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KQED Health Correspondent Lesley McClurg explains what you need to know about this increase in COVID cases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp id=\"embed-code\" class=\"inconsolata\">\n\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC2131796693&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\n\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Links: \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11957790/the-new-covid-eris-variant-and-rising-cases-what-you-need-to-know\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The New COVID ‘Eris’ Variant and Rising Cases: What You Need to Know\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1984096/wiley-covid-stoked-by-eris-escapes-predictability-once-again\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fueled by ‘Eris,’ COVID Escapes Predictability Once Again\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>I’m Ericka Cruz Guevarra, and welcome to The Bay. Local news to keep you rooted. So, it was my birthday this weekend. And as you will, I was just out living life until I found out that someone that I was with now has COVID. And if it seems like everyone is getting COVID again, you’re not imagining it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Listener Call-In: \u003c/strong>I was exposed Friday at a music venue in Marin County. Three days later, started to feel symptoms. We are vaccinated. We are boosted. I think two times we’ve recently gotten over COVID infection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Listener Call-In: \u003c/strong>My husband and I and my three children, five and under recently got COVID for the first time at the end of June and early July. And now that the kids are back at school and unmasked because that is the way of the world, it seems now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>We’re in the middle of another increase in COVID cases here in the Bay Area at a time when restrictions and mandates are long gone. But this virus is still very much part of our lives today. KQED health correspondent Lesley McClurg breaks down this moment in our ever changing relationship with COVID.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>Lesley, I feel like we seem to be in this moment again where everyone around us seems to be getting COVID again. Are we in a summer surge summer? What is this? What is happening right now?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>Yeah, exactly. It’s a good question. I would say experts are saying uptick. Swell. Serge tends to kind of make us nervous. And fortunately, we’re not seeing some sort of spike. That’s really quite worrisome. I would say a lot more people are getting COVID right now. I think that’s the fair way to say what’s happening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>And how do we know that this is happening? What data are we using at this point?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>Basically, all indicators are showing upwards, hospitalizations are going up, wastewater data is going up, as well as test positivity rate is going up. So the number of tests that are showing up positive at hospitals are going up. Those are basically the three ways that you check to see, you know, is is COVID rising? And COVID is definitely rising, I think is also indicative. I heard several experts say, you know, are a lot more people around you getting it? That means it’s in your community. So I think it’s fair to say if if you have friends that are that are testing positive, that that it’s fair to say that you know, it’s around you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>Well, I do know that we don’t have the data that we used to have when it comes to tracking how bad COVID is around us. Right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>We have in some ways better indicators than we did at the beginning in that we’re using wastewater data a lot more right now. And wastewater data is, you know, they really track all the dead skin cells and the pee and everything that it’s coming off of us, and they track to see if the virus is in there. So you can get a pretty accurate understanding of how much virus is spreading in a community from the wastewater data. What we don’t have anymore is really accurate testing data. Back in the day, everybody who thought they had COVID went to the hospital because that was the only place to get a test. And those are PCR tests. And so we had really accurate numbers on PCR tests, which is what is federally reported to public health agencies. We don’t have that anymore because people are testing at home more, more people are probably testing now than they were back, you know, in 2020 and 2021 when we didn’t have the accessibility to antigen tests or home tests that we do now. And those tests are not captured in that tally, basically. But we also have hospitalization numbers. So I think we do have a pretty aggregate number of indicators to give us a sense of what’s happening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>I feel like I’m I’m losing track of just like which variant we’re on now. So what’s the like, main variant taking hold in this sort of summer swell?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>Right now the most prevalent is Eris or XB, but basically these are variations on the same theme of Akron. And what it’s doing to us hasn’t changed that much since basically last winter, except that it’s just becoming a little sneakier in the sense that more contagious, it’s kind of getting past our immunity, but it’s not necessarily making us any sicker. There is another variant that is starting to show up in some parts of the U.S. It’s not in California yet. That’s BA.2.86 or some folks are calling it “Pirola”. And that variant was quite worrisome initially because it demonstrated that it might be more infectious, but we are now seeing that that’s maybe not the case and that it is acting very similar to Eris and maybe again, kind of slipping past our our initial defenses, but still responding to vaccines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>So is the take away maybe there when it comes to variants is that none of these are as bad as Delta and Omicron, which were like very scary when they they sort of came out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>I think it’s fair to say that we have better strategies to defend against the virus that is circulating right now. Most people have some sort of built up immunity. 97% of adults have either gotten a vaccine or been exposed to the virus at this point. So we’ve got a defense layer that we didn’t have, you know, back in 2020 or early 2021. And so that’s, you know, keeping us from getting really sick. And the virus is not quite as dangerous. So it’s a combination of those forces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>If you get COVID now, what is the, I guess, official guidance at this point?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>Official guidance is if you have symptoms, test immediately. Find out if you have it and then to isolate for five days. If you start getting really scary symptoms of any kind, then you can go to a hospital. So if you if you have trouble breathing, if your fever spikes, if you’re, you know, really nauseous, then it’s a good idea to seek help from the medical field, you know, maybe go going to the hospital or at least reaching out to your primary physician and seeing if you should get Paxlovid, which is probably the most accessible treatment and showing the most success against the current variant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>I think a lot of people and at least me as well, like personally, are still afraid of potentially getting long COVID. What do we know about treatments for long COVID at this point? Have there been any updates on that end?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>Unfortunately, we’re not seeing a lot of success there. We’ve spent about $1,000,000,000 on project recover trying to find treatments that will help folks who are suffering from long COVID, which is such a myriad of symptoms. And because it’s such kind of a it’s playing out so differently in different people and it’s kind of a very individual disease, it’s very difficult to have treatments that can really work. So the best advice at this point is to go to specialty clinics and have individual, you know, tailored treatment to your particular symptoms. The best thing to do, you know, to prevent getting long COVID right now is to stay up to date on your COVID booster. It does show that those folks who do get vaccinated do have lower rates of long COVID.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>And speaking of a new booster, we’re actually like a few days away from an updated one, right?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>That is true. So they’re saying kind of mid-September is when it will likely be available. And really those who are at highest risk should get it first. You know, seniors, the folks who are immunocompromised. But the CDC said last week that the booster will be available for everyone. And most folks, you know, all of us have who did get a shot last fall, you know, are up for another one in the sense that your immunity does wane over time. So if you want to prep your system, you know, for this swell and just cold and cold and flu season in general, it’s a good idea to get that booster and you can get in. It is recommended to get that booster with your flu shot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>Will this booster protect against the current variants that are in the air right now?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>It is designed to defend against the most the variants that are circulating most prevalently right now and in recent months. And it does show likely that it will work against the B.A. .2.86 or the Pirola that is just starting to circulate. There is data suggesting that it will work quite well against that one as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>And what if you just recently got COVID, Lesley? Like, should you also get this new booster?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>Yeah, the latest advice is basically you should definitely wait until you don’t have any more symptoms. Generally, about ten days after you stop having symptoms and then you can get the booster or you can wait to delay about three months. So you should get it sometime this fall. It’s not something you need to run out and get right away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>Well, I want to ask you about masking, Lesley, because actually there’s a local shop in my community that does require you or is starting to require patrons to wear masks when they come inside. It’s like this really small like store. So, I mean, have any places reinstated mask mandates here in the Bay Area?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>There are a few health care facilities in Northern California. Kaiser Santa Rosa does have a mask requirement. Some Sutter facilities are requiring their health care workers to wear masks later on this fall. Santa Clara County is going to require health care workers to wear masks, so it’s starting to come forward. But outside of health care facilities, it’s generally just recommended and there is no indication that requirements are likely to come back from public health officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>How would you characterize like where we’re at now? Like, is this still a pandemic? Are we now sort of in this moment where this is just going to be a seasonal illness like everyone’s sort of been saying it would? It would eventually become just like the flu? Like, where are we at now?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>It’s endemic. It’s going to be around. I think we passed that threshold a while ago, but all of us feel a little almost like, I don’t know, I feel internally like my gears are not quite clicking in yet in terms of how to assess the risk of COVID. This is the same bug that killed more than a million people in the U.S. and now it it’s not nearly as scary. We can test for it. We do have treatments. We do have vaccines. So we’re in a very different moment. But kind of similarly to how people probably felt after the Spanish flu. There was a fear of this thing for quite some time afterwards. It’s not how we associate and relate to the flu today. Right. And I think we’re in that moment of COVID as well. We’re still kind of figuring out how dangerous this thing is. And it’s very individual in terms of how to assess your risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>Lesley, thank you so much for breaking this down for us. I really appreciate it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>Thank you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>That was Lesley McClurg, a health correspondent for KQED. The people you heard from at the top of this show were from a recent episode of KQED’s Forum, which you can catch every weekday from 9 to 11 a.m. on 88.5 FM or wherever you listen to podcasts. This 25-minute conversation with Lesley was cut down and edited by producer Maria Esquinca. Senior editor Alan Montecillo scored it and produced it. Shout out as well to the rest of the podcast squad here at KQED. That’s Jen Chien, our director of podcasts. Katie Sprenger, our podcast operations manager. César Saldaña is our engagement producer, and Holly Kernan is our chief content officer. The Bay is a production of member-supported KQED. I’m Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Thanks for listening. Peace.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>COVID-19 cases are on the rise (again). But this isn’t the surge of years’ past..it’s more like a “swell”.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We also have more immunity, there are effective treatments, and a new booster is on the way. KQED Health Correspondent Lesley McClurg explains what you need to know about this increase in COVID cases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp id=\"embed-code\" class=\"inconsolata\">\n\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC2131796693&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\n\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Links: \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11957790/the-new-covid-eris-variant-and-rising-cases-what-you-need-to-know\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The New COVID ‘Eris’ Variant and Rising Cases: What You Need to Know\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1984096/wiley-covid-stoked-by-eris-escapes-predictability-once-again\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fueled by ‘Eris,’ COVID Escapes Predictability Once Again\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-content post-body\">\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>I’m Ericka Cruz Guevarra, and welcome to The Bay. Local news to keep you rooted. So, it was my birthday this weekend. And as you will, I was just out living life until I found out that someone that I was with now has COVID. And if it seems like everyone is getting COVID again, you’re not imagining it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Listener Call-In: \u003c/strong>I was exposed Friday at a music venue in Marin County. Three days later, started to feel symptoms. We are vaccinated. We are boosted. I think two times we’ve recently gotten over COVID infection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Listener Call-In: \u003c/strong>My husband and I and my three children, five and under recently got COVID for the first time at the end of June and early July. And now that the kids are back at school and unmasked because that is the way of the world, it seems now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>We’re in the middle of another increase in COVID cases here in the Bay Area at a time when restrictions and mandates are long gone. But this virus is still very much part of our lives today. KQED health correspondent Lesley McClurg breaks down this moment in our ever changing relationship with COVID.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>Lesley, I feel like we seem to be in this moment again where everyone around us seems to be getting COVID again. Are we in a summer surge summer? What is this? What is happening right now?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>Yeah, exactly. It’s a good question. I would say experts are saying uptick. Swell. Serge tends to kind of make us nervous. And fortunately, we’re not seeing some sort of spike. That’s really quite worrisome. I would say a lot more people are getting COVID right now. I think that’s the fair way to say what’s happening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>And how do we know that this is happening? What data are we using at this point?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>Basically, all indicators are showing upwards, hospitalizations are going up, wastewater data is going up, as well as test positivity rate is going up. So the number of tests that are showing up positive at hospitals are going up. Those are basically the three ways that you check to see, you know, is is COVID rising? And COVID is definitely rising, I think is also indicative. I heard several experts say, you know, are a lot more people around you getting it? That means it’s in your community. So I think it’s fair to say if if you have friends that are that are testing positive, that that it’s fair to say that you know, it’s around you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>Well, I do know that we don’t have the data that we used to have when it comes to tracking how bad COVID is around us. Right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>We have in some ways better indicators than we did at the beginning in that we’re using wastewater data a lot more right now. And wastewater data is, you know, they really track all the dead skin cells and the pee and everything that it’s coming off of us, and they track to see if the virus is in there. So you can get a pretty accurate understanding of how much virus is spreading in a community from the wastewater data. What we don’t have anymore is really accurate testing data. Back in the day, everybody who thought they had COVID went to the hospital because that was the only place to get a test. And those are PCR tests. And so we had really accurate numbers on PCR tests, which is what is federally reported to public health agencies. We don’t have that anymore because people are testing at home more, more people are probably testing now than they were back, you know, in 2020 and 2021 when we didn’t have the accessibility to antigen tests or home tests that we do now. And those tests are not captured in that tally, basically. But we also have hospitalization numbers. So I think we do have a pretty aggregate number of indicators to give us a sense of what’s happening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>I feel like I’m I’m losing track of just like which variant we’re on now. So what’s the like, main variant taking hold in this sort of summer swell?