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Stay Well
breaking health news & updates
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CDPH Warns Of Possible Norovirus Infections From Imported Raw Korean Oysters | |
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is warning distributors and retailers not to sell or serve frozen raw oysters from JBR, Inc. in Tongyeongsi, Republic of Korea (ROK) because they may be contaminated with norovirus, a virus that can cause serious gastrointestinal illness.
The product was shipped under the Interstate Certified Shellfish Shippers List unique identifier KR 15 SP and individual product lots may contain the label “Amazing Sea Brand."
As of April 24, 2024, there have been 33 confirmed and probable cases of norovirus reported among persons who consumed raw oysters at three San Diego County restaurants in late March and April 2024. Investigations by San Diego County public health officials and CDPH identified frozen raw oysters that were harvested on November 26, 2023, January 4, 2024 and February 15, 2024, and packed by JBR, Inc. (KR 15 SP) as the likely source of illness. CDPH
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"Kaiser Permanente is not aware of any misuse of any member’s or patient’s personal information. Nevertheless, out of an abundance of caution, we are informing approximately 13.4 million current and former members and patients who accessed our websites and mobile applications. We apologize that this incident occurred.”
Kaiser Statement
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Kaiser Permanente Data Breach May Have Affected 13.4 Million Members
Kaiser Permanente reported a data breach Monday that could affect millions of its customers.
The Bay Area health care giant said that when members and patients accessed its websites or mobile applications, data sent to third-party technology companies such as Google and X (formerly Twitter) via web cookies might have included personal information.
The information mainly consisted of IP addresses and search terms used while logged into a Kaiser Permanente account or service. The data did not include usernames, passwords, Social Security numbers, financial account details or credit card numbers.
Kaiser indicated that approximately 13.4 million current and former members are being notified about the breach.
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan revealed in a filing on April 12 with federal authorities that there was a disclosure or unauthorized access to its network server.
The company added it was conducting an internal investigation into the breach.
SF Chronicle Read more
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81K Bay Area Residents With Hepatitis B, Mostly AAPI
City officials were on the steps of San Francisco City Hall Tuesday to declare May National Hepatitis Awareness Month. According to the CDC, hepatitis B has become the second leading infectious cause of death worldwide. In the United States, California carries the highest burden of chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis B-related liver cancer nationwide. Most people with hepatitis do not have symptoms and do not know they are infected, as symptoms can take decades to develop. According to city officials, an estimated 81,000 Bay Area residents currently have hepatitis B, “but most aren’t aware of their infections.” According to the CDC, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and African Americans are at increased risk for hepatitis C in the United States. In California, an estimated 88% of adults living with chronic hepatitis B are Asians or Pacific Islanders (AAPI), the CDC reports. KRON4 Read more
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Bay Area Autism Collective Creates Autism-Affirming Community Spaces
Today, the word "unmasking" evokes memories of lifted lockdowns and retired mandates. But for Bay Area Autism Collective founder Bird Sellergren, the concept of unmasking had a profound meaning long before the pandemic. "Masking is the act of making yourself seem less autistic to be more appealing to other people," Bird explained, "which is inevitably an exhausting, taxing process." Bird, who describes themself as an autistic self-advocate, emphasized the mental health benefits of unmasking: "research studies have shown that when people can unmask, their mental health improves. Providing space for that to happen is critical." ABC7 News Read more
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How A Bay Area Group Is Working To Clean Up Toxic Chemicals In Beauty Products
Many cosmetic products have unsafe ingredients - so why are they still allowed? One Bay Area group is working to keep you safe from toxic makeup. Campaign for Safe Cosmetics Director Janet Nudelman joined ABC7's "Getting Answers" show to detail how the group is working to clean up those ingredients. ABC7 News Read more
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UCSF Breaks Ground On Enormous New Hospital In The Heart Of S.F.
