Thursday, October 13, 2022 | California Healthline

Modesto Bee:
Stanislaus Residents Are Not Getting Updated COVID Booster

Only 3% of eligible people in Stanislaus County have received the updated COVID booster shot, leaving the overwhelming majority without protection against omicron subvariants going into the winter months. The updated booster, released in September, is designed to spice up immunity against the unique coronavirus and subvariants of the omicron strain. (Carlson, 10/13)

Reuters:
U.S. Authorizes Updated COVID Booster Shots For Children As Young As 5 

U.S. health regulators authorized using Omicron-tailored COVID-19 booster shots from Moderna Inc and Pfizer Inc in children as young as 5, a move that can expand the federal government’s fall vaccination campaign. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday green-lighted Moderna’s bivalent vaccine for those aged six and above, while Pfizer’s updated shot was authorized in children aged five and above. (10/12)

Reuters:
Novavax Says COVID Booster Dose Shows Profit Against Omicron Variants

Novavax Inc said on Wednesday data from studies in adults and adolescents showed that the booster dose of its COVID vaccine produced robust antibodies against several Omicron variants, including BA.1, BA.2 and BA.5. (10/12)

CIDRAP:
COVID-19 Vaccines May Help Prevent Placentitis, Stillbirth In Pregnancy

COVID-19 vaccination may protect pregnant women and their fetuses against virus-related placentitis (inflammation of the placenta) and stillbirth, concludes a review study published today within the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. The research can even be presented next week at ID Week in Washington, DC. (10/12)

NPR:
What The White House Sees Coming For COVID This Winter 

The U.S. should prepare for a spike in COVID cases this winter as more people gather indoors and infections already begin to rise in Europe, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Ashish Jha says. … “We’re seeing this increase in Europe, and Europe tends to precede us by about 4 to 6 weeks,” Jha told NPR. “And so it stands to reason that as we get into November, December, possibly January, we’re going to see a rise in infections across much of the country.” (Kelly, Jarenwattananon and O’Connor, 10/13)

Bloomberg:
Recent Covid Variants Renew Threats To The World

Omicron was first identified in southern Africa late last yr, when it outcompeted the delta variant. Omicron’s initial iteration, B.1.1.529, is characterised by some 30 mutations within the gene for the spike protein, which provides the coronavirus its crown-like appearance and allows it to invade cells. Changes there could make the pathogen less recognizable to the antibodies the immune system makes in response to vaccination or a case of Covid, increasing the danger of infection in such cases. (Gale, 10/13)

CIDRAP:
Studies Suggest Role For Exercise Testing In Long COVID, Impact Of Initial Symptoms

Two studies published today reveal latest findings on long COVID, with one showing a possible role for cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) for the evaluation of persistent symptoms, and the opposite finding a link between symptomatic infection and poor quality of life and reduced ability to finish day by day activities. (Van Beusekom, 10/12)

NBC News:
Babies Born During The Pandemic May Have Delayed Communication Skills

Around 89% of the infants studied who were born between 2008 and 2011 could articulate a full word like “bowl” or “cup” at 12 months old, in comparison with around 77% of infants born through the early months of the pandemic. The share of infants who could point at objects fell from 93% to 84%, and the portion who could wave goodbye fell from 94% to 88%. (Bendix, 10/12)

The Washington Post:
Social Security Advantages To Rise By 8.7 Percent In 2023

The Social Security Administration announced on Thursday an 8.7 percent increase in profit checks for seniors starting next yr, a response to the fastest inflation America has seen in 4 many years. The change will affect about 70.3 million Social Security beneficiaries, including roughly 8 million Supplemental Security Income recipients. The adjustment is anticipated to extend monthly Social Security checks by about $150 monthly on average. (Stein, 10/13)