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>Right now the most prevalent is Eris or XB, but basically these are variations on the same theme of Akron. And what it’s doing to us hasn’t changed that much since basically last winter, except that it’s just becoming a little sneakier in the sense that more contagious, it’s kind of getting past our immunity, but it’s not necessarily making us any sicker. There is another variant that is starting to show up in some parts of the U.S. It’s not in California yet. That’s BA.2.86 or some folks are calling it “Pirola”. And that variant was quite worrisome initially because it demonstrated that it might be more infectious, but we are now seeing that that’s maybe not the case and that it is acting very similar to Eris and maybe again, kind of slipping past our our initial defenses, but still responding to vaccines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>So is the take away maybe there when it comes to variants is that none of these are as bad as Delta and Omicron, which were like very scary when they they sort of came out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>I think it’s fair to say that we have better strategies to defend against the virus that is circulating right now. Most people have some sort of built up immunity. 97% of adults have either gotten a vaccine or been exposed to the virus at this point. So we’ve got a defense layer that we didn’t have, you know, back in 2020 or early 2021. And so that’s, you know, keeping us from getting really sick. And the virus is not quite as dangerous. So it’s a combination of those forces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>If you get COVID now, what is the, I guess, official guidance at this point?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>Official guidance is if you have symptoms, test immediately. Find out if you have it and then to isolate for five days. If you start getting really scary symptoms of any kind, then you can go to a hospital. So if you if you have trouble breathing, if your fever spikes, if you’re, you know, really nauseous, then it’s a good idea to seek help from the medical field, you know, maybe go going to the hospital or at least reaching out to your primary physician and seeing if you should get Paxlovid, which is probably the most accessible treatment and showing the most success against the current variant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>I think a lot of people and at least me as well, like personally, are still afraid of potentially getting long COVID. What do we know about treatments for long COVID at this point? Have there been any updates on that end?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>Unfortunately, we’re not seeing a lot of success there. We’ve spent about $1,000,000,000 on project recover trying to find treatments that will help folks who are suffering from long COVID, which is such a myriad of symptoms. And because it’s such kind of a it’s playing out so differently in different people and it’s kind of a very individual disease, it’s very difficult to have treatments that can really work. So the best advice at this point is to go to specialty clinics and have individual, you know, tailored treatment to your particular symptoms. The best thing to do, you know, to prevent getting long COVID right now is to stay up to date on your COVID booster. It does show that those folks who do get vaccinated do have lower rates of long COVID.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>And speaking of a new booster, we’re actually like a few days away from an updated one, right?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>That is true. So they’re saying kind of mid-September is when it will likely be available. And really those who are at highest risk should get it first. You know, seniors, the folks who are immunocompromised. But the CDC said last week that the booster will be available for everyone. And most folks, you know, all of us have who did get a shot last fall, you know, are up for another one in the sense that your immunity does wane over time. So if you want to prep your system, you know, for this swell and just cold and cold and flu season in general, it’s a good idea to get that booster and you can get in. It is recommended to get that booster with your flu shot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>Will this booster protect against the current variants that are in the air right now?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>It is designed to defend against the most the variants that are circulating most prevalently right now and in recent months. And it does show likely that it will work against the B.A. .2.86 or the Pirola that is just starting to circulate. There is data suggesting that it will work quite well against that one as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>And what if you just recently got COVID, Lesley? Like, should you also get this new booster?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>Yeah, the latest advice is basically you should definitely wait until you don’t have any more symptoms. Generally, about ten days after you stop having symptoms and then you can get the booster or you can wait to delay about three months. So you should get it sometime this fall. It’s not something you need to run out and get right away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>Well, I want to ask you about masking, Lesley, because actually there’s a local shop in my community that does require you or is starting to require patrons to wear masks when they come inside. It’s like this really small like store. So, I mean, have any places reinstated mask mandates here in the Bay Area?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>There are a few health care facilities in Northern California. Kaiser Santa Rosa does have a mask requirement. Some Sutter facilities are requiring their health care workers to wear masks later on this fall. Santa Clara County is going to require health care workers to wear masks, so it’s starting to come forward. But outside of health care facilities, it’s generally just recommended and there is no indication that requirements are likely to come back from public health officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>How would you characterize like where we’re at now? Like, is this still a pandemic? Are we now sort of in this moment where this is just going to be a seasonal illness like everyone’s sort of been saying it would? It would eventually become just like the flu? Like, where are we at now?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>It’s endemic. It’s going to be around. I think we passed that threshold a while ago, but all of us feel a little almost like, I don’t know, I feel internally like my gears are not quite clicking in yet in terms of how to assess the risk of COVID. This is the same bug that killed more than a million people in the U.S. and now it it’s not nearly as scary. We can test for it. We do have treatments. We do have vaccines. So we’re in a very different moment. But kind of similarly to how people probably felt after the Spanish flu. There was a fear of this thing for quite some time afterwards. It’s not how we associate and relate to the flu today. Right. And I think we’re in that moment of COVID as well. We’re still kind of figuring out how dangerous this thing is. And it’s very individual in terms of how to assess your risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>Lesley, thank you so much for breaking this down for us. I really appreciate it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lesley McClurg: \u003c/strong>Thank you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>That was Lesley McClurg, a health correspondent for KQED. The people you heard from at the top of this show were from a recent episode of KQED’s Forum, which you can catch every weekday from 9 to 11 a.m. on 88.5 FM or wherever you listen to podcasts. This 25-minute conversation with Lesley was cut down and edited by producer Maria Esquinca. Senior editor Alan Montecillo scored it and produced it. Shout out as well to the rest of the podcast squad here at KQED. That’s Jen Chien, our director of podcasts. Katie Sprenger, our podcast operations manager. César Saldaña is our engagement producer, and Holly Kernan is our chief content officer. The Bay is a production of member-supported KQED. I’m Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Thanks for listening. Peace.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>"
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"content": "\u003cp>Scientists have produced the first data indicating that a variant that has raised alarm is unlikely to pose a big new COVID-19 threat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Four preliminary laboratory studies released over the weekend found that antibodies from previous infections and vaccinations appear capable of neutralizing the variant, known as BA.2.86.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is reassuring,” says Dr. Dan Barouch, who conducted \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/BarouchLab/status/1698850719959544271?s=20\">one of the studies \u003c/a>at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When it was first spotted, BA.2.86 set off alarm bells. It contains more than 30 mutations on the spike protein the virus uses to infect cells. That’s a level of mutation on par with the original Omicron variant, which caused a massive surge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The concern was that BA.2.86, while still rare, could sneak around the immunity people had built up and cause another huge, deadly wave.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When something heavily mutated comes out of nowhere … there’s this risk that it’s dramatically different and that it changes the nature of the pandemic,” says Benjamin Murrell, who conducted \u003ca href=\"https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.02.556033v1\">one of the other studies \u003c/a>at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Benjamin Murrell, researcher, Karolinska Institute\"]‘When something heavily mutated comes out of nowhere … there’s this risk that it’s dramatically different and that it changes the nature of the pandemic.’[/pullquote]But Murrell and Barouch’s experiments, along with \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/yunlong_cao\">similar studies\u003c/a> conducted by Yunlong Richard Cao at Peking University in China and by Dr. \u003ca href=\"https://microbiology.columbia.edu/faculty-david-ho\">David Ho \u003c/a>at Columbia University in New York, indicate that BA.2.86, is unlikely to be another game-changer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For BA.2.86 the initial antibody neutralization results suggest that history is not repeating itself here,” Murrell says. “Its degree of antibody evasion is quite similar to recently circulating variants. It seems unlikely that this will be a seismic shift for the pandemic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The studies indicate that BA.2.86 doesn’t look like it’s any better than any of the other variants at evading the immune system. It appears to be even less adept at escaping from antibodies than other variants. And may also be less efficient at infecting cells.[aside label='More on COVID Variants' tag='covid']“BA.2.86 actually poses either similar or less of an immune escape risk compared with currently circulating variants, not more,” Barouch says. “So that is good news. It does bode well for the vaccine.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Food and Drug Administration is expected to approve new vaccines soon that target a more recent omicron subvariant than the original shots. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would then recommend who should get them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While that subvariant, XBB.1.5, has already been replaced by others, it’s a close enough match for the new shots to protect people, scientists say.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wish the booster was already out,” says Dr. \u003ca href=\"https://www.bcm.edu/people-search/peter-hotez-23229\">Peter Hotez \u003c/a>of the Baylor College of Medicine, noting that \u003ca href=\"https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home\">yet another wave \u003c/a>of infections has already begun increasing the number of people catching the virus and getting so sick that they’re ending up in the hospital and dying. “We need it now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Scientists have produced the first data indicating that a variant that has raised alarm is unlikely to pose a big new COVID-19 threat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Four preliminary laboratory studies released over the weekend found that antibodies from previous infections and vaccinations appear capable of neutralizing the variant, known as BA.2.86.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is reassuring,” says Dr. Dan Barouch, who conducted \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/BarouchLab/status/1698850719959544271?s=20\">one of the studies \u003c/a>at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When it was first spotted, BA.2.86 set off alarm bells. It contains more than 30 mutations on the spike protein the virus uses to infect cells. That’s a level of mutation on par with the original Omicron variant, which caused a massive surge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The concern was that BA.2.86, while still rare, could sneak around the immunity people had built up and cause another huge, deadly wave.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When something heavily mutated comes out of nowhere … there’s this risk that it’s dramatically different and that it changes the nature of the pandemic,” says Benjamin Murrell, who conducted \u003ca href=\"https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.02.556033v1\">one of the other studies \u003c/a>at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But Murrell and Barouch’s experiments, along with \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/yunlong_cao\">similar studies\u003c/a> conducted by Yunlong Richard Cao at Peking University in China and by Dr. \u003ca href=\"https://microbiology.columbia.edu/faculty-david-ho\">David Ho \u003c/a>at Columbia University in New York, indicate that BA.2.86, is unlikely to be another game-changer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For BA.2.86 the initial antibody neutralization results suggest that history is not repeating itself here,” Murrell says. “Its degree of antibody evasion is quite similar to recently circulating variants. It seems unlikely that this will be a seismic shift for the pandemic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The studies indicate that BA.2.86 doesn’t look like it’s any better than any of the other variants at evading the immune system. It appears to be even less adept at escaping from antibodies than other variants. And may also be less efficient at infecting cells.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“BA.2.86 actually poses either similar or less of an immune escape risk compared with currently circulating variants, not more,” Barouch says. “So that is good news. It does bode well for the vaccine.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Food and Drug Administration is expected to approve new vaccines soon that target a more recent omicron subvariant than the original shots. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would then recommend who should get them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While that subvariant, XBB.1.5, has already been replaced by others, it’s a close enough match for the new shots to protect people, scientists say.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wish the booster was already out,” says Dr. \u003ca href=\"https://www.bcm.edu/people-search/peter-hotez-23229\">Peter Hotez \u003c/a>of the Baylor College of Medicine, noting that \u003ca href=\"https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home\">yet another wave \u003c/a>of infections has already begun increasing the number of people catching the virus and getting so sick that they’re ending up in the hospital and dying. “We need it now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Another COVID Variant? What to Know About BA.2.86, Your Immunity and Boosters",
