Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
‘I Can Go Anywhere’: How Service Dogs Help Veterans With PTSD
The PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act means more veterans with symptoms of traumatic stress can get specially trained service dogs. (Stephanie O'Neill Patison, )
Health Officials Worry, Wait For More Understanding Of Omicron Covid Variant: Facing a global spread of the covid-19 omicron variant, U.S. health officials said it will probably take two weeks to fully determine the level of threat but pushed coronavirus booster shots as a key first stage in the battle. President Joe Biden met with top health advisors Sunday to map out a strategy and stressed the need for vigilant adherence to existing safety practices, notably vaccinations and booster shots. Read more from the Los Angeles Times, Reuters, the San Francisco Chronicle and National Public Radio.
Scroll down for more news on the omicron "variant of concern."
Butte County Town Declares Itself 'Constitutional Republic' In Protest Against Mandates: The northern California town of Oroville, in rural Butte County, has declared itself a “constitutional republic” in response to covid health mandates imposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom – the latest sign of strife between Sacramento and California’s rural regions. The Oroville town council adopted a resolution stating it would oppose state and federal orders it deemed government overreach. A legal expert said the designation was merely a symbolic gesture. Butte County, with a population of 220,000, has one of the state’s lowest vaccination rates. As of Saturday, 47% of its residents were fully vaccinated, compared with 64% of all Californians. Read more from the Los Angeles Times, The Guardian and CapRadio.
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 Times:
Omicron Variant Spreads Globally, Fueling Fears Of Winter Surge
Facing a global spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, U.S. health officials said it will probably take two weeks to fully determine the level of threat but pushed coronavirus booster shots as a key first stage in the battle. President Biden met with top health advisors Sunday to map out a strategy as new cases were confirmed in more global locations, including Germany, Italy, Belgium, Israel and Hong Kong. (Sheets and Marcum, 11/28)
City News Service:
LA County Health Officials Watching For Omicron Variant Of Coronavirus
Public health teams in Los Angeles County are keeping a wary eye on the new Omicron variant detected in Africa and Europe, officials said. The new potentially more contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus popped up in more European countries over the weekend, just days after being identified in South Africa, leaving governments around the world scrambling to stop the spread. (11/28)
Reuters:
Biden Told It Will Take Two Weeks To Have Definitive Data On Omicron Variant
The top U.S. infectious disease official, Dr. Anthony Fauci, told President Joe Biden on Sunday it will take about two weeks to have definitive information on the new coronavirus variant Omicron that has sparked new travel restrictions and shaken financial markets. Biden, returning to Washington following the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, was briefed in person by his coronavirus response team on Sunday afternoon as officials expect the new variant to reach the United States despite an impending ban on travelers from Southern Africa, where it was first detected. (Heavey, 11/29)
The Hill:
Health Officials Warn Against Jumping To Conclusions On Omicron
Leading U.S. health officials on Sunday cautioned Americans against jumping to conclusions about the omicron variant of the coronavirus as numerous countries outside South Africa, where it was first detected, report cases of the strain. Experts stressed that data on the omicron variant is extremely limited and that data on whether it can evade vaccine immunity should be available in the next few weeks, providing a clearer picture of how countries should be addressing omicron. (Choi, 11/28)
Politico:
Omicron Variant Will 'Inevitably' Reach The U.S., Fauci Says
The Omicron variant of the coronavirus, which has found its way into a number of European countries in recent days, will “inevitably” get to the United States, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Sunday. “The question is: Will we be prepared for it?” he said on ABC’s “This Week” with George Stephanopoulos. “The preparation that we have ongoing, for what we're doing now with the Delta variant, just needs to be revved up.” And a huge part of that preparation lies in our vaccination and booster efforts, he said. “If and when — and it is going to be when — it comes here, hopefully, we will be ready for it by enhancing our capabilities via the vaccine, masking, all the things that we do and should be doing,” Fauci said. (Bice, 11/28)
Los Angeles Times:
How To Protect Yourself Amid Omicron Variant Alarms? Here's What We Know
