COVID in California: Those recently infected can wait a few months for omicron boosters, White House says
California wanted to end homeless shelters. Instead, COVID reinvented them
Two-and-a-half years into a pandemic that upended the housing market, inflamed income inequality and swelled the ranks of people on the street in many California communities, the state and San Francisco are reconsidering their relationship to shelters in myriad ways.
No booster rush necessary for the recently infected, official says
Those recently infected with the coronavirus can wait a few months to get the new omicron-targeting vaccine booster shots, according to White House COVID coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha. Studies of earlier variants have shown that vaccinated people who caught COVID gain substantial protection against the virus, though it weakens over time. “If you’ve had a recent infection or were recently vaccinated, it’s reasonable to wait a few months,” Jha said at a news conference Tuesday, according to CNBC. Everyone else 12 and older should get a booster shot as soon as possible, especially older people, immunocompromised people and others with medical conditions, he said.
New grant available for Californians who lost jobs during COVID
California is offering state residents who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic with a one-time grant of $2,500 to “reskill, up-skill, and access educational or training programs” to get back into the workforce. The new Golden State Education and Training Grant Program, announced last week, is available to eligible students enrolled at any California community college, California State University, or University of California campus. The program operates outside the traditional student financial aid system and uses a separate stand-alone application that can be accessed at https://gsetg.csac.ca.gov/. “The need to provide support and pathways to new opportunities to workers displaced by changes to the economy has never been more clear or critical, which is why we are here today,” Marlene Garcia, executive director of the California Student Aid Commission, said in a press release. “This program can address a key need for Californians in the short-term, while also catalyzing greater collaboration in serving this population and demonstrating impactful means of providing them with financial support as they position themselves for a successful career.”
Pandemic Problems: Should I have taken Paxlovid?
A Chronicle reader writes to our Pandemic Problems column with an unusual query: She and her husband were steered away from the antiviral drug Paxlovid by their doctor when they both got COVID in July because they were relatively healthy. Plus, they had heard about the “rebound” phenomenon, where people recover and then get sick again — and wanted to avoid that outcome. But even without the Pfizer medicine, they rebounded. Would they have fared better if they had taken the drug? Read up on what experts say about COVID rebound, with and without Paxlovid.
