Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Many Health Plans Must Now Cover Full Cost of Expensive HIV Prevention Drugs
Most private insurance will be required to cover drugs, like Truvada, that offer protection against HIV infection, without making plan members share the cost. California also mandates that some other services be covered without members picking up any of the tab, but only for people with certain types of insurance. (Michelle Andrews, )
Holiday Covid Surge Already Starting: The dreaded post-Christmas spike in coronavirus cases appears to be materializing in Los Angeles County, with a new rise in cases as hospitals are already in crisis from the Thanksgiving surge. Meanwhile, L.A. County’s new mandatory quarantine order for travelers is now official. Read more from the Los Angeles Times.
1 Dead After Christmas Costume Leads To Superspreader Event: Airborne transmission of the coronavirus, possibly linked to an inflatable Christmas costume, is the likely cause of a 44-person outbreak — and at least one fatality — in the emergency department at a San Jose medical facility. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times and Bay Area News Group.
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
Orange County Register:
How Relatives Of Hospital Workers Have Managed To Jump The Line For Early COVID Vaccines
Amid assurances from major Southern California medical centers that only frontline health workers are receiving early COVID-19 vaccines, a second community hospital has apparently strayed from federal guidelines and inoculated an employee’s relative. Officials at Southern California Hospital in Culver City, like Redlands Community Hospital previously, acknowledge they reached out to non-hospital workers when they found themselves with extra Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine doses that would have otherwise expired. They insist, however, that first-responders were targeted for the extra doses at the 420-bed facility. Elsewhere, officials at other medical facilities throughout the region have indicated they are strictly heeding Centers for Disease Control recommendations to only offer the vaccine and extra doses found in some vials to frontline workers. (Schwebke, 1/1)
Capital Public Radio/KXJZ:
With More Vaccine Doses Coming, California Counties Scramble To Make Distribution Plans
Sacramento health care workers and nursing home residents have been receiving COVID-19 vaccines since [December], and county health departments are beginning to make plans for wider distribution. But health officials say it will still be several months before the general public is lining up for shots. California has mapped out several phases of vaccine distribution, with more specific tiers within each phase. So far the first phase includes health providers and frontline workers, the proposed second phase covers people over 75, high-risk people age 64-75 and workers in child care, law enforcement and agriculture. The third phase, which is still being fine-tuned by the state’s Community Vaccine Advisory Committee, could include all remaining elderly people, adults with underlying conditions and workers in the waste management, defense and government sectors. (Caiola, 12/31)
The New York Times:
California Begins Vaccinating Inmates, But Not At Its Hardest-Hit Prisons
California’s prison system, which has been exceptionally hard-hit by the coronavirus, has started vaccinating some inmates — but none so far at the 25 prisons that have been most overwhelmed by infections, including San Quentin, Avenal State Prison and the California Institution for Men. Elizabeth Gransee, a spokeswoman for J. Clark Kelso, a court-appointed official who oversees prison health care in California, said on Wednesday that the prison system had decided to concentrate its vaccination efforts at facilities where “people are at significant risk of becoming infected or severely ill from the coronavirus.” (Hinga Klein, 1/3)
Bay Area News Group:
Coronavirus: One Shot Instead Of Two To Speed Vaccination?