There is still so much unknown about the Omicron variant, first identified in South Africa amid a spike in infections there, including whether the variant is more transmissible, results in more severe illness or reduces the efficacy of vaccines. But officials and California and beyond are saying the new variant, which has not yet been detected in the United States but is probably already here, requires close attention. (Wigglesworth and Lin II, 11/28)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Should You Change Your Holiday Plans Because Of Omicron? Here’s What 5 Bay Area Experts Are Doing
Even as families and friends gathered for the long Thanksgiving weekend, global concern was escalating over the omicron coronavirus variant — presenting them with a new, potentially serious risk to consider as they plan for the rest of the holiday season and beyond. As Bay Area residents voiced dismay at this latest possible wrinkle in their hopes for a more normal holiday season, local experts told The Chronicle on Sunday that it’s good to be aware, but not to panic about the new variant. They said that based on information so far, they have not changed their own plans. But they repeatedly stressed the importance of vaccinations, boosters and other COVID health precautions. (Hwang, 11/28)
Los Angeles Times:
Omicron Adds Peril To Holidays In California And Beyond
A newly identified coronavirus variant that has sparked global restrictions on travel and shaken financial markets could make the critical holiday season even more perilous in California and across the nation. Even before the Omicron variant was discovered, health officials were warning of a winter wave of COVID-19 as society regroups for holiday events and travel, and cold weather keeps more people indoors. While it’s not clear how dangerous the new variant is, it’s adding urgency to efforts to get more people vaccinated — and to get booster shots for those with waning immunity — and to follow masking and other safety rules, experts say. (Wigglesworth, Parvini and Lin II, 11/28)
Reuters:
S.African Doctor Says Patients With Omicron Variant Have "Very Mild" Symptoms
A South African doctor who was one of the first to suspect a different coronavirus strain among patients said on Sunday that symptoms of the Omicron variant were so far mild and could be treated at home. Dr. Angelique Coetzee, a private practitioner and chair of South African Medical Association, told Reuters that on Nov. 18 she noticed seven patients at her clinic who had symptoms different from the dominant Delta variant, albeit "very mild". Now designated Omicron by the World Health Organization, the variant was detected and announced by South Africa's National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) on Nov. 25 from samples taken from a laboratory from Nov. 14 to Nov. 16. (Mukherjee, 11/28)
NPR:
As Omicron Spreads, Studies Suggest That Travel Bans Alone Don't Do Much Good
When the Omicron variant of COVID-19 was first identified in South Africa, the country's scientists were quick to inform global health leaders of the new mutations they had found. Though scientists have little information about the new variant and aren't certain where it originated, several countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union announced almost immediate travel bans from South Africa and other southern African nations. (Shivaram, Bowman, and Diaz, 11/28)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Will U.S. Travel Ban Help Stop The New Omicron COVID-19 Variant?
After the World Health Organization deemed a new coronavirus strain — first identified by South African officials — a variant of concern on Friday morning, global leaders, including U.S. president Joe Biden, reacted quickly with travel restrictions directed at southern African countries. Health officials say that the travel restrictions buy countries time to understand and fight new varaints, but many health experts criticized the move, saying that it won’t stop the spread of the virus and penalizes countries that report new variants. (Echeverria, 11/27)
Associated Press:
Court Blocks COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate For California Prisons
A federal appeals court on Friday temporarily blocked an order that all California prison workers must be vaccinated against the coronavirus or have a religious or medical exemption. The stay 'puts both the prison staff and the incarcerated population at greater risk of infection,' said Don Specter, director of the nonprofit Prison Law Office, which represents incarcerated individuals in a long-running lawsuit over medical conditions in state prisons. A panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a request for a stay of September’s lower court order pending an appeal. It also sped up the hearing process by setting a Dec. 13 deadline for opening briefs. (Thompson, 11/27)
ABC7 Los Angeles:
Enforcement Of LA COVID Vaccine Mandate For Indoor Businesses Starts Monday
