Orange County Declares Health Emergency Over RSV: Orange County’s health officer has declared a local health emergency in response to increases in respiratory illnesses and an onslaught of the quickly spreading RSV, a respiratory virus that is most dangerous in young children. Read more from Orange County Register, Los Angeles Times, and Voice of OC. Scroll down for more on the RSV outbreak.
LA Sprawl Has Helped Fuel Covid Deaths: Taking a deep dive into coronavirus data, the Los Angeles Times reports that neighborhoods with more overcrowding also tend to have the highest covid death rates. Read their investigation here. Keep reading for more covid coverage.
Below, check out the roundup of California Healthline’s coverage. For today’s national health news, read KHN’s Morning Briefing.
KVPR:
Valley Children’s Sees An Uptick In RSV And Other Respiratory Infections
Cases of Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV, are on the rise across the country — including in the San Joaquin Valley. … Dr. Nael Mhaissen is the Medical Director of Infectious Diseases and Infection Prevention at Valley Children’s Healthcare. He says the hospital in Madera is not at capacity, but has seen a significant uptick in the number of RSV cases. (Arakelian, 11/1)
Index-Tribune:
RSV, Potentially Dangerous Respiratory Virus, Spreading Among Children In Sonoma County
An increasing number of children are showing up at Sonoma County hospitals with a respiratory virus that is particularly dangerous to those under age 2, causing concern among local doctors. (Johnson, 11/1)
CalMatters:
California Flu, COVID, RSV: State Faces Triple Threat
Forget “twindemic” — California may be in for a three-headed Cerberus of respiratory illnesses this winter as the flu, respiratory syncytial virus and COVID-19 collide. (Hoeven, 11/2)
The New York Times:
US Children’s Hospitals Are Overwhelmed By RSV
“Every children’s hospital that I’m aware of is absolutely swamped,” said Dr. Coleen Cunningham, the pediatrician in chief at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, a 334-bed facility in Southern California that is so full that children are being treated right in the emergency room as they wait for inpatient beds — sometimes for more than 24 hours. (Baumgaertner, 11/1)
Los Angeles Times:
RSV Season 2022: Symptoms, Precautions And Treatment
As people confront the cold and flu season, what’s top of mind for many Californians this year is the unseasonably early activity of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, which causes a respiratory illness that can be dangerous for babies and older adults. The record number of daily emergency room visits and pediatric hospitalizations caused by the virus prompted the Orange County Health Care Agency to issue a Declaration of Health Emergency on Oct. 31, just two days after strongly encouraging residents to follow preventive measures against RSV. (Garcia, 11/1)
AP:
Strong RSV Vaccine Data Lifts Hopes After Years Of Futility
A tragedy in the 1960s set back the whole field. Using the approach that led to the first polio vaccine, scientists made an experimental RSV vaccine by growing the virus in a lab and killing it. But testing in children found not only was the vaccine not protective, youngsters who caught RSV after vaccination fared worse. Two died. “For a period of 20 years, even though science was advancing, nobody wanted to go near development of an RSV vaccine,” Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University.
Even today’s modern RSV vaccine candidates were tested first in older adults, not children, he noted. (Neergaard, 11/1)
USA Today:
RSV Vaccines Are ‘Long Overdue,’ But Here’s Why That Could Soon Change
Preventing that first serious respiratory infection might also pay off later in life, said Dr. Alejandra Gurtman, vice president of vaccine R&D for Pfizer. “If you’re able to avoid that damage that you have from the first infection, you may be able to have healthier lungs,” potentially avoiding problems like asthma later on, she said. (Weintraub, 11/2)
The Atlantic:
The Worst Pediatric-Care Crisis In Decades
At Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, in Maryland, staff has pitched a tent outside the emergency department to accommodate overflow; Connecticut Children’s Hospital mulled calling in the National Guard. It’s already the largest surge of infectious illnesses that some pediatricians have seen in their decades-long careers, and many worry that the worst is yet to come. (Wu, 10/31)
San Francisco Chronicle:
New Bivalent COVID Vaccine Not More Protective, Still Recommended
Hopes were high in early fall that the new double-barreled COVID-19 booster shot — the first to target both the earlier coronavirus and newer omicron variants — would be a holiday gift like no other, and protect everyone this year. But very few people have gotten the new shot. And some of those who have are still getting breakthrough infections, bolstering the findings of two small, preliminary studies that suggest the new shot is no magic shield after all and may give no greater protection than the previous booster shot. (Asimov, 11/1)