With the coronavirus vaccine rollout alarmingly behind schedule across the United States and a more contagious strain of the disease now spreading in at least three states, epidemiologists are abuzz over a new overseas strategy: delaying the second dose of the vaccine to get more people at least partly immunized faster. Earlier this week, British officials announced that they would prioritize partly vaccinating more people over administering second shots three or four weeks later — prompting a heated debate among American health experts desperate for faster vaccinations amid a nationwide surge. (Kelliher, 1/2)
Los Angeles Times:
Possibly More Contagious Coronavirus Strain Found In Big Bear
The new, potentially more contagious coronavirus strain that’s caused concern in Europe has been detected in Big Bear, bringing the total number of such cases in California to at least six, officials announced Friday. The variant was found in two members of the same household who were tested for the virus Dec. 20, the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health said in a news release. One of them had contact with a traveler who returned from Britain on Dec. 11 and began to have COVID-19 symptoms three days later, officials said. An investigation was still underway to determine whether the traveler, also a resident of the Big Bear area, had the variant as well, or had infected others, county officials said Saturday. Four other cases were identified this week in San Diego County. (Wigglesworth, 1/2)
San Francisco Chronicle:
California, Bay Area Hospitals Strain Amid Crush Of ICU Patients
The Bay Area’s intensive care unit availability dipped to 5.1% — its lowest figure yet — on the second day of the new year, even as the state braces for a further surge from Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. The situation has gotten so difficult in Santa Clara County that some ambulances are sitting outside emergency rooms for up to seven hours waiting for a bed to open up for the patients they are carrying, county health officials said. The delays — which mean the waiting ambulances cannot respond to other calls — have caused the San Jose Fire Department to transport people to emergency rooms at least a half-dozen times in the past week, the county officials said. (Tucker, 1/2)
Los Angeles Times:
Spiraling COVID-19 Deaths Leave Morgues Overflowing And Funeral Homes Turning Away Grieving Families
The sheer number of fatalities is causing more challenges to already overwhelmed hospitals and other institutions. Many hospital morgues are now filled with bodies, and officials are trying to move them for temporary storage at the county medical examiner-coroner’s office. Mortuary and funeral home operators say they are having to turn away bereaved families because they don’t have the capacity to handle more bodies. (Ormseth, Lin II, Money and Karlamangla, 1/1)
Fresno Bee:
California, Once A COVID Success Story, Buckles Under Case Surge. How Did It Happen?
Nine months ago, when the globe was beginning to realize the enormity of the coronavirus, experts say California made an important decision. Standing at a podium surrounded by fellow state leaders on March 19, Gov. Gavin Newsom addressed the state, saying they faced a grim outlook if decisive action wasn’t taken quickly. “I have long believed that the future is not just something to experience,” he said. “It is something to manifest -- that our fate and future is inside of us.” (Korte, 1/4)
Bay Area News Group:
The Hunt For COVID-19 Genomes That Could Worsen Pandemic
The highly contagious new strain of COVID-19 that’s spreading throughout the United Kingdom may now be coursing through the U.S. The challenge is finding it. Unlike the UK, America has not yet fully harnessed the power of genomics to quickly detect important changes in the virus that could alter the trajectory of the pandemic ravaging the country. (Krieger, 1/3)
AP:
Los Angeles Mayor Says Virus Spreading Within Households
The pandemic is getting worse in Los Angeles as the coronavirus spreads rapidly within households and Californians let their guard down, according to Mayor Eric Garcetti, who said Sunday that the nation’s most populous county is recording a new COVID-19 case every six seconds. Garcetti said on the CBS program “ Face the Nation ” that he’s concerned news of a vaccine rollout “has made everybody so hopeful” that they feel they can relax their behavior. (Weber, 1/3)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
San Diego Blood Bank Calling For Plasma Donations From Recovered COVID-19 Patients
Have you recovered from COVID-19? If so, the San Diego Blood Bank needs your help. As coronavirus cases continue to climb, spurring rising hospitalization numbers, the Blood Bank’s stores of convalescent plasma are approaching critically low levels. (Winkley, 1/3)
Los Angeles Times:
Manhattan Beach Closes Outdoor Public Seating Areas
After Los Angeles County ordered restaurants to suspend outdoor dining in December because of a surge in coronavirus cases, the city of Manhattan Beach turned its outdoor dining areas into public seating where people could potentially eat during the holidays. But on Sunday night, city officials announced that they would close the public seating areas following a record number of coronavirus cases in the coastal town. (Vives and Shalby, 1/3)
The Bakersfield Californian:
State Issues $77,500 In Fines In Aftermath Of Outbreak At Primex Nut Plant In Wasco
