Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
What Doctors Aren’t Always Taught: How to Spot Racism in Health Care
Activists across the country are demanding that medical schools eliminate the use of race as a diagnostic tool, recognize how systemic racism harms patients and reckon with some of medicine’s racist history. (Elizabeth Lawrence, )
Newsom Faces Backlash After Attending Birthday Party: Gov. Gavin Newsom attended a birthday party for a political adviser on Nov. 6 that included people from several households, the type of gathering his administration has discouraged during the coronavirus pandemic. “We should have modeled better behavior and not joined the dinner,” the governor said. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento Bee, AP, Politico and Newsweek.
Nursing Homes Shut Out Visitors As COVID Cases Climb: With San Diego County dropping into the state’s most restrictive reopening tier for COVID-19 on Saturday, indoor visitations at the county’s skilled nursing facilities are once again off the table. Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Also —
Helping COVID’s Secondary Victims: Grieving Families and Friends: COVID-19 is taking a devastating toll — not just on patients but also their families. Judith Graham, author of KHN's Navigating Aging column, will talk with experts and take reader questions during a Facebook Live event today (Nov. 16) at 1 p.m. ET. Watch here and submit questions now.
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
NPR:
Moderna's Coronavirus Vaccine Nearly 95% Effective, Analysis Finds
A second COVID-19 vaccine now also appears highly effective in preventing illness following exposure to the virus that causes the disease. The biotech company Moderna, Inc., said Monday that its experimental vaccine was 94.5% effective in preventing disease, according to an analysis of its clinical trial. The news comes a week after Pfizer and BioNTech said their vaccine was more than 90% effective. (Palca, 11/16)
CNN:
Moderna's Coronavirus Vaccine Is 94.5% Effective, According To Company Data
The Moderna vaccine is 94.5% effective against coronavirus, according to early data released Monday by the company, making it the second vaccine in the United States to have a stunningly high success rate. "These are obviously very exciting results," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease doctor. "It's just as good as it gets -- 94.5% is truly outstanding." Moderna heard its results on a call Sunday afternoon with members of the Data Safety and Monitoring Board, an independent panel analyzing Moderna's clinical trial data. (Cohen, 11/16)
Politico:
20 Million Americans Could Receive Covid-19 Vaccine In December
Roughly 20 million people could be vaccinated against the coronavirus in December, the head of the Trump administration's vaccine and drug accelerator said Friday. Americans can expect that about 25 to 30 million people could be vaccinated each month afterward, said Moncef Slaoui, co-lead of Operation Warp Speed, during a Rose Garden event with President Donald Trump and other top health officials. (Owermohle, 11/13)
Politico:
Coronavirus Vaccine Scientist: ‘We Could Have A Normal Winter Next Year’
One of the scientists behind the coronavirus vaccine that has been found to be 90 percent effective said that "if everything continues to go well ... we could have a normal winter next year." BioNTech co-founder Uğur Şahin told the BBC on Sunday that "this winter will be hard" and the vaccine "will not have a big impact on the infection numbers." But he said that "if everything continues to go well," the goal is to deliver more than 300 million doses of the vaccine before "April next year, which could allow us to already start to make an impact." (Dallison, 11/15)
San Francisco Chronicle:
To Speed A Vaccine, Thousands Volunteer To Be Infected With The Coronavirus. But That’s Not Happening. Yet.
