percent of emergency department visits to local emergency departments had flu-like symptoms, a rate that is one percentage point less than last week. There have been four flu-related deaths so far this season and six people across San Diego County have been admitted to intensive care units. (Sisson, 12/6)
In other news from across the state —
East Bay Times:
Alternatives Submitted For Sheltering Berkeley Homeless
Attorneys representing a group of homeless people have submitted a plan for sheltering the city’s homeless population that calls for short-term suspension of regulations they say criminalize homelessness, including limitations on lying on commercial sidewalks and spreading belongings, and on sleeping in vehicles. Other short-term remedies proposed by Dan Siegel of Oakland-based Siegel, Yee & Brunner in a Nov. 27 filing in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California include suspending enforcement of city rules prohibiting camping in city parks, at the Berkeley Marina, other open space, and city-owned lots. (Lochner, 12/6)
Ventura County Star:
Air Quality Plummets Because Of Fire, Especially In Ojai Valley
The smoke can contribute to long-term problems for people with asthma, emphysema or heart disease. Dr. Raj Bhatia, an Oxnard pulmonologist, tells patients with pre-existing conditions to wear a surgical mask inside at home and to wear N95 masks if they go into fire-exposed areas. Short exposure can cause irritation but likely won ’t cause lasting issues, Bhatia said. The worst air in the region on Wednesday was in the Ojai Valley because of the fire activity that brought mandatory or voluntary evacuations for the entire valley, said Ventura County Air Pollution Control Officer Mike Villegas. Air quality can be graded as good, moderate, unhealthy for at-risk people, unhealthy for everyone, very unhealthy and hazardous. (Kisken, 12/6)