COVID in California: CDC data highlight benefit from boosters in preventing deaths

CDC data highlight benefit from boosters in preventing deaths

Figures released Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention charting COVID-19 outcomes across the country in April reaffirmed the benefits of vaccines and boosters in stark detail. Among people 50 and older, those who were unvaccinated had a 42 times greater chance of dying from COVID-19 than those who were vaccinated with two or more boosters. Even among those who were vaccinated and boosted, having had only a single booster shot resulted in a four times higher risk of dying than if two more more boosters had been administered. In the population as a whole, those aged 5 and above were at six times greater risk of dying from COVID if they had not been vaccinated. UCSF medical professor Peter Chin-Hong noted in a tweet that the data highlighted the “critical importance of boosters” and that the “biggest bang for buck” came from having had two. Aside from preventing deaths, he added, vaccination also still provides more protection against COVID infection.

CDC recommends masks for 38 California counties, including Bay Area

Thirty-eight of California’s 58 counties are classified as having high COVID-19 levels, according to data published Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That marks a significant increase from a week ago when 25 of the counties in the state were designated to have the highest risk level. Federal officials use metrics based on new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations per 100,000 residents, plus the percent of inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, to classify COVID levels. The CDC urges anyone living in an area classified as having “high” levels to wear masks in public spaces and take other measures to avoid the virus. The California counties currently classified as “high” include Alameda, which lifted its mask mandate just last week, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma in the Bay Area region; as well as Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, San Benito, San Joaquin, Sacramento, Shasta, Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Sutter, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yuba, and Yolo. Nationwide, about one in five counties fall under the “high” designation.

Florida doctor booted from panel after advocating vaccines for kids

A Florida pediatrician who recommended COVID-19 vaccines for children under 5 has been removed from a state health board, Insider reports. Dr. Lisa Gwynn said in a tweet that “on the same day that we began administering COVID-19 vaccine to infants and children under 5, I was removed from the Florida Healthy Kids Board for advocating for equitable access for the underserved and for pediatricians. Disappointing.” Gwynn said she had received an email on Wednesday telling her she was being sacked from the board of the public-private health insurance provider because of “some very political statements” that did not reflect the views of the organization’s Chief Financial Officer, Jimmy Patronis, a Republican running for re-election this year, according to Florida Politics. Florida is the only state that has not ordered the newly approved COVID-19 vaccines for kids under 5, and Gov. Ron DeSantis has said vaccinating young children is not “appropriate.”

Promoter of hydroxychloroquine as a COVID treatment dies at 48

Dr. Vladimir Zelenko, who drew national attention for promoting the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment, died on Thursday at age 48. His death, after a long battle with cancer, was announced on the website of his organization, the Z-Freedom Foundation. In the early days of the pandemic in 2020, Zelenko claimed he had developed a combination treatment called the Zelenko Protocol that included hydroxychloroquine, antibiotics and zinc, which he misleadingly said had received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The unproven treatment was publicly and repeatedly endorsed by Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani. The FDA refuted their claims, warning hydroxychloroquine could cause serious heart rhythm problems in patients with COVID-19 and added that it was not a safe or effective treatment for people infected with the coronavirus.

California’s COVID rate climbs ahead of holiday weekend

California’s coronavirus test positive rate is now three times higher than the level public health experts consider acceptable for controlling the spread of the virus. The state’s test positive rate, which tracks the percentage of tests coming back positive for COVID-19, grew to 14.8% on Friday. It has steadily climbed since mid-March and is more than double what officials reported on June 1. Wastewater data collected by Stanford confirms the increase is not limited solely to those seeking tests because they are symptomatic. The state is reporting about 43 cases daily per 100,000 residents, with the level in the Bay Area up to 51 cases per 100,000. Newer omicron subvariants BA.5 and BA.4, which make up more than half of the sequenced cases in the region, are likely driving the latest wave, which comes before California had recovered from the BA.2 and BA.2.12.1 wave. There are 762 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the Bay Area, up 30% in a month. Every county in the region has “high” COVID community levels, according to metrics used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, triggering a recommendation for indoor masking and other safety precautions.

FDA will not require new trial data to authorize updated COVID boosters

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will not require companies to submit clinical trial data on COVID-19 vaccines modified to protect against the BA.4 and BA.5 versions of omicron in order to authorize those shots, a top FDA official told Reuters. The agency earlier this week asked drug manufacturers to include components of the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants in its new formulas in the hopes of avoiding another surge in the fall. By relying existing vaccine data, they will be able to make the shots available to the public more quickly.

Mask mandate reinstated for film and TV productions in L.A.

Due to rising COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, film and television crews in Los Angeles County will have to mask up again. “With new hospital admissions reaching more than 8 per week per 100,000 population, they will resume indoor masking requirements, along with several other safety measures,” Los Angeles County Public Health Officer Barbara Ferrer said in a briefing Thursday. According to an agreement between unions and film and TV producers, which was last update in May, there is an “Escalation Trigger” that brings back several protocols if the region where a production is taking place meets certain COVID metrics. That includes the number of hospitalizations Ferrer mentioned. “This industry has worked closely with their labor partners to institute COVID safety measures that create safety for all workers while being able to continue the important work,” said Ferrer. “We do applaud them along with many other businesses that are taking advantage of the many tools that are available to keep workers safe.”

