Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Etching the Pain of Covid Into the Flesh of Survivors
Memorial tattoos have grown more popular in recent years. Since parlors reopened after the lockdown, inkers have found that many people are eager to memorialize relatives and friends lost to covid. (Heidi de Marco, )
FDA Authorizes Pfizer, Moderna Covid Boosters For All Adults: The Food and Drug Administration on Friday authorized booster shots of both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for everyone 18 and older, opening up eligibility to tens of millions more fully vaccinated adults. If the CDC follows suit, adults who received a second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least six months ago could be eligible by this weekend. The move simplifies eligibility and formally allows a practice already in place in at least 10 states, including California. Read more from the Associated Press, New York Times and ABC News.
Meanwhile, California's MyTurn web site has been updated to handle booster shots appointments. Scroll down for more details.
California Hits 5 Million Covid Cases As Health Officials Worry About Potential Winter Outbreak: California has now reported 5 million coronavirus cases, underscoring the pervasiveness of the pandemic during its nearly two-year rampage through the state. The milestone comes at a somewhat promising, though still precarious, time in the outbreak. The daily numbers of newly recorded infections and those hospitalized with the disease have declined in recent weeks. But officials have long circled this winter on their calendar, warning that the combination of holiday travel, colder weather and increasing indoor gatherings could threaten to recharge the pandemic. Read more from the Los Angeles Times.
Below, check out the roundup of California Healthline’s coverage. For today's national health news, read KHN's Morning Briefing.
More News From Across The State
Los Angeles Daily News:
COVID ‘Hotspots’ – Including Lancaster, Palmdale, Studio City, Santa Clarita – Fuel Surge Fears
Amid lingering concerns about a potential post-holiday coronavirus surge, Lancaster, Palmdale, Santa Clarita, Studio City and Venice are among the latest hotspots for coronavirus, officials said Thursday, Nov. 18. But the reasons why remained unclear for investigators. Though there was one common theme: The disease seemed to be circulating most among younger adults. From Oct. 24 to Nov. 6, L.A. County public health officials identified 10 cities in the region with the highest case incidence, L.A. County Public Director Barbara Ferrer reported Thursday. (Carter, 11/18)
Los Angeles Times:
Earliest COVID Cases Point To Live-Animal Market As Most Likely Source
Conspiracy theorists need little more than suspicion, some cherry-picked facts and vibrant imaginations to spin tales about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. But for the scientists working to establish the facts, the path to the truth is much more plodding. Their search will take them through a trove of medical records whose quotidian details will be important guideposts to the time and circumstances of the coronavirus’ birth as a human pathogen. Patients’ recall of their whereabouts and contacts will matter too. (Healy, 11/18)
Los Angeles Times:
A Timeline Of COVID-19’s First Weeks In Wuhan
Michael Worobey, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Arizona, has pieced together clues from earliest days of the outbreak. Writing in the journal Science, he strengthens the case that the Huanan Market was the most likely source of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Here’s a closer look at some of the key events. (Kaplan, 11/18)
Gizmodo:
Over A Million Americans May Have Permanently Lost Their Sense Of Smell To Covid-19
This new study, published Thursday in JAMA Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, seems to be one of the first to try gauging the toll of chronic covid-related anosmia in the U.S. The authors were compelled to study the issue after seeing many of these patients in their clinics. “In the last couple of months, my colleagues and I noted a dramatic increase in the number of patients seeking medical attention for olfactory dysfunction.” study author Jay Piccirillo, a otolaryngologist at Washington University in St. Louis and an editor at JAMA Otolaryngology, told Gizmodo in an email. (Cara, 11/18)
The Hill:
Hospital Strain Linked To Thousands Of Excess Deaths Two Weeks Later: Research
A new analysis estimates that hospital strain during the pandemic is linked to thousands of ensuing excess deaths, signaling the significance of ensuring hospitals do not reach full capacity amid COVID-19 surges. The research published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday predicted that when the nationwide intensive care unit (ICU) capacity hits 75 percent capacity, an additional 12,000 excess deaths could be expected within the next two weeks. When hospitals surpass 100 percent ICU bed capacity, the study suggests 80,000 excess deaths would be expected two weeks later. (Coleman, 11/18)
Bay Area News Group:
California’s MyTurn Website Now Scheduling COVID Boosters For All Adults
California’s MyTurn COVID-19 online vaccine scheduler has caught up with the state’s policy from last week and is now booking booster shots for adults without asking that they declare they meet age, health, occupation or residential criteria that would put them at greater risk from the virus. Visitors to MyTurn.CA.gov can simply state they are at least 18 and at least six months past their last Pfizer or Moderna dose or two months past their Johnson & Johnson shot to schedule a booster. (Woolfolk, 11/18)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Booster Shots: California’s MyTurn Site Just Expanded Eligibility
California officials expanded their guidance last week. They said the move was based on the CDC’s provision that people ages 18 and older may get a booster based on individual risk and benefits, though that appears to be a more permissive reading of the agency’s actual criteria. However, the expanded eligibility led to some confusion, since most vaccine appointment portals — including My Turn — still required users to attest they were in an eligible group under the CDC’s more restrictive guidelines. That requirement was removed from the website Thursday morning. (Hwang, 11/18)
The Hill:
Fauci Says All Adults Should 'Go Get Boosted'
President Biden's chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci on Thursday night urged those 18 and older to get a booster shot for added protection against COVID-19. Fauci said on MSNBC's "All in with Chris Hayes" that he has believed "for some time now" that boosters are effective and should be recommended for all adults in the U.S. who received their vaccine six months ago or longer. "If you're 18 or older, go get boosted," Fauci said. (Breslin, 11/18)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Mexican Teens Vaccinated In San Diego As Part Of Ongoing Cross-Border Program
Nearly 150 young people from Baja California arrived Thursday at the Mexican Consulate in San Diego to receive their first COVID-19 vaccine dose. The effort is part of a cross-border pilot project that began earlier this month to expand access to the vaccine in the San Diego-Tijuana region. “Health has no borders, and we know the interdependence we have in our region, and for me, it is very important that everything possible is done to make sure our young people are protected,” said Supervisor Nora Vargas, during the program’s launching ceremony at the Tijuana Cultural Center (Cecut). (Mendoza, 11/18)
The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat:
Mexico Sends Some Minors To US To Get Coronavirus Vaccine
Scores of Mexican adolescents were bused to California on Thursday to get vaccinated against the coronavirus as efforts get underway across Mexico to get shots in the arms of teens. Mexico has resisted vaccinating minors ages 12 to 17, in part because the government focused on older adults believed to be more vulnerable. Mexico also did not have enough vaccine supply to cover its young population. So a group in San Diego along with San Diego County stepped in to help its neighbor. (Watson, 11/18)
Modern Healthcare:
70% Of Hospital Workers Vaccinated, New CDC Data Show
Seven out of 10 U.S. hospital workers were vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Sept. 15, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study issued Wednesday. Staff working in children's hospitals, in metropolitan counties and in counties with higher vaccination rates were more likely to be vaccinated than their peers, agency officials wrote in an article published in the American Journal of Infection Control. (Gillespie, 11/18)
Axios:
America's Booster Fight: What Does It Mean To Be "Fully Vaccinated"?