California's workplace safety agency has issued fines totaling $77,500 against the owner of a Wasco nut processing plant and three local labor contractors after an investigation concluded they didn't do enough to protect employees last spring and summer in what became one of Kern County's highest-profile COVID-19 outbreaks. Citation reports by the Department of Industrial Relations allege the companies lacked a plan for protecting workers from the pandemic or failed to properly train employees on COVID-19 safety measures, or both. (Cox, 1/3)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. Workplaces Emerge As Pathways For Coronavirus Spread
With Los Angeles County now a leading hot spot of America’s coronavirus crisis, the statistics are hard to process. A person is dying every 10 minutes. And Mayor Eric Garcetti noted Sunday that a person is getting infected every six seconds. But one thing about the pandemic has not changed during the darkest phase: those who suffer most. For those with the means to stay home and the strength to avoid gatherings, COVID-19 has remained a relatively low risk. For people living in crowded conditions and who must work, it’s become an even more mortal threat. Workplaces remain an area of growing concern, amid new outbreaks at retail establishments as well as other businesses deemed essential. The massive increase in cases makes the chances of workplace transmission higher. (Lin II, Wigglesworth, Karlamangla and Lee, 1/4)
Los Angeles Times:
Dodger Stadium Coronavirus Testing Site To Reopen Monday
The coronavirus testing site at Dodger Stadium will reopen Monday after being closed over the weekend for restructuring in a bid to cut down on traffic, which has drawn complaints from neighborhood residents, officials said. Long lines of cars could often be seen snaking around the massive drive-through testing site, which the city has described as the largest in the nation, and spilling into adjacent streets. (Wigglesworth, 1/3)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Latino COVID-19 Task Force Announces Free Coronavirus Testing
The Kern County Latino COVID-19 Task Force has announced its free coronavirus test sites for the first week of the new year. Additionally, the collaborative is reminding the public of its mental health and wellness hotline, which is confidential and can be reached at 525-5900. (1/3)
Sacramento Bee:
CA Spent Millions On Ventilators That Might Never Be Needed
As of [Dec. 28], just 948 of the state’s stockpile of 14,000-plus ventilators had been doled out to counties for use in hospitals or other health care facilities. Some facilities across Southern California were reportedly using all of their ventilators, but most hospitals across the state appear to have an abundant reserve of breathing machines. Only about half of the 11,000 ventilators in hospitals were being used as of [Dec. 28], according to state records. As states and the federal government locked in contracts to get thousands of ventilators, hospitals went on similar buying sprees. Facilities can sometimes rent ventilators or other costly equipment, depending on need. The combined work is avoiding a ventilator crunch now. (Pohl, 12/31)
Sacramento Bee:
New Year’s Eve Party At Granite Bay Home Flouts Virus Rules
Video and other social media posts from a private New Year’s Eve party at a Granite Bay mansion is making the rounds on Sacramento social media, sparking anger over the flagrant violation of public health orders meant to curb the spread of coronavirus. Angela Musallam, a spokeswoman for the Placer County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the Thursday night party was held at a home in the gated Los Lagos community, a wealthy circle of mansions that overlook Folsom Lake and is home to some of the region’s most affluent residents. (Moleski, 1/3)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Pandemic Takes Its Toll On Health Care Workers
San Diego’s hospital workers find themselves in a rapidly-deteriorating situation as available beds fill under an increasing crush of COVID-19 patients. Front-line workers have repeatedly been asked to do more as the total number of COVID-related hospitalizations has more than doubled over the past 30 days, increasing from 633 on Nov. 28 to 1,491 on Dec. 27, according to county health data. (Sisson, 1/3)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
COVID-19 Cases Driving Sky-High Demand — And Pay Packages — For Traveling Nurses
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Addison Frasch worked as an intensive care nurse in his native Georgia, making about $900 a week. Now Frasch is a travel nurse on a crisis assignment at a rural hospital near El Centro that is inundated with COVID patients. The 23-year-old is earning $6,200 a week as a float ICU nurse under a statewide contract that he landed through San Diego’s Aya Healthcare. (Freeman, 1/2)
The Bakersfield Californian:
'Bad And Getting Worse': Sobering Plans Have Been Made If Local Hospitals Can't Handle Patient Loads
Hospital administrators have worked feverishly in recent weeks to stretch staff and resources to accommodate increased patient loads brought on by the COVID-19 surge, but the influx of patients hasn't stopped. To avoid a situation like what happened in Italy, where so many patients converged on hospitals that many were left on gurneys in hallways to die alone, local hospital officials and consultants have quietly planned for months how to allocate scarce medical resources if demand for care eventually exceeds what's available. Those who developed the plans now anticipate they may soon be activated. (Shepard, 12/30)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Q&A With Adventist Health's Dr. Ronald Reynoso About The COVID-19 Vaccine