CNN:
FDA Panel Examines Evidence That Pulse Oximeters May Not Work As Well On Dark Skin
A panel of the US Food and Drug Administration’s Medical Devices Advisory Committee met Tuesday to review clinical data about the accuracy of pulse oximetry in patients with darker skin and to discuss recommendations on using these devices on people with dark skin tones and whether they should have labels – such as a black box warning – noting that inaccurate readings may be associated with skin color. (Howard, 11/1)
CIDRAP:
Study: US Political Divide May Help Explain Shrinking Racial COVID Death Gap
New evidence suggests that the shrinking gap in US COVID-19 racial death disparities is being driven by political division and increasing total deaths—mostly among White people—rather than by decreasing deaths among Black Americans, according to a new study published in PLOS One. (Van Beusekom, 11/1)
AP:
Education Secretary Tests Positive For COVID-19
President Joe Biden’s education secretary has tested positive for COVID-19. Miguel Cardona, who has been vaccinated and boosted against the virus, tested positive Tuesday and has mild symptoms, the Education Department said in a statement. (11/1)
CIDRAP:
WHO Keeps Monkeypox Public Health Emergency In Place
The World Health Organization (WHO) monkeypox emergency committee met for the third time on Oct 20 to discuss the latest developments, concluding that the situation still warrants a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).In a statement today on their deliberations, the group said progress has been made, such as behavioral interventions and increasing vaccine uptake. However, they raised concerns about ongoing transmission in some regions, health inequities in a number of countries, and impacts on vulnerable populations, especially in those with HIV and in countries with weak health systems. (11/1)
Times of San Diego:
President Biden Plans Thursday, Friday Trip To San Diego As Election Day Nears
As Election Day approaches, the California Democratic Party hopes to get a boost in the tightly contested 49th Congressional District race when President Joe Biden visits San Diego to campaign for incumbent Rep. Mike Levin on Thursday. … Levin has attacked his opponent, Republican and former San Juan Capistrano Mayor Brian Maryott, as a MAGA Republican with reactionary views on abortion. (Ireland, 11/1)
CalMatters:
California Election: Attack Ads In Full Force
NARAL Pro-Choice California is slamming the California Medical Association and California Apartment Association for sending a “misleading mail piece” in an intense race for a state Assembly seat anchored around Santa Clarita that claims incumbent Republican Assemblymember Suzette Valladares “supports reproductive freedom.” NARAL Pro-Choice California, which supports Valladares’ Democratic challenger, Pilar Schiavo, described Valladares as an “anti-choice Republican” who “time and again … has voted against reproductive freedom.” (Hoeven, 11/1)
Capital & Main:
California Prepares To Vote On Reproductive Health, Labor And The Environment
Some measures have complicated multiyear backstories — see Propositions 29 and 30 below — but Prop. 1, which would amend the California state Constitution to protect the right to have an abortion, was a direct response by the California Legislature to the Supreme Court’s June decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade. (Thompson, 10/31)
CNN:
After Roe V. Wade Overturned, Travel Time To Abortion Facilities Grew Significantly
The average travel time to an abortion facility increased significantly for women in the United States after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and revoked the federal right to an abortion, according to a new study published Tuesday in JAMA. More than a dozen states enacted complete or partial bans on abortion after the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling, and researchers considered abortion facilities in those states to be inactive – cutting the number of active facilities by a tenth. (McPhillips, 11/1)
Axios:
Study: Requests For Mail-Order Abortion Pills Surged After Roe Reversal
Requests for self-managed abortions via pills increased in 30 states following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, with the largest surges seen in states with total or near-total bans on abortion, according to a new study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. (Chen, 11/1)
Bay Area News Group:
Biotech, Medical Device Company Chops More Than 1,000 Bay Area Jobs
A biotech and medical devices company that produced a 15-minute COVID test kit, has decided to chop more than 1,000 Bay Area jobs, according to official state labor reports. (Avalos, 11/1)
Becker’s Hospital Review:
FDA Warns Of Tracheostomy Tube Shortage
There is a national shortage of tracheostomy tubes … and the dearth is more likely to affect pediatric patients because there are few alternative products, the FDA said Oct. 31. … The FDA tapped HHS’ Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response to help manufacturers secure more raw materials and boost the product’s supply. (Twenter, 11/1)