As health officials push COVID booster shots, a debate is quickly emerging around whether the definition of "fully vaccinated" should be changed to include an additional dose of the vaccine. Booster shots provide remarkably strong protection against coronavirus infections, at least for a period of time. But getting the majority of Americans to stick out their arm again would be extremely challenging. (Owens, 11/19)
The Baltimore Sun:
In Fight Against COVID, ‘Vaccine Ambassadors’ Can Be Effective
The strategy used by the Baltimore City Health Department described in “Meet the Baltimore ‘vaccine ambassadors’ working to personally convince those who are still hesitant to get the COVID shot” (Oct. 29) has been successful, but should be reevaluated with interactive collaboration between policymakers, scientists and community members. With misinformation and disinformation about COVID-19 vaccines circulating online and within social circles, these diverse stakeholders should come together to decide the best path forward in curbing the spread of COVID-19. I believe we should consider further expanding the role of community members and social scientist researchers in this vaccination initiative. (11/18)
Reuters:
AstraZeneca Says To Seek Commercial Price For Preventive Antibody Cocktail
AstraZeneca (AZN.L) said its antibody cocktail against COVID-19 would - unlike its vaccine - be priced commercially as it negotiates supply contracts with governments around the globe. "We are looking at a commercial pricing strategy. That is part of our negotiations with governments," Iskra Reic, Astra's Executive Vice President for vaccines and immune therapies, said in a media call on Thursday. She added that the group's main objective was to make the shot affordable and broadly available. (11/18)
KHN:
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Boosting Confusion
With covid caseloads rising across much of the country, several governors and mayors are unilaterally expanding access to booster shots, getting out ahead of federal health officials. Speaking of federal health officials, President Joe Biden has finally selected a nominee to head the Food and Drug Administration. If confirmed by the Senate, it would be Dr. Robert Califf’s second stint at the agency that oversees an estimated one fifth of all products sold in the United States. Califf previously served — for less than a year — under President Barack Obama. (11/18)
Orange County Register:
Marines And Sailors Who Refuse The COVID-19 Shot Will Be Discharged, Will Lose Some GI Bill Benefits
Marines and sailors who choose not to get the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of November will be released from the service, in a general but honorable discharge, officials with those services have said, making them ineligible for some benefits from the GI Bill. An administrative order recently issued by Marine Corp leadership requires all Marines to receive the vaccine or they will be considered to have disobeyed an order. Active-duty personnel must be fully vaccinated by Nov. 28, and reservists must be fully vaccinated by Dec. 28. (Ritchie, 11/18)
Sacramento Bee:
CA Won’t Require COVID Vaccines For Private Workers, For Now
A Cal-OSHA board is holding off on requiring workers in large California companies get vaccinated or regularly tested for the coronavirus, citing the court’s recent ruling temporarily blocking a similar proposed federal mandate. The board had planned to adopt the requirement at its meeting Thursday. Because California has its own occupational safety and health department, it could have had its own mandate regardless of the court’s ruling, as long as it was as strict as or stricter than the federal regulation. (Park, 11/18)
The Washington Post:
Health Groups Urge Businesses To Voluntarily Adopt Biden’s Vaccine Rule
The American Medical Association and more than 60 other health care associations on Thursday called on employers to voluntarily implement President Biden’s contested vaccine-or-testing mandate, saying businesses had no time to waste ahead of the busy holiday season. “We — physicians, nurses and advanced practice clinicians, health experts, and health care professional societies — fully support the requirement that workers at companies with over 100 workers be vaccinated or tested,” the organizations wrote in a joint statement. “From the first day of this pandemic, businesses have wanted to vanquish this virus. Now is their chance to step up and show they are serious.” (Diamond, 11/18)
