Alameda County officials said they would reinstate indoor mask mandates amid a surge in new coronavirus infections. COVID hospitalizations are climbing in the Bay Area too, though they remain at a relatively low level compared to prior surges.
Second monkeypox strain detected in U.S.
Genetic analysis of recent monkeypox cases suggests there are two distinct strains in the U.S., health officials said Friday, raising the possibility that the virus has been circulating undetected for some time, the Associated Press reports. “I think it’s certainly possible that there could have been monkeypox cases in the United States that went under the radar previously but not to any great degree,” Jennifer McQuiston of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told reporters Friday. However, she added, “there could be community level transmission that is happening” in parts of the U.S. where the virus has not yet been identified. The findings mean the outbreak likely will be difficult to contain, health experts say.
BA.4 and BA.5 spreading quickly in another Northern California county
The highly infectious BA.4 and BA.5 sub-lineages of the omicron coronavirus variant made up 6.1% of cases sequenced in Yolo County last week, up from 0.9% for the week ending May 14, according to data collected by researchers at UC Davis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is not yet tracking the subvariants, classifying them under the B.1.1.529 umbrella, but European health experts say BA.4 and BA.5 appear to be more contagious than BA.2 and BA.2.12.1. The variants also show signs of evading immunity, meaning even those previously infected with omicron are susceptible to reinfection. BA.4 is behind the current surge of infections in highly vaccinated Portugal. The sub-lineages were previously detected in wastewater samples from Santa Clara County in late May.
CDC vaccine advisors schedule meeting on vaccines for youngest children
An advisory group to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has scheduled meetings for June 17-18 to discuss recommending vaccines for children under 5. Before the vaccines can be made available for the youngest age group, the Food and Drug Administration will first grant them emergency use authorization. Then the CDC will recommend them, with the final step requiring the endorsement of Director Rochelle Walensky. The FDA is scheduled to meet on June 15.
FDA endorses Novavax but flags rare heart risk
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday said that Novavax’s protein vaccine effectively reduces the risk of mild-to-severe COVID-19, even against omicron, but also raised some safety concerns about the shots, Reuters reports. The company enrolled about 30,000 adults in the United States and Mexico for its trials, with data showing 90.4% efficacy. “Based on the efficacy estimate in the clinical trial of this vaccine, it is more likely than not that the vaccine will provide some meaningful level of protection against COVID-19 due to omicron, in particular against more severe disease,” according to officials at the FDA. The agency also noted the possible risk of myocarditis, a rare heart condition also associated with the mRNA vaccines, with four cases reported among trial participants within 20 days of vaccination. If approved, Novavax would give Americans a new COVID-19 vaccine option.
Masking recommended for nearly 25% of California counties
With coronavirus cases on the rise, 13 of California’s 58 counties now have “high” COVID-19 levels, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In that category, federal officials strongly recommend people wear masks in indoor public spaces. The CDC looks at the combination of three metrics to determine COVID-19 community levels: new hospital admissions per 100,000 people in the past 7 days, the percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID patients, and the total number of new cases per 100,000 residents. Among the counties in the state now in the “high” category are Marin, Sonoma, Napa, Solano and Santa Clara in the Bay Area, alongside Del Norte, Mendocino, Yolo, Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, Monterey and San Benito. Alameda County, which has “medium” COVID-19 levels is the only county in the state so far to bring back the mask mandate.
NFL drops COVID protocols for 2022 season
The NFL will no longer require coronavirus surveillance testing of players and staff, regardless of their vaccination status, the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Friday, citing sources with knowledge on the change in protocol. He said the organization recommended testing still should occur “when clinically indicated and/or at the direction of the club physician,” of if any member of a club is experiencing symptoms related to COVID-19. In that case, a negative test will be required before entering a team facility. The league will allow making organizations to individually determine COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters are required, based on local laws.
California’s positive test rate hits 8.3% as state nears 9 million cases
The coronavirus test-positive rate in California reached 8.3% on Friday, marking a 151% increase in the past month. Health experts say a region needs to have a rate below 5% to effectively control the spread of the virus. The state is averaging about 35 new daily cases per 100,000 residents, up from 18 per 100,000 four weeks ago, as it moves closer to 9 million cumulative COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic. The true figure is likely higher as many people now depend on rapid home tests which often go unreported to health officials. All 9 Bay Area counties are reporting case numbers far higher than the state average. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in California has increased by 113% over the past four weeks, with 2,329 patients currently admitted. The state has averaged about 9 deaths a day over the past month.
