East County News Service

December 6, 2021 (San Diego) – The number of COVID-19 cases reported by San Diego County’s Health and Human Service Agency jumped to 1,153 on December 2^nd. That’s nearly double the numbers the prior two days, which were in the 600s.  County health officials s believe the upturn is tied to Thanksgiving gatherings and not due to the new Omicron variant, which has not yet been identified in San Diego County. The Delta variant still accounts for nearly all COVID-19 cases and deaths in the U.S..

The news comes on the heels of a National Public Radio (NPR) analysis which found death rates from COVID-19 in recent months have ranged from  three to six times higher in Republican-leaning red states than in Democratic leaning blue states – a dramatic difference likely due primarily to high vaccination rates in blue states and low vaccination rates in red states. NPR credits the high death rate in red states to misinformation on COVID and vaccines.

By Editor, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association 

Photo:  A vaccination van operated by UCSD Health visited SDUSD sites and offices to provide COVID-19 vaccines last month. Photo via @sdschools Twitter

December 5, 2021 (San Diego) - A federal appeals court has denied a request to stop San Diego schools from enforcing the district’s vaccine mandate.

Collection can save 723 lives saved and provide 3,913 meals 

December 2, 2021 (La Mesa) – Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, blood supply is critically low and new donations are continuously needed to help local patients. To help fill that need, San Diego County Credit Union teamed up with the San Diego Blood Bank and San Diego Food bank to hold the SDCCU Holiday Bowl Blood and Food at Grossmont Center in La Mesa on Thursday, November 18. The event collected a total of 4,215 pounds of food which is equivalent to 3,913 meals, and over 241 pints of blood, which will impact 723 lives throughout San Diego County.

“SDCCU is proud to support the SDCCU Holiday Bowl Blood and Food Drive benefitting the San Diego Blood Bank and San Diego Food Bank,” said Teresa Campbell, SDCCU president and CEO. “We are delighted by the amount of donations collected from our giving community members as we know it will help many people in need this holiday season.” 

Source:  Congressman Darryl Issa

November 30, 2021 (Washington, D.C.) - The House of Representatives today passed legislation co-led by Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-50) to reauthorize Johanna’s Law, which supports federal campaigns to raise awareness about gynecologic cancers among patients and health care providers. In committee and on the floor of the House, the legislation was approved with unanimous bipartisan support.

November 24, 2021 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• 50 percent of people who survive covid-19 face lingering symptoms, study finds (Washington Post)
• Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine was 100% effective in kids in longer-term study (Stat News)
• In-Depth: Should long COVID sufferers be organ donors? (10 News)
• Germany recommends only Biontech/Pfizer vaccine for under-30s (Reuters)
• FDA, Ellume recalling more than 2 million at-home COVID-19 test kits (The Hill)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Tesla’s recent Full Self-Driving update made cars go haywire. It may be the excuse regulators needed.  (Washington Post)
• Tips for paying less for goods when everything costs more (Washington Post)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click  “read more” and scroll down.

By Ken Stone, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Hospital staffers and union organizers waved signs and banners in protest over staffing shortages at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Roseville. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters

November 13, 2021 (San Diego) - Pharmacy and laboratory workers at Kaiser Permanente sites in Southern California will not strike Monday, a union leader said Saturday.

November 11, 2021 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Pfizer says its COVID-19 pill cuts disease's worst risks by 89% (NPR)
• The C.D.C. adds mental health conditions to its high-risk Covid list. (New York Times)
• This New Test Can Detect 50 Types of Cancer from a Single Blood Draw (Healthline)
• Surgical masks reduce COVID-19 spread, large-scale study shows (Stanford Medicine)
• Cannabis vaping among teens has grown sharply in recent years  (NPR)
• Scientists used a tiny brain implant to help a blind teacher see letters again (NPR)
• How SARS-CoV-2 in American deer could alter the course of the global pandemic (NPR)
• Lung Transplant Patient and Father of 18 Encourages First Responders to get COVID-19 Vaccine (NBC San Diego)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Facebook Renames Itself Meta (New York Times)
• European Parliament Calls for Bans on AI-based Biometric Recognition in Public Spaces, Predictive Policing, and Social Scoring (Privacy News Online)
• Facebook to delete users' facial-recognition data after privacy complaints (NPR)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

Environmental Health Trust and 13 petitioners win ruling 

Source: Environmental Health Trust

Photo: Creative Commons image via Bing

November 6, 2021 (Washington D.C.) --  The Environmental Health Trust recently won a victory in the U.S. Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia Circuit with a ruling in favor of EHT. In its ruling, the court ordered the FCC to explain why it ignored scientific evidence showing harm from wireless radiation, such as that transmitted by cell phones and cell phone towers and 5G technology.