After years of planning, lawsuits and fundraising, the most significant new hospital in San Francisco for years is finally getting underway. The $4.3 billion expansion of UCSF’s Parnassus Heights campus, centered around a new hospital to be completed in 2030, will expand the medical institution’s vast footprint and workforce, cementing its outsize role in San Francisco’s economy and booming health care sector. At a ceremony Saturday afternoon attended by House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Mayor London Breed and other dignitaries, UCSF Health Chief Executive Suresh Gunasekaran formally broke ground on the project, which he said will be the largest hospital in the city by beds, operating rooms and total emergency room space. SF Chronicle Read more
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What To Know About The "FLiRT" Variants Of COVID-19
The COVID-19 lull in the U.S. may soon come to an end, as a new family of SARS-CoV-2 variants — nicknamed “FLiRT” variants — begins to spread nationwide. These variants are distant Omicron relatives that spun out from JN.1, the variant behind the surge in cases this past winter. They’ve been dubbed “FLiRT” variants based on the technical names for their mutations, one of which includes the letters “F” and “L,” and another of which includes the letters “R” and “T.” Within the FLiRT family, one variant in particular has risen to prominence: KP.2, which accounted for about 25% of new sequenced cases during the two weeks ending Apr. 27, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Other FLiRT variants, including KP.1.1, have not become as widespread in the U.S. yet. Time
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COVID Booster Linked To 25% Lower Odds Of Long COVID
A new cross-sectional study published in Vaccine of U.S. adults demonstrates that people who received the COVID-19 booster vaccine had 25% lower odds of having long COVID than their unvaccinated counterparts. The study was based on 8,757 respondents to the 2022 National Health Interview Survey, with data from a weighted sample size of 87,509,670 Americans. Authors used self-reported COVID-19 booster vaccination status and self-reported long-COVID status (defined as having new or persistent symptoms 3 or more months after an initial COVID-19 infection) to calculate odds ratios (ORs) of developing long COVID. CIDRAP Read more
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WHO Reports Widespread Overuse Of Antibiotics In Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19
New evidence from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows the extensive overuse of antibiotics during COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, which may have exacerbated "silent" spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). While only 8% of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 had bacterial co-infections requiring antibiotics, three out of four or some 75% of patients have been treated with antibiotics ‘just in case’ they help. Antibiotic use ranged from 33% for patients in the Western Pacific Region, to 83% in the Eastern Mediterranean and the African Regions. Between 2020 and 2022, prescriptions decreased over time in Europe and the Americas, while they increased in Africa. Highest rate of antibiotic use was seen among patients with severe or critical COVID-19, with a global average of 81%. In mild or moderate cases, there was a considerable variation across regions, with the highest use in the African Region (79%). WHO Read more
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State/National/International News | | |
A New California Rule Tries To Hold Down Your Health Care Costs. Here’s How It Works
You won’t notice it right away, but a new California state agency took a major step this week toward reining in the seemingly uncontrollable costs of health care. The Office of Health Care Affordability approved the state’s first cap on health industry spending increases, limiting growth to 3% by 2029. This means that hospitals, doctors and health insurers will need to find ways to cut costs to prevent annual per capita spending from exceeding the target. Between 2015 and 2020, per capita health spending in California grew more than 5% each year, according to federal data. A board appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature on Wednesday approved the new regulations in a 6-1 vote. CalMatters Read more
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To Save Black Lives, Panel Urges Regular Mammograms For All Women Ages 40 to 74
To counteract growing rates of breast cancer in younger women and to reduce racial disparities in deaths, an influential panel has changed its advice and is urging most women to begin getting regular mammograms at age 40. The new recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force say women without genetic mutations that make it extremely likely they will develop breast cancer should get their first mammogram to screen for the disease at age 40 and should continue with the exams every other year until they turn 74. The guidelines were published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women in the U.S., as well as one of the deadliest. An estimated 297,790 U.S. women were diagnosed with the disease last year, and 43,170 died of it, according to the American Cancer Society. LA Times Read more
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People With Breast Cancer More Likely To Develop Second Cancer Over Time, Study Finds
A new study finds that people with breast cancer are more likely to develop a second cancer over time. Researchers at the University of Cambridge analyzed data on more than 583,000 female and male breast cancer survivors and found females were at significantly higher risk of developing cancer in the unaffected breast as well as cancer of the uterus, ovary, and a type of leukemia. Women who were diagnosed with breast cancer under 50 were more likely to develop a second cancer compared to women who were diagnosed over the age of 50. Men with breast cancer were slightly more likely to develop cancer in the other breast but were also at higher risk of developing prostate cancer. This study highlights the importance of monitoring people with a history of breast cancer closely over time for additional cancers. CBS News Read more
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CDC Describes First Known Cases Of HIV Transmitted Via "Vampire Facial" Injections
Three women were likely infected with HIV while receiving so-called vampire facials at a New Mexico spa, marking the first known HIV cases transmitted via cosmetic injections, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report Thursday. The first HIV case linked to the VIP Spa in Albuquerque was discovered in 2018 and prompted the New Mexico Department of Health to offer free testing to anyone who got injections at the facility. The department said at the time that the spa was shut down after its investigators "identified practices that could potentially spread blood-borne infections." The most recent case was a former client of the spa who tested positive for HIV last year, according to the health department —which led it to reopen the prior investigation. NBC News Read more
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Doctors Take On Dental Duties To Reach Low-Income And Uninsured Patients
Pediatrician Patricia Braun and her team saw roughly 100 children at a community health clinic on a recent Monday. They gave flu shots and treatments for illnesses like ear infections. But Braun also did something most primary care doctors don’t. She peered inside mouths searching for cavities or she brushed fluoride varnish on their teeth. “We’re seeing more oral disease than the general population. There is a bigger need,” Braun said of the patients she treats at Bernard F. Gipson Eastside Family Health Center, which is part of Denver Health, the largest safety-net hospital in Colorado, serving low-income, uninsured, and underinsured residents.