Hospitals have been offering the first vaccinations against COVID-19 in our community. Just as crucial as properly storing the vaccine or administering shots is the health education that accompanies them. One of those on the front lines of health education is Dr. Ronald Reynoso, chief medical officer at Adventist Health Bakersfield and Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley. So far, more than 1,000 employees — including Reynoso — have been vaccinated at Adventist Health Bakersfield. (Gallegos, 1/3)
Fresno Bee:
More Allegations Of Botched Procedures Arise At Fresno Plastic Surgery Center
A former plastic surgeon with Athenix Body Sculpting Institute in Fresno is facing possible suspension of his medical license over allegations he botched a liposuction surgery. Dr. Parviz Goshtasby, of Newport Beach, has been accused by William Prasifka, executive director of the Medical Board of California of several charges. Those include gross negligence, repeated negligent acts and incompetence. (Rodriguez, 12/30)
Sacramento Bee:
New Law Will End Surprise Medical Bills For CalPERS Members
About 270,000 CalPERS health insurance policyholders who aren’t protected from “surprise” medical bills will be protected from the bills starting in 2022. Congress approved protections against surprise bills in a broad federal spending and COVID-19 relief package last month. The bills come after patients unknowingly or unexpectedly receive treatment from doctors or hospitals that aren’t in their insurance plans’ networks. Out-of-network treatment is much more expensive than in-network treatment. (Venteicher, 1/4)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Hope For New Veteran Outpatient Clinic In Bakersfield Grows As Planning Commission Considers Approval
A long-delayed outpatient clinic for veterans appears closer than ever to getting off the ground. The Bakersfield Planning Commission is set to approve the project more than 10 years after it was first proposed in Congress. (Morgen, 12/31)
Sacramento Bee:
Children’s Delayed Development Not Screened Because Of COVID
At Capital Pediatrics, which operates five clinics in the Sacramento area, visits are down about 50% compared to pre-pandemic levels, said clinical director Dr. Ravinder Khaira. Well-child checkups are an opportunity to look for “orange flags,” he said – signs that a child’s development is threatened or not quite on track. It could be a toddler still drinking from a baby bottle. Or a 15-month-old who isn’t walking yet. When caught early, simple parenting strategies or exercises are often enough to get the child’s development up to speed, he said. For developmental disabilities that can’t be cured, such as autism, experts say programs such as applied behavior analysis are most effective when started early, preferably when a child is still a toddler. Now, Khaira worries these “orange flags” are being missed, potentially leading to an epidemic of harder-to-treat developmental challenges in the future. (Boyd-Barrett, 1/4)
inewsource:
Inewsource’s Investigations Of San Diego Veterans’ Mental Health Issues
In a year like no other, inewsource kept a spotlight on local veterans and the issues they face seeking quality mental health care in San Diego County. That’s because COVID-19 took a bad situation and made it worse: Army officials cited a 30% increase in suicides among active-duty soldiers during the first six months of the pandemic. That’s on top of an already high veteran suicide rate compared to the general population. But our reporting found the pandemic wasn’t the only obstacle facing local vets this year. The San Diego VA, which provides healthcare to 86,000 veterans in San Diego and Imperial counties, made several decisions in 2020 regarding mental health care that prompted outcries from doctors, therapists and the vets themselves. (Racino, 12/30)
San Francisco Chronicle:
‘In The Abyss’: Why Bay Area Health Care Experts Fear January
January will be a grim month, health experts said. On the bright side: Two promising vaccines are now available to deliver relief from the relentless pandemic. On the other hand, the pace of vaccination nationally has been slower than expected, and the potentially rapid spread of a mutant strain could threaten another wave of infections beyond the holiday surge. “It feels like we’re in the abyss right now, sinking toward the bottom,” said Dr. John Swartzberg, clinical professor emeritus in the division of infectious diseases and vaccinology at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. “We’re not going to sort of get some balance in our lives again until probably sometime in February.” (Sanchez, 1/3)
San Francisco Chronicle:
S.F. Sees Record Overdose Deaths, Even As Police Seize Millions Of Lethal Fentanyl Doses. What Is Happening?
Kelly Stanphill just wants something to change for her son, who is somewhere in San Francisco, drug-addled, gaunt and helplessly addicted to fentanyl. So whenever she hears of a Tenderloin drug bust — like the 10 pounds of fentanyl that were seized by federal authorities last month — she can’t help but feel a tiny bit of justice and hope that her son’s endless supply of drugs will finally dry up. But then, the reality sets in. “It’s not changing anything,” she said, sighing. “People are still dying, two a day. It’s not helping.” (Thadani, 1/3)
Los Angeles Times:
After Lag, L.A. Homeless Sites 'Overwhelmed' By COVID-19
The day after Christmas, Dr. Heidi Behforouz, medical director for L.A. County’s Housing for Health program, sent out a call of distress. People living in skid row shelters were being diagnosed with dozens of new cases of COVID-19, and Behforouz needed a place to send them quickly to isolate. (Smith, 1/3)