If you find yourself in the city of Los Angeles, be prepared to show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 as enforcement of the SafePassLA ordinance is set to begin Monday. People who are visiting indoor restaurants, gyms, entertainment and recreational facilities, personal care establishments and some city buildings are required to show proof of full vaccination against the virus. (11/29)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Hundreds Of San Diego Police Officers Unvaccinated As City Prepares To Impose Mandate
Brandon Gibson knows just how serious COVID-19 is. He beat back the disease two months ago. “It kicked my butt,” he said. Yet he quit the San Diego police force earlier this month after 10 years because he is not ready to get the vaccine, an imminent condition of employment for city workers. (Hernandez, 11/28)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. Vaccine Mandate Means A Restaurant Owner Will Tell Customers 'no'
Come Monday, Los Angeles’ vaccine mandate will compel Del Cid to ask people for proof of vaccination. She can either enforce the law and deny some people entry into her restaurant or she can violate it, which Del Cid said she won’t do. Either way, it won’t be fun. (Vives, 11/28)
CBS News:
Military Service Members Face Deadline To Get COVID-19 Vaccine Or Face Disciplinary Action
Thousands of American service members are facing disciplinary action — up to dismissal — if they are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Monday. With vaccination deadlines looming, the two top Marines pleaded with the troops. (Martin, 11/28)
Modesto Bee:
Stanislaus Workplaces Report Few COVID Deaths To California
While Stanislaus County continues to withhold data on COVID-19 outbreaks at businesses, records show Modesto-area employers have reported few worker hospitalizations or deaths to the state agency in charge of enforcing workplace safety standards. Stanislaus County employers reported only 66 worker hospitalizations or deaths related to COVID-19 to California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, known as Cal/OSHA, from March 2020 through late October 2021, according to public records. (Lam, 11/29)
Los Angeles Times:
Amid Omicron Concerns, L.A. County Urges Mask Wearing, Testing, Vaccinations
Amid growing concerns about the new Omicron variant, Los Angeles County health officials are urging the public to wear masks in indoor public settings and at outdoor “mega events” and be vaccinated as the best way to protect against another winter surge. The variant, first identified in South Africa amid a spike in infections there, has more mutations than any scientists have seen, including some that may make the virus more resistant to immunity generated from previous infections or vaccines. But much isn’t known, including whether the variant is more transmissible, results in more severe illness or reduces the efficacy of vaccines. (Wigglesworth, Lin II and Parvini, 11/28)
San Francisco Chronicle:
She Built A Model Overnight That Would Guide S.F.’s Pandemic Response. Now, She Predicts Our COVID Future
San Francisco was a few days into sheltering in place in March 2020 when Dr. Maya Petersen got a surprising and urgent request: Health officials wanted to know whether she could put together a model that would help them forecast what was shaping up to be a horrifying pandemic. Petersen, an epidemiologist at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health who had been studying HIV for more than a decade, immediately thought no, surely there must be someone better suited to the job. “I don’t know anything about COVID,” she recalled thinking. And then, of course, she realized: No one knew anything about COVID-19. (Allday, 11/26)
Bay Area News Group:
St. Francis Center Helps Redwood City Woman Amid Pandemic
Before the pandemic hit, Natalia Gutierrez thought beating breast cancer would be her most difficult battle. She was diagnosed in 2018 in her mid-30s, and cancer ravaged Gutierrez’s body, leaving her depressed and exhausted and unable to have more children. But then the coronavirus arrived, tearing through her extended family last year just as her long-term relationship with the father of her daughter, Camila, unraveled. (Deruy, 11/28)
Covid Vaccines, Boosters and Treatments
Stat:
New Data, Analyses Take Some Of The Shine Off Merck’s Covid Pill
New data, in addition to analyses by scientists at the Food and Drug Administration, may take some of the shine off Merck’s experimental Covid-19 pill, molnupiravir. On Friday, the drug maker released full results from its study of the pill, molnupiravir, showing it reduced the risk of hospitalization by 30%, down from a decrease of 50% seen in an earlier analysis. In the 1,433-patient study, fewer patients died when they received the treatment. There were nine deaths in the placebo group in the final analysis, and one in the molnupiravir group. (Herper, 11/26)
CIDRAP:
SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Levels Predict COVID Vaccine Efficacy, Study Finds
SARS-CoV-2 antibody concentrations predict COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness, with higher levels correlating with greater protection, according to an ongoing US phase 3 clinical trial yesterday in Science. A team led by researchers from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle evaluated 30,420 adult recipients of the Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at 99 centers for neutralizing and binding antibodies as correlates of risk for, and protection against, infection. (11/24)
