State Climate Report Predicts Many More Deaths From Fires, Heat: Painting alarming scenes of fires, floods and economic disruption, the California Legislature’s advisers Tuesday released a six-part series of reports that explained in stark terms the effects of climate change across the state. Among the findings, the reports projected many more deaths each year from extreme heat and wildfire smoke. Read more from CalMatters.
Psychiatric Hospital In Ventura Loses Appeal In Abuse Case: In a victory for abused hospital patients, a state appeals court ruled Tuesday that a hospital can be held responsible for sexual abuse by an employee, and that damage awards for pain and suffering by surviving victims who are 65 and older are not subject to California's $250,000 limit in medical malpractice cases. The case involved Aurora Vista del Mar and its owner, Signature Healthcare Services. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle and AP.
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
San Francisco Chronicle:
San Francisco Has Highest COVID Rate As California’s Decline In Cases Stalls
San Francisco now has the highest coronavirus infection rate of any county in California, followed closely by several other Bay Area counties where COVID-19 downward trends have stalled as the highly transmissible BA.2 subvariant extends its dominance. The Bay Area overall is reporting about 700 new cases a day across its nine counties, still reflecting its steep drop since the winter surge that saw a peak of more than 18,000 new daily cases. But the number remains much higher than the 200 reported during last year’s summer lull before the delta variant of the virus took hold. (Vaziri, 4/5)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. Coronavirus Cases Rising, But Is It Another Wave?
Coronavirus cases have begun to rise in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco counties, likely a result of the highly contagious Omicron subvariant BA.2, decreased use of masks and waning immunity. The increases are modest, and it’s unclear whether this is a brief hiccup, the beginning of a larger wave of cases or something in between. (Lin II, 4/5)
Napa Valley Register:
Six COVID-19 Deaths Reported By Napa County In March, But Viral Spread Continues To Slow
Infections and hospitalizations from the coronavirus continued to slow in Napa County last month, but COVID-19 nonetheless claimed six more lives locally in March, according to county officials. The deaths of five women and one man during March were associated with COVID-19, according to Becky Craig, assistant county executive officer. (Yune, 4/5)
The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat:
COVID-19 Cases Are Dropping In Sonoma County. Could The New ‘Stealth’ Variant Trigger Another Surge?
Despite the spread of the highly infectious “stealth omicron” variant, BA.2, in other parts of the country, COVID-19 cases in Sonoma County continue to decline or remain stable, local health officials said Tuesday. But Dr. Sundari Mase, the county’s health officer, warned against a false sense of security. (Espinoza, 4/5)
AP:
Congressman Adam Schiff Tests Positive For COVID-19
U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California, announced Tuesday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus. “I’m feeling fine, and grateful to be vaccinated and boosted,” the 61-year-old Schiff tweeted. “In the coming days, I will quarantine and follow CDC guidelines. And remember, please get vaccinated!” (4/6)
Los Angeles Daily News:
Why California, Some Counties Are Scaling Back COVID-19 Data Updates
California is scaling back how often it publicly reports coronavirus case, death, testing and other numbers on the health department website, and some counties are following suit — to mixed reaction from public health experts. As of this week, California will update those numbers only on Tuesdays and Fridays, rather than every weekday. Twice a week is one of the lowest frequencies of any state in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University, which tracks coronavirus stats from around the world. (Johnson, 4/5)
CIDRAP:
BA.2 Now Behind 72% Of All US COVID-19 Cases
The subvariant of the Omicron strain—BA.2—now accounts for 72.2% of all COVID-19 cases in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "There is no evidence BA.2 results in more severe illness, and it is no more likely to evade immune protection," said Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, during a White House press briefing. "But the subvariant is more transmissible." (Soucheray, 4/5)
The Washington Post:
Officials Unveil ‘Long Covid’ Research, Action Plan
The government will expand a nationwide network of long covid clinics being run through the Department of Veterans Affairs, with officials saying they are already providing new insights on how to care for long covid patients. Federal officials will also launch a new initiative, dubbed the “Health+ project,” to solicit feedback from people living with long covid and use it to shape practices at clinics nationwide. (Diamond and Sellers, 4/5)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Is There Any Reason To Bring Back Social Distancing, As Highly Transmissible BA.2 Variant Spreads?
