Stay Well

August 14, 2024

"Came Out Of The Blue": This Is Now California’s Worst Summer COVID Wave In Years. Here’s Why

California’s strongest summer COVID wave in years is still surging, and an unusual midsummer mutation may be partly to blame. There are a number of possible culprits behind the worst summer infection spike since 2022, experts say. A series of punishing heat waves and smoke from devastating wildfires have kept many Californians indoors, where the disease can more easily spread. Most adults are also well removed from their last brush with the coronavirus, or their last vaccine dose — meaning they’re more vulnerable to infection. But changes in the virus have also widened the scope of the surge. Of particular concern is the rise of a hyperinfectious subvariant known as KP.3.1.1, which is so contagious that even people who have eluded infection throughout the pandemic are getting sick. LA Times Read more

Should You Get Another COVID Shot Now?

Patients keep asking Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, the same question: Is it time to get another COVID shot? The virus is circulating at high levels across the country. That might suggest it’s prime time for another dose of protection. But updated vaccines that target newer variants of the virus are expected to arrive this fall. Experts said the right time for your next COVID shot will depend on your health status and what you’re hoping to get from the vaccines. Doctors say that many people may want to wait for the updated vaccines, which have been retooled to better protect against the current dominant strains of the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that everyone ages 6 months or older receive an updated shot when they become available. NY Times Read more

Is COVID Endemic Yet? Yep, Says The CDC. Here's What That Means

Four years after SARS-CoV2 sparked a devastating global pandemic, U.S. health officials now consider COVID-19 an endemic disease. "At this point, COVID-19 can be described as endemic throughout the world," Aron Hall, the deputy director for science at the CDC's coronavirus and other respiratory viruses division, told NPR in an interview. That means, essentially, that

COVID is here to stay in predictable ways. The classification doesn't change any official recommendations or guidelines for how people should respond to the virus. But the categorization does acknowledge that the SARS-CoV2 virus that causes COVID will continue

to circulate and cause illness indefinitely, underscoring the importance of people getting vaccinated and taking other steps to reduce their risk for the foreseeable future. NPR Read more

"We Gotta Be Somewhere": Homeless Californians React To Newsom’s Crackdown

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s message on homelessness in recent weeks has been clear: The state will no longer tolerate encampments, and cities shouldn’t either. Californians who live on the streets, as well as the outreach workers who support them, say they’re already feeling the difference. Places where someone used to be able to pitch a tent and sleep in peace have suddenly become inhospitable. Police seem to be clearing camps more often and more aggressively, and are less likely to give advance notice before they come in with bulldozers and trash compactors, according to anecdotal reports in some cities. Even in cities where officials said publicly nothing would change, unhoused people and activists say it’s become harder to be homeless. But the shift, sparked by a Supreme Court ruling and then further fueled by an executive order, hasn’t caused a significant increase in shelter beds or affordable housing. That’s led people on the streets to ask: Where are we supposed to go? CalMatters Read more

Unhoused San Francisco RV Families Forced To Move Yet Again, With "Nowhere To Go"

Residents of an RV community in San Francisco say they have nowhere to go after city officials gave them three days to clear out. For many, it’s the second move in less than two weeks. The group of some two dozen vehicles was previously stationed on Winston Drive near the Stonestown Galleria, but city officials cleared them from the street a week ago. Most then moved to a low-traffic street behind the San Francisco Zoo. Members of La Raza Community Resource Center, an organization offering outreach services to the group, say the RV community is fully Latino and mostly made up of families, with roughly 50 children living there. Leonor Deleon, who lives with her husband and two daughters, said she was a nanny and lived in an apartment with her family. But when the pandemic started, work dried up for her and her husband, and a year later, they lost their home. The RV that the family originally bought to go camping became their home. KQED Read more



