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Stay Well
breaking health news & updates
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U.S. Health Officials Drop 5-Day Isolation Time For COVID-19 | |
Americans who test positive for COVID-19 no longer need to stay in isolation for five days, U.S. health officials announced Friday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its longstanding guidance, saying that people can return to work or regular activities if their symptoms are mild and improving and it’s been a day since they’ve had a fever.
The change comes at a time when COVID-19 is no longer the public health menace it once was. It dropped from being the nation’s third leading cause of death early in the pandemic to 10th last year.
Most people have some degree of immunity to the coronavirus from past vaccinations or from infections. And many people are not following the five-day isolation guidance anyway, some experts say.
“Our goal here is to continue to protect those at risk for severe illness while also reassuring folks that these recommendation are simple, clear, easy to understand, and can be followed,” said Dr. Mandy Cohen, the CDC’s director.
However, some experts worry that the change may increase the risk of infection for those people who are more vulnerable to developing severe illness.
Mercury News Read more
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"My biggest worry in all of this is that employers will take this change in guidance to require employees to come back to work … before they are ready to, before they feel well enough, and before they are not likely to pose harm to their co-workers.”
Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University’s School of Public Health
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Opposition Mounts To AT&T’s Plan To Stop Landline Service In Most Of Bay Area
AT&T is facing mounting criticism and opposition over its plan to scrap landline service in most of the Bay Area and much of California.
San Mateo County this week became the latest official critic to take aim at the proposal, which opponents say would leave many older people and rural residents without a communications lifeline in case of a natural disaster, power outage or health crisis. The County’s supervisors are threatening AT&T with a subpoena to obtain information about how cutting landlines could affect rural residents.
AT&T has applied to the California Public Utilities Commission to be dropped as the “carrier of last resort,” a designation requiring it to provide phone service to anyone wanting it in its service area. The telecommunications giant argues that fewer than 7% of households in its territory use traditional landlines, “and a great number of those households also have alternatives available where they live.” In its proposal to the utilities commission, AT&T claimed its landline services were “fast becoming a historical curiosity” and serve no “valid public purpose.”
On Tuesday, San Mateo County’s Board of Supervisors demanded that AT&T officials provide documents and testify in person to explain how ending landline services would affect 911 and other emergency services. Mercury News Read more
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Kaiser Expects To Launch Construction Of New San Jose Hospital In 2025
Construction on a brand-new Kaiser hospital could begin next year in San Jose, the centerpiece of the health care organization’s plans to replace a 50-year-old medical center and revamp an adjacent campus. Kaiser Permanente plans to develop a modern hospital at its South San Jose medical campus, documents on file with San Jose officials show. The new hospital would replace the existing medical center that was built in 1974. San Jose city officials are circulating a draft environmental impact report that sketches out some of the details involved in the project that would dramatically increase the size of the main hospital at Kaiser’s San Jose Medical Center Campus near the corner of Santa Teresa Boulevard and Cottle Road. Mercury News
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Santa Cruz Health Officials Monitor Bacteria Outbreak Among Homeless
An outbreak of infectious bacteria is being monitored by the Santa Cruz County Public Health Division, county officials said Thursday. At least 27 cases of shigellosis have been recorded in the county since late January, mostly among people who have experienced homelessness. Of those, 16 have been lab-confirmed and 11 remain under investigation, according to the public health division. Shigellosis is an infection caused by the bacteria shigella that can easily spread from person to person, often by touching surfaces contaminated with the bacteria and then ingesting it, swimming in contaminated water, or changing diapers of an infected person.
CBS News Read more
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Stanford Trial Finds Drug Effective For Food Allergies: Here's How It Is Helping Bay Area Girl
Researchers at Stanford say a newly approved drug treatment could change the lives of millions of children with food allergies. While it's not a cure, they say it can protect even younger children from dangerous and sometimes life-threatening reactions. From skiing the slopes, to playing softball, to dancing across the stage, Anabelle Terry is about as active and healthy as any 12 year old you're likely to meet. As long as she's careful. "Yes, I do have allergies. I have allergies to all nuts and tree nuts, peanuts and tree nuts," she explains. ABC7 News
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Why Are We Still Flu-ifying COVID?
