Latest news with #Chin-Hong
San Francisco Chronicle
5 days ago
- Health
- San Francisco Chronicle
COVID is rising again in California — just as school and festival season start
As students head back to classrooms, travelers squeeze in last-minute getaways and crowds pack San Francisco's summer festivals, California is experiencing a renewed uptick in COVID-19 infections — part of a broader national trend that health officials say echoes previous seasonal surges. State health data shows that test positivity rates nearly doubled in July, from 3.94% on July 5 to 7.91% by July 26. While still categorized as low, the trajectory is concerning enough that public health officials are watching closely as fall approaches. 'I think COVID is still on the way up in California,' said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at UCSF. 'We should expect to see more community cases, and later in the season than last year, based on Stanford wastewater data.' The virus's current increase, attributed to newer subvariants with nicknames like Stratus and Nimbus, coincides with the late-summer heat that drives people indoors — where respiratory viruses spread more easily. Though highly transmissible, these variants aren't necessarily more dangerous, and Chin-Hong expects fewer hospitalizations and deaths than in previous years. Wastewater data from the CDC and WastewaterSCAN also show climbing virus levels in California, one of only a few states currently reporting 'high' or 'very high' viral activity. Nationally, emergency department visits for COVID remain relatively low but are ticking upward, especially among children under 4 — many of whom remain unvaccinated. Chin-Hong said hospitalizations and deaths are also expected to increase for those over 75 in the coming weeks, 'especially if that group has not been recently boosted or taken Paxlovid.' As of now, California public schools still require standard childhood vaccines, but not COVID-19 vaccinations — a move that reflects recent shifts in federal vaccine policy. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has scaled back vaccine recommendations, including withdrawing guidance for healthy children, despite objections from major medical groups. Meanwhile, federal support for mRNA vaccine research — once central to the pandemic response — is being scaled back. Kennedy announced Tuesday the elimination of $500 million in funding tied to mRNA development, prompting backlash from many scientists who view the technology as essential for responding to future viral threats. An updated COVID-19 booster targeting the JN.1 variant is expected this fall, but uptake may be low. A recent KFF poll found that most adults say they are unlikely to get the new shot. In the face of rising cases and evolving public health guidance, Chin-Hong urges people to stay vigilant. Even mild symptoms like sniffles or a sore throat — ' razor blade or not' — could signal a COVID-19 infection, he said. He emphasized the importance of vaccinating older adults, especially those who haven't had a shot or a recent infection in the past year. For people at higher risk or living with vulnerable individuals, early diagnosis is key. And for older adults who haven't been recently vaccinated and do contract COVID-19, Chin-Hong reminds them not to overlook treatment options: 'Paxlovid or early antivirals are a great option.'
Los Angeles Times
28-07-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
COVID rising in California. How bad will this summer be?
COVID-19 is once again on the rise in California. It remains to be seen whether this latest uptick foreshadows the sort of misery seen last year — when the state was walloped by its worst summertime surge since 2022 — or proves fleeting. But officials and experts say it's nevertheless a reminder of the seasonal potency of the still-circulating virus. 'We definitely are seeing an uptick in the summer,' Dr. Erica Pan, director of the California Department of Public Health and the state health officer, said during a recent webinar. As has often been the case with COVID, the latest increase in infections is not playing out uniformly across the state. The uptick was first registered in Northern California and only started being seen in Southern California more recently. Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional physician chief of infectious diseases for Kaiser Permanente Southern California, said she expects an uptick in cases in the Southland over the next two to three weeks, based on the level of coronavirus being detected in wastewater. 'My colleagues at Northern California Kaiser Permanente have already noticed this trend, so I suspect it will be coming to Los Angeles soon,' Hudson said. However, COVID activity remains well below the level seen last summer at this point — and it's too soon to say how bad this season will be. While last summer saw a particularly potent spike in infections, this past winter was the mildest of the COVID era. 'We'll know over the next couple of weeks which direction things are going,' Hudson said. It remains possible that COVID could end up being as active as last year, if not worse, according to Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at UC San Francisco. 'It's been a longer time since a lot of people got infected,' Chin-Hong said, noting California's last busy COVID season was about a year ago, and immunity has waned since then. 'And just like last year, there are new variants afoot.' Chin-Hong said he's been hearing more people ask for advice about COVID recently. Doctors suggest taking common-sense steps to avoid getting sick, such as avoiding people who are ill, and getting up-to-date vaccines. 