"headTitle": "Another COVID Variant? What to Know About BA.2.86, Your Immunity and Boosters | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>I’ve heard there is yet another new variant of SARS-CoV-2. Say it ain’t so!\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yes, it is so. Viruses mutate, new variants emerge. That’s happened a number of times with SARS-CoV-2 since the start of the pandemic in 2020. And it’s happening again. In mid-August, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced: “A new variant of SARS-CoV-2 called BA.2.86 was detected in samples from people in Denmark and Israel. At least two cases have been identified in the United States. This variant is notable because it has multiple genetic differences from previous versions of SARS-CoV-2.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact there are 35 mutations on the spike protein compared to currently circulating variants. That’s as big of a difference as there was between the original virus and the omicron variant identified in November 2021.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The spike protein is what the virus uses to enter our cells. Those mutations could potentially help the virus evade the protection provided by COVID vaccinations and prior infections, says \u003ca href=\"https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/about\">Katelyn Jetelina,\u003c/a> an epidemiologist and scientific consultant to the CDC, who writes the “Your Local Epidemiologist” blog.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CDC and the World Health Organization are taking a closer look.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s not yet enough data to assess the potential of this variant to cause a wave. But the CDC said on Wednesday that, “based on what [it] knows now, existing tests used to detect and medications used to treat COVID-19 appear to be effective” for the variant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CDC also believes that BA.2.86 may be more capable of causing infection in people who have previously had COVID-19 or who have received COVID-19 vaccines because the mutations on the spike protein could allow it to evade our immune systems despite prior vaccinations and having had COVID-19. Scientists are evaluating the effectiveness of the new booster expected to be approved by mid September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And companies that make antigen tests, vaccines and treatments are testing them to see if they are effective on the variant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If the conclusion is that this variant poses a significant risk of triggering waves of cases due to its mutations, it will get it own name. That name, next in the Greek alphabet for COVID variants, would be pi.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>I have a 66-year-old friend who’s never stopped wearing a mask and still refuses to go to restaurants, movies or even socialize indoors. He has had the latest booster. Are these extreme precautions still warranted at this stage? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s complicated,” says \u003ca href=\"https://profiles.mountsinai.org/waleed-javaid\">Dr. Waleed Javaid,\u003c/a> epidemiologist and director of Infection Prevention and Control at Mount Sinai Downtown in New York City. “Some people refused to mask, and others refuse to unmask. Part of it is knowing your risks, like if you are traveling in a crowded space.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Javaid says we need to to be empathetic to the needs of others. “We don’t know other peoples’ risks. Some people may have serious illnesses, immunocompromising conditions, cancers, or transplants — and not share this information with their friends or loved ones.”[pullquote size='medium' align='right' citation=\"Dr. Waleed Javaid, director, Infection Prevention and Control at Mount Sinai Downtown in New York City\"]‘We don’t know other peoples’ risks. Some people may have serious illnesses, immunocompromising conditions, cancers, or transplants — and not share this information with their friends or loved ones.’[/pullquote]\u003ca href=\"https://publichealth.jhu.edu/faculty/1972/andrew-stanley-pekosz\">Andrew Pekosz,\u003c/a> a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health, says “it’s still very, very clear” that the hospitalizations and deaths from COVID — \u003ca href=\"https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#hospitalizations-landing\">currently on the rise\u003c/a> — are being driven by certain portions of the population: those over the age of 65, those with underlying medical conditions, individuals on cancer treatment, solid organ transplant recipients and people who are immunocompromised. “In my opinion, if you are in those groups that should more than justify taking a few extra precautions if you want to minimize your risk,” he says. “And I think we as a society needs to be a little bit more accepting of those individuals who feel the need to take those steps to protect themselves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for case counts, the end of the public health emergency for COVID means many data points on cases are no longer collected. But in the U.S., \u003ca href=\"https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_weeklyhospitaladmissions_7dayeddiagnosed_00\">emergency room visits\u003c/a> are still tallied and are rising. U.S. hospitalizations are still reported as well and have been increasing steadily since July, based on CDC data. For the week ending Aug. 12, there were 12,613 new hospitalizations for the virus, up from 10,370 the previous week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How long will it take for the new booster, coming in the fall, to confer protection? A week? Ten days? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First, news alert: A meeting of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/08/25/2023-18288/advisory-committee-on-immunization-practices\">has been set for Sept. 12\u003c/a> to discuss the updated COVID-19 booster, likely to be followed by the CDC director adopting their recommendation very soon after and making recommendations on who should get the updated shot. Pharmacies and doctors offices are already gearing up to give the shot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now back to the immunity you can expect. “It takes up to two weeks for you to have the best protection [from a vaccine],” says Dr. Javaid. Andrew Pekosz says for COVID the vaccines may even work a bit faster because of prior immunity people have from vaccines and from \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/burden.html#est-infections\">having had the virus.\u003c/a> “Within ten days you would detect increases in your immunity and by two weeks you should be at pretty good levels that would be protecting you from a COVID-19 infection and particularly severe COVID-19,” Pekosz says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>When does protection of COVID vaccines and boosters wane? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t have that long-term data available yet,” says Dr. Javaid. “There are multiple factors involved. There are patient factors, illnesses, immunocompromising conditions and the ability to mount immune response depending on medications — like steroids — that suppress the immune system. There are also viral factors, like if the virus mutates enough to evade our immune system.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In general, says Javaid, being vaccinated will provide some degree of protection against infection that can last for months or even years because of the body’s immune memory. This means vaccinated individuals will likely have milder symptoms than unvaccinated. And so far, Javaid says, the vaccines have held up well against severe disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>There are three vaccines this fall — the flu vaccine, the expected fall COVID booster and the RSV vaccine. Can I get them all at once?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can get the flu shot and fall booster together without any interference of the effectiveness of either, says \u003ca href=\"https://www.medschool.umaryland.edu/profiles/Frieman-Matthew/\">Matthew Frieman,\u003c/a> research professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. “In fact,” says Frieman, “vaccines that would combine the two are in clinical trials.”[aside postID=news_11954507,news_11957790,news_11948759 label='COVID resources']Dr. Javaid points out that children get vaccines that combine protection — like one for mumps, measles and rubella (German measles) with no problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/coadministration.htm\">The CDC gives the thumbs up to getting the flu and COVID vaccines together as well\u003c/a> and says you can even get them in the same arm, though getting each in a different arm can help reduce short-term pain that can come with getting a vaccination.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for timing … The new boosters aren’t here yet. October is considered the best month to get a flu shot since protection can wane over the flu season, which ends in May or June. So assuming that the new booster is out by then, you could go for a two-fer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then there are new vaccines, just recently approved, for \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/index.html\">respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)\u003c/a>, which is also a fall virus and which is most dangerous for very young kids and older adults. A vaccine is recommended for people 60+ and is available now, and another was just approved\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/08/21/1194677541/pfizers-rsv-vaccine-to-protect-babies-gets-greenlight-from-fda\"> for pregnant women\u003c/a> to provide protection for their babies from RSV right from birth. There’s also a treatment for infants that works like a vaccine to protect them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there isn’t yet data available on whether people over 60 can take the RSV vaccine simultaneously with the COVID and flu vaccines. You may want to consult with your doctor about timing for the RSV vaccine if you are in a risk group, suggests the immunologist Pekosz.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>I’m over 65. Does that impact immunity from the booster? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In older adults the body may not be as aggressive in making antibodies as it in younger years, says Dr. Javaid. “This is why it’s a good idea to ask your doctor if the CDC recommends more frequent boosting for your age or for individuals in certain risk groups.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pekosz adds that for your average over-65er, “the immune response from the vaccine should last from four to six months in terms of protecting from severe disease.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And everyone should be considering the updated booster when it’s available, says Pekosz, “because the variants that are circulating now are very different from what was in the last vaccine for COVID-19.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/isolation.html\">\u003cstrong>The CDC advises\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cstrong> that people exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID wear a mask for at least 10 days and people who test positive themselves wear a mask for at least five days. A reader asks if five days is enough for someone who is infected? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dr. Javaid says that if you are exposed to COVID-19 and don’t develop symptoms right away, it’s good to stay masked for the CDC’s recommended time because if you do develop the virus in the days ahead, your infectiousness is highest in the first few days, and you can’t be sure when that might be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s news on home tests as well. On this week’s reporter’s call, the CDC said there is some funding to send tests to libraries and public health departments so check to see if free tests are available. And also check prices since online and retail stores may sometimes discount home tests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>See \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/coronavirus-resources-and-explainers\">all KQED COVID resources and explainers\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Fran Kritz is a health policy reporter based in Washington, D.C., and a regular contributor to NPR. She also reports for the \u003c/em>Washington Post\u003cem> and \u003c/em>Verywell Health\u003cem>. Find her on Twitter: @fkritz\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org\">npr.org\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>I’ve heard there is yet another new variant of SARS-CoV-2. Say it ain’t so!\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yes, it is so. Viruses mutate, new variants emerge. That’s happened a number of times with SARS-CoV-2 since the start of the pandemic in 2020. And it’s happening again. In mid-August, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced: “A new variant of SARS-CoV-2 called BA.2.86 was detected in samples from people in Denmark and Israel. At least two cases have been identified in the United States. This variant is notable because it has multiple genetic differences from previous versions of SARS-CoV-2.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact there are 35 mutations on the spike protein compared to currently circulating variants. That’s as big of a difference as there was between the original virus and the omicron variant identified in November 2021.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The spike protein is what the virus uses to enter our cells. Those mutations could potentially help the virus evade the protection provided by COVID vaccinations and prior infections, says \u003ca href=\"https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/about\">Katelyn Jetelina,\u003c/a> an epidemiologist and scientific consultant to the CDC, who writes the “Your Local Epidemiologist” blog.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CDC and the World Health Organization are taking a closer look.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s not yet enough data to assess the potential of this variant to cause a wave. But the CDC said on Wednesday that, “based on what [it] knows now, existing tests used to detect and medications used to treat COVID-19 appear to be effective” for the variant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CDC also believes that BA.2.86 may be more capable of causing infection in people who have previously had COVID-19 or who have received COVID-19 vaccines because the mutations on the spike protein could allow it to evade our immune systems despite prior vaccinations and having had COVID-19. Scientists are evaluating the effectiveness of the new booster expected to be approved by mid September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And companies that make antigen tests, vaccines and treatments are testing them to see if they are effective on the variant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If the conclusion is that this variant poses a significant risk of triggering waves of cases due to its mutations, it will get it own name. That name, next in the Greek alphabet for COVID variants, would be pi.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>I have a 66-year-old friend who’s never stopped wearing a mask and still refuses to go to restaurants, movies or even socialize indoors. He has had the latest booster. Are these extreme precautions still warranted at this stage? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s complicated,” says \u003ca href=\"https://profiles.mountsinai.org/waleed-javaid\">Dr. Waleed Javaid,\u003c/a> epidemiologist and director of Infection Prevention and Control at Mount Sinai Downtown in New York City. “Some people refused to mask, and others refuse to unmask. Part of it is knowing your risks, like if you are traveling in a crowded space.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Javaid says we need to to be empathetic to the needs of others. “We don’t know other peoples’ risks. Some people may have serious illnesses, immunocompromising conditions, cancers, or transplants — and not share this information with their friends or loved ones.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://publichealth.jhu.edu/faculty/1972/andrew-stanley-pekosz\">Andrew Pekosz,\u003c/a> a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health, says “it’s still very, very clear” that the hospitalizations and deaths from COVID — \u003ca href=\"https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#hospitalizations-landing\">currently on the rise\u003c/a> — are being driven by certain portions of the population: those over the age of 65, those with underlying medical conditions, individuals on cancer treatment, solid organ transplant recipients and people who are immunocompromised. “In my opinion, if you are in those groups that should more than justify taking a few extra precautions if you want to minimize your risk,” he says. “And I think we as a society needs to be a little bit more accepting of those individuals who feel the need to take those steps to protect themselves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for case counts, the end of the public health emergency for COVID means many data points on cases are no longer collected. But in the U.S., \u003ca href=\"https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_weeklyhospitaladmissions_7dayeddiagnosed_00\">emergency room visits\u003c/a> are still tallied and are rising. U.S. hospitalizations are still reported as well and have been increasing steadily since July, based on CDC data. For the week ending Aug. 12, there were 12,613 new hospitalizations for the virus, up from 10,370 the previous week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How long will it take for the new booster, coming in the fall, to confer protection? A week? Ten days? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First, news alert: A meeting of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/08/25/2023-18288/advisory-committee-on-immunization-practices\">has been set for Sept. 12\u003c/a> to discuss the updated COVID-19 booster, likely to be followed by the CDC director adopting their recommendation very soon after and making recommendations on who should get the updated shot. Pharmacies and doctors offices are already gearing up to give the shot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now back to the immunity you can expect. “It takes up to two weeks for you to have the best protection [from a vaccine],” says Dr. Javaid. Andrew Pekosz says for COVID the vaccines may even work a bit faster because of prior immunity people have from vaccines and from \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/burden.html#est-infections\">having had the virus.\u003c/a> “Within ten days you would detect increases in your immunity and by two weeks you should be at pretty good levels that would be protecting you from a COVID-19 infection and particularly severe COVID-19,” Pekosz says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>When does protection of COVID vaccines and boosters wane? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t have that long-term data available yet,” says Dr. Javaid. “There are multiple factors involved. There are patient factors, illnesses, immunocompromising conditions and the ability to mount immune response depending on medications — like steroids — that suppress the immune system. There are also viral factors, like if the virus mutates enough to evade our immune system.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In general, says Javaid, being vaccinated will provide some degree of protection against infection that can last for months or even years because of the body’s immune memory. This means vaccinated individuals will likely have milder symptoms than unvaccinated. And so far, Javaid says, the vaccines have held up well against severe disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>There are three vaccines this fall — the flu vaccine, the expected fall COVID booster and the RSV vaccine. Can I get them all at once?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can get the flu shot and fall booster together without any interference of the effectiveness of either, says \u003ca href=\"https://www.medschool.umaryland.edu/profiles/Frieman-Matthew/\">Matthew Frieman,\u003c/a> research professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. “In fact,” says Frieman, “vaccines that would combine the two are in clinical trials.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Dr. Javaid points out that children get vaccines that combine protection — like one for mumps, measles and rubella (German measles) with no problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/coadministration.htm\">The CDC gives the thumbs up to getting the flu and COVID vaccines together as well\u003c/a> and says you can even get them in the same arm, though getting each in a different arm can help reduce short-term pain that can come with getting a vaccination.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for timing … The new boosters aren’t here yet. October is considered the best month to get a flu shot since protection can wane over the flu season, which ends in May or June. So assuming that the new booster is out by then, you could go for a two-fer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then there are new vaccines, just recently approved, for \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/index.html\">respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)\u003c/a>, which is also a fall virus and which is most dangerous for very young kids and older adults. A vaccine is recommended for people 60+ and is available now, and another was just approved\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/08/21/1194677541/pfizers-rsv-vaccine-to-protect-babies-gets-greenlight-from-fda\"> for pregnant women\u003c/a> to provide protection for their babies from RSV right from birth. There’s also a treatment for infants that works like a vaccine to protect them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there isn’t yet data available on whether people over 60 can take the RSV vaccine simultaneously with the COVID and flu vaccines. You may want to consult with your doctor about timing for the RSV vaccine if you are in a risk group, suggests the immunologist Pekosz.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>I’m over 65. Does that impact immunity from the booster? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In older adults the body may not be as aggressive in making antibodies as it in younger years, says Dr. Javaid. “This is why it’s a good idea to ask your doctor if the CDC recommends more frequent boosting for your age or for individuals in certain risk groups.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pekosz adds that for your average over-65er, “the immune response from the vaccine should last from four to six months in terms of protecting from severe disease.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And everyone should be considering the updated booster when it’s available, says Pekosz, “because the variants that are circulating now are very different from what was in the last vaccine for COVID-19.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/isolation.html\">\u003cstrong>The CDC advises\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cstrong> that people exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID wear a mask for at least 10 days and people who test positive themselves wear a mask for at least five days. A reader asks if five days is enough for someone who is infected? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dr. Javaid says that if you are exposed to COVID-19 and don’t develop symptoms right away, it’s good to stay masked for the CDC’s recommended time because if you do develop the virus in the days ahead, your infectiousness is highest in the first few days, and you can’t be sure when that might be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s news on home tests as well. On this week’s reporter’s call, the CDC said there is some funding to send tests to libraries and public health departments so check to see if free tests are available. And also check prices since online and retail stores may sometimes discount home tests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>See \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/coronavirus-resources-and-explainers\">all KQED COVID resources and explainers\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Fran Kritz is a health policy reporter based in Washington, D.C., and a regular contributor to NPR. She also reports for the \u003c/em>Washington Post\u003cem> and \u003c/em>Verywell Health\u003cem>. Find her on Twitter: @fkritz\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org\">npr.org\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "pride-2023",
"title": "SF Pride 2023: Celebrating the LGBTQ+ Community and Activism",
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"content": "\u003cp>San Francisco Pride 2023 is here. And with Pride comes \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13930587/drag-dance-and-liberation-5-parties-for-your-2023-sf-pride-weekend\">parties, shows and the chance to meet new people\u003c/a>. But we can’t gloss over the fact that with certain activities sometimes comes risks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What you do this weekend is your business, so we want to make sure that you have the information you need to take care of yourself and those around you. This guide includes when and where everything is happening at this year’s celebration in San Francisco’s Civic Center. But it also includes advice from experts on how to protect yourself from COVID-19 risks, take care of your sexual health and avoid being exposed to fentanyl if you’re planning to use heavier drugs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And one thing to keep in mind: Pride is a time to celebrate the progress and achievements of the LGBTQ+ community, but as many advocates point out, it’s also a time to continue pushing for better protections of queer people across the country. Making sure you and those around you are safe this weekend is part of that work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jump straight to:\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#paradeschedule\">Pride 2023 parade schedule, route and map\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#drugs\">What to know about drugs this weekend\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#mpox\">Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) and Pride\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#covid\">COVID considerations at Pride\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"paradeschedule\">\u003c/a>Heading to the Pride parade? Know the logistics\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Sunday’s Pride parade is not the only way to enjoy Pride, but it definitely is one of the most emblematic Pride celebrations in the country, bringing together hundreds of groups and organizations, along with tens of thousands of people, with hours of music and dancing down Market Street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re not feeling the parade this year, there’s a whole universe of events and parties happening across the Bay Area this weekend: See \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13930587/drag-dance-and-liberation-5-parties-for-your-2023-sf-pride-weekend\">KQED Arts’ guide to some of the best Pride parties\u003c/a>, and look for other online guides to the myriad cultural and celebratory events going on, like \u003ca href=\"https://48hills.org/2023/06/ultimate-pride-guide-2023-more-more-more/\">48 Hills’ Ultimate Pride Guide 2023\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you are planning to head over to the parade, here’s a quick breakdown of what to expect:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>When is the Pride parade? And what’s the Pride parade route?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The schedule for the Pride parade on Sunday, June 25:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Starts at 10:30 a.m. at Market and Beale streets (closest BART station: Embarcadero)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Ends at Market and 8th streets (closest BART station: Civic Center)\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Save this Pride map to your phone’s camera roll, in case you’re in an area with poor or slow cellphone service:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/Screenshot-2023-06-21-at-4.21.30-PM.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-11953704\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/Screenshot-2023-06-21-at-4.21.30-PM-800x791.png\" alt='A mag that reads \"San Francisco Pride\" in the top left corner.' width=\"800\" height=\"791\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/Screenshot-2023-06-21-at-4.21.30-PM-800x791.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/Screenshot-2023-06-21-at-4.21.30-PM-1020x1009.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/Screenshot-2023-06-21-at-4.21.30-PM-160x158.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/Screenshot-2023-06-21-at-4.21.30-PM.png 1484w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Check the weather forecast — and stay hydrated\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Currently, \u003ca href=\"https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=San+Francisco&state=CA&site=MTR&textField1=37.775&textField2=-122.418&e=0\">the National Weather Service forecasts mild temperatures for San Francisco this weekend\u003c/a>, with highs around the low-to-mid-60s. SF’s weather is nothing if not changeable, though, so keep an eye on the forecast, pack your sunscreen (you can get surprisingly sunburned even on a cloudy day) and remember to bring a lot of water. (Although, remember that \u003ca href=\"https://sfpride.org/security/\">the official Pride parade prohibits water bottles, “sealed or not,”\u003c/a> and only allows you to bring empty plastic water bottles inside the parade area.)\u003cbr>\n[ad fullwidth]\u003cbr>\n\u003cb>Check the prohibited items list if you’re planning to attend the Sunday Pride parade\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s a high chance any bag you bring will be searched at Sunday’s Pride parade upon entry, so pack accordingly. Organizers have a description of \u003ca href=\"https://sfpride.org/security/\">the kinds and sizes of bags allowed at the parade\u003c/a> on the Pride site. Be sure to look over the list of\u003ca href=\"https://sfpride.org/security/\"> items that are prohibited\u003c/a>, which include:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Weapons, regardless of permit\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Umbrellas\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Cans, thermoses and glass bottles\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Any water bottle, even if sealed (although empty plastic water bottles are allowed)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Outside food and beverages, including alcohol\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Narcotics and marijuana\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Hard-sided coolers\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Chairs of any kind\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Drones\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Pets (except service animals)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Bicycles\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Speaking of prohibited items, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanfranciscopolice.org/stay-safe/safety-tips/pride-safety-tips\">the San Francisco Police Department says there will be “a significant police presence during Pride activities,”\u003c/a> and that “both uniformed and plainclothes officers” will be present. SFPD’s Pride advisory also says that because there is “no organized event taking place Saturday in the Castro District” and no street closures, “laws prohibiting possession of open containers of alcoholic beverages and drinking in public will be strictly enforced.”[aside postID=arts_13930587 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/Pink-Block-2022-1020x678.png']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Know your public transit options (and how you’ll get home)\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Your regular bus or train home may be rerouted or disrupted by Pride, so make a plan for getting around and getting home safely before you head out. (See a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmta.com/travel-transit-updates\">list of Muni routes disrupted or closed by Pride setup and celebrations all this week\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2023/news20230609\">BART officials say there will be more service for this year’s Pride Sunday\u003c/a> than for any previous year, opening at 8 a.m. that day and running a five-line service until 9 p.m. “with added special event trains as ridership warrants.” After 9 p.m., that service will be reduced to a three-line service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Expect crowding at BART stations near the parade, as well as in the train carriages (a reason you might consider bringing an N95 mask along). BART recommends using Montgomery Street and Powell Street stations instead of Civic Center or Embarcadero stations, for this reason.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What to know about accessibility at Pride\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Accessible viewing areas at Pride\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sunday’s Pride parade has an \u003ca href=\"https://sfpride.org/accessibility/\">accessible parade viewing area\u003c/a>, which organizers say provides “unobstructed parade viewing” for free, for individuals plus one guest. This seated parade viewing area at the parade grandstands also has accessible restroom facilities. You can \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfsSAMJ_jH4mwg3hMMClLSsVuwqPqqTEn4kYIA1RIBA11igEQ/viewform\">request a spot for you and a guest using this Google Form\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pride organizers say the parade’s main stage also has a seated viewing platform with ASL interpretation, and that wristbands for this area will be available at the Pride information booth on Fulton Street at Larkin Street. \u003ca href=\"https://sfpride.org/accessibility/\">Find more information about accessibility at Pride.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>BART and accessibility\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.bart.gov/guide/accessibility/mobility\">All BART stations have accessible elevators\u003c/a>, but being prepared for issues with those elevators is a good idea. You can \u003ca href=\"https://www.bart.gov/news/alerts\">sign up for BART alerts\u003c/a> to be notified if there’s an issue with the elevator at the station you’re planning to use to attend Pride, or check the status of elevator operations at any station by calling (510) 834-LIFT or (888) 2-ELEVAT.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you discover that an elevator is not working at a particular station you’re planning to use, call the BART Transit Information Center to get information about transit alternatives at (510) 465-2278 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement about accessibility, Pride organizers say the event has a “zero-tolerance policy for harassment, discrimination, or any form of violence,” and that Pride security personnel, “in collaboration with law enforcement, will be vigilant in enforcing these guidelines and addressing any inappropriate behavior.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11947462\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11947462\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/RS64551_011_KQED_MothershipHarmReduction_04112023-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A wooden box hanging on a bar wall is open, with medication, cups, instructions inside.