KHN:
Vaccine-Or-Test Requirements Increase Work And Costs For Governments
Amanda Kostroski, a 911 dispatcher in Madison, Wisconsin, leaves her busy job once a week to go to a county health clinic to be tested for covid-19. She’s been making the 15-minute drive from work since late September, when Dane County mandated all employees get vaccinated or tested weekly. The testing is free, and she is typically back to work within an hour. Kostroski is among 10% of county employees who are unvaccinated and get weekly tests. She chose not to get immunized because she thinks the vaccines are too new and she fears side effects. (Michelle Gomez and Galewitz, 11/19)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. Schools To Will Relax Mask Rules, Ease COVID-19 Testing
The Los Angeles Unified School District is making tweaks to its coronavirus protocols and is pushing new strategies to persuade more students to get vaccinated before critical deadlines. The changes to safety protocols in schools involve somewhat relaxing mask-wearing rules, COVID-19 testing practices and quarantines. (Blume, 11/18)
Bay Area News Group:
Kaiser Strike Shutters Some Services Thursday. Friday Could Be Worse
In San Jose, Richard Marsh and his swollen foot were turned back at the shuttered X-ray department. In Redwood City, Victoria Villegas couldn’t get her blood drawn. Across the Bay Area and beyond, Kaiser patients were running into locked doors and long waits for lab work, eye care and more — and the delays could get worse Friday if the company can’t work out a deal with its striking engineers. (Linn, 11/18)
KHN:
The ER Charged Him $6,500 For Six Stitches. No Wonder His Critically Ill Wife Avoided The ER
Jason and DeeAnn Dean recently relocated to her hometown of Dellrose, Tennessee, where she grew up on a farm. Both in their late 40s, they’re trying to start a green dream business that combines organic farming with a health and wellness consulting company. They want to inspire people to grow their own food in this fertile rolling farmland, just north of the border with Alabama. Until the business fully launches, Jason is working construction. In May, he was injured on the job site when a piece of sheet metal slipped and caught him on the kneecap. He bled quite a bit. After closing the wound with a butterfly bandage, he thought that might be enough. But on his drive home, he figured it’d be best to have a professional stitch it up. (Farmer, 11/19)
Bloomberg:
Insurers Balk at Paying for Biogen’s $56,000-a-Year Alzheimer’s Treatment
U.S. health insurers say they want more proof before paying for Biogen Inc.’s Aduhelm, stalling sales of the costly new Alzheimer’s therapy that the company hailed as a breakthrough for patients. None of the 25 large insurers that responded to a Bloomberg News survey judged the $56,000-a-year drug “medically necessary,” a term used to describe treatments that are needed for specific ailments and meet medical standards. Most have deemed Aduhelm experimental, while some say they’re still evaluating it. (Tozzi, LaVito and Dave, 11/18)
Bloomberg:
J&J Split: What The New Drug Company Will Focus On After Breakup
Johnson & Johnson will focus on developing drugs for conditions such as lung cancer and eye disease as it prepares to make its pharmaceutical and medical-devices business an independent entity. The 135-year-old health giant faces its greatest-ever overhaul as it readies for a spin-out of its consumer unit, following a path trod by rivals such as GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Pfizer Inc. In her first-ever interview, Jennifer Taubert, J&J’s executive vice president and worldwide chairman of pharmaceuticals, told Bloomberg News that the company will invest in new areas of interest. (Griffin, 11/18)
Bay Area News Group:
Clinicians, Police Officers To Team Up In Pleasanton Pilot Program
Following the lead of some other cities around the Bay Area and abroad, Pleasanton will begin next year sending health professionals along with police officers to many calls for help when a person is experiencing a mental health crisis. Officials said the Mental Health Response Program will be a two-year pilot, and is aimed at reducing the number of times police interact with a person facing mental health crisis, and freeing up most patrol officers — who normally have to help field hundreds of mental health related calls annually — to focus on other policing. (Geha, 11/19)
NPR:
Americans Can Wait Many Weeks to See a Therapist. California Law Aims to Fix That.