'Just because you had an easy case the last time doesn't mean that you'll have an easy case this time,' Chin-Hong said. 'A lot of people I've talked to who've gotten COVID this year, it was a pretty vicious case that lasted a long time.' According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the part of the country with the highest coronavirus wastewater activity level at the moment is the West. On the state level, the CDC says California has 'moderate' coronavirus activity level in its sewage, as does Nevada, Texas, Mississippi, Kentucky and South Carolina. Florida has 'high' activity and Louisiana, 'very high' activity, federal data show. Viral levels in wastewater have still been rising in many parts of the country, Chin-Hong said. A possible silver lining is that Chin-Hong expects the rate of infected people who need hospitalization will continue to drop. As of early July, the rate at which lab tests were coming back positive for coronavirus infection in California was 5.5%. That's higher than at any point since last winter, but still relatively low, Pan said. On Thursday, the California Department of Public Health said viral levels in wastewater are 66% lower than they were at this time last year. At this point last year, the COVID test positivity rate was 8.2%, and peaked at around 12% in August. Coronavirus levels are considered high in the sewershed of San Jose and Palo Alto, according to the Santa Clara County Public Health Department. 'We're seeing an increase in COVID transmission in some parts of the county over the past several weeks,' the agency said. In San Francisco, coronavirus wastewater levels have also been rising — but remain lower than last summer's surge, according to the local Department of Public Health. In Los Angeles County, the rate at which coronavirus tests are coming back positive is rising. For the week ending July 12, the most recent for which complete data are available, 6.4% of specimens tested by labs were positive, up from 4.8% the prior week. Coronavirus levels in L.A. County wastewater have been roughly flat in recent weeks, and are lower than the levels seen the past few summers. 'Overall, the data suggest a slight increase in COVID-19 activity in L.A. County, but nothing yet consistent with a significant summer 'surge,'' the local Department of Public Health said. The story is much the same in Orange County, where the COVID test positivity rate is at 6.3% and increasing, but 'still below recent years for this time of the year,' according to Dr. Christopher Zimmerman, deputy medical director of the Orange County Health Care Agency. COVID-related visits to the emergency room in Orange County remain stable, accounting for 1.1% of all ER visits, compared with around 4% in August 2024, Zimmerman said. COVID-related admissions remain flat, comprising only 0.6% of hospitalized patients in the county. That metric hasn't exceeded 1% since the winter, and is down from the 1.8% recorded at this time last year. The California Department of Public Health's medium-term forecast predicts a minor summer COVID wave that is expected to peak in late August, Pan said. State scientists do expect that California will see either a stronger summer COVID wave or a more significant winter wave. They do not expect the state will see the one-two punch of seasonal surges that were typical during the COVID emergency era, Pan said. The most dominant circulating subvariant now is NB.1.8.1, which has been dubbed 'Nimbus.' But the fastest-growing strain nationwide is XFG, nicknamed after another type of cloud, 'Stratus.' Both are highly contagious, officials say — and Nimbus has been particularly associated with what patients describe as 'razor blade throat,' feeling like their throats are studded with razor blades. However, current available vaccines are expected to cover these subvariants. The California Department of Public Health recommends that everyone age 6 months and up 'should have access and the choice to receive currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines, with an emphasis on protecting higher-risk individuals, such as infants and toddlers, pregnant individuals and others with risks for serious disease,' Pan said. That's stronger than the latest federal guidance, which reflects recent recommendations issued by the Trump administration. The Trump administration dropped the recommendation that healthy children and healthy pregnant women be vaccinated for COVID-19. In formal documents, health officials offer 'no guidance' as to whether pregnant women should get the vaccine, and ask that parents talk with a healthcare provider before getting the vaccine for their children. 'Last year, the Biden administration urged healthy children to get yet another COVID shot despite the lack of any clinical data to support the repeat booster strategy in children,' Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a social media video announcing the changes. Kennedy, who has denigrated vaccines over the years, did not elaborate on the rationale for altering the recommendation for pregnant women in the 58-second video. Pan said there were some contradictions in the latest federal guidance, given that the Trump administration was recommending the COVID-19 vaccine for people at serious risk of severe illness — a group that includes pregnant women — 'but then it was stated the COVID-19 vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women.' A number of health groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Public Health Assn., have sued Kennedy in federal court, alleging he violated federal law by changing COVID-19 vaccine recommendations without scientific evidence. In California, an estimated 37% of seniors have received at least one dose of the latest version of the COVID-19 vaccine, which was released in September. The rate is around 50% for much of the San Francisco Bay Area. Senior vaccine coverage is roughly 40% in San Diego, Ventura, Santa Barbara and Sacramento counties, and around 30% in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. 