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Stay Well
breaking health news & updates
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FDA May Greenlight Updated COVID-19 Vaccines As Soon As This Week, Sources Say | |
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is poised to sign off as soon as this week on updated COVID-19 vaccines targeting more recently circulating strains of the virus, according to two sources familiar with the matter, as the country experiences its largest summer wave in two years.
The agency is expected to greenlight updated mRNA vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech that target a strain
of the virus called KP.2, said the sources, who declined to be named because the timing information isn’t public. It was unclear whether the agency simultaneously would authorize Novavax’s updated shot, which targets the JN.1 strain.
The move would be several weeks ahead of last year’s version of the vaccine, which got FDA signoff on September 11.
“Now is the time to get a dose with this surge,” Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, told CNN. CNN Read more
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“(the updated vaccines) are better matched to their variants. The antibodies should work better. And so they would hopefully reduce the number of people that are getting symptomatic COVID and hopefully with that reduce the circulation.”
Dr. Otto Yang, Associate Chief of Infectious Diseases at UCLA
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A New Treatment for Severe Allergic Reactions — Without The Needle
Dr. Michael Blaiss, an allergist at the Medical College of Georgia, was often surprised by how hesitant his patients were to use their auto-injectors, syringe-like devices like the EpiPen that deliver a drug needed to head off potentially fatal allergic reactions.
Some patients called his office, on the verge of shock, to double-check that it was necessary to give themselves the shot. Others told him they would rather wait in the emergency room parking lot to “see what happens.”
Children suffering dangerous reactions sometimes ran away from their parents, terrified of the needle. One Tom-and-Jerry-like chase ended with a father getting mistakenly injected, Dr. Blaiss recalled.
A new device recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration may help quell some of the anxiety. The device, Neffy, administers epinephrine, the drug in the EpiPen, through a nasal spray rather than a needle. NY Times
Read more
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Kaiser Health Care System Now Using AI To Listen To Patients’ Conversations With Doctors
The Kaiser health care system is now using artificial intelligence to listen in on appointments between doctors and patients, the nonprofit said last Wednesday. The announcement comes after other Bay Area hospital systems, including Sutter Health, have deployed the technology, and after Kaiser told the Chronicle earlier this month it had been testing similar technology.
Called Abridge AI, the tool “is now available to doctors and other clinicians at Kaiser Permanente’s 40 hospitals and more than 600 medical offices in eight states and the District of Columbia,” Kaiser said. Abridge works by recording a doctor’s visit with a patient’s consent, then transcribing and condensing the information discussed and any background into clinical notes that doctors can review and sign off on. The idea is to save doctors time and avoid burnout and allow them to spend more time with patients. SF Chronicle Read more
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Cautious Optimism In San Francisco As New Cases of HIV In Latinos Decrease
For years, Latinos represented the biggest share of new HIV cases in this city, but testing data suggests the tide may be turning. The number of Latinos newly testing positive for HIV dropped 46% from 2022 to 2023, according to a preliminary report released in July by the San Francisco Department of Public Health.The decrease could mark the first time in five years that Latinos haven’t accounted for the largest number of new cases, leading to cautious optimism that the millions of dollars the city has spent to remedy the troubling disparity is working. But outreach workers and health care providers say that work still needs to be done to prevent, and to test, for HIV, especially among new immigrants. California Healthline Read more
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Elevated Lead Levels Found In Water At A "Significant Number" Of OUSD Schools
Elevated lead levels were found in drinking water at multiple schools across Oakland Unified School District, according to notices sent to families this week. Tests conducted by the district’s risk management team over the last few months showed levels in water fixtures above 5 parts per billion, the threshold set by OUSD’s clean drinking water policy. Affected schools included Hillcrest K-8, Edna Brewer Middle School and Frick United Academy of Language–more than a dozen schools in all, according to one parent who addressed Wednesday’s school board meeting. Lead poisoning in children can lead to learning disabilities, impaired hearing, blood disorders, and behavioral problems, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. OUSD’s policy, passed in 2018, directs district leadership to test sources such as water fountains for lead and take steps to remediate the water if lead is found at more than 5 parts per billion. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends remediation if levels exceed 15 parts per billion. Oaklandside Read more