AP:
Social Security Advantages To Jump By 8.7% Next 12 months

The associated fee-of living adjustment means the typical recipient will receive greater than $140 extra a month starting in January, in response to estimates released Thursday by the Social Security Administration. The boost in advantages can be coupled with a 3% drop in Medicare Part B premiums, meaning retirees will get the complete impact of the jump in Social Security advantages. (Hussein, 10/13)

ABC News:
Is Social Security On The GOP’s ‘Chopping Block’ As Biden Claims? Experts Weigh In 

Social Security — long known as the “third rail” of American politics — so charged as to be fatal if touched — is back within the highlight because the midterm elections near. President Joe Biden has made it a key campaign theme — repeatedly asserting the profit program is “on the chopping block” if Republicans win back control of the House and Senate. (Hutzler, 10/13)

San Diego Union-Tribune:
Surge Of Respiratory Illness Pops Up At Patrick Henry High, Rady ER Inundated 

Alarming surges of respiratory illness at a San Diego highschool and the region’s only children’s hospital are strong evidence that a fierce flu season has arrived early this yr. (Sisson, 10/12)

Times Of San Diego:
Respiratory Illness Outbreak Suspected At Patrick Henry High School 

San Diego County health officials were investigating an outbreak of respiratory and flu-like symptoms reported amongst a lot of students at Patrick Henry High School, it was announced Wednesday. It is simply too early to find out the reason behind the suspected outbreak at the highschool as test results are pending, in response to San Diego County Public Health Services. (Ireland, 10/12)

Bay Area News Group:
Crockett: Residents Urged To Protect Themselves Against Hydrogen Sulfide From Treatment Plant

County health officials proceed to induce residents who live near a wastewater treatment plant to take precautions after tests early this week continued to point out elevated levels of hydrogen sulfide nearby. (Kelly, 10/12)

Los Angeles Times:
L.A. Basic Income Program To Give Young Adults $1,000 A Month 

A latest program in Los Angeles County is offering universal basic income, with $1,000 monthly payments to a select group of young adults. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services introduced the pilot program, which is able to provide a three-year guaranteed income for about 300 people ages 18 to 24, the agency said. (Petri, 10/12)

Los Angeles Times:
4 Million Fentanyl Pills Seized, 217 Arrested In California Crackdown On Fentanyl

California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta announced Wednesday that a state Department of Justice-led task force has seized greater than 4 million fentanyl pills and nearly 900 kilos of fentanyl powder and arrested 217 suspects since April 2021. (Lin, 10/12)

The Recent York Times:
Navy Report On SEAL Trainee’s Death Details Medics’ Failure To Help Him 

Navy SEAL candidates tried multiple times through the elite force’s punishing Hell Week training to get help for a fellow candidate who was affected by pneumonia and whose heart stopped a number of hours after the grueling week was over, but they were repeatedly rebuffed by instructors and medical staff, in response to a latest Navy report on the sailor’s death. The report, issued by Naval Special Warfare on Wednesday, greater than eight months after Seaman Kyle Mullen died on the SEAL training base in Coronado, Calif., was ordered to find out whether he died while performing his duties as a sailor. It found that he had. (Philipps, 10/12)

Voice Of San Diego:
Fletcher: CARE Court Won’t Be Homelessness Panacea

Some Californians quickly deemed Gov. Gavin Newsom’s push to create a court system to more easily compel look after individuals with serious mental illnesses as a possible gamechanger to reducing homelessness within the state. Nathan Fletcher, chair of the county Board of Supervisors, isn’t in that camp. (Halverstadt, 10/12)

CapRadio:
Sacramento Faces Homeless Shelter Funding Shortfall, As It Grapples With Surging Unhoused Population

Sacramento could face a $40 million deficit for homeless shelter funding as early as next summer because it grapples with a surging unhoused population and calls from the general public to expand shelter and housing options. Though state funds covered town’s $13.8 million homeless services funding gap this fiscal yr, City Manager Howard Chan told the City Council in August it won’t be really easy to fill next yr’s projected deficit. (Nichols, 10/13)