Modern Healthcare:
CMS Updates Medicare Shared Savings Program To Encourage ACOs
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will invest in rural and underserved accountable care organizations and introduce more flexibility to the Medicare Shared Savings Program with the aim of kickstarting stalled enrollment and bridging health equity gaps. (Tepper, 11/1)
Axios:
The Latina Taking On The Hispanic Oral Health Crisis
Research shows Latino adults are the least likely of any racial or ethnic group to seek dental care, but dental hygienist Amber Lovatos is on a mission to change that. (Moreno, 11/1)
Axios:
Experts: Anesthesia Use Disparities Could Negatively Impact Black Maternal Health
New research showing racial disparities in regional anesthesia use has major implications for Black women — especially in pregnancy and childbirth, medical experts and reproductive health advocates tell Axios. (Chen, 11/1)
Los Angeles Times:
Covered California Open Enrollment Begins. What To Know
The 2010 Affordable Care Act made it possible for millions of uninsured Americans to gain health coverage through new state marketplaces. And when open enrollment for 2023 begins today, even more families may be able to gain coverage, thanks to a recent change in the ACA rules. According to an estimate from Covered California, the ACA marketplace in this state, the new rule could benefit 615,000 residents, most of them women and children. That’s on top of the 1.7 million who already obtain policies through Covered California. (Healey, 11/1)
AP:
EXPLAINER: How To Navigate Affordable Care Act Enrollment
The vast majority of Americans will find multiple options for health insurance coverage for 2023 on HealthCare.gov after open enrollment began Tuesday under the Affordable Care Act. People searching for plans on the government marketplace should consider their budget, health, doctors and a variety of other factors before picking a plan. (Lewis and Seitz, 11/1)
Modern Healthcare:
Health Insurance Markets Lack Competition, AMA Reports
Large health insurance companies dominated the commercial and Medicare Advantage markets in 2021, with consolidation shrinking competition and inflating premiums, the American Medical Association reports in a study published Tuesday. (Tepper, 11/1)
Axios:
Providers, Insurers And Employers Will All Face Health Care Inflation Costs
Employers, patients or taxpayers could be on the hook for hundreds of billions of dollars in additional health spending if providers and insurers successfully shift those inflation-driven costs, according to a recent McKinsey analysis. (Owens, 11/2)
Voice of San Diego:
Padres Goose Likely Affected By Avian Flu And Drought
The goose that landed in Dodger Stadium during a Padres playoff game likely suffered from two environmental stressors: California’s drought and avian flu. … The fowl turned legend. Fans painted its effigy on buildings and made hats. But local bird experts watching footage of the goose knew spotting this particular species, the greater white-fronted goose, in Los Angeles was rare and found its on-field behavior odd and symptomatic of bird flu. … Avian flu is like the strains of flu humans’ contract and, though rare, can also spread to humans. (Elmer, 11/1)
NBC News:
CDC Warns Of Bacteria In Dental Waterlines After Disease Outbreaks In Children
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday issued a health advisory about waterborne bacteria in dental plumbing systems after children who visited pediatric dental clinics were infected with nontuberculous Mycobacteria. (Alsharif, 11/1)
CNN:
1 In 5 Deaths Of US Adults 20 To 49 Is From Excessive Drinking, Study Shows
A beer, glass of wine or cocktail may feel so common place that you don’t even think about pouring another, but a new study suggested it may be important for everyone to be mindful of their alcohol use. An estimated 1 in 5 deaths of people ages 20 to 49 were attributable to excessive alcohol use in the United States, according to the study published Tuesday in JAMA Network Open. (Holcombe, 11/1)
The Washington Post:
Just 11 Extra Pounds Can Ruin Healthy Knees
Gaining even a small amount of weight may not only damage your knees — leading to pain, stiffness and mobility issues — but also increase your odds of needing knee replacement surgery, according to research presented last month at the International Congress on Obesity. (Searing, 11/1)
The Washington Post:
Why Daylight Saving Time Is Worse For Your Body Than Standard Time
Within days, 48 states and the District of Columbia will reset their clocks and fall back into standard time. From a health standpoint, most sleep and circadian experts say we should stay there. Experts say early-morning sunlight is key to maintaining our circadian rhythms, sleep-wake cycles and overall health. Phyllis Zee, a neurologist and chief of sleep medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said without that sunlight, we can slip into circadian misalignment — “when your internal body clocks fall out of sync with that of the sun clock and your social clocks.” (Steckelberg and Bever, 11/2)