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Increase In E-Bike Injuries Spurs Bay Area Cities To Take Another Look At Regulation
Late last month, Pax Jolie-Pitt, the 20-year-old son of movie stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, landed in the intensive care unit with head trauma and a hip injury after he rammed his e-bike into the rear of a car idling at a red light in Southern California. The crash grabbed headlines across the globe, but it is far from an isolated incident. A recent UCSF study found that e-bicycle injuries doubled nationally every year from 2017 to 2022. E-scooter injuries rose by 45%. The study showed that more than 23,000 e-bike riders were injured in 2022. More than 56,000 injuries were logged from e-scooter accidents that same year. Palo Alto last year banned e-bikes from unpaved trails in the Baylands Nature Preserve after people raised concerns that the fast-moving, heavy e-bikes could negatively impact wildlife and other trail-goers’ peaceful ventures in nature. Earlier this summer, the Danville Town Council voted unanimously to ban e-bicycles on sidewalks in the business district after the police department reported an increasing number of complaints about scooters and e-bikes on sidewalks. East Bay Times Read more
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Eden Health District's 2024 Grant Program Applications Due August 30
Since 1998, the Eden Health District has provided grants to non-profit and government agencies to improve the health and well-being of local residents. This is the first time that significant funds have been available specifically for central Alameda County residents, enabling local agencies to boost services to people of all ages and needs. These grants have proven to be a valuable resource to these agencies and to the public. Applications are due by noon, Aug. 30.
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"A Much More Infectious" COVID Variant Fueling California’s Relentless Surge
California’s relentless FLiRT-fueled COVID surge is continuing to spawn infections at a dizzying rate, with coronavirus levels in wastewater reaching some of the highest levels seen since 2022. Wastewater readings are now higher than all but one COVID peak in the last two years, and have far surpassed those seen during the typical summertime spikes in the vaccine era. “This is a very large surge that we are seeing currently. This is starting to rival, really, what we saw this past winter,” said Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional chief of infectious diseases at Kaiser Permanente Southern California. LA Times Read more
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Late-Summer Travel Plans? You Might Want To Put On A Mask
It is the height of the summer travel season: Airplanes and cruises are packed, hotels are booked, and travelers are crowding theme parks and attractions. Yet throughout the United States, COVID-19 is currently circulating at very high levels. During the peak of the pandemic, masks were ubiquitous in hotels, airports and other public places. They were required to fly, and many travelers donned them elsewhere to help reduce the transmission of the deadly coronavirus. Since the end of the mandate, and as travel has returned to or surpassed prepandemic levels, most travelers have abandoned preventive measures, particularly masks. With updated vaccines not available until the fall, experts are reminding travelers about the benefits of masking, particularly in airports and poorly ventilated indoor environments. NY Times Read more
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Uninsured? Experts Explain How to Get Your Free COVID Shot Before the Money Runs Out
The federal program that funds free COVID-19 vaccines for people without health insurance is ending several months earlier than expected — and uninsured people are now being told it could be their last chance to seek out a free shot before the money runs out for good. The Bridge Access Program was launched by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in September 2023 to provide free COVID-19 vaccinations to the estimated 25 million to 30 million adults in the U.S. without health insurance. The funds were previously forecast to last until December and would have made COVID-19 vaccines accessible to uninsured people through the brunt of another winter respiratory virus season. However, after March negotiations in Congress resulted in $4.3 billion being withdrawn from the Department of Health and Human Services’ COVID-19 fund, the program is instead ending this month, months ahead of schedule.