Britain reports signs of another surge as cases rise 32% in a week

COVID-19 infections are up 32% in a week in the U.K. with the omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5 likely driving the latest surge, according to the Office for National Statistics. Nearly 2.3 million people in the country tested positive for the virus, up from up from 1.7 million people the previous week. Hospital admissions are also on the rise across the country. “COVID-19 has not gone away,” said Dr. Mary Ramsay, of the Health Security Agency. “It is also sensible to wear a face covering in crowded, enclosed spaces,” she said. Britain dropped nearly all its coronavirus measures, including mask-wearing and social distancing, months ago and masks are rarely seen on public transport, the Associated Press reports. Globally, the World Health Organization said this week that COVID-19 is increasing in more than 100 countries worldwide. The U.N. health agency warned that relaxed testing and surveillance measures mean it may be more difficult to catch emerging variants before they spread more widely.

North Korea blames balloons from the South for COVID-19 cases

North Korea suggested Friday that its COVID-19 outbreak began in people who had contact with balloons flown from South Korea — a highly questionable claim that appeared to be an attempt to hold its rival responsible amid increasing tensions over the North’s nuclear program, the Associated Press reports. Global health authorities say the coronavirus is spread by people in close contact who inhale aerosols and more likely to occur in enclosed, poorly ventilated spaces than outdoors. South Korea’s Unification Ministry said there was no chance South Korean balloons might have spread the virus to North Korea.

How to gauge the risk of getting COVID from someone who is asymptomatic

How likely is it for people to catch COVID from someone who is asymptomatic? It’s not impossible — and may be more common than people realize, health experts say. With coronavirus cases currently stuck at a high level across California as fast-spreading offshoots of the omicron variant crowd out their competitors, that means the chances of getting COVID from an asymptomatic person are heightened. Read more about the risks.

One in 3 Americans in areas with “high” COVID levels, including the Bay Area

About 33% of the U.S. population now lives in areas designated to have “high” community COVID levels, including every county in the Bay Area, according to data published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That is the highest proportion of Americans falling under the worst tier on the agency’s risk map since the CDC updated its metrics in February. The agency assigns the levels based on new cases and hospitalizations per 100,000 residents, plus the percent of inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients. The CDC urges anyone living in an area classified as having “high” levels to wear masks in public spaces and take other measures to avoid the virus.

FDA recommends BA.4, BA.5 component in vaccine booster doses

Following a meeting with its vaccine advisory committee earlier this week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday formally requested that COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers seeking to update their formulas should include an omicron BA.4 and BA.5 spike protein component to create a two component (bivalent) booster vaccine, so that the modified vaccines can potentially be used starting in early to mid-fall 2022. “As we move into the fall and winter, it is critical that we have safe and effective vaccine boosters that can provide protection against circulating and emerging variants to prevent the most severe consequences of COVID-19,” the agency said in a statement.

Free COVID-19 test kits on offer at Marin County Fair

After two cancelled years, the annual Marin County Fair returns for the Independence Day weekend at its usual location near the Civic Center and Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium. The outdoor-only event runs June 30 to July 4 and features the usual favorites, from concerts and roaming performers to carnival rides, food and drinks, and nightly fireworks. In a sign of the times, the Marin County Public Health department will be giving away free COVID-19 test kits at the fair, one per family, while supplies last. The kits will be available at the “Healthy Fair, Healthy Marin” patio next to the auditorium. They could be as popular as the Ferris wheel or the funnel cakes.

Metallica’s European tour disrupted by COVID

Metallica canceled a concert on its European tour after a member of the band’s “family” tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. The Bay Area hard rock band did not specify if it was a band member who was infected but scrapped its show at Frauenfeld Rocks in Switzerland last night. “It is with a very heavy heart that we are announcing that we will not be appearing at Frauenfeld Rocks in Switzerland today, as unfortunately, a member of the Metallica family has tested positive for COVID,” the band said in a social media post. “We are beyond sorry to disappoint those of you planning to attend this show.” Read more about the cancellation here.

Justice Thomas erroneously states COVID vaccines made with “aborted children”

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on Thursday repeated a debunked claim that COVID vaccines are produced with cells from “aborted children” in his dissent on a case involving 16 New York health care workers who sought a religious exemption from vaccine mandates. Writing on behalf of himself and Justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch, Thomas said the plaintiffs were within their rights to “object on religious grounds to all available COVID-19 vaccines because they were developed using cell lines derived from aborted children.” The messenger RNA vaccines available in the United States, produced by Pfizer and Moderna, do not contain any aborted cells. The drug makers did use cells obtained from elective abortions decades ago during the vaccine testing and development process, a common practice that was also used to test rubella and chickenpox vaccines. “Because I would address this issue now in the ordinary course, before the next crisis forces us again to decide complex legal issues in an emergency posture, I respectfully dissent,” Thomas wrote.