'Insurance coverage for COVID-19 vaccines is still in place,' Pan said. A number of medical professional and scientific organizations are aligning to support scientific-based vaccine recommendations, Pan said, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Assn. and AHIP, an association of health insurance plans. Alarmed at the Trump administration's changes around vaccine policy, the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota has launched a 'vaccine integrity project,' which aims 'to make recommendations for how vaccine use can remain grounded in the best available science, free from external influence,' according to a university statement. California health officials are also warning that the proposed federal budget threatens to cut deep into public health. The federal government is proposing to halve the budget for the CDC, Pan said this month, from $9.2 billion to $4.3 billion. About 80% of the CDC's funding goes to state and local health agencies, Pan said. Nearly half of the budget for the California Department of Public Health comes from the federal government, and about two-thirds of the state's public health department budget is given to local health agencies. The proposed federal budget would eliminate key centers and programs, such as the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, as well as grants for hospital preparedness and preventive health and health services, Pan said. The proposal also suggests reducing by more than half funding for public health emergency preparedness, from $735 million to $350 million, Pan said. In June, a COVID-19 immunization grant was not extended to California and expired, according to the state Department of Public Health. 'These federal funding cuts mean everyone in Los Angeles County will be at increased risk for transmitting and contracting infectious diseases,' the L.A. County Department of Public Health said in a statement to The Times. The agency said it not only works to prevent and control infectious diseases, but also inspects more than 57,000 food facilities and restaurants, tests and issues alerts about beach water quality, looks over safety issues at healthcare facilities and responds to public health emergencies, such as the region's recent wildfires. 'The President's proposed budget ... would continue a dismantling of core public health activities and severely reduce funding for federal public health grant programs, including a 55% cut to the CDC, our main source of federal grant funds,' the L.A. County Department of Public Health said. L.A. County could lose more than $200 million in annual public health funding under the budget proposal, the agency added, which would eliminate or significantly cut funding for public health emergency preparedness, chronic disease prevention, vaccination efforts and worker safety programs. Among the concerns is the sudden termination of more than $45 million in previously awarded federal grant funds that support infectious disease control efforts and lab capacity, vaccination campaigns and substance use prevention. A federal court has temporarily paused the Trump administration's efforts to claw back those federal funds, the county said. 'But if we do not win this case, that funding will be abruptly terminated, leading to layoffs of dozens of contract employees, terminated purchase orders, and reductions in funding for [community-based organizations] supported by these funds,' the county said.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
RFK Jr., CDC panel casting doubt on the hepatitis B vaccine. Here's why it's safe
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the members of his newly appointed vaccine panel are casting doubt on the hepatitis B vaccine and the established practice of vaccinating newborns. Last week, during the first meeting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) since Kennedy removed all the previous sitting members and appointed seven new members, the chair questioned whether it was "wise" to administer shots "to every newborn before leaving the hospital." Martin Kulldorff, a former Harvard Medical School professor, said a new work group would discuss the practice. MORE: Experts warn RFK Jr. is unraveling the system that kept vaccines safe Additionally, Kennedy claimed, without evidence, earlier this week during an interview with Tucker Carlson, that the CDC conducted a study that found the hepatitis B vaccine increases the risk of autism, and that researchers hid the results of the study from the public. The HHS did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for the study that Kennedy referenced in his interview. An infectious disease expert told ABC News that there is no evidence to suggest the hepatitis B vaccine is unsafe and that vaccinating babies at birth has been key to virtually eliminating the virus among children. Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus, according to the CDC. The virus is transmitted from a person coming into contact with the blood, semen or other bodily fluid of someone who is infected. Newborns might be infected through the process of birth or from casual contact, because the virus can survive in the environment for about a week, Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, told ABC News. Up to half of all older children, adolescents and adults have symptoms of acute hepatitis B. Most children younger than age 5, however, have no symptoms, the CDC said. "Hepatitis B … causes inflammation in the liver …and that inflammation leads to the liver not working well at all," Chin-Hong said. "So that's cirrhosis and liver failure and, ultimately, also liver cancer. The longer you have hepatitis B, the higher the risk of cirrhosis or liver failure and liver cancer." Acute hepatitis B infection, which is a short-term illness, can lead to a lifelong infection known as chronic hepatitis B, according to the CDC Chin-Hong said that means if somebody is born with hepatitis B or infected as a child, they have a high chance of liver failure or liver cancer as an adult. Chin-Hong said the best way for someone to prevent hepatitis B and to protect themselves is by getting vaccinated. The vaccine was first developed in the early 1980s. Depending on the vaccine brand, the hepatitis B vaccine is either a series of two or three shots, according to the CDC. MORE: RFK Jr. has questioned rising autism rates. Here's what experts say he gets wrong about the disorder The childhood immunization schedule recommends babies be vaccinated at birth with a second dose between one and two months old and a potential third dose from 6 months to 15 months old. "The more shots you get, the higher the chance the vaccine will take," Chin-Hong said. "If you get three shots, it's above 97% efficacy." In 1991, when the ACIP recommended universal vaccination for hepatitis B among infants to decrease transmission, there were 18,000 cases of hepatitis B in those under 10 years old in the U.S., according to the CDC. Since then, cases have dramatically decreased. CDC data shows that in 2022, the rate of cases among those ages 19 was less than 0.1 per 100,000. "It's very, very rare," Chin-Hong said. "So, we've had a big success, and the United States is a mirror for the rest of the world … 97% of countries now have a recommendation for hepatitis B vaccination in infants. It's really changed the face of not only infection and liver failure, but also liver cancer." During the ACIP meeting last week, Kulldorff implied that children receive too many vaccines nowadays compared to decades ago. "The number of vaccines that our children and adolescents receive today exceeds what children in most other developed nations receive and what most of us in this room received when we were children," Kulldorff said. Chin-Hong said that by adding vaccines to the immunization schedule, children have more protection against diseases compared to 10 or even 20 years ago, and the makeup of vaccines is also different. "The way that we're delivering the vaccines is very different," he said. "They're through smaller bits of the virus instead of the whole virus itself or bacteria. So, it means that infants are exposed to actually fewer antigens. or parts of the virus or bacteria, with better vaccines." The ACIP announcing that well-studied vaccines, like the hepatitis B vaccine, are going to be reanalyzed could make people think the initial approval process was unsafe, according to Chin-Hong. As for Kennedy's claim, the HHS secretary has been a long-time vaccine skeptic who refused to say during his confirmation hearings earlier this year that vaccines don't cause autism despite many high-quality studies finding no such link. "There's no evidence that the hepatitis B vaccine leads to autism or is a risk factor for autism, and that is unquestionable," Chin-Hong said. ABC News' Youri Benadjaoud contributed to this report.
03-07-2025
- Health
RFK Jr., CDC panel have been casting doubt on the hepatitis B vaccine. Here's why it's safe
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the members of his newly appointed vaccine panel are casting doubt on the hepatitis B vaccine and the established practice of vaccinating newborns. Last week, during the first meeting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) since Kennedy removed all the previous sitting members and appointed seven new members, the chair questioned whether it was "wise" to administer shots "to every newborn before leaving the hospital." Martin Kulldorff, a former Harvard Medical School professor, said a new work group would discuss the practice. Additionally, Kennedy claimed, without evidence, earlier this week during an interview with Tucker Carlson, that the CDC conducted a study that found the hepatitis B vaccine increases the risk of autism, and that researchers hid the results of the study from the public. The HHS did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for the study that Kennedy referenced in his interview. An infectious disease expert told ABC News that there is no evidence to suggest the hepatitis B vaccine is unsafe and that vaccinating babies at birth has been key to virtually eliminating the virus among children. What is hepatitis B? Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus, according to the CDC. The virus is transmitted from a person coming into contact with the blood, semen or other bodily fluid of someone who is infected. Newborns might be infected through the process of birth or from casual contact, because the virus can survive in the environment for about a week, Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, told ABC News. Up to half of all older children, adolescents and adults have symptoms of acute hepatitis B. Most children younger than age 5, however, have no symptoms, the CDC said. "Hepatitis B … causes inflammation in the liver …and that inflammation leads to the liver not working well at all," Chin-Hong said. "So that's cirrhosis and liver failure and, ultimately, also liver cancer. The longer you have hepatitis B, the higher the risk of cirrhosis or liver failure and liver cancer." Acute hepatitis B infection, which is a short-term illness, can lead to a lifelong infection known as chronic hepatitis B, according to the CDC Chin-Hong said that means if somebody is born with hepatitis B or infected as a child, they have a high chance of liver failure or liver cancer as an adult. Benefits of vaccination Chin-Hong said the best way for someone to prevent hepatitis B and to protect themselves is by getting vaccinated. The vaccine was first developed in the early 1980s. Depending on the vaccine brand, the hepatitis B vaccine is either a series of two or three shots, according to the CDC. The childhood immunization schedule recommends babies be vaccinated at birth with a second dose between one and two months old and a potential third dose from 6 months to 15 months old. "The more shots you get, the higher the chance the vaccine will take," Chin-Hong said. "If you get three shots, it's above 97% efficacy." In 1991, when the ACIP recommended universal vaccination for hepatitis B among infants to decrease transmission, there were 18,000 cases of hepatitis B in those under 10 years old in the U.S., according to the CDC. Since then, cases have dramatically decreased. CDC data shows that in 2022, the rate of cases among those ages 19 was less than 0.1 per 100,000. "It's very, very rare," Chin-Hong said. "So, we've had a big success, and the United States is a mirror for the rest of the world … 97% of countries now have a recommendation for hepatitis B vaccination in infants. It's really changed the face of not only infection and liver failure, but also liver cancer." Why hepatitis B vaccination is safe During the ACIP meeting last week, Kulldorff implied that children receive too many vaccines nowadays compared to decades ago. "The number of vaccines that our children and adolescents receive today exceeds what children in most other developed nations receive and what most of us in this room received when we were children," Kulldorff said. Chin-Hong said that by adding vaccines to the immunization schedule, children have more protection against diseases compared to 10 or even 20 years ago, and the makeup of vaccines is also different. "The way that we're delivering the vaccines is very different," he said. "They're through smaller bits of the virus instead of the whole virus itself or bacteria. So, it means that infants are exposed to actually fewer antigens. or parts of the virus or bacteria, with better vaccines." The ACIP announcing that well-studied vaccines, like the hepatitis B vaccine, are going to be reanalyzed could make people think the initial approval process was unsafe, according to Chin-Hong. As for Kennedy's claim, the HHS secretary has been a long-time vaccine skeptic who refused to say during his confirmation hearings earlier this year that vaccines don't cause autism despite many high-quality studies finding no such link. "There's no evidence that the hepatitis B vaccine leads to autism or is a risk factor for autism, and that is unquestionable," Chin-Hong said.
Calgary Herald
20-06-2025
- Health
- Calgary Herald
'Swallowing razor blades': What to know about the painful symptom linked to latest COVID strain
Article content The World Health Organization recently designated NB.1.8.1 as a variant under monitoring. The strain, nicknamed 'Nimbus,' has reportedly been causing extremely painful sort throats in those who have been infected with it. Article content Cases of the Nimbus variant have been rising. It has been detected in 22 countries as of May 18 and made up 10.7 per cent of the global COVID samples taken in late April, WHO said. That was considered a 'significant rise in prevalence' since it only made up 2.5 per cent of global COVID samples four weeks prior. However, WHO deemed the overall risk of Nimbus to be low. Article content Article content 'While not specific to COVID-19,' he said, 'this expression has been used to describe sore throat symptoms in some patients with the most recent COVID-19 variant.' Article content It has been described by some as 'akin to swallowing shattered glass or razor blades,' news network NTD reported. Article content Article content However, infectious disease specialist at University of California San Francisco Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, told the San Francisco Chronicle that a sore throat from COVID is 'not novel at all.' Article content 'There has been a range of intensity of sore throat with COVID symptoms all along, including very severe pain,' said Chin-Hong. Article content Other symptoms of COVID include runny nose, new or worsening cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, chills, fatigue or weakness, muscle or body aches, new loss of smell or taste, headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting. Article content Article content This particular strain 'isn't too different from the Omicron variant, but it does have some tweaks to its spike protein,' according to general practitioner from private healthcare centre Pall Mall Medical in the United Kingdom Dr. Chun Tang, The Independent reported. That means it could 'spread a bit more easily or slip past some of our existing immunity.'