When Greta Christina fell into a deep depression five years ago, she called up her therapist in San Francisco — someone she'd had a great connection with when she needed therapy in the past. And she was delighted to find out that he was now "in network" with her insurance company, meaning she wouldn't have to pay out of pocket anymore to see him. But her excitement was short-lived. Over time, Christina's appointments with the therapist went from every two weeks, to every four weeks, to every five or six. (11/18)
The Hill:
New Suicide Prevention Hotline To Include Texting Option
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to include a texting option for a new suicide hotline, 988, set to go live next summer. Advocates have pushed for a more accessible version of the existing 1-800-273-8255, and now providers will be required to support messaging to the number beginning July 16, ABC News reported. Currently, the three-digit number is set up only to support calls. “The bottom line is that it shouldn't matter if you make a voice call or send a text message because we should connect people in crisis to the resources they need no matter how they communicate," FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said during an open meeting, per CNN. (Barnes, 11/18)
AP:
State Attorneys General Probing Instagram's Effects On Kids
“For too long, Meta has ignored the havoc that Instagram is wreaking on the mental health and well-being of our children and teens,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Enough is enough. We’ve undertaken this nationwide investigation to get answers about Meta’s efforts to promote the use of this social media platform to young Californians – and to determine if, in doing so, Meta violated the law.” The investigation targets, among other things, the techniques Meta uses to keep young people on its platforms — and the harms that extended time spent on Instagram can cause. (Ortutay, 11/18)
Los Angeles Times:
Fentanyl And Meth: Synthetic Drugs Cause Record Overdoses
The drug crisis that has gripped the U.S. for years hit a milestone during the pandemic. More than 100,000 Americans died of overdoses in the one-year period leading up to April, an almost 30% jump from the prior year, according to data released this week by the National Center for Health Statistics. That startling figure exceeds the number of traffic and gun fatalities combined. How did that happen? The Times spoke to Sam Quinones, who chronicled the drug trade in the 2015 book “Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic,” and most recently explored the evolution of the epidemic in his new book “The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth.” (Baumgaertner, 11/18)
CIDRAP:
Amid COVID, A 35% Surge In Calls To Mental Health Helplines
An analysis of 8 million mental health helpline calls from 19 countries early in the pandemic reveals a 35% jump in calls related to fear and loneliness rather than to problems with relationships, finances, domestic violence, and suicidal thoughts that dominated before COVID-19 emerged. The study, published yesterday in Nature, suggests that concerns related directly to the pandemic replaced, rather than aggravated, common underlying anxieties, the researchers said. The study team, led by researchers from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, said they used helpline call data because they provide a real-time picture of the state of public mental health, unaffected by the design and framing of a study. (VanBeusekom, 11/18)
Axios:
Most States Ranked Poorly In Quality Of Care For People Of Color, Report Says
Black Americans in almost every state were more likely than white Americans to die from preventable and treatable health conditions, a new report from the Commonwealth Fund out Thursday shows. A lack of health care access, and "timely, high-quality care," were correlated to poorer health outcomes, the authors conclude. (Fernandez, 11/19)
Stat:
A Win For Black Maternal Health Advocates, With Passage Of VA Program
Congress’ action this week is a victory for Black maternal health advocates like Charles Johnson, who’s been pushing for more support for Black mothers after his wife died from childbirth complications. Proponents of addressing America’s Black maternal mortality crisis scored a win this week as Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation to set up a $15 million maternal care program within the Department of Veterans Affairs. It is the first bill in the Black Maternal Health Momnibus to make it through Congress and now awaits President Biden’s signature. (St. Fleur, 11/18)
The Hill:
Biden Administration Reverses Trump-Era Waivers Of Nondiscrimination Protections
The Biden administration is reversing Trump-era rules that allowed federally-funded child welfare agencies to bypass non-discrimination rules if they conflicted with providers' religious beliefs. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Thursday said it was rescinding waivers granted to three states that allowed faith-based foster care groups that contracted with state agencies to turn away same-sex and non-Christian couples while still receiving federal money. (Weixel, 11/18)
Sacramento Bee:
Sacramento CA Children Suffer From Low Rates Of Lead Testing