AP:
Merriam-Webster Chooses Vaccine As The 2021 Word Of The Year
With an expanded definition to reflect the times, Merriam-Webster has declared an omnipresent truth as its 2021 word of the year: vaccine. “This was a word that was extremely high in our data every single day in 2021,” Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster’s editor-at-large, told The Associated Press ahead of Monday’s announcement. “It really represents two different stories. One is the science story, which is this remarkable speed with which the vaccines were developed. But there’s also the debates regarding policy, politics and political affiliation. It’s one word that carries these two huge stories,” he said. (Italie, 11/29)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Supply Chain Woes Mean Shortages Of Critical Medical Devices In California
The logjam at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach — which handle 40% of all waterbound imports to the U.S. — has triggered shortages of everything from computer chips to paper products and drawn the attention of President Joe Biden. Many Californians are grappling with shortages of lifesaving medical supplies. California hospitals say medical supplies are more difficult to acquire now or are taking much longer to be delivered. Although the Hospital Association of Southern California says no one has reported any acute shortages yet, administrators are concerned about the delayed shipments that are anchored off the coast. (Hwang, 11/28)
Modern Healthcare:
Supreme Court To Hear 340B Case That Could Impact All Hospitals
The Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case seeking to reverse cuts to the 340B Drug Program next week, and the outcome could have consequences for all providers, even those who don't access the discounted medicines. Plaintiffs including the American Hospital Association and providers that participate in the program are asking the high court to reverse a nearly 30% cut in 340B reimbursements the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services initiated during President Donald Trump's administration and continued under President Joe Biden. Oral arguments are scheduled for Nov. 30. (Hellman, 11/24)
KHN:
Black Tech Founders Want To Change The Culture Of Health Care, One Click At A Time
When Ashlee Wisdom launched an early version of her health and wellness website, more than 34,000 users — most of them Black — visited the platform in the first two weeks. “It wasn’t the most fully functioning platform,” recalled Wisdom, 31. “It was not sexy.” But the launch was successful. Now, more than a year later, Wisdom’s company, Health in Her Hue, connects Black women and other women of color to culturally sensitive doctors, doulas, nurses and therapists nationally. (Anthony, 11/29)
USA Today:
Retired Doctors Are Donating Their Services To Help Remote Communities
While the COVID-19 pandemic brought telemedicine to the forefront of health care, the MAVEN Project has been successfully utilizing telehealth technology for several years. Launched in 2014 by San Francisco obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Laurie Green, MAVEN aims to provide retired physicians with a way to continue using their medical expertise in meaningful ways, while also helping community health clinics connect with medical specialists. Funding for MAVEN comes through donations and community grants. By working with primary care providers at the clinics, rather than providing direct-to-patient care, MAVEN volunteers aren’t restricted by state licensure requirements. (Childers, 11/28)
Stat:
'Start At The Top': Women In Biotech On How To Break Down Barriers
Agnieszka Czechowicz remembers what the Magenta Therapeutics website looked like before the biotech startup went public: She, as a scientific co-founder, was featured on the website along with other, more junior co-founders. Then, as the company prepared for its IPO in 2018, she said, “suddenly the founders on the website were older, Caucasian men, even though some of those individuals were not part of the founding of the company during the early stages.” (Osman, 11/26)
KHN:
‘An Arm And A Leg’: How To Avoid The Worst Health Insurance
This episode kicks off with a wild ride: How one journalist nearly got roped into a scam. While hunting for a new health insurance plan, award-winning journalist Mitra Kaboli got an offer that seemed too good to be true — and seemed to be coming from her current insurer. She was skeptical and, it turns out, had every reason to be. Dania Palanker of Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms unpacks this sketchy scheme and gives us the key to avoiding it: When you’re searching for health insurance, skip Google. Seriously. (Weissmann, 11/29)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Can Hundreds Of Millions Of Dollars And Staffing Increases End Mental Health Crisis?