Four years after what was once the “novel coronavirus” was declared a pandemic, COVID remains the most dangerous infectious respiratory illness regularly circulating in the U.S. But a glance at the United States’ most prominent COVID policies can give the impression that the disease is just another seasonal flu. COVID vaccines are now reformulated annually, and recommended in the autumn for everyone over the age of six months, just like flu shots; tests and treatments for the disease are steadily being commercialized, like our armamentarium against flu. And the CDC is reportedly considering more flu-esque isolation guidance for COVID: Stay home ’til you’re feeling better and are, for at least a day, fever-free without meds. These changes are a stark departure from the earliest days of the crisis, when public-health experts excoriated public figures—among them, former President Donald Trump—for evoking flu to minimize COVID deaths and dismiss mitigation strategies. COVID might still carry a bigger burden than flu, but COVID policies are getting more flu-ified. The Atlantic Read more
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Research Suggests COVID-19 Affects Brain Age And IQ Score
From the very early days of the pandemic, brain fog emerged as a significant health condition that many experience after COVID-19. Brain fog is a colloquial term that describes a state of mental sluggishness or lack of clarity and haziness that makes it difficult to concentrate, remember things and think clearly. Fast-forward four years and there is now abundant evidence that being infected with SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19 – can affect brain health in many ways. In addition to brain fog, COVID-19 can lead to an array of problems, including headaches, seizure disorders, strokes, sleep problems, and tingling and paralysis of the nerves, as well as several mental health disorders. CBS News Read more
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Excessive Alcohol Drinking Drove About 488 Deaths Per Day During The Pandemic, CDC Says
While dry January and damp lifestyles have taken off on TikTok, the United States has already experienced a spike in deaths related to excessive alcohol. In 2020-21, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were an average of about 488 deaths per day from excessive alcohol drinking, according to a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Alcohol is a leading cause of preventable death. The average number of deaths related to excessive alcohol use increased more than 29% from 2016-17 to 2020-21, said the report, published Thursday. During 2016-2017 there were 137,927 alcohol-related deaths, but for 2020-2021, there were 178,307. CNN Read more
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State/National/International News | | |
America Worries About Health Costs — And Voters Want To Hear From Biden And Republicans
President Joe Biden is counting on outrage over abortion restrictions to help drive turnout for his reelection. Former President Donald Trump is promising to take another swing at repealing Obamacare. But around America's kitchen tables, those are hardly the only health topics voters want to hear about in the 2024 campaigns. A new KFF tracking poll shows that health care tops the list of basic expenses Americans worry about — more than gas, food, and rent. Nearly 3 in 4 adults — and majorities of both parties — say they're concerned about paying for unexpected medical bills and other health costs. "Absolutely health care is something on my mind," Rob Werner, 64, of Concord, New Hampshire, said in an interview at a local coffee shop in January. He's a Biden supporter and said he wants to make sure the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, is retained and that there's more of an effort to control health care costs.
CBS News Read more
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Ransomware Attack On U.S. Health Care Payment Processor "Most Serious Incident Of Its Kind"
Fallout from a ransomware attack on the country’s largest health care payment processor is “the most serious incident of its kind leveled against a U.S. health care organization,” American Hospital Association CEO Rick Pollack said Thursday evening. The attack has crippled Change Healthcare, a company that provides a widely used program for health care providers to manage customer payments and insurance claims. The company has taken most of its systems offline to prevent the attack from spreading, a common countermeasure. “Nine days into the attack on Change Healthcare, a health care technology company that is part of Optum and owned by UnitedHealth Group, effects are continuing to be felt throughout the entire health care system,” Pollack said in a news release. The American Hospital Association is the country’s largest health care industry group. NBC News Read more
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Changes At Amazon-Owned Health Services Cause Alarm Among Patients, Employees
Elderly patients used to take cooking classes and do puzzles at Iora Health clinics, which also paid for taxi rides so they wouldn’t miss appointments. The late-night phone calls, free transportation and ability to text with clinical staff helped pull Deborah Wood of Kennesaw, Ga., out of a spiraling health crisis, she said. But since Amazon bought Iora parent company One Medical and rebranded it as One Medical Seniors, appointments have gotten shorter, clinical staff have lost their jobs and some of the unique offerings have disappeared, patients and former employees told The Washington Post in interviews. Washington Post Read more
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"There Is No Help": Alarm At U.S. Nurses’ Suicides Amid Staff Shortage And Stress
All Tristin Kate Smith ever wanted to do was help people. As a high school student, she enrolled in a neighboring school district in order to help older adults in nursing homes. But bit by bit, life as an emergency nurse for the 28-year-old Ohio native deteriorated. When she and her colleagues told hospital management of their work struggles during the COVID-19 pandemic, including long hours and insufficient support, they were told to enroll in online courses.
The Guardian Read more
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1 In 3 Women Are Impacted By Obesity, But Treatments Are Often Uncovered
One in three women are impacted by obesity, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The disease is associated with more than 200 different health conditions, but treatments are often not covered by insurance. The Alliance for Women's Health and Prevention is advocating for change with a new campaign. We spoke with CEO Millicent Gorham about the ways obesity impacts women differently than men, and the state of insurance overage right now.
CBS News Read more
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CVS And Walgreens To Start Dispensing Abortion Pill In States Where It's Legal
CVS and Walgreens, two of the country's largest retail pharmacies, received federal certification to begin dispensing mifepristone, one of two drugs used in medication abortions, in states where it is legal to do so, the companies separately confirmed to NPR. CVS will start filling prescriptions for mifepristone in Massachusetts and Rhode Island in the weeks ahead, with eventual plans to expand to other states where the drug is legal on a rolling basis, according to a CVS spokeswoman. NPR Read more
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It’s Now Significantly More Deadly To Be Homeless. Why Are So Many People Dying?