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/RS64551_011_KQED_MothershipHarmReduction_04112023-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/RS64551_011_KQED_MothershipHarmReduction_04112023-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/RS64551_011_KQED_MothershipHarmReduction_04112023-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/RS64551_011_KQED_MothershipHarmReduction_04112023-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/RS64551_011_KQED_MothershipHarmReduction_04112023-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A harm-reduction box created by Josh Yule hangs on the wall at Mothership bar in San Francisco on April 11, 2023. The boxes include Narcan and instructions on how to administer it, along with fentanyl test strips. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"drugs\">\u003c/a>Always test your drugs\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the past few years, there’s been a spike nationwide of accidental fentanyl overdoses. Many party drugs, including cocaine and molly, are increasingly laced with fentanyl. Just in San Francisco, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11947448/there-to-save-a-life-san-francisco-bars-fight-fentanyl-overdoses-with-narcan\">hundreds of people have already lost their lives this year due to fentanyl overdoses\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kate Franza, who leads the behavioral health services team at the \u003ca href=\"https://sfcommunityhealth.org/\">San Francisco Community Health Center\u003c/a> in the city’s Tenderloin District, says it is very common nowadays to find other drugs laced with fentanyl and that if someone is going to consume drugs like cocaine or molly, they should very much consider the possibility that there may be fentanyl present.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t want folks to be anxious,” she said, “but we want folks to know that there’s ways that they can prepare themselves and do things to be safe so that they can check if their drugs have fentanyl in them and then make an informed decision.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Consider testing ahead of time\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you know you will be taking drugs this weekend, Franza says one way to reduce the risk of being exposed to fentanyl is bringing your own substances that you have already tested and know are free of fentanyl. That way, you avoid consuming from unknown sources at places, like a crowded party, where it might be harder to test.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Testing, Franza says, is critical. “Because if your drugs are cut with fentanyl, you can die. It can trigger an overdose. It can trigger death,” she said. “And if folks feel shame or embarrassment, they can test privately as long as they have the strips.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>The nonprofit FentCheck provides bars and other community spaces with fentanyl test strips and Narcan. \u003ca href=\"https://fentcheck.org/check-your-drugs-1\">Find locations with free fentanyl strips here\u003c/a>, and review a \u003ca href=\"https://fentcheck.org/check-your-drugs-2\">step-by-step tutorial from FentCheck on how to use test strips here\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Know about Narcan\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Franza also recommends bringing your own water and a Narcan kit. Narcan is the brand name for a naloxone nasal spray that is administered to someone when they are experiencing an opioid overdose (that includes fentanyl).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anyone can buy and apply Narcan. You can buy a Narcan kit at a pharmacy without needing a prescription, and you can also get it free of charge at the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s Community Behavioral Health Services pharmacy at 1380 Howard Street. The pharmacy is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Watch this video training from the National Harm Reduction Coalition: \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01mIImI85lM\">How to safely administer Narcan to someone experiencing an opioid overdose\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>“Mixing various substances increases the risk of access to fentanyl, but [also] overdose with uppers and downers,” said Franza. “Be mindful of making decisions as best as you can about what drugs you want to do and minimize mixing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Set up a buddy system\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Your friends are key in keeping you safe, especially when you’re taking harder drugs, adds Franza. She recommends setting up a buddy system where each person reminds the other to test whatever you will be taking, drinking enough water and having emergency contacts ready if additional help is needed. Additionally, if you made a plan for the weekend, including specific limits of what you will consume and when, a friend can help you remember this information when you may not be sober.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you’re planning on going out a lot during Pride, you may want to set some limitations because each time you do it, it’s harder on your body,” Franza said. “Another strategy is buying less. The likelihood of you doing more if you have it on you is higher. So if you buy less, it’s essentially one step further to have to purchase more.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"mpox\">\u003c/a>What to know about Pride and mpox\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What is mpox, and why should you be vigilant for it?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the summer and fall of 2022, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11919070/monkeypox-in-the-bay-area-from-symptoms-to-how-to-find-a-vaccine-heres-what-we-know\">an outbreak of the mpox virus\u003c/a> — \u003ca href=\"https://www.who.int/news/item/28-11-2022-who-recommends-new-name-for-monkeypox-disease\">formerly known as monkeypox\u003c/a> — hit the United States. This virus particularly affected gay and bisexual men, as well as trans and nonbinary people who have sex with men, in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11939819/when-mpox-hit-community-clinics-stepped-in-why-hasnt-the-government-paid-them-back-yet\">a mass vaccination effort led both by organizers from the LGBTQ+ community\u003c/a> and public health officials, the rate of mpox infections dropped to virtually zero in California. But in May, with Pride around the corner, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mpox-resurgence-dozens-new-cases-nationwide-cdc-investigating/\">an outbreak in Chicago that resulted in 13 suspected or confirmed cases\u003c/a> prompted Bay Area health officials to once again urge local communities to be vigilant for the virus ahead of Pride — and to seek out the free mpox vaccine.[aside label='More Guides from KQED' tag='audience-news']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cases of mpox have remained low in the Bay Area since last summer’s outbreak, and health officials in the city aren’t seeing any rise that’s giving them cause for concern, says Dr. Stephanie Cohen, director of HIV prevention for the Population Health Division at SFDPH. But with a huge number of gatherings and celebrations planned — not just over Pride weekend but well into the summer and fall — and also the volume of visitors to the city arriving for these celebrations from other parts of the state and the country, Cohen stresses that she and her colleagues in Bay Area public health will be remaining vigilant and cautious about mpox.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11949273\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11949273 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65506_GettyImages-1428290091-1-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Small orange discs appear to float in a dense, thick brown substance.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1523\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65506_GettyImages-1428290091-1-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65506_GettyImages-1428290091-1-qut-800x635.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65506_GettyImages-1428290091-1-qut-1020x809.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65506_GettyImages-1428290091-1-qut-160x127.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65506_GettyImages-1428290091-1-qut-1536x1218.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Colorized transmission electron micrograph of mpox virus particles (orange) found within an infected cell (brown), cultured in a laboratory. \u003ccite>(NIH-NIAID/Image Point FR/BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>If I haven’t got an mpox vaccine, is it too late?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s definitely not too late, and you should “absolutely” get a free mpox vaccine if you want one, says SFDPH’s Cohen — even if your first dose is coming just days or even hours before Pride.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The body will start producing the antibodies really soon after the vaccine is given,” said Cohen. “And some protection against mpox is definitely better than no protection against mpox.” Cohen also points out that although the vaccine doesn’t offer 100% protection against contracting mpox, “what we’re seeing is that people who got infected with mpox after having been vaccinated … have a much less severe illness.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, infectious disease expert at UCSF, echoes this recommendation to get your mpox vaccine to keep yourself and the community safer — noting that not only does immunity start building quickly, but that the virus also has a longer incubation period than say, COVID.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#covid\">\u003cstrong>Jump to: Reducing the risk of COVID-19 during Pride\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>This means that even if you get your vaccine within just a few days of exposure, “your body starts making immune cells that start to work,” said Chin-Hong — and \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/interim-considerations/overview.html\">the mpox vaccine can also “be used in a post-exposure prophylaxis situation (PEP\u003c/a>), not just for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PREP).” And while your immediate thoughts may be on mpox exposure during Pride weekend, there are multiple Pride events happening all over the Bay Area for many months. “So think of it as an insurance policy beyond Pride in SF,” he advised.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Where can I find an mpox vaccine?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are several places across the Bay Area to find a free mpox vaccine, which comes in two doses one month apart. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11949180/mpox-and-the-bay-area-why-health-officials-are-again-urging-vigilance-and-vaccines#mpoxvaccinenearme\">Find an mpox vaccination clinic near you.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are no longer any limitations on who can get an mpox vaccine: In 2022 public health officials were originally only offering vaccines to people who’d been exposed, or were categorized as higher risk, but all those eligibility criteria are no longer in effect. If you want an mpox vaccine, you can get one — free.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=\"news_11939819\" hero=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/082422_MonkeyPoxClinicFresno_LV__012-CM-1-1020x680.jpg\"]By getting an mpox vaccine, you’ll be joining many folks locally who have done the same. Cohen says that after SFDPH’s awareness campaign in May, the number of mpox vaccines being given in San Francisco every week has “about doubled.” Although some of these vaccinations are for people getting their second dose, Cohen said that “most of them are actually people getting their first dose.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>How does mpox spread?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://sf.gov/information/monkeypox\">Mpox is a disease that is caused when a person is infected with the mpox virus.\u003c/a> As the name might suggest, the virus is related to the smallpox virus but is generally less severe and “much less contagious” than smallpox, according to the California Department of Public Health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mpox is not strictly a sexually transmitted infection. The virus can spread through close, skin-to-skin contact and through \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/symptoms.html\">coming into contact with objects and fabrics used by somebody infected with mpox\u003c/a>. This includes coming into contact with the rashes and sores that can develop on an infected person’s skin and even inside their mouth. The virus can also spread through respiratory droplets and saliva.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This makes it possible for mpox to spread during sex and other intimate actions, like kissing and cuddling. But it can also spread through nonsexual behavior, like using a towel or bedsheets previously used by an infected person that have not been washed yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What are the symptoms of mpox?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/monkeypox\">The incubation period for mpox\u003c/a> — the amount of time between exposure and developing symptoms and becoming contagious — is usually between six and 13 days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can, however, range from five to 21 days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mpox symptoms often start as flu-like symptoms, says SFDPH, but the virus also appears as a rash, or sores or spots that can resemble pimples or blisters on the skin anywhere on the body, especially around your genitals. These spots often start as “red, flat spots, and then become bumps,” says SFDPH, before the bumps become filled with pus, and turn into scabs when they break. \u003ca href=\"https://sf.gov/information/mpox\">See the full list of mpox symptoms from SFDPH.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=\"news_11949180\" hero=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/RS57502_007_KQED_MonkeypoxVaccineLineSFGen_08012022-qut.jpg\"]“It’s really important that if someone develops a rash that they think might be related to pox, even if it’s subtle, to come in and see their doctor and get checked out and get tested,” urged Cohen. “And that can help us prevent the spread of transmission in the community.” \u003ca href=\"https://sf.gov/information/mpox\">See more on what to do if you suspect you have mpox.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Take care of your personal and sexual health\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It goes without saying that taking care of your individual health and that of your partners involves practicing safer sex, and making sure you bring protection like condoms to Pride.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SFDPH’s Dr. Stephanie Cohen says that in addition to having a presence at stages at Friday’s Trans March and Sunday’s Pride parade, the department will also be marching in the parade on Sunday and handing out “harm-reduction supply” (such as condoms).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can also find free HIV and hepatitis C screenings at the following events this weekend:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cb>Trans March SF, Friday, June\u003c/b> \u003cstrong>23:\u003c/strong> The march will include a resource fair at Dolores Park from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., which will include free screenings.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cb>Trans stage at SF Pride, Saturday, June 24:\u003c/b> Screenings will be offered at the Trans Thrive booth on the corner of Golden Gate Avenue and Polk Street, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cb>A&PI LGBT Community Stage at SF Pride, Sunday, June 25:\u003c/b> Screenings will be offered at the the corner of Golden Gate Avenue and Polk Street from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>If you need to get tested after Pride, your county may offer free or low-cost screenings. For example, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfcityclinic.org/services/sti-and-hiv-testing\">San Francisco City Clinic offers low-cost STI testing\u003c/a>, diagnosis and treatment on a walk-in basis, whether you’re insured or not. They also offer free condoms, and you can get at-home tests delivered via City Clinic in discreet packaging including screening kits for HIV and STIs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11950446\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11950446 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1369841386-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A young Asian man with glasses and a moustache and goatee squeezes the sample liquid on a test strip while carrying out a COVID-19 rapid self test at home.