The worldwide search for a coronavirus cure has inspired tens of thousands of young people to volunteer to be infected with the coronavirus during human trials of experimental vaccines — a growing movement that critics fear will have dire consequences. More than 38,000 people mostly in their 20s or early 30s from all over the world have signed up to be part of an operation known as 1DaySooner, which supports “human challenge trials” to test experimental drugs and speed up the process of finding effective vaccines for the coronavirus. (Fimrite, 11/16)
KTVU:
Judge Upholds Ruling To Limit Gov. Newsom's Powers During Pandemic
A tentative State Superior Court ruling against California Governor Gavin Newsom was finalized on Friday. A Northern California County judge decided Newsom overstepped his authority when he changed state law during the COVID-19 pandemic in violation of California's constitution. (11/14)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Newsom Urges Californians Not To Travel Out Of State, Advises 14-Day Quarantine For Those Who Do
As California sees the fastest rate of growth in coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday an advisory urging anyone traveling to California or returning from out of state to quarantine for two weeks. The advisory is voluntary, not mandatory. It comes as several Bay Area counties are moving to shut down or restrict indoor dining and other activities to try to quell the rising number of cases, and as many Americans are preparing to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday. (Ho and Koseff, 11/13)
Los Angeles Times:
Weekend COVID-19 Surge Alarms L.A. Officials Amid Talk Of Curfew
A fresh surge of coronavirus cases on Saturday and Sunday has alarmed Los Angeles County officials, who say they may consider imposing a curfew and other health measures in an effort to stem the spread of COVID-19. New cases topped 3,000 for two consecutive days over the weekend. County public health officials recorded 3,780 new cases of the virus Saturday, the highest one-day total since the peak of the crisis in mid-July. On Sunday, officials reported 3,061 new cases and three deaths. (Wigglesworth and Zahniser, 11/15)
Bay Area News Group:
Los Angeles County Jolted By Another Day Of 3,000-Plus New Coronavirus Cases
Los Angeles County was jolted by its second straight day of more than 3,000 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Sunday, Nov. 15, as the “second surge” continued to send daily statistics soaring to levels not seen since summer. The 3,061 cases came on the heels of Saturday’s total of 3,780, both numbers topping recent levels and hearkening back to the alarming rates of mid-July. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials have reported 339,560 cases since the pandemic began. Sunday’s three new fatalities increased the county’s death toll to 7,269. (11/16)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. County's Daily Coronavirus Case Count Hits Summer Highs
Los Angeles County public health officials reported 20 new deaths and 3,780 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Saturday, the highest number of positive cases in one day since the summertime. County officials attributed the growth in cases to increased testing across the county — more than 56,000 tests were processed Friday — yet the positivity rate remains high, at nearly 6%. The new positive cases reported Saturday are the largest one-day figure since mid-July not associated with a backlog of cases, health officials said. (Dillon, 11/14)
Bay Area News Group:
Coronavirus: Indoor Dining Closures Across Bay Area Amid Spike
As a new surge of COVID-19 mounts across the country, Bay Area health officials are returning to their lockstep strategy in hopes of heading off the virus. On Friday, with hours left for restaurants in San Francisco to cease indoor operations under an order announced earlier this week, Santa Clara, Contra Costa and Marin counties joined in the ban on indoor dining, in addition other new local restrictions. (Webeck, 11/13)
Modesto Bee:
Stanislaus County Health Official Sheds Light On Reasons For Uptick In COVID-19 Cases
Coronavirus infections are popping up across Stanislaus County as local health officials await a state decision on a claim asking to keep sectors of the economy open. The county Health Services Agency reported 140 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, one less than the previous day, mirroring transmission data that is threatening a new round of lock-downs in counties across California. The case data Thursday and Friday was more than three times higher than what’s needed to keep Stanislaus in the red tier of the state’s color-coded blueprint for slowing the pandemic. The county recorded daily cases in the 80s and 90s on other days last week. (Carlson, 11/15)
Sacramento Bee:
Folsom’s Mayor Tests Positive For COVID-19 As Coronavirus Cases Surge In California