The court held that FCC failed to respond to “record evidence that exposure to radiofrequency radiation at levels below the FCC’s current limits may cause negative health effects unrelated to cancer.” The court also said that the agency demonstrated “a complete failure to respond to comments concerning environmental harm caused by RF radiation.” The court found the FCC ignored numerous organizations, scientists, medical doctors who called on them to update its 1996 human exposure limits for wireless radiation. The court found the FCC failed to address these issues.

• impacts of long-term wireless exposure

• impacts to children,

• the testimony of people injured by wireless radiation, 

• impacts to wildlife and the environment,

• impacts to the developing brain and reproduction.

Update:  Video of th expert panel answering parents' questions is now available to view here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIFudyPvXfQ 

By Miriam Raftery

November 5, 2021 (El Cajon) – Now that the federal government has approved Pfizer’s COVID-19 shot for children ages 5 and up, many parents have questions.  So Cajon Valley Union School District and ABC 10 News are hosting a PTA town hall featuring a discussion with medical experts and education leaders. You can watch live on Thursday, November 11 at 5:30 p.m. online at www.10News.com or on the ABC 10News smart phone app.

By Chuck Westerheide, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo:  Firefighter Paramedic Brenton Rowell from the Mt. Laguna County Fire Station is completing his morning checks of the Advanced Life Support gear.

November 2, 2021 (San Diego's East County) - The County is moving forward with a Community Health and Injury Prevention Initiative to expand health services and community education to areas that lack health care facilities and transportation.

By Miriam Raftery

October 29, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) – A recall has been issued on Citterio Premium Italian-Style Salame Sticks sold at Trader’s Joe’s across San Diego County and other locations. Trader Joe's voluntarily pulled the sticks from its shelves, but the item may be sold at other grocery stores, the CDC warns.

East County News Service

October 29, 2021 (El Cajon) – Volunteers in Medicine is offering free flu and COVID-19 vaccines on Monday, Nov. 8 from3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 1457 East Madison Ave. in El Cajon.

You can get both vaccines at the same time to protect yourself and your family in time for the holiday season, since it takes a couple of weeks for vaccines to be fully effective.

October 27, 2021 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• There’s Now CDC Data on How Much More Likely Unvaxxed Adults Are to Die of Covid (Yahoo)
• ‘Oh my gosh. I’m myself again.’ Growing evidence vaccines prevent, treat long COVID (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• CNN Investigation: Tens of millions of filthy, used medical gloves imported into the US (CNN)
• J&J vaccine recipients should get their second dose as soon as it's available, experts say (CNN)
• Merck will ask regulators to authorize the first antiviral pill designed to treat COVID-19, after a trial found it halved the risk of hospitalization or death (Business Insider)
• U.S. COVID-19 vaccine rates up thanks to mandates; cases and deaths down -officials (Reuters)
• Chronic pain is surprisingly treatable — when patients focus on the brain (Washington Post)
• With Mandates Approaching, Demand for Fake COVID-19 Vaccination Cards Explodes (NBC San Diego)
• U.S. judge upholds COVID-19 vaccine requirement for those with 'natural immunity'  (Reuters)
• Global TB deaths are rising — and COVID gets the blame (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Ancient Footprints Show Humans Lived In The Americas Earlier Than Once Thought  (NPR)
• Hacks and data breaches are all too common. Here’s what to do if you’re affected. (Washington Post)
• The Facebook Papers: What you need to know about the trove of insider documents  (NPR)
• William Shatner, Star Trek’s Capt. Kirk, flies to space and back, adding to this year’s number of civilian astronauts (Washington Post)
• EPA Moves To Sharply Limit Potent Gases Used In Refrigerators And Air Conditioners  (NPR)
• Elephants have evolved to be tuskless because of ivory poaching, a study finds (NPR)
• Microsoft Shuts LinkedIn China, Citing ‘Challenging’ Climate (Bloomberg)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

By José A. Álvarez, County of San Diego Communications Office

October 26, 2021 (San Diego) - COVID-19 vaccination boosters are now recommended and available for everyone who qualifies.

By Miriam Raftery

October 23, 2021 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control yesterday announced approval of booster shots for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. The Moderna booster approved is half of the original dose. Boosters of Pfizer, the third vaccine authorized in the U.S., were previously approved.

The CDC also provided consumers the option to mix and match, choosing a different booster than their original vaccine(s).

Who's eligible -- and when should you consider getting a different vaccine than your original dose?