KQED Read more
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Pfizer And BioNTech Effort To Develop COVID-Influenza Combination Vaccine Sees Setback
Pfizer and BioNTech said Friday that their combined mRNA vaccine candidate against influenza and COVID-19 showed a lower immune response against one type of influenza, influenza B, in a Phase 3 trial, a setback for the vaccine. The combination vaccine met its goal in generating an immune response against influenza A and against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID, the companies said in a statement. They said, however, that they are “are evaluating adjustments to the combination vaccine candidate aimed at improving immune responses against influenza B and will discuss next steps with health authorities.” STAT Read more
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State/National/International News | | |
W.H.O. Declares Global Emergency Over New Mpox Outbreak
The rapid spread of mpox, formerly called monkeypox, in African countries constitutes a global health emergency, the World Health Organization declared on Wednesday. This is the second time in three years that the W.H.O. has designated an mpox epidemic as a global emergency. It previously did so in July 2022. That outbreak went on to affect nearly 100,000 people, primarily gay and bisexual men, in 116 countries, and killed about 200 people. The threat this time is deadlier. Since the beginning of this year, the Democratic Republic of Congo alone has reported 15,600 mpox cases and 537 deaths. Those most at risk include women and children under 15.
NY Times Read more
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U.S. Has Lowest Life Expectancy Among Rich, English-Speaking Countries: Study
A new study has found that Americans have the lowest life expectancy of similar English-speaking countries. The researchers from Penn State University who conducted the study compared mortality rates from 1990 to 2019 from six English-speaking nations and found that people in Canada, Ireland, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand all on average live longer than their American counterparts. In the U.S., the average life expectancy for men is 76.5 while the average for women is about 81.5 years. In Australia, on the other hand, women lived nearly four more years and men five more years than men and women America. The study also found that men and women in California and Hawaii lived longer than other Americans — though still not as long as Australians — while people in the Southeast’s life expectancy is well below the U.S. average (72.6 for women, 69.3 for men). Mercury News Read more
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The U.S. Could Soon Declare Alcohol Unsafe. The Wine Industry Says The Process Is Rigged
Alcohol, in many circles in America, has suddenly transformed from a hero to a villain. For decades, the idea of moderate drinking as a healthy habit was enshrined in American life. A glass of red wine with dinner reduced the risk of heart disease, the thinking went. The U.S. government has long reinforced this notion: For more than 40 years, its official dietary guidelines have held that one drink a day is safe for women, and two drinks a day for men. But in recent years, public opinion around drinking has shifted dramatically. The percentage of Americans who believe moderate alcohol consumption is bad for you nearly doubled — from 22% to 39% — from 2005 to 2023, according to Gallup polling. This contemporary movement toward temperance culminated in the World Health Organization’s monumental declaration last year: “No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health,” the group announced, citing increased cancer risk. Since then, the global wine industry has experienced a historic downturn in sales. SF Chronicle Read more
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Alternatives To The Traditional Pap Smear Are On The Way. Here's What To Know
Alternatives to the often dreaded pap smear may be on the horizon for cervical cancer screenings. Typically, the procedure involves inserting a device called a speculum, which helps open the vaginal canal, in order for a swab to be inserted and brushed against the cervix to collect a cell sample. All this is done while laying back with feet hoisted in stirrups to keep legs spread apart. For some, pap smears are an uncomfortable but necessary evil when it comes to health screenings. For others, it's an experience bad enough to avoid a doctor's visit, risking not detecting cancer cells early. But this year, some health care companies are preparing to introduce self-collection options, allowing patients to skip awkward interfaces with healthcare professionals. Labs are now able to test samples from the vaginal walls, as opposed to from the cervix itself, which has been a key change in making self-collection options possible, according to a report from the New York Times. CBS News Read more
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Traveling To Die: The Latest Form Of Medical Tourism
In the 18 months after Francine Milano was diagnosed with a recurrence of the ovarian cancer she thought she’d beaten 20 years ago, she traveled twice from her home in Pennsylvania to Vermont. She went not to ski, hike, or leaf-peep, but to arrange to die. “I really wanted to take control over how I left this world,” said the 61-year-old who lives in Lancaster. “I decided that this was an option for me.” Dying with medical assistance wasn’t an option when Milano learned in early 2023 that her disease was incurable. At that point, she would have had to travel to Switzerland — or live in the District of Columbia or one of the 10 states where medical aid in dying was legal.