For many people, living on the streets of California is a death sentence. That’s according to a recent study that took the first deep look into mortality rates in homeless communities throughout the country. It found the death rate more than tripled between 2011 and 2020. The findings make it clear that at the same time the number of homeless Californians is soaring, it’s also becoming more dangerous to be homeless. And it means the stakes are sky-high when it comes to state and local efforts to combat the crisis: People’s lives are on the line. The study’s co-author, Matthew Fowle of the University of Pennsylvania, said the 238% increase was “astonishing.” CalMatters Read more
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Habitat For Humanity Puts California Families In Affordable Homes. Insurance Crisis Puts That At Risk
As the executive director of Habitat for Humanity California, I’ve watched my colleagues learn through experience how to manage the many challenges of building affordable housing in California — from fighting red tape to securing permits to accessing limited government and charitable funds. Using the expertise, our 33 Habitat affiliates across the state build and repair about 800 homes each year. But we have recently found ourselves confronted with a new obstacle in our quest to provide housing for lower-income families. And this obstacle is preventing us from putting families in the homes we have built. In California these days, it has become increasingly difficult to obtain an insurance policy for a new home. Worse yet, it’s becoming even less likely that existing policies will be renewed. SF Chronicle Read more
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"Another Path": San Mateo County To Launch Unarmed Mental Health Crisis Response Program
San Mateo County is launching an unarmed mobile response team program to address an array of mental health crises without involving law enforcement. County supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a $4.9 million contract with Alameda-based Telecare Corporation to provide the service through June 2025. “There are many people in the community that are afraid or more agitated when they interact with law enforcement, and this response model addresses that and provides another path,” District 2 Supervisor Noelia Corzo told KQED, noting that county residents have requested this service for years. KQED Read more
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The Cost Of Prop. 1: Newsom’s Plan To Transform California’s Mental Health System
If approved by voters on Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ballot measure to overhaul the state’s mental health services system and sell bonds to finance more than 10,000 treatment beds across California could cost the state up to $14 billion. Opponents of Proposition 1 argue the price is too high. “What California needs to do is take a step back and figure out how can we spend this money effectively,” said Karen Vicari, director of public policy for the nonprofit advocacy Mental Health America of California. “We’re just wasting money. We’re just throwing money at a problem with no understanding of the root causes and how to truly solve homelessness.” LA Times Read more
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Why Quitting Can Be A Superpower That Helps Your Mental Health
Some months back, one of my patients — a man in his 50s — told me: “I’m burned out. I should look for a new job; I’m just there doing what I need to do to get by. A few weeks later, he told me he had been laid off. “How do you feel about that?” I asked. “Surprisingly good,” he said with a sigh. “I should have quit years ago." Many of my patients ask me to help them quit — usually it’s something unhealthy such as smoking or gambling. But a few ask me to help them quit a job or relationship or a long-term project — things that many of us value. Many people think — and you might, too — that quitting reflects laziness, inadequacy or failure. From the time we are children, we are taught that “nobody likes a quitter.” My work, however, has taught me that quitting, itself, isn’t the problem. And quietly quitting — doing the bare minimum like my patient had been doing — can be a form of avoidance. But knowing how and when to quit is a superpower that can benefit your mental health. Washington Post Read more
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Fentanyl Crisis/Drug Trends | | |
Smoking Weed Daily Linked To Significantly Higher Risk Of Heart Attack, Stroke
Smoking cannabis frequently could lead to significantly higher risk of heart attack and stroke, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association on Wednesday. Daily cannabis use, primarily by smoking, is associated with a 25% increased risk of heart attack and 42% increased risk of stroke when compared with not using the drug, the study found. Smoking weekly is associated with a 3% higher risk of heart attack and a 5% higher risk of stroke, according to the analysis, one of the largest studies to examine the relationship between cannabis and cardiovascular events. SF Chronicle Read more
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How A Friend’s Death Turned Colorado Teens Into Anti-Overdose Activists
Gavinn McKinney loved Nike shoes, fireworks, and sushi. He was studying Potawatomi, one of the languages of his Native American heritage. He loved holding his niece and smelling her baby smell. On his 15th birthday, the Durango, Colorado, teen spent a cold December afternoon chopping wood to help neighbors who couldn’t afford to heat their homes. McKinney almost made it to his 16th birthday. He died of fentanyl poisoning at a friend’s house in December 2021. His friends say it was the first time he tried hard drugs. The memorial service was so packed people had to stand outside the funeral home. Now, his peers are trying to cement their friend’s legacy in state law. KFF Health News Read more
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"Ultra-Processed" Foods Harm Your Health In More Than 30 Different Ways
Ultra-processed foods can cause dozens of terrible health problems among people who eat them too often, a new review warns. Researchers linked diets high in ultra-processed foods to an increased risk of 32 separate illnesses. In particular, these foods are strongly tied to risk with early death, heart disease, cancer, mental health disorders, overweight and obesity, and type 2 diabetes, researchers said. For example, ultra-processed foods are associated with a 50% increased risk of heart-related death, a 48% to 53% increased risk of anxiety and common mental disorders, and a 12% risk of type 2 diabetes, researchers said. And the more of these foods people eat, the higher their overall health risks, results showed.
U.S. News & World Report 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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