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1369841386-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1369841386-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1369841386-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1369841386-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1369841386-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1369841386-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1369841386-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">According to the most recent FDA data, antigen tests are effective in detecting arcturus and other omicron subvariants. \u003ccite>(Tang Ming Tung/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"covid\">\u003c/a>Pride and COVID-19\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Consider bringing an N95 mask with you\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CiIQACABSABSBjM3NDMwYVoGTiBHZW5leKwBigEGNjdiODZi&selectedChartId=67b86b\">the presence of COVID in San Francisco wastewater\u003c/a> has steadily fallen after a spike in March, a huge amount of folks will be traveling into the city from other parts of the Bay Area, the state, the country and even the world — meaning it’s impossible to know just how many COVID-positive people will be present in the same crowded indoor space as you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if you \u003ci>really \u003c/i>don’t want to wear a mask at a party or inside a bar, you might want to slip one on when using a busy bathroom (or “well-worn” Porta Potty), on public transit or in a crowded store on a supply run — and carrying one in your back pocket or purse at least gives you this option. And since Pride is for everyone, if you’re going to a celebration that’s primarily attended by disabled folks or people who are otherwise at a higher risk for severe illness from COVID, you might be outright asked to wear a mask.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Stay home if you’re not feeling well (even if it’s not COVID)\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re experiencing any of \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html\">the symptoms of COVID\u003c/a> — which, with the arcturus variant, can include pink eye — seek out a test, and stay home if you’re positive. If you’re negative, but still feeling sick, consider staying home regardless. Missing the celebrations will hurt, but you’ll be keeping your community safer — even if it’s not COVID.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Feeling sick a couple days after Pride? Seek out a COVID test\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unfortunately, finding a quick, free COVID test — whether an at-home antigen test or a PCR test — has gotten progressively harder at this stage of the pandemic, as more sites and services have been shuttered for good. As of June 1, the federal government has also ended its \u003ca href=\"https://www.covid.gov/tests\"> free at-home COVID-test-ordering service\u003c/a> through USPS. But you still have options: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11940562/how-to-find-a-free-covid-test-near-you-in-2023-because-its-getting-harder\">Find a free or low-cost test near you with our guide\u003c/a>, or use \u003ca href=\"https://testinglocator.cdc.gov/Search\">the CDC’s COVID test locator\u003c/a> — and read \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11950386/at-home-covid-tests-are-still-effective-in-2023-and-you-can-still-get-them-for-free\">our guide to using at-home antigen tests in 2023\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>How long should you wait after a potential COVID exposure to take a test? If you’ve heard that incubation times for the virus are getting shorter, you’re not wrong — people really are testing positive for COVID more quickly than they were in 2020, when the average incubation period was five days. That’s because “the incubation period is definitely changing with the variants,” said UCSF’s Chin-Hong, and the period keeps going down somewhat with every new variant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Given this trend, even with a lack of studies on the arcturus variant, it “makes sense that if someone has symptoms as quickly as two days after exposure, they should test rather than waiting the full five days,” advised Chin-Hong. “But if [you test] negative at two to three days, rinse and repeat.” In other words: If you’re feeling sick as soon as two days after a Pride party, don’t assume it’s just a cold or you’re rundown after the celebrations — it could very well be COVID.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Lastly, remember: You don’t have to stick to the main Sunday parade\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The presence of large corporations in the Pride parade can be jarring for some, who may not feel comfortable celebrating in this particular environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there’ll be a huge amount of gatherings, celebrations, parties and safe spaces around Pride weekend — truly, something for everyone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.transmarch.org/trans-march-2023/\">The 2023 Trans March\u003c/a> and accompanying events will kick off Pride weekend on Friday, June 23, starting at 11 a.m. with the Señora Felicia Flames Intergenerational Brunch, and the march itself is at 6 p.m. The following day, on Saturday, June 24, \u003ca href=\"https://www.thedykemarch.org/\">the 2023 Dyke March\u003c/a> begins at 5 p.m., starting from Dolores and 18th streets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13930587/drag-dance-and-liberation-5-parties-for-your-2023-sf-pride-weekend\">KQED Arts has a guide to several Pride parties taking place over the weekend.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"tellus\">\u003c/a>Tell us: What else do you need information about?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>At KQED News, we know that it can sometimes be hard to track down the answers to navigate life in the Bay Area in 2023. We’ve published \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/coronavirus-resources-and-explainers\">clear, helpful explainers and guides about issues like COVID\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11936674/how-to-prepare-for-this-weeks-atmospheric-river-storm-sandbags-emergency-kits-and-more\">how to cope with intense winter weather\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11821950/how-to-safely-attend-a-protest-in-the-bay-area\">how to exercise your right to protest safely\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So tell us: What do you need to know more about? Tell us, and you could see your question answered online or on social media. What you submit will make our reporting stronger, and help us decide what to cover here on our site, and on KQED Public Radio, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[hearken id=\"10483\" src=\"https://modules.wearehearken.com/kqed/embed/10483.js\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "From the Pride schedule and route map to testing your drugs and finding an mpox vaccine, here's everything you need to know about staying safer at Pride this year.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>San Francisco Pride 2023 is here. And with Pride comes \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13930587/drag-dance-and-liberation-5-parties-for-your-2023-sf-pride-weekend\">parties, shows and the chance to meet new people\u003c/a>. But we can’t gloss over the fact that with certain activities sometimes comes risks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What you do this weekend is your business, so we want to make sure that you have the information you need to take care of yourself and those around you. This guide includes when and where everything is happening at this year’s celebration in San Francisco’s Civic Center. But it also includes advice from experts on how to protect yourself from COVID-19 risks, take care of your sexual health and avoid being exposed to fentanyl if you’re planning to use heavier drugs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And one thing to keep in mind: Pride is a time to celebrate the progress and achievements of the LGBTQ+ community, but as many advocates point out, it’s also a time to continue pushing for better protections of queer people across the country. Making sure you and those around you are safe this weekend is part of that work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jump straight to:\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#paradeschedule\">Pride 2023 parade schedule, route and map\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#drugs\">What to know about drugs this weekend\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#mpox\">Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) and Pride\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#covid\">COVID considerations at Pride\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"paradeschedule\">\u003c/a>Heading to the Pride parade? Know the logistics\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Sunday’s Pride parade is not the only way to enjoy Pride, but it definitely is one of the most emblematic Pride celebrations in the country, bringing together hundreds of groups and organizations, along with tens of thousands of people, with hours of music and dancing down Market Street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re not feeling the parade this year, there’s a whole universe of events and parties happening across the Bay Area this weekend: See \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13930587/drag-dance-and-liberation-5-parties-for-your-2023-sf-pride-weekend\">KQED Arts’ guide to some of the best Pride parties\u003c/a>, and look for other online guides to the myriad cultural and celebratory events going on, like \u003ca href=\"https://48hills.org/2023/06/ultimate-pride-guide-2023-more-more-more/\">48 Hills’ Ultimate Pride Guide 2023\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you are planning to head over to the parade, here’s a quick breakdown of what to expect:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>When is the Pride parade? And what’s the Pride parade route?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The schedule for the Pride parade on Sunday, June 25:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Starts at 10:30 a.m. at Market and Beale streets (closest BART station: Embarcadero)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Ends at Market and 8th streets (closest BART station: Civic Center)\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Save this Pride map to your phone’s camera roll, in case you’re in an area with poor or slow cellphone service:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/Screenshot-2023-06-21-at-4.21.30-PM.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-11953704\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/Screenshot-2023-06-21-at-4.21.30-PM-800x791.png\" alt='A mag that reads \"San Francisco Pride\" in the top left corner.' width=\"800\" height=\"791\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/Screenshot-2023-06-21-at-4.21.30-PM-800x791.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/Screenshot-2023-06-21-at-4.21.30-PM-1020x1009.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/Screenshot-2023-06-21-at-4.21.30-PM-160x158.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/Screenshot-2023-06-21-at-4.21.30-PM.png 1484w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Check the weather forecast — and stay hydrated\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Currently, \u003ca href=\"https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=San+Francisco&state=CA&site=MTR&textField1=37.775&textField2=-122.418&e=0\">the National Weather Service forecasts mild temperatures for San Francisco this weekend\u003c/a>, with highs around the low-to-mid-60s. SF’s weather is nothing if not changeable, though, so keep an eye on the forecast, pack your sunscreen (you can get surprisingly sunburned even on a cloudy day) and remember to bring a lot of water. (Although, remember that \u003ca href=\"https://sfpride.org/security/\">the official Pride parade prohibits water bottles, “sealed or not,”\u003c/a> and only allows you to bring empty plastic water bottles inside the parade area.)\u003cbr>\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cbr>\n\u003cb>Check the prohibited items list if you’re planning to attend the Sunday Pride parade\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s a high chance any bag you bring will be searched at Sunday’s Pride parade upon entry, so pack accordingly. Organizers have a description of \u003ca href=\"https://sfpride.org/security/\">the kinds and sizes of bags allowed at the parade\u003c/a> on the Pride site. Be sure to look over the list of\u003ca href=\"https://sfpride.org/security/\"> items that are prohibited\u003c/a>, which include:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Weapons, regardless of permit\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Umbrellas\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Cans, thermoses and glass bottles\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Any water bottle, even if sealed (although empty plastic water bottles are allowed)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Outside food and beverages, including alcohol\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Narcotics and marijuana\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Hard-sided coolers\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Chairs of any kind\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Drones\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Pets (except service animals)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Bicycles\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Speaking of prohibited items, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanfranciscopolice.org/stay-safe/safety-tips/pride-safety-tips\">the San Francisco Police Department says there will be “a significant police presence during Pride activities,”\u003c/a> and that “both uniformed and plainclothes officers” will be present. SFPD’s Pride advisory also says that because there is “no organized event taking place Saturday in the Castro District” and no street closures, “laws prohibiting possession of open containers of alcoholic beverages and drinking in public will be strictly enforced.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Know your public transit options (and how you’ll get home)\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Your regular bus or train home may be rerouted or disrupted by Pride, so make a plan for getting around and getting home safely before you head out. (See a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmta.com/travel-transit-updates\">list of Muni routes disrupted or closed by Pride setup and celebrations all this week\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2023/news20230609\">BART officials say there will be more service for this year’s Pride Sunday\u003c/a> than for any previous year, opening at 8 a.m. that day and running a five-line service until 9 p.m. “with added special event trains as ridership warrants.” After 9 p.m., that service will be reduced to a three-line service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Expect crowding at BART stations near the parade, as well as in the train carriages (a reason you might consider bringing an N95 mask along). BART recommends using Montgomery Street and Powell Street stations instead of Civic Center or Embarcadero stations, for this reason.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What to know about accessibility at Pride\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Accessible viewing areas at Pride\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sunday’s Pride parade has an \u003ca href=\"https://sfpride.org/accessibility/\">accessible parade viewing area\u003c/a>, which organizers say provides “unobstructed parade viewing” for free, for individuals plus one guest. This seated parade viewing area at the parade grandstands also has accessible restroom facilities. You can \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfsSAMJ_jH4mwg3hMMClLSsVuwqPqqTEn4kYIA1RIBA11igEQ/viewform\">request a spot for you and a guest using this Google Form\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pride organizers say the parade’s main stage also has a seated viewing platform with ASL interpretation, and that wristbands for this area will be available at the Pride information booth on Fulton Street at Larkin Street. \u003ca href=\"https://sfpride.org/accessibility/\">Find more information about accessibility at Pride.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>BART and accessibility\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.bart.gov/guide/accessibility/mobility\">All BART stations have accessible elevators\u003c/a>, but being prepared for issues with those elevators is a good idea. You can \u003ca href=\"https://www.bart.gov/news/alerts\">sign up for BART alerts\u003c/a> to be notified if there’s an issue with the elevator at the station you’re planning to use to attend Pride, or check the status of elevator operations at any station by calling (510) 834-LIFT or (888) 2-ELEVAT.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you discover that an elevator is not working at a particular station you’re planning to use, call the BART Transit Information Center to get information about transit alternatives at (510) 465-2278 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement about accessibility, Pride organizers say the event has a “zero-tolerance policy for harassment, discrimination, or any form of violence,” and that Pride security personnel, “in collaboration with law enforcement, will be vigilant in enforcing these guidelines and addressing any inappropriate behavior.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11947462\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11947462\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/RS64551_011_KQED_MothershipHarmReduction_04112023-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A wooden box hanging on a bar wall is open, with medication, cups, instructions inside.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/RS64551_011_KQED_MothershipHarmReduction_04112023-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/RS64551_011_KQED_MothershipHarmReduction_04112023-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/RS64551_011_KQED_MothershipHarmReduction_04112023-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/RS64551_011_KQED_MothershipHarmReduction_04112023-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/RS64551_011_KQED_MothershipHarmReduction_04112023-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A harm-reduction box created by Josh Yule hangs on the wall at Mothership bar in San Francisco on April 11, 2023. The boxes include Narcan and instructions on how to administer it, along with fentanyl test strips. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"drugs\">\u003c/a>Always test your drugs\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the past few years, there’s been a spike nationwide of accidental fentanyl overdoses. Many party drugs, including cocaine and molly, are increasingly laced with fentanyl. Just in San Francisco, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11947448/there-to-save-a-life-san-francisco-bars-fight-fentanyl-overdoses-with-narcan\">hundreds of people have already lost their lives this year due to fentanyl overdoses\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kate Franza, who leads the behavioral health services team at the \u003ca href=\"https://sfcommunityhealth.org/\">San Francisco Community Health Center\u003c/a> in the city’s Tenderloin District, says it is very common nowadays to find other drugs laced with fentanyl and that if someone is going to consume drugs like cocaine or molly, they should very much consider the possibility that there may be fentanyl present.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t want folks to be anxious,” she said, “but we want folks to know that there’s ways that they can prepare themselves and do things to be safe so that they can check if their drugs have fentanyl in them and then make an informed decision.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Consider testing ahead of time\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you know you will be taking drugs this weekend, Franza says one way to reduce the risk of being exposed to fentanyl is bringing your own substances that you have already tested and know are free of fentanyl. That way, you avoid consuming from unknown sources at places, like a crowded party, where it might be harder to test.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Testing, Franza says, is critical. “Because if your drugs are cut with fentanyl, you can die. It can trigger an overdose. It can trigger death,” she said. “And if folks feel shame or embarrassment, they can test privately as long as they have the strips.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>The nonprofit FentCheck provides bars and other community spaces with fentanyl test strips and Narcan. \u003ca href=\"https://fentcheck.org/check-your-drugs-1\">Find locations with free fentanyl strips here\u003c/a>, and review a \u003ca href=\"https://fentcheck.org/check-your-drugs-2\">step-by-step tutorial from FentCheck on how to use test strips here\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Know about Narcan\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Franza also recommends bringing your own water and a Narcan kit. Narcan is the brand name for a naloxone nasal spray that is administered to someone when they are experiencing an opioid overdose (that includes fentanyl).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anyone can buy and apply Narcan. You can buy a Narcan kit at a pharmacy without needing a prescription, and you can also get it free of charge at the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s Community Behavioral Health Services pharmacy at 1380 Howard Street. The pharmacy is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Watch this video training from the National Harm Reduction Coalition: \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01mIImI85lM\">How to safely administer Narcan to someone experiencing an opioid overdose\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>“Mixing various substances increases the risk of access to fentanyl, but [also] overdose with uppers and downers,” said Franza. “Be mindful of making decisions as best as you can about what drugs you want to do and minimize mixing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Set up a buddy system\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Your friends are key in keeping you safe, especially when you’re taking harder drugs, adds Franza. She recommends setting up a buddy system where each person reminds the other to test whatever you will be taking, drinking enough water and having emergency contacts ready if additional help is needed. Additionally, if you made a plan for the weekend, including specific limits of what you will consume and when, a friend can help you remember this information when you may not be sober.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you’re planning on going out a lot during Pride, you may want to set some limitations because each time you do it, it’s harder on your body,” Franza said. “Another strategy is buying less. The likelihood of you doing more if you have it on you is higher. So if you buy less, it’s essentially one step further to have to purchase more.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"mpox\">\u003c/a>What to know about Pride and mpox\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What is mpox, and why should you be vigilant for it?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the summer and fall of 2022, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11919070/monkeypox-in-the-bay-area-from-symptoms-to-how-to-find-a-vaccine-heres-what-we-know\">an outbreak of the mpox virus\u003c/a> — \u003ca href=\"https://www.who.int/news/item/28-11-2022-who-recommends-new-name-for-monkeypox-disease\">formerly known as monkeypox\u003c/a> — hit the United States. This virus particularly affected gay and bisexual men, as well as trans and nonbinary people who have sex with men, in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11939819/when-mpox-hit-community-clinics-stepped-in-why-hasnt-the-government-paid-them-back-yet\">a mass vaccination effort led both by organizers from the LGBTQ+ community\u003c/a> and public health officials, the rate of mpox infections dropped to virtually zero in California. But in May, with Pride around the corner, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mpox-resurgence-dozens-new-cases-nationwide-cdc-investigating/\">an outbreak in Chicago that resulted in 13 suspected or confirmed cases\u003c/a> prompted Bay Area health officials to once again urge local communities to be vigilant for the virus ahead of Pride — and to seek out the free mpox vaccine.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cases of mpox have remained low in the Bay Area since last summer’s outbreak, and health officials in the city aren’t seeing any rise that’s giving them cause for concern, says Dr. Stephanie Cohen, director of HIV prevention for the Population Health Division at SFDPH. But with a huge number of gatherings and celebrations planned — not just over Pride weekend but well into the summer and fall — and also the volume of visitors to the city arriving for these celebrations from other parts of the state and the country, Cohen stresses that she and her colleagues in Bay Area public health will be remaining vigilant and cautious about mpox.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11949273\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11949273 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65506_GettyImages-1428290091-1-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Small orange discs appear to float in a dense, thick brown substance.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1523\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65506_GettyImages-1428290091-1-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65506_GettyImages-1428290091-1-qut-800x635.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65506_GettyImages-1428290091-1-qut-1020x809.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65506_GettyImages-1428290091-1-qut-160x127.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65506_GettyImages-1428290091-1-qut-1536x1218.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Colorized transmission electron micrograph of mpox virus particles (orange) found within an infected cell (brown), cultured in a laboratory. \u003ccite>(NIH-NIAID/Image Point FR/BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>If I haven’t got an mpox vaccine, is it too late?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s definitely not too late, and you should “absolutely” get a free mpox vaccine if you want one, says SFDPH’s Cohen — even if your first dose is coming just days or even hours before Pride.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The body will start producing the antibodies really soon after the vaccine is given,” said Cohen. “And some protection against mpox is definitely better than no protection against mpox.” Cohen also points out that although the vaccine doesn’t offer 100% protection against contracting mpox, “what we’re seeing is that people who got infected with mpox after having been vaccinated … have a much less severe illness.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, infectious disease expert at UCSF, echoes this recommendation to get your mpox vaccine to keep yourself and the community safer — noting that not only does immunity start building quickly, but that the virus also has a longer incubation period than say, COVID.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#covid\">\u003cstrong>Jump to: Reducing the risk of COVID-19 during Pride\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>This means that even if you get your vaccine within just a few days of exposure, “your body starts making immune cells that start to work,” said Chin-Hong — and \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/interim-considerations/overview.html\">the mpox vaccine can also “be used in a post-exposure prophylaxis situation (PEP\u003c/a>), not just for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PREP).” And while your immediate thoughts may be on mpox exposure during Pride weekend, there are multiple Pride events happening all over the Bay Area for many months. “So think of it as an insurance policy beyond Pride in SF,” he advised.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Where can I find an mpox vaccine?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are several places across the Bay Area to find a free mpox vaccine, which comes in two doses one month apart. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11949180/mpox-and-the-bay-area-why-health-officials-are-again-urging-vigilance-and-vaccines#mpoxvaccinenearme\">Find an mpox vaccination clinic near you.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are no longer any limitations on who can get an mpox vaccine: In 2022 public health officials were originally only offering vaccines to people who’d been exposed, or were categorized as higher risk, but all those eligibility criteria are no longer in effect. If you want an mpox vaccine, you can get one — free.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>By getting an mpox vaccine, you’ll be joining many folks locally who have done the same. Cohen says that after SFDPH’s awareness campaign in May, the number of mpox vaccines being given in San Francisco every week has “about doubled.” Although some of these vaccinations are for people getting their second dose, Cohen said that “most of them are actually people getting their first dose.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>How does mpox spread?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://sf.gov/information/monkeypox\">Mpox is a disease that is caused when a person is infected with the mpox virus.\u003c/a> As the name might suggest, the virus is related to the smallpox virus but is generally less severe and “much less contagious” than smallpox, according to the California Department of Public Health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mpox is not strictly a sexually transmitted infection. The virus can spread through close, skin-to-skin contact and through \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/symptoms.html\">coming into contact with objects and fabrics used by somebody infected with mpox\u003c/a>. This includes coming into contact with the rashes and sores that can develop on an infected person’s skin and even inside their mouth. The virus can also spread through respiratory droplets and saliva.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This makes it possible for mpox to spread during sex and other intimate actions, like kissing and cuddling. But it can also spread through nonsexual behavior, like using a towel or bedsheets previously used by an infected person that have not been washed yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What are the symptoms of mpox?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/monkeypox\">The incubation period for mpox\u003c/a> — the amount of time between exposure and developing symptoms and becoming contagious — is usually between six and 13 days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can, however, range from five to 21 days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mpox symptoms often start as flu-like symptoms, says SFDPH, but the virus also appears as a rash, or sores or spots that can resemble pimples or blisters on the skin anywhere on the body, especially around your genitals. These spots often start as “red, flat spots, and then become bumps,” says SFDPH, before the bumps become filled with pus, and turn into scabs when they break. \u003ca href=\"https://sf.gov/information/mpox\">See the full list of mpox symptoms from SFDPH.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“It’s really important that if someone develops a rash that they think might be related to pox, even if it’s subtle, to come in and see their doctor and get checked out and get tested,” urged Cohen. “And that can help us prevent the spread of transmission in the community.” \u003ca href=\"https://sf.gov/information/mpox\">See more on what to do if you suspect you have mpox.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Take care of your personal and sexual health\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It goes without saying that taking care of your individual health and that of your partners involves practicing safer sex, and making sure you bring protection like condoms to Pride.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SFDPH’s Dr. Stephanie Cohen says that in addition to having a presence at stages at Friday’s Trans March and Sunday’s Pride parade, the department will also be marching in the parade on Sunday and handing out “harm-reduction supply” (such as condoms).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can also find free HIV and hepatitis C screenings at the following events this weekend:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cb>Trans March SF, Friday, June\u003c/b> \u003cstrong>23:\u003c/strong> The march will include a resource fair at Dolores Park from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., which will include free screenings.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cb>Trans stage at SF Pride, Saturday, June 24:\u003c/b> Screenings will be offered at the Trans Thrive booth on the corner of Golden Gate Avenue and Polk Street, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cb>A&PI LGBT Community Stage at SF Pride, Sunday, June 25:\u003c/b> Screenings will be offered at the the corner of Golden Gate Avenue and Polk Street from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>If you need to get tested after Pride, your county may offer free or low-cost screenings. For example, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfcityclinic.org/services/sti-and-hiv-testing\">San Francisco City Clinic offers low-cost STI testing\u003c/a>, diagnosis and treatment on a walk-in basis, whether you’re insured or not. They also offer free condoms, and you can get at-home tests delivered via City Clinic in discreet packaging including screening kits for HIV and STIs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11950446\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11950446 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1369841386-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A young Asian man with glasses and a moustache and goatee squeezes the sample liquid on a test strip while carrying out a COVID-19 rapid self test at home.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1369841386-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1369841386-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1369841386-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1369841386-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1369841386-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1369841386-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1369841386-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">According to the most recent FDA data, antigen tests are effective in detecting arcturus and other omicron subvariants. \u003ccite>(Tang Ming Tung/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"covid\">\u003c/a>Pride and COVID-19\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Consider bringing an N95 mask with you\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CiIQACABSABSBjM3NDMwYVoGTiBHZW5leKwBigEGNjdiODZi&selectedChartId=67b86b\">the presence of COVID in San Francisco wastewater\u003c/a> has steadily fallen after a spike in March, a huge amount of folks will be traveling into the city from other parts of the Bay Area, the state, the country and even the world — meaning it’s impossible to know just how many COVID-positive people will be present in the same crowded indoor space as you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if you \u003ci>really \u003c/i>don’t want to wear a mask at a party or inside a bar, you might want to slip one on when using a busy bathroom (or “well-worn” Porta Potty), on public transit or in a crowded store on a supply run — and carrying one in your back pocket or purse at least gives you this option. And since Pride is for everyone, if you’re going to a celebration that’s primarily attended by disabled folks or people who are otherwise at a higher risk for severe illness from COVID, you might be outright asked to wear a mask.