Mercury News Read more
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Long Flu Season Winds Down
In U.S.
The U.S. flu season appears to be over.
It was long, but it wasn’t unusually severe. Last week, for the third straight week, medical visits for flu-like illnesses dipped below the threshold for what’s counted as an active flu season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. Other indicators, like hospitalizations and patient testing, also show low and declining activity. No state is reporting a high amount of flu activity. Only New England is seeing the kind of patient traffic associated with an active flu season right now, but even there flu impact is considered modest.
Since the beginning of October, there have been at least 34 million illnesses, 380,000 hospitalizations and 24,000 deaths from flu, according to CDC estimates. AP Read more
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Salvation Army To Expand Homeless Housing In The South Bay
The Salvation Army is teaming up with San Jose and Santa Clara County to help tackle the South Bay's homelessness crisis. The Salvation Army has been a part of San Jose since the 1800s and at its current site on Fourth Street for the past 60 years, but changes are coming to the location. On Monday, leaders from the county, the city and the nonprofit world unveiled plans to help the Salvation Army expand into housing more homeless. “Today we’re announcing a reset and sort of a makeover for the Salvation Army campus," county Supervisor Cindy Chavez said. Essentially, the Emmanuel House is an 88-bed sober living environment that will be expanded to 112 and sending the overall available beds to over 300. NBC Bay Area Read more
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Napa County Sees Reduction In Homelessness
Homelessness in Napa County has decreased, according to the latest data. A one-day point-in-time count taken Jan. 25 shows 415 people were experiencing homelessness, representing an 18% decrease from the previous year, according to a news release Monday. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires all counties to conduct a count every other year. Napa County carries out its count each year. The agency uses the collected data to help allocate funding for homelessness programs across the nation. “This decline is particularly noteworthy, as it marks a concerted effort to address the structural factors contributing to homelessness in the region,” said the news release. “This decrease also returns the Napa County community to numbers below what existed before the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The Press Democrat Read more
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Monthly Payments Of $1,000 Could Get Thousands Of Homeless People Off The Streets, Researchers Say
A monthly payment of $750 to $1,000 would allow thousands of the city’s homeless people to find informal housing, living in boarding homes, in shared apartments and with family and friends, according to a policy brief by four prominent Los Angeles academics. Citing positive preliminary results of pilot studies in several cities, including Los Angeles, they argue the income could provide access to housing for a portion of the population who became homeless primarily as the result of an economic setback. This could ultimately save millions of dollars in public services, they argued, and leave the overstretched and far more expensive subsidized and service-enriched housing for those who have more complicated social needs. LA Times
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California Is Investing $500M In Therapy Apps For Youth. Advocates Fear It Won’t Pay Off
With little pomp, California launched two apps at the start of the year offering free behavioral health services to youths to help them cope with everything from living with anxiety to body acceptance. Through their phones, young people and some caregivers can meet BrightLife Kids and Soluna coaches, some who specialize in peer support or substance use disorders, for roughly 30-minute virtual counseling sessions that are best suited to those with more mild needs, typically those without a clinical diagnosis. The apps also feature self-directed activities, such as white noise sessions, guided breathing, and videos of ocean waves to help users relax.