Newsom Urges Schools To Restrict Smartphone Use In Statewide Letter

In a letter to California schools, Gov. Gavin Newsom urged educators to immediately restrict cell phone use on campus as students return to the classroom. “Excessive smartphone use among youth is linked to increased anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues,” Newsom said in the letter. He cited a Pew Research survey that found that 72% of high school and 33% of middle school teachers report cell phone distractions as a major problem. Newsom also cited a Common Sense Media survey that found that 97% of students use their phones during the school day for a median of 43 minutes.Newsom previously approved legislation in 2019 authorizing school districts to limit or prohibit students’ use of cell phones at school. In July, he said he plans to build on that law — AB 272 — to further restrict students’ cell phone use but did not expand on how he plans to do so. Mercury News Read more

Google And Selena Gomez Partner To Fund Teen Mental Health In The Classroom

The unprecedented mental health crisis for children in the United States often surfaces where they spend much of their days: school. With that in mind, Google’s philanthropic arm is directly financing high school wellbeing projects on a classroom crowdfunding platform. Google.org on Monday flash funded all mental health-related listings on DonorsChoose, an online charity where members help purchase supplies requested by public school teachers. With $10 million in new gifts and the help of actress Selena Gomez, the Silicon Valley giant hopes to center mindfulness as an educational goal at the start of the academic calendar. Districts have turned to teachers for psychological help after the coronavirus pandemic brought alarming levels of childhood depression, anxiety and fights. But experts say that increased attention has not translated to more philanthropic money overall toward mental health. ABC News Read more

New Study Links Early Childhood Tablet Use To Anger Outbursts

Virtually every parent of young children has experienced outbursts of anger and frustration from their toddlers, whether it’s time to get up, go to bed or eat a sandwich without the crusts cut off. According to a new study, there’s another possible reason for the frequency of their outbursts: tablet use. The new study, published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, shows that child tablet use at 3.5 years old was associated with a higher number of expressions of anger and frustration a year later. In addition, children who were more prone to anger and frustration at 4.5 years old were more likely to have higher tablet use a year later (at 5.5 years old). Early childhood tablet use “may contribute to a cycle” of problems in emotional regulation, the authors wrote. CNN Read more



Heavy Cannabis Use Linked To High Risk Of Head, Neck Cancers

Cannabis use is strongly associated with the development of head and neck cancer, concludes a sweeping retrospective study of two decades of medical records. Tobacco and alcohol are already two well-known risk factors for developing head and neck cancers, which include oral and throat cancer. Yet prior research on the risks of cannabis on these cancer types has been inconsistent. Like tobacco, smoking is a popular way to consume cannabis. Smoking cannabis is known to result in some of the same chemical components as tobacco smoke, which can cause inflammation in the mouth, throat, and lungs — a known cancer risk factor. Healthline Read more

Her Son Died Of An Overdose In His Dorm Room. Where Was The Narcan?

In the summer of 2020, Monica Vera-Schubert talked to NPR about her long struggle to get insurance coverage for her son Bobby’s addiction treatment. They’d recently prevailed, he was getting sober, and Vera-Schubert, a single mom, expressed immense gratitude. “My son is alive; I appreciate every moment I have with him,” she said. In the years that followed, Bobby became a devoted student, got into his dream school of UCLA, and sometimes joined his pharmacist mom as an activist, giving talks and warning others of the dangers of prescription-drug abuse. That was four years ago. This spring, Vera-Schubert reached out again, saying Bobby had relapsed. On April 12, a roommate found him slumped over his desk in his dorm, apparently overdosed from fake Xanax pills laced with fentanyl. Bobby Schubert was 29. NPR Read more



What’s The Difference Between Aerobic And Anaerobic?

Engaging in different types of exercise has different health benefits. Choosing which is right for you, aerobic or anaerobic, depends on what you want to get out of a workout. Aerobic exercise is any moderate or long-duration cardiovascular conditioning or “cardio.” During cardiovascular conditioning, your breathing and heart rate increase for a sustained period of time. Anaerobic exercises involve quick bursts of energy and are performed with maximum effort for a short time. During anaerobic exercise, your body requires immediate energy. Your body relies on stored energy sources, rather than oxygen, to fuel itself, including breaking down glucose. Healthline Read more