In the early days of the pandemic, there was this trifecta of virus prevention: stay 6 feet away from others, wear a mask, avoid crowded or indoor spaces. Observe those precautions and your risk of infection was low, public health experts said. These days, the guidance has largely turned into “get a vaccine and booster” and “wear a mask” (though mask rules and recommendations have fluctuated depending on virus transmission levels). Social distancing and restrictions on indoor gatherings have largely fallen by the wayside, though in many places, old stickers and signs still remind us to stay apart. (4/5)
Los Angeles Daily News:
LA County Supervisors Empower Personnel Director To Discipline Employees Over Vaccine Mandate
Despite allegations that it was “targeted overreach,” Los Angeles County Supervisors on Tuesday, April 5, empowered the county’s personnel director to fire employees who do not comply with the county’s COVID-19 vaccination policy or directives. (Carter, 4/5)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
County Ends Vaccination Mandate For New Hires, Testing For Existing Workers
As of Monday, San Diego County no longer requires new hires to prove they have been vaccinated. The change, confirmed by county personnel during a monthly COVID-19 update to the Board of Supervisors Tuesday, was made administratively, ending a controversial requirement put in place in October 2021. (Sisson, 4/5)
Napa Valley Register:
Napa School Board To Hear Resolution Opposing Future Mask Requirements
The Napa public school system lifted its mask-wearing requirement on its campuses last month, but an attempt to block future mandates will come before its school board Wednesday evening. (Yune, 4/5)
NBC News:
CDC Director Explains Who Needs 2nd Covid Vaccine Booster
The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided more clarity on who should — or perhaps should not — consider getting a second Covid-19 booster vaccine, saying that a recent infection may in fact act as a "natural boost" in immunity. People who have had the two-dose mRNA vaccine series plus one booster don't need a second booster if they recently were infected with the omicron variant of the coronavirus, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told NBC News. (Edwards, 4/5)
CNBC:
CDC Director Says High Immunity In U.S. Population Provides Some Protection Against Omicron BA.2
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky on Tuesday said there is enough immunity in the U.S. population to provide some protection against the more contagious omicron BA.2 subvariant, which could help stave off another Covid wave that slams hospitals. “The high level of immunity in the population from vaccines, boosters and previous infection will provide some level of protection against BA.2,” Walensky said during a White House Covid briefing. White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said last month that infections might rise due to BA.2, but he doesn’t expect another surge. (Kimball, 4/5)
NBC News:
Covid Boosters: FDA Advisers To Meet To Discuss What Shots We'll Need Next
Fewer than half of eligible adults have received that first booster shot, and some health experts question whether getting additional doses of the vaccines every few months to protect against mild illness is a practical public health strategy. The all-day meeting Wednesday of the agency’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will try to answer these questions, or at least develop a framework for a long-term booster strategy, according to briefing documents released by the FDA before the meeting. (Lovelace Jr., 4/5)
The New York Times:
Israeli Study Says Second Booster Protects Against Omicron Infection But Wanes Fast
A second booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine provides additional short-term protection against Omicron infections and severe illness among older adults, according to a large new study from Israel. But the booster’s effectiveness against infection in particular wanes after just four weeks and almost disappears after eight weeks. Protection against severe illness did not ebb in the six weeks after the extra dose, but the follow-up period was too short to determine whether a second booster provided better long-term protection against severe disease than a single booster. (Anthes, 4/6)
Fortune:
Good Riddance To Work From Home, Google’s Former CEO Says