California Heathline Read more
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At Its Core, Life Is All About Play − Just Look At The Animal Kingdom
At Cambridge University Library, along with all the books, maps and manuscripts, there’s a child’s drawing that curators have titled “The Battle of the Fruit and Vegetable Soldiers.” The drawing depicts a turbaned cavalry soldier facing off against an English dragoon. It’s a bit trippy: The British soldier sits astride a carrot, and the turbaned soldier rides a grape. Both carrot and grape are fitted with horses’ heads and stick appendages. ‘The Battle of the Fruit and Vegetable Soldiers,’ a drawing on the back of a manuscript page from Charles Darwin’s ‘On the Origin of Species,’ attributed to Darwin’s young son Francis. Cambridge University Library, CC BY-ND. Raw Story Read more
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How Bay Area Cities Are Responding To Newsom’s Calls For Homeless Sweeps After Landmark Supreme Court Ruling
After the U.S. Supreme Court granted cities broad new authority to clear homeless camps in June, Gov. Gavin Newsom had a clear message for local officials: no more excuses. Newsom, under growing pressure to make progress on homelessness, this month ordered state agencies to work with cities and counties to shut down encampments and threatened to cut funding to local governments that fail to get more people off the street. “This is a crisis,” he told local officials. “Act like it.” In the Bay Area, officials’ public response to Newsom’s order and the landmark ruling has varied from full-throated support to promises to maintain the status quo. Even so, a shift in how cities are tackling street homelessness is already playing out across the region that, at last count, had an estimated 37,000 unhoused residents. East Bay Times
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Why Some Activists Think California's Crackdown Could Make Ending Homelessness Harder
When John Adams tells you he's homeless, you may not believe him at first. It's not just because of the Pepperdine Law t-shirt he earned with a degree, or the neatly arranged portfolio stacked at his side — but because of his impervious positivity. "I mean, I have a tremendous amount of hope," he said, sourcing it to his faith. "People would say I'm a religious man. They would also say, 'What kind of God would let you be homeless?'" A former actor-turned-lawyer-turned-teacher, he found himself in dire financial straits. He's now in the more than 75,000-strong homeless population in Los Angeles County, a place that has the second-highest homelessness rate in the country, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Scripps News Read more
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Experts Urge Parents To Check In On Teens After Survey Highlights Mental Health Struggles
Between back-to-school shopping and last-minute cabin getaways, now might be the perfect opportunity to check in with your child about their mental health. The statistics are unsettling.
"We've seen a lot more anxiety, a lot more social anxiety, a significant increase in school refusal and that's been a really hard thing," Dr. Joshua Stein, PrairieCare child and adolescent psychiatrist and clinical director, said. According to the latest youth risk behavior survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 40% of teenagers say they constantly feel sad or hopeless. "That's a lot of our teenage population. So we want to make sure they are getting help and they are getting support and that they are being seen," Stein said. CBS News Read more
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Prioritizing Mental Health When You’re On A Budget
Earlier this month, LifeStance Health, one of the largest providers of virtual and in-person outpatient mental healthcare services in the United States, released findings from a new survey of 1,085 U.S. adults that explored Americans’ mental health, their ability to access mental health support, and how therapy ranks in their overall household budgets, among other issues related to mental health. 70% of survey respondents reported that they experienced stress, worry, anxiety, or depression. Among those currently experiencing mental health challenges, 64% had previously sought therapy. Over half (54%) ranked therapy or similar mental health services as their top discretionary expense priority. If given the option, half (50%) stated they would choose a year of free therapy sessions over opportunities like free Taylor Swift concert tickets, free Super Bowl tickets, or an all-expenses-paid luxury cruise. 65% of respondents shared that they would be unable to afford therapy if it wasn’t covered by their health insurance plan. However, reflecting the fact that having health insurance doesn’t always guarantee that someone will be able to find the mental health care that they need, while 66% were able to find a therapist who accepts their insurance and has availability, 27% of those surveyed had not been able to. Forbes Read more
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How To Help Someone Through A Panic Attack
A meteorologist in Australia was delivering the weather report on live television this week when he started having a panic attack. Nate Byrne, the news presenter, later explained to BBC News that he was heading to the studio’s “weather wall” when he realized he was suddenly out of breath. “The specific position — in front of the wall — is a trigger for me,” he said. “My body starts tingling. I start sweating. Just everything in my body is screaming: Run. Go. Get out.”