Another Northern California school district brings back mask mandate
Sacramento City Unified School District will reinstate an indoor mask mandate for students and staff, after Sacramento County was designated as having “high” COVID-19 levels by the CDC. The requirement goes into effect June 6, but officials suggest that people start masking now. “This decision was made with careful consideration of the current data trends and is intended to limit the spread of Covid-19 in schools and the community,” SCUSD said in a release.
How to have fun outdoors during a COVID surge
With COVID numbers surging in the Bay Area, people are itching to find a way to have fun while minimizing the risk of an infection.
Find out how to decide whether to dine indoors, or eat on an outdoor patio. And what about visiting an indoor museum versus exploring an exhibit outside?
Construction starts on major S.F. office building for first time since 2020
For the first time in more than two years, a major San Francisco office building has started construction, a rare sign of activity in a market hit hard by the pandemic and remote work. Local developer Urban Land Development began demolition this week at 531 Bryant St., where it is replacing an existing building with six stories of office space.
Alameda County to reinstate indoor mask mandate
Alameda County will require masks in most indoor public settings again starting midnight Friday, county health officials said Thursday.
White House expects vaccines for youngest children by June 21
The Biden administration’s COVID Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said during a Thursday briefing that federal officials expect COVID-19 vaccines for children under 5 to start rolling out on June 21, if the Food and Drug Administration grants them emergency use authorization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends them. “We know many parents are eager to vaccinate their youngest kids,” he said.
ESPN announcers out with COVID ahead of NBA Finals
ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy and reporter Adrian Wojnarowski are both expected to miss Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Thursday night because of COVID, a league source confirmed with The Chronicle. Van Gundy and Wojnarowski join their colleague, Mike Breen, on the COVID list. As of 9 a.m. Thursday, Breen’s status for Game 1 remained in flux.
California COVID hospitalizations up 54% over past two weeks
Even though new coronavirus cases may appear to be leveling off, the number of patients in hospitals with COVID-19 is trending up in California, according to public health data analyzed by The Chronicle. The state reported 2,526 people hospitalized with the virus Wednesday, up from 1,642 reported two weeks earlier, marking a 54% rise. Hospitalizations, a lagging indicator of pandemic trends, have been rising in California since mid-April, when they briefly dipped below 1,000 for the first time in over a year. Deaths remain below the levels seen in earlier waves, with California reporting an average of 9 deaths a day for almost all of May.
Bay Area COVID cases have hit a plateau for now
The number of new coronavirus cases in the Bay Area appears to have temporarily leveled off, according to state data Wednesday analyzed by The Chronicle. The region is averaging a little over 51 confirmed daily cases per 100,000 residents, marking a slight decrease from the 55 per 100,000 reported a week earlier. San Francisco, which is once again leading the state with most infections relative to its population, is reporting 57 cases per 100,000 residents, compared to 62 last Monday. Other Bay Area counties are reporting similar dips in case counts. Hospitalizations in the region, a lagging indicator of the virus’ impact, have wavered slightly but remain as high as they were in early March. While the figures are promising, health experts say the Bay Area is still entrenched in the sixth surge of the virus and Memorial Day weekend activities, graduation parties and summer travel could easily push the numbers back up, especially if subvariants such as BA.4 and BA.5 gain a foothold in the region.
Pfizer submits vaccine application for children under 5 to FDA
Pfizer and BioNTech have submitted an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a three-dose COVID-19 vaccine in children aged 6 months to under 5 years old, ABC News reports. “Pfizer and BioNTech completed a rolling application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use authorization (EUA) of the 3-µg (microgram) dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for children 6 months through 4 years of age (also referred to as 6 months to under 5 years of age) on June 1, 2022,” the companies said in a statement.
The FDA confirmed that it received Pfizer’s request for an EUA. “We recognize parents are anxious to have their young children vaccinated against COVID-19 and while the FDA cannot predict how long its evaluation of the data and information will take, we will review any EUA request we receive as quickly as possible using a science-based approach,” the agency said. The vaccine could be available to the youngest age group, which is the last not currently eligible for vaccination against COVID-19, by late June.
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COVID in California: Highly contagious omicron subvariants spreading fast in this Northern California county - San Francisco Chronicle
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