Google’s voluntary work-from-home policy ended on Monday, April 4. Now employees who didn’t apply for an extension or permission to work from home permanently have to come into the office three times a week. One person is really happy about that: former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Schmidt, who served as the tech giant’s CEO and chairman from 2001 to 2011, says the change is essential. (Lodewick, 4/5)
San Francisco Chronicle:
S.F. Startup Featured In Chronicle Series About Work Culture During The Pandemic Has Dissolved
Fast, the San Francisco startup that was profiled by The Chronicle last year as an example of the changes in office culture because of the pandemic and remote work, is no more. A statement on the company’s Twitter from CEO Domm Holland confirmed the company, a one-click online checkout startup that raised millions of dollars backed by fintech heavyweight Stripe, would shut down. (DeFeliciantonio, 4/5)
The Washington Post:
Hybrid Work For Many Is Messy And Exhausting
Workers say they are discovering new frustrations with hybrid work as they adapt to both virtual and in-person work. From keeping track of their belongings to having two functional workspaces and ensuring that their visits to the office coordinate with those of their colleagues, this model is rife with unexpected hurdles, they say. To be sure, workers say they prefer hybrid work over being in the office full time. (Abril, 4/5)
Orange County Register:
Former OC Coroner’s Official Takes Responsibility For Body Misidentification
A former Orange County assistant chief deputy coroner took responsibility Tuesday, April 5, for his staff’s failure to follow protocols in using an electronic fingerprint identification system, resulting in a father and daughter burying a stranger thought to be their loved one in 2017. Bruce Lyle, who now serves as assistant director of the Orange County Crime Lab, took the stand during the second day of testimony during a civil trial to determine if Frank J. Kerrigan, 86, of Wildomar and his 60-old-daughter, Carole Meikle of Silverado, should be awarded damages for the body mix-up. (Schwebke, 4/5)
Modesto Bee:
Sutter Hospitals Are Treating Stroke Patients With New Drug
Aphasia is a debilitating condition that robs a person of the ability to speak or understand speech. The condition was thrust into the spotlight with the announcement last week that aphasia has forced actor Bruce Willis to retire. (Carlson, 4/5)
The Washington Post:
Fewer Patients Of Color Have Health-Care Providers Who Look Like Them
Only 22.2 percent of Black adults and 29.2 percent of Hispanic and Latino adults surveyed consider their usual health-care providers to share their race or ethnicity, and about a quarter of Hispanic and Latino respondents said their provider is of their same race or ethnicity and speaks to them using their preferred language. (Blakemore, 4/5)
Sacramento Bee:
Sacramento Nonprofit Offers Free Therapy After Mass Shooting
The nonprofit organization A Different Path is offering free therapy sessions to victims, family members, witnesses, and public safety professionals affected by the downtown Sacramento shooting that killed six people. People who have been traumatized, or personally affected by the tragic shooting can register at no charge by completing a Google form the nonprofit is sharing at its Facebook page, facebook.com/adifferentpath.info. (Smith, 4/5)
CalMatters:
Lawmakers Double Down On Mental Health Reform
“We are living in a very fragile moment, a very fragile moment in our society where the issues of mental health are becoming ever more prominent.” Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg made those comments Monday, a day after California’s capital city experienced its worst mass shooting in history and the country’s deadliest so far this year. Police have arrested two suspects, brothers, so far. Although it’s unclear whether mental illness was a factor in the shooting that killed six and injured 12, Steinberg said, “I hope that this is the time where mental health gets elevated from an issue that no one frankly would ever talk about or work on to an issue that dominates the legislative session.” (Hoeven, 4/5)
Bay Area News Group:
Colds And The Flu Vanished During COVID - But They're Back.
They’ve arrived just when life seemed good again. Cold and flu germs, which nearly vanished for two years, are roaring back, according to doctors and federal disease-trackers. As we do less masking and more hugging and handshaking, “there is greater transmission of viruses,” said Dr. Jorge Salinas, hospital epidemiologist for Stanford Health Care. (Krieger, 4/6)
Bay Area News Group:
Is It Time To Test Embryos For Common Diseases?