KFF Health News Read more
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Physical Fitness Linked To Better Mental Health In Young People
Physical fitness among children and adolescents may protect against developing depressive symptoms, anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to a study published on Monday in JAMA Pediatrics. The study also found that better performance in cardiovascular activities, strength and muscular endurance were each associated with greater protection against such mental health conditions. The researchers deemed this linkage “dose-dependent,” suggesting that a child or adolescent who is more fit may be accordingly less likely to experience the onset of a mental health disorder. These findings come amid a surge of mental health diagnoses among children and adolescents, in the United States and abroad, that have prompted efforts to understand and curb the problem. NY Times Read more
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Mental Health Crisis Centers And EmPATH Units: Offering Care That Busy ERs Can’t
On a spring afternoon, about a half dozen children and teens hung out in the sunny common room of Pima County’s Crisis Response Center in Tucson. Beyond the pastel-painted room stretched a long, wide hall where partitions separated individual beds, many left unmade with rumpled sheets. Wearing scrubs, the kids sat in rocking chairs, watched TV, talked and laughed. A pair of teen girls played a card game. Outside the large windows was a walled patio where they could play cornhole or have water balloon fights in the open air. Chalk drawings depicting stars and flowers covered the patio walls. On the other side of the building, adults in crisis rested in recliner chairs in a more subdued setting. Some patients slept, others watched TV. Like the kids, they could opt to attend daily group sessions on emotional processing, coping skills, and art expression. And like the kids, they received three meals and two snacks per day, with additional snacks available by request anytime. Psychiatric staff would periodically stop by to check their progress and help them make plans to continue treatment at home. And peer support specialists (staff members in recovery from addiction or mental illness themselves) would sit with them to share their own stories of struggle and healing, teach them coping skills, and offer them hope. STAT Read more
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Fentanyl Crisis/Drug Trends | | |
Fentanyl Overdoses Hit A Surprising group Of San Franciscans: The City’s Dogs
The first time Brandy Martin used the overdose-reversing nose spray Narcan on her bulldog, Jack, he was just 4 months old, she said. Martin, 43, said she brought Jack to a friend’s apartment and the dog licked a piece of the tinfoil that her friend was using to smoke the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl. Jack’s body went limp in Martin’s arms, she said, and it took three rounds of Narcan before he became alert and began moving again. “I panicked so bad,” said Martin, who added that she avoids fentanyl after dozens of her friends have fatally overdosed. “I don’t think people always think about the dogs, but that stuff is just so toxic and so poisonous.” SF Chronicle Read more
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California Will Supply First Responders, Universities With Opioid Overdose Reversal Drug For Free
California will provide first responders, universities and other qualifying organizations with a generic version of Narcan, the opioid overdose reversal drug, for free, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday. CalRx’s Naloxone Access Initiative will buy over-the-counter naloxone for $24 a pack, which is about half the market price, from Amneal Pharmaceuticals, a New Jersey-based manufacturer, according to a news release from Newsom’s office. The deal enables the state to buy 3.2 million twin packs of the drug instead of the 2 million it bought at the previous price. LA Times Read more
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U.S. Drug Control Agency Will Move To Reclassify Marijuana
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, The Associated Press has learned, a historic shift to generations of American drug policy that could have wide ripple-effects across the country. The DEA’s proposal, which still must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, would recognize the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs. However, it would not legalize marijuana outright for recreational use. KRON4 Read more
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The Longest, Strangest Trip: Some Psychedelic Drug Users Are Stuck With Unwelcome Highs
A.J. took two small hits off a cannabis vape pen, a common ritual with his morning coffee. Moments after exhaling, a transfigured, kaleidoscopic version of the world emerged before his eyes. “Some colors are seeping into the other colors,” the 30-year-old said, gesturing across his art-filled living room in Yorba Linda. “In that Persian tapestry on the wall, the flowers are flowing like the wind, back and forth, and the centerpieces of the horses and other animals, they’re stagnant still but I can feel them kind of moving, almost like a gallop.” A.J. — who requested anonymity to discuss his drug use and medical history — was on no other mind-altering substances beyond the caffeine in his mug. The fantastical visions, which he’s come to expect and in some ways even enjoy, were a lingering effect of past drug use. They’re a manifestation of a rare condition called hallucinogen persisting perception disorder, or HPPD, which has puzzled psychiatrists and researchers and raised alarms as psychedelic drugs have become more mainstream for both therapeutic and recreational use. LA Times Read more
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What Makes You Cough When Something Goes Down the Wrong Pipe?
When a mouthful of water goes down the wrong pipe – heading toward a healthy person’s lungs instead of their gut – they start coughing uncontrollably. That’s because their upper airway senses the water and quickly signals the brain. The same coughing reflex is set off in people with acid reflux, when acid from the stomach reaches the throat. Now, UC San Francisco scientists have identified the rare type of cell responsible for initiating these reactions. In a study published April 19, 2024, in Science, they detailed exactly how the cells, called laryngeal and tracheal neuroendocrine cells, can sense water or acid in the upper airway and pass the information along by releasing chemical messengers that activate nerves leading to the brain. UCSF
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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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