The mayor of Folsom tested positive for the coronavirus Saturday as cases surge again throughout the Sacramento region and California more broadly. Mayor Sarah Aquino announced her diagnosis on Facebook on Saturday evening and indicated that she may have contracted the virus from someone she works with. “Yesterday I learned that someone I work with tested positive for COVID-19,” Aquino wrote. “I was tested today and paid to have the results expedited. The lab results showed that I, too, have COVID-19.” (Moleski, 11/15)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Report Says 36,000 Jobs Lost To COVID-19 Along North County Corridor
The five cities along the state Route 78 corridor have lost more than 36,000 jobs in the past year, according to a report on the economic impacts of COVID-19 by the San Diego North Economic Development Council. Hotels, restaurants and other hospitality industries are in the hardest hit category with 11,700 jobs lost, according to the report. It compares August 2019 to August 2020 in Oceanside, Carlsbad, San Marcos, Vista and Escondido. The continuing increase of COVID-19 cases and the return of heightened restrictions across San Diego County leave little hope for a comeback in the weeks ahead. (Diehl, 11/15)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Here’s Another Big Problem With California’s Unemployment Claims Logjam
More than half of Californians who are denied unemployment compensation and appeal that decision win their case and are awarded benefits. But just getting to the appeals process has been a struggle for many people during the pandemic because the Employment Development Department has been slow to send out the denial notice that lets them start the appeals process. (Pender and Said, 11/14)
Modesto Bee:
With More Snow Coming To Northern California, Ski Resorts Will Open With COVID-19 Rules
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resorts will be implementing safety precautions, including riding the lift with only those in your household and wearing face coverings at all times. Many ski areas have gone cashless and will restrict occupancy inside lodges and restaurants. Increased distance between skiers and riders, and more sanitation areas have been added. Some ski resorts — such as Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood — will require guests to book a reservation before hitting the slopes. (Burke, 11/15)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Gift Cards For COVID Tests? New Proposal Could Make That A Reality In Kern County
Those who get a coronavirus test in the near future may come away with something more than just a positive or negative result. If the Kern County Board of Supervisors approves a new proposal, people who get tested could receive a $25 gift card. It’s the latest attempt to bolster the county’s testing rates, which have languished behind the state average for weeks. This is significantly impacting the county’s ability to allow more social and business activity, and could threaten the business activity that is currently allowed. (Morgen, 11/15)
LA Daily News:
Judge To Allow Witnesses In COVID Contempt Hearing Against Grace Community Church
A judge said Friday he will allow pretrial discovery and the calling of witnesses in a contempt hearing against Grace Community Church and its pastor for holding indoor services in alleged violation of a September court order issued over coronavirus concerns. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff also set a Jan. 15 date for the contempt hearing, which will deal with whether fines should be levied on the Sun Valley church on Roscoe Boulevard and Pastor John MacArthur for continuing to allow Sunday worship in the church’s interior despite the judge’s issuance of a preliminary injunction on Sept. 10. Friday’s hearing dealt with the scope of the contempt hearing. (11/13)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
San Diego Universities Will Increase Testing For COVID-19 After Thanksgiving
A new surge of coronavirus infections is sweeping the nation, just as San Diego colleges prepare to send students off for the Thanksgiving holiday. UC San Diego urged students to get tested before leaving to avoid unwittingly spreading the virus. After the holiday, UCSD and San Diego State University will begin testing many of its students weekly, rather than bi-weekly, for COVID-19 to help slow transmission. The schools were working out the details on Friday. (Robbins, 11/15)
Bay Area News Group:
Cupertino District Hits Pause On School Closures
The Cupertino Union School District has paused discussion on possible school closures in the wake of public outcry from parents and students in affected school communities. At a special meeting Nov. 10, the district’s board opted to pursue other avenues to close a $5 million-$7 million budget deficit, including a parcel tax. (Gelhaus, 11/14)
San Francisco Chronicle:
UC Davis Chancellor ‘Deeply Disappointed’ After Reports Of Party At Frat Where One Student Tested Positive