A majority of California’s 1- and 2-year-old Medi-Cal beneficiaries miss one or both required lead tests, according to a damning 2020 state audit that found lackluster outreach by the state and flawed oversight of counties. The gaps leave an unknown number of kids to grow up with the subtle or serious effects of an undetected toxin. Sacramento County, the audit found, has some of the worst testing rates in the state. Looking at the kids who do get tested, it also had the second-highest number of vulnerable children under 6 with concerning lead levels. (Lange, 11/17)
Sacramento Bee:
What Happens If You Use Weed While Pregnant? Kids Affected
People who use marijuana while pregnant may predispose their children to mental health and behavioral problems that could leave lasting impacts, according to a new study. Research on 322 parent-child pairs revealed children whose parents used cannabis during pregnancy — measured by the number of joints smoked per day — were more anxious, aggressive and hyperactive during early childhood than kids of non-cannabis users. (Camero, 11/18)
NBC News:
Flu Season: What Outbreaks On College Campuses Tell Us
Flu outbreaks on college campuses most likely indicate a bad flu season ahead, but experts say the unpredictable nature of the flu virus means it’s too soon to know for sure how this season will unfold. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is currently investigating an outbreak of influenza at the University of Michigan, where at least 528 students have tested positive for the flu since Oct. 6. The University of Florida, Florida State University, Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J., and the University of Rhode Island are also seeing steep upward trends in campus flu cases this month. (11/19)
The Wall Street Journal:
Sleep Apnea Device Recall From Philips Causes New Worry
Over the summer, Royal Philips NV set off a scramble among sleep apnea sufferers when it recalled millions of machines that many use to breathe at night, citing concerns that the foam in the devices could pose a health risk. Last week, users were thrown another curveball when the Food and Drug Administration warned the replacement machines that the Dutch health giant has been cranking out since September may be harmful, too. The FDA didn’t order a recall of some 250,000 replacement devices Philips has sent to users, but said it was concerned that a silicone-based foam used in the substitute devices could emit harmful gases. That has raised new questions among users about what to do. (Roland, 11/18)
KHN:
A Covid Head-Scratcher: Why Lice Lurk Despite Physical Distancing
The Marker family opened their door on a recent evening to a woman dressed in purple, with a military attitude to cleanliness. Linda Holmes, who has worked as a technician with LiceDoctors for five years, came straight from her day job at a hospital after she got the call from a dispatcher that the Marker family needed her ASAP. According to those in the world of professional nitpicking, Pediculus humanus capitis, the much-scorned head louse, has returned. (Ellen Bichell, 11/19)
The Washington Post:
Democratic Divide Puts Congressional Action On Marijuana In Doubt
A split on Capitol Hill over marijuana policy has lawmakers confronting the possibility that they could again fail to pass any meaningful changes to the federal prohibition of cannabis this Congress, even as polls show vast majorities of Americans support at least partial legalization of the drug. The clash, on one level, follows familiar contours for Washington policymaking: A narrower measure with significant bipartisan support — one that would make it easier for banks to do business with legitimate cannabis firms in states where marijuana is legal — is in limbo while a smaller group of lawmakers pushes for a much broader bill. (DeBonis, 11/18)
San Francisco Chronicle:
‘Betrayal Of The Haight’: Leaders Clash Over Why Homeless Drop-In Center Was Killed
The debate over why the city killed plans at the last minute for a controversial drop-in center for homeless youth in the Haight-Ashbury continued Thursday when city officials defended the abrupt move during a contentious hearing. The Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing said it pulled the plug last month because of a lack of funding for the center, slated for the vacant former McDonald’s site at Haight and Stanyan streets, and a shift to devote limited staff resources to permanent housing. (Moench, 11/18)
Sacramento Bee:
Elk Grove, CA To Open Overnight Winter Shelters For Unhoused
Elk Grove will open warming centers this winter to shelter the city’s unhoused during life-threatening cold weather. Elk Grove city and faith leaders joined with volunteers Wednesday outside Sun Grove Church in the city’s Laguna West neighborhood, one of a dozen designated Overnight Warming Locations, or OWLs, that will be mobilized across the city when the mercury falls. (Smith, 11/18)
Bay Area News Group:
Elizabeth Holmes Trial: Holmes Lawyer's Move Backfires
A bid by a lawyer for Elizabeth Holmes to discredit a doctor testifying about inaccurate blood test results backfired Thursday during the felony-fraud trial for the Theranos founder. Defense attorney Katie Trefz was cross-examining Dr. Mark Burnes, who testified that his patient in 2015 received two erroneous Theranos blood test results indicating possible prostate cancer. The patient had gone to an Arizona Walgreens for Theranos testing and received prostate-specific antigen (PSA) results more than 10 times his actual levels, Burnes testified. (Baron, 11/18)