A Silicon Valley company has designed a technique to decipher the genetic code of a tiny embryo and calculate its future risk of cancer, diabetes and 10 other common diseases – presaging a day when parents could select children with a greater chance of living a healthier life. “Some parents are really worried about a specific disease in their family,” said pediatric medical geneticist Dr. Akash Kumar, co-founder of MyOme, a Menlo Park-based genome sequencing company. “Our hope is that by providing information relevant to the diseases that they care about, they can feel like they’re more empowered.” (Krieger, 4/5)
Los Angeles Times:
Help Or Handcuff? LAPD Officers Often Delay Providing Medical Aid After Shooting People
By the time a group of Los Angeles police officers cautiously approached Rosendo Olivio Jr. with guns drawn, more than six minutes had passed since they’d shot him. Officers had confronted Olivio on a porch as the 34-year-old, seemingly in the grips of a mental crisis, held up a small knife and claimed to have doused the building behind him in gasoline, according to video from cameras worn by the officers. When he moved forward, imploring the officers to shoot, they did. Olivio turned away and crumpled facedown on the steps. Officers screamed at him to “drop the knife!” Blood pooled beneath Olivio as the minutes ticked by. (Rector, 4/5)
Inside Climate News:
As Fires Intensify, Psychologists Are Concerned About Suicide Risk Among Firefighters
As climate change fuels more severe wildfires that burn through larger swaths of forestland and homes each year, firefighters are facing increasingly unpredictable, catastrophic blazes, leading many to speak out about suicide among their ranks, an occupational hazard they once kept to themselves. But a dearth of studies investigating the psychological costs of battling these blazes is hindering efforts to provide firefighters with help. Wildland firefighters routinely endure treacherous, emotionally taxing conditions. But those conditions have become increasingly untenable as fires grow bigger and fiercer, and keep firefighters battling erratic blazes with no relief for weeks on end. (Gross, 4/5)
CBS News:
The Newest Meatless Meat Is Made From Air
A California startup is doing its part to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions by creating a new kind of "meat" that's made from air. CBS News was given an exclusive sneak peak at a product that physicist Lisa Dyson says has the taste and texture of meat, but does not come from animals. It's created using a fermentation process, similar to making yogurt. But instead of using microbes that consume milk and sugar, it's made from microbes that eat oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide. (Evans, 4/5)
Press Association:
Instagram 'Failing To Protect Women In The Public Eye From Misogynist Abuse'
Instagram is not doing enough to protect women in the public eye from misogynistic abuse online, a new report has claimed. A study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), which included input from several women in the public eye such as actor Amber Heard and broadcaster Rachel Riley, suggests that Instagram was failing to remove accounts that sent abuse to women, in violation of the site's rules. The report saw five prominent women give access to their direct messages (DMs) on Instagram to the online safety group, which claimed that it had found an "epidemic of misogynist abuse" that was being "ignored" by the platform as 90% of the offending accounts remained active after sending abusive content and being reported. (Landi, 4/6)
The Washington Post:
Some Women Shared The Messages They Get On Instagram. It’s Not Pretty.
Women on Instagram are exposed to an “epidemic of misogynist abuse,” according to a new report. The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a nonprofit focused on online hate and misinformation, worked with five high-profile women, including actor Amber Heard, to analyze more than 8,717 direct messages the women received. (Lorenz and Dwoskin, 4/6)
People:
Chrissy Teigen Says Women Unprepared For Motherhood Because Of Instagram
Chrissy Teigen is hoping to remove ideas of perfection when it comes to pregnancy. Last week, the 36-year-old appeared on a panel for a Frida Mom event in Miami — alongside Jeannie Mai Jenkins, Serena Williams and Amber Ridinger — where she opened up about there being an inaccurate representation of pregnancy, birth and motherhood on social media. Teigen noted that the "perfection of Instagram is a big factor" in why women are typically unprepared for the experiences to come. (Etienne, 4/1)