For the first time, San Diego County is poised to dispatch mobile teams of mental health professionals dedicated to responding to people in crisis instead of sending police officers and sheriff’s deputies. (McDonald, 11/28)
Fox News:
Digital Multitasking Can Be Detrimental To A Child’s Mental Health, Study Warns
Children face a deluge of electronic information from traditional television and computers to tablets, smartphones and video games, but prior studies examining the impact of electronic media on children and adults have yield mixed results. The team of researchers from the University of Luxembourg and Université de Genève studied 118 Swiss boys and girls, ranging from age eight to 12, asking them to fill out surveys with questions crafted to examine their electronic media use as well as their attention spans, sleep, grades, and mental health, according to the report. (Sudhakar, 11/28)
Marin Independent Journal:
Marin Schools Plan Pandemic ‘Wellness’ Program
Marin school families, staff and students are in for a week of TLC next month to help raise their mental, physical and emotional health after almost two years of pandemic stress. The first “Wellness Week Marin” is scheduled for Dec. 6 to 10. The free online program will feature three, 15-minute video segments daily. Each segment will focus on a different aspect of health. (Brenner, 11/28)
The Bakersfield Californian:
CSUB Rolls Out Its COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement
It's been nearly two months since the deadline passed for the California State University COVID-19 vaccine requirement, and implementation has been a months-long effort by Cal State Bakersfield. So far, nearly 100 percent of employees and 91 percent of students have shown proof of being fully vaccinated, or they have applied for a religious, medical or administrative exemption, which is an option for those who don't come on campus, according to university data. (Gallegos, 11/26)
CapRadio:
What To Know About Sacramento City Schools' COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement
The Sacramento City Unified School District joined a handful of California school districts — including Los Angeles and San Diego, the state’s two largest — in announcing a vaccine mandate last month. The deadline for the district’s students over 12 and staff to submit proof of at least their first dose of vaccination is coming up, on Nov. 30. That followed Gov. Gavin Newsom’s pending mandate that all K-12 students be vaccinated once full FDA approval is given to their age group. Currently, kids in grades 7-12 will need to be vaccinated by July 1, 2022. A mandate for kids in grades K-6 is dependent on when the FDA gives full approval to the vaccine for kids 5-11. (Salanga, 11/29)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Housekeeping And Food: New S.F. Program Helps Formerly Homeless People Stay Indoors
If left entirely on his own, Maurice Hackett would let his residential hotel room become overrun with trash and roaches, and he’d often forget to get up and eat. That’s because, after years of chronic homelessness and addiction struggles, the 43-year-old has trouble focusing on the basics in the tiny, subsidized room that is about the only thing keeping him from the streets. Hackett now has a better chance of holding onto his housing. Since Nov. 1, a home care worker has been stopping by a couple times a week to tidy up the place and bring him food. The visits are part of a new program that launched in San Francisco and is the first of its kind in California — one that tasks a squad of home care providers with ensuring that the most challenging supportive housing residents can stay indoors by helping them with simple but essential tasks. (Fagan, 11/27)
Fox News:
Exercise Impacts Appetite In Unexpected Ways, Study Finds
A new study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise addressed the age-old question: does exercise make us eat more afterwards or decrease our appetite for the next meal? The research studied physically inactive men and women, finding that among those who worked out, when given a mouth-watering buffet lunch afterward, they did not overeat, but they didn’t skip dessert or take smaller portions either, suggesting that exercise during the holidays will likely not help us eat less or lose weight. (Sudhakar, 11/28)
AP:
Supreme Court Set To Take Up All-Or-Nothing Abortion Fight
Both sides are telling the Supreme Court there’s no middle ground in Wednesday’s showdown over abortion. The justices can either reaffirm the constitutional right to an abortion or wipe it away altogether. Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that declared a nationwide right to abortion, is facing its most serious challenge in 30 years in front of a court with a 6-3 conservative majority that has been remade by three appointees of President Donald Trump. “There are no half measures here,” said Sherif Girgis, a Notre Dame law professor who once served as a law clerk for Justice Samuel Alito. (Sherman, 11/29)