A UC Davis student who lived at an off-campus fraternity tested positive for the coronavirus — a day after the frat may have held a party. The university said it received reports that Theta Chi held a party on Thursday night with between 10 and 20 people, which would be a violation of health and safety rules. After learning of the party, Yolo County health officials ordered the 10 remaining frat house residents to also go into quarantine. Nine of them moved into quarantine apartments on campus and one student was allowed to stay at the Theta Chi residence in order to take care of the frat’s pets. (Dineen, 11/15)
LA Daily News:
Former Dodgers Manager And Hall Of Famer Tommy Lasorda Hospitalized In Intensive Care
Dodgers Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda has been hospitalized in Orange County and is intensive care. The team acknowledged Lasorda’s situation in a release Sunday morning, Nov. 15. No specifics were given about Lasorda’s health, but the team did say the 93-year-old former manager was “resting comfortably.” (Plunkett, 11/15)
Modesto Bee:
Walmart To Count Customers, Limit Entry To Fight Pandemic
Walmart has resumed counting the number of customers entering and leaving to keep stores at 20% capacity as COVID-19 cases surge in the United States. The chain had instituted the policy in April, but later stopped counting the number of people inside as cases waned across the country, CNBC reported. (Sweeney, 11/15)
Capital Public Radio/KXJZ:
Sacramento Pushes To Get Flu Shot To Underserved Communities As A ‘Dry Run’ For Potential COVID-19 Vaccine
From social media posts to bilingual help lines, Sacramento County health officials are making efforts this season to make sure the hardest-to-reach people know how to get a flu shot. Experts say widespread adherence to the flu vaccine could help prevent parallel spikes in influenza and COVID-19, and lessen the burden on health care systems. The two illnesses share some symptoms, and an influx of patients this winter could pose a challenge to emergency room staff. (Caiola, 11/13)
Fresno Bee:
Unemployment Linked To Mental Health Issues In Young Adults
Most young adults are capable of dodging a severe case of COVID-19, but they aren’t as lucky when it comes to employment and mental health during a pandemic, research shows. A survey of nearly 5,000 Americans between 18 and 26 years old found that about 60% of young adults lost their jobs or lived with someone who did since March, while nearly 40% expected it to happen within the coming four weeks. (Camero, 11/13)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Boxing Legend Muhammad Ali's Daughter To Speak During Parkinson's Association Fundraiser
Rasheda Ali was a junior high school student when her father and boxing legend Muhammad Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at 42 years old. At the time, Ali recalled, it did not impact much of her day-to-day life because she was so young, and so little was known about the disease in the 1980s. “Parkinson’s was introduced to us at a time where there wasn’t a lot of information about the disease, especially with somebody as young as my father,” Ali said during a recent interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune. “It didn’t really affect us or affect me at all in the beginning because we didn’t really know anything about it...We just knew that it was an incurable, progressive disease.” (Mapp, 11/13)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
How One Man's Passion For Health And Fitness Has Grown Into A Mission Of Helping Others
Mike Cothrine started Mike’s Fit Family, a community of health and wellness that serves students and teachers in lower income school districts, eight years ago. With an initial 36 participants, his program has since grown into a nonprofit that began serving 250 people a week with a program that included interval training and nutrition education for physical health, while also focused on the health of the mind and spirit. (Deaderick, 11/14)
Sacramento Bee:
Homelessness Is On The Rise In Placer County. Will COVID-19 Closings Make It Even Worse?
California’s homeless crisis, long a fixture of the state’s urban centers, is spreading more and more into rural and suburban communities. In El Dorado County, a count last year found more than 600 homeless individuals, a majority of whom were living without shelter in places such as camps, vehicles, parks, on sidewalks or under bridges. The Sierra Nevada foothill counties of Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mariposa have seen significant jumps in their homeless populations in recent years. (Sullivan, 11/16)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Scripps Health Executive Compensation, Use Of Hospice Donations Called Into Question
Sometimes nonprofit work is personally profitable. Scripps Health chief executive Chris Van Gorder was paid more than $16 million in the three most recent years for which public information is available — a salary and benefits package that far exceeds what other San Diego area hospital officials collected, records show. Van Gorder, who decades ago turned an injury he suffered as a Monterey Park police officer into a career in hospital administration, also received a $10 million life insurance policy purchased by the nonprofit healthcare provider. (McDonald, 11/14)