Because he had dealt with on-air panic attacks before, he and his colleagues knew what to do. Mr. Byrne explained what was happening to viewers, then quickly tossed to the anchor of the show while he went off camera to recover. NY Times Read more
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Fentanyl Crisis/Drug Trends | | |
S.F.’s Overdose Death Rate Spiked, But It’s Not The Highest In The U.S. How Other Counties Compare
San Francisco is on track to reduce its number of fatal overdoses this year, a promising shift in the city’s drug epidemic. But it’s unlikely that progress alone will be enough to shake its status as an epicenter of the United States’ overdose crisis, which was cemented by a major jump last year. San Francisco’s overdose rate rose to 88 deaths per 100,000 people in 2023, up from 73 the previous year. That made the city’s overdose rate the fifth highest of any large county in the U.S. last year, according to newly available full-year data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The increase went against last year’s national trend, with the CDC reporting the first decline in fatal drug overdoses since 2018. The CDC estimates that the final tally will show more than 108,000 deaths last year, down slightly from the 111,000 in 2022. Nationwide, the fatal overdose rate was 31 deaths per 100,000 in 2023, about one-third of San Francisco’s number. SF Chronicle Read more
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Animal Tranquilizer Mixed With Illicit Drugs Has Bay Area County Health Officials Concerned
Santa Cruz County public health officials are warning that a dangerous sedative is being detected in illegal opioids with alarming frequency. Xylazine, a powerful pain relief treatment intended for animals with no approved use in humans, is being added to street opioids, namely fentanyl and heroin, to enhance the effects of the drugs and often without the knowledge of those who use them. This makes the already potentially deadly drugs that much more lethal. “Xylazine is increasingly being mixed into street drugs, leading to a higher risk of overdose and serious health complications,” Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Lisa Hernandez said in a release from the county Health Services Agency. “The safest approach is to avoid using street drugs. Stay as safe as possible: never use alone, recognize the signs of overdose, seek help, and stay informed." East Bay Times Read more
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The Best Way To Treat Insomnia
Some lucky sleepers climb into bed, close their eyes, and are out cold within five minutes. Others stare at the ceiling for an hour, check the clock, try to find a fresh angle of the ceiling to observe, and then toss, turn, and repeat, every night, week after week. Insomnia affects 10% to 15% of the U.S. population, and it’s usually caused by a variety of biological and behavioral factors, says Dr. Sairam Parthasarathy, director of the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center for Sleep, Circadian and Neuroscience Research. Women, people who work nights, and seniors are among those most at risk. It often runs in families, and recently, experts concluded that COVID-19 can trigger new insomnia. There’s good reason to work on putting your insomnia to sleep: The sleep disorder is associated with an increased risk of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, depression, heart attack, and stroke. And it can make you miserable. TIME Read more
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About Eden Health District | | |
The Eden Health District Board of Directors are Chair Pam Russo, Vice Chair Ed Hernandez, Secretary/Treasurer Roxann Lewis, Mariellen Faria and Surlene Grant. The Chief Executive Officer is Mark Friedman.
The Eden Health District is committed to ensuring that policy makers and community members receive accurate and timely information to help make the best policy and personal choices to meet and overcome the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as other health issues.
We welcome your feedback on our bulletin. Please contact editor Lisa Mahoney.
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