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Stay home if you’re not feeling well (even if it’s not COVID)\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re experiencing any of \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html\">the symptoms of COVID\u003c/a> — which, with the arcturus variant, can include pink eye — seek out a test, and stay home if you’re positive. If you’re negative, but still feeling sick, consider staying home regardless. Missing the celebrations will hurt, but you’ll be keeping your community safer — even if it’s not COVID.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Feeling sick a couple days after Pride? Seek out a COVID test\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unfortunately, finding a quick, free COVID test — whether an at-home antigen test or a PCR test — has gotten progressively harder at this stage of the pandemic, as more sites and services have been shuttered for good. As of June 1, the federal government has also ended its \u003ca href=\"https://www.covid.gov/tests\"> free at-home COVID-test-ordering service\u003c/a> through USPS. But you still have options: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11940562/how-to-find-a-free-covid-test-near-you-in-2023-because-its-getting-harder\">Find a free or low-cost test near you with our guide\u003c/a>, or use \u003ca href=\"https://testinglocator.cdc.gov/Search\">the CDC’s COVID test locator\u003c/a> — and read \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11950386/at-home-covid-tests-are-still-effective-in-2023-and-you-can-still-get-them-for-free\">our guide to using at-home antigen tests in 2023\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>How long should you wait after a potential COVID exposure to take a test? If you’ve heard that incubation times for the virus are getting shorter, you’re not wrong — people really are testing positive for COVID more quickly than they were in 2020, when the average incubation period was five days. That’s because “the incubation period is definitely changing with the variants,” said UCSF’s Chin-Hong, and the period keeps going down somewhat with every new variant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Given this trend, even with a lack of studies on the arcturus variant, it “makes sense that if someone has symptoms as quickly as two days after exposure, they should test rather than waiting the full five days,” advised Chin-Hong. “But if [you test] negative at two to three days, rinse and repeat.” In other words: If you’re feeling sick as soon as two days after a Pride party, don’t assume it’s just a cold or you’re rundown after the celebrations — it could very well be COVID.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Lastly, remember: You don’t have to stick to the main Sunday parade\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The presence of large corporations in the Pride parade can be jarring for some, who may not feel comfortable celebrating in this particular environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there’ll be a huge amount of gatherings, celebrations, parties and safe spaces around Pride weekend — truly, something for everyone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.transmarch.org/trans-march-2023/\">The 2023 Trans March\u003c/a> and accompanying events will kick off Pride weekend on Friday, June 23, starting at 11 a.m. with the Señora Felicia Flames Intergenerational Brunch, and the march itself is at 6 p.m. The following day, on Saturday, June 24, \u003ca href=\"https://www.thedykemarch.org/\">the 2023 Dyke March\u003c/a> begins at 5 p.m., starting from Dolores and 18th streets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13930587/drag-dance-and-liberation-5-parties-for-your-2023-sf-pride-weekend\">KQED Arts has a guide to several Pride parties taking place over the weekend.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"tellus\">\u003c/a>Tell us: What else do you need information about?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>At KQED News, we know that it can sometimes be hard to track down the answers to navigate life in the Bay Area in 2023. We’ve published \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/coronavirus-resources-and-explainers\">clear, helpful explainers and guides about issues like COVID\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11936674/how-to-prepare-for-this-weeks-atmospheric-river-storm-sandbags-emergency-kits-and-more\">how to cope with intense winter weather\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11821950/how-to-safely-attend-a-protest-in-the-bay-area\">how to exercise your right to protest safely\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So tell us: What do you need to know more about? Tell us, and you could see your question answered online or on social media. What you submit will make our reporting stronger, and help us decide what to cover here on our site, and on KQED Public Radio, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "San Francisco to Pay Hotel Whitcomb $19.5 Million in Property Damage",
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"content": "\u003cp>San Francisco could pay up to $19.5 million to settle a lawsuit over property damages at one of the hotels that provided \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11894247/sf-extends-program-to-keep-hotels-open-for-unhoused-residents\">emergency housing\u003c/a> during the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The owners of Hotel Whitcomb on Market Street filed the complaint against San Francisco on April 13 of this year. They allege the historic hotel endured millions in property damage resulting in loss of use by the city’s shelter-in-place hotel program, part of a statewide effort called \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11825653/california-found-hotels-for-10000-homeless-residents-what-next\">Project Roomkey\u003c/a> that opened up empty hotels during the pandemic to create emergency shelters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The settlement is the latest agreement between the city and owners of the hotels that stepped up during the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/coronavirus\">COVID-19 pandemic\u003c/a> to provide emergency housing for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11887851/lives-are-on-the-line-advocates-call-on-sf-to-keep-hotels-open-for-homeless-residents\">people experiencing homelessness\u003c/a> during the first two years of the pandemic. That has included $2.9 million to the Tilden Hotel and $5.3 million to Hotel Union Square.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[ad fullwidth]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city expects to pay out around $26 million in total for property damage payouts from the shelter-in-place hotel program, according to a city budget report released in February.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jen Kwart, spokesperson for the city attorney’s office, told KQED in an email the department believes the proposed settlement is an “appropriate resolution” and “is the last SIP Hotel claim for damages that the City is aware of.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city is expecting reimbursements for costs of implementing the emergency housing program, and has already filed for $386 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/public-health/homelessness/san-francisco-dishes-out-millions-more-to-damaged-shelter-in-place-hotels/\">It’s not yet clear how much FEMA will cover in the property damages\u003c/a>, according to a report from The San Francisco Standard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city contracted with the hotels during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when tourism was decimated and hotels had lost their customer base. Using emergency relief funding, the city paid the hotels to open up the otherwise empty rooms for temporary emergency shelter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The program came together remarkably quickly, but challenges presented themselves as the pandemic raged on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID=news_11950199 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS43046_018_KQED_SanFrancisco_TentEncampments_05052020-qut-1020x680.jpg']\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At its peak, \u003ca href=\"https://hsh.sfgov.org/covid-19/shelter-in-place-hotel-program-overview/\">the hotel shelter program opened 2,288 rooms across 25 hotel sites\u003c/a>, according to data from the city’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. More than 3,300 adults were housed in hotel rooms and the city claims that about two-thirds of eligible guests were transferred to longer-term housing by the time the program ended in December 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Residents in the hotels and housing advocates applauded the non-congregate housing approach to the global health crisis that was rapidly unfolding. Studies on the program have shown that residents who lived in the hotels and were connected to health and substance-use services directly at the hotel were also \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/shelter-in-place-hotels-reduce-er-visits-among-frequent-visitors/article_8ab5b620-136e-11ed-b489-d39e4d0950b5.html\">less likely to require emergency services\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But life was not always easy inside the hotels. Staff and residents at Hotel Whitcomb were often on the front lines of the overdose crisis that the city continues to endure. About 400 people were housed there during the pandemic, many of whom struggled with substance use disorders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On-site services helped prevent overdoses and encourage safer drug use, such as clean needle exchanges and training on how to administer the overdose-reversal drug naloxone. At least \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11910405/staff-at-a-san-francisco-hotel-battle-an-overdose-crisis\">18 people overdosed at Hotel Whitcomb\u003c/a> from the time it first opened its rooms for the program in April 2020 to April 2022, KQED reported while the program was still in place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The settlement passed the Government Audit and Oversight Committee on Thursday. It will next go before the full Board of Supervisors and the mayor for final approval.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>San Francisco could pay up to $19.5 million to settle a lawsuit over property damages at one of the hotels that provided \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11894247/sf-extends-program-to-keep-hotels-open-for-unhoused-residents\">emergency housing\u003c/a> during the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The owners of Hotel Whitcomb on Market Street filed the complaint against San Francisco on April 13 of this year. They allege the historic hotel endured millions in property damage resulting in loss of use by the city’s shelter-in-place hotel program, part of a statewide effort called \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11825653/california-found-hotels-for-10000-homeless-residents-what-next\">Project Roomkey\u003c/a> that opened up empty hotels during the pandemic to create emergency shelters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The settlement is the latest agreement between the city and owners of the hotels that stepped up during the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/coronavirus\">COVID-19 pandemic\u003c/a> to provide emergency housing for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11887851/lives-are-on-the-line-advocates-call-on-sf-to-keep-hotels-open-for-homeless-residents\">people experiencing homelessness\u003c/a> during the first two years of the pandemic. That has included $2.9 million to the Tilden Hotel and $5.3 million to Hotel Union Square.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city expects to pay out around $26 million in total for property damage payouts from the shelter-in-place hotel program, according to a city budget report released in February.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jen Kwart, spokesperson for the city attorney’s office, told KQED in an email the department believes the proposed settlement is an “appropriate resolution” and “is the last SIP Hotel claim for damages that the City is aware of.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city is expecting reimbursements for costs of implementing the emergency housing program, and has already filed for $386 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/public-health/homelessness/san-francisco-dishes-out-millions-more-to-damaged-shelter-in-place-hotels/\">It’s not yet clear how much FEMA will cover in the property damages\u003c/a>, according to a report from The San Francisco Standard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city contracted with the hotels during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when tourism was decimated and hotels had lost their customer base. Using emergency relief funding, the city paid the hotels to open up the otherwise empty rooms for temporary emergency shelter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The program came together remarkably quickly, but challenges presented themselves as the pandemic raged on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At its peak, \u003ca href=\"https://hsh.sfgov.org/covid-19/shelter-in-place-hotel-program-overview/\">the hotel shelter program opened 2,288 rooms across 25 hotel sites\u003c/a>, according to data from the city’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. More than 3,300 adults were housed in hotel rooms and the city claims that about two-thirds of eligible guests were transferred to longer-term housing by the time the program ended in December 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Residents in the hotels and housing advocates applauded the non-congregate housing approach to the global health crisis that was rapidly unfolding. Studies on the program have shown that residents who lived in the hotels and were connected to health and substance-use services directly at the hotel were also \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/shelter-in-place-hotels-reduce-er-visits-among-frequent-visitors/article_8ab5b620-136e-11ed-b489-d39e4d0950b5.html\">less likely to require emergency services\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But life was not always easy inside the hotels. Staff and residents at Hotel Whitcomb were often on the front lines of the overdose crisis that the city continues to endure. About 400 people were housed there during the pandemic, many of whom struggled with substance use disorders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On-site services helped prevent overdoses and encourage safer drug use, such as clean needle exchanges and training on how to administer the overdose-reversal drug naloxone. At least \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11910405/staff-at-a-san-francisco-hotel-battle-an-overdose-crisis\">18 people overdosed at Hotel Whitcomb\u003c/a> from the time it first opened its rooms for the program in April 2020 to April 2022, KQED reported while the program was still in place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The settlement passed the Government Audit and Oversight Committee on Thursday. It will next go before the full Board of Supervisors and the mayor for final approval.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "'Screaming Into a Void': Long COVID Patients Have Waited in Vain for Years for Treatments",
"headTitle": "‘Screaming Into a Void’: Long COVID Patients Have Waited in Vain for Years for Treatments | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>After contracting COVID-19 at the onset of the pandemic more than three years ago, Charlie McCone is still very much hostage to the disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can shower myself and I can do that stuff, but that’s kind of about it,” said McCone, a previously healthy Bay Area man in his 30s. “If I have to make lunch, I’m laid out for a couple of hours. If I have to make dinner, it’s doomsday. I can’t stand up for longer than five minutes without all of my symptoms going haywire.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McCone is among the millions of Americans with long COVID, a condition broadly defined as a collection of often-debilitating symptoms — everything from brain fog and fatigue to respiratory and heart problems — that can develop or intensify after an initial COVID infection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This isn’t a mild condition. This is completely life-altering,” said McCone, who notes that many other long COVID patients are in even worse shape than he is. “We have patients who are taking their lives. This is the fastest-growing health crisis in America.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Amid the end of the federal health emergency earlier this month, as the vast majority of people in this country have ditched their masks and resumed their pre-pandemic lives, McCone and other long COVID patients say they feel largely left behind, and see no end to their suffering.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11950655\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11950655 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65641_023_KQED_LongCOVIDCharlieMcCone_05182023-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A white man with curly light brown hair and eye glasses sits on a couch with feet up and looks at the camera with head turned to the side.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65641_023_KQED_LongCOVIDCharlieMcCone_05182023-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65641_023_KQED_LongCOVIDCharlieMcCone_05182023-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65641_023_KQED_LongCOVIDCharlieMcCone_05182023-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65641_023_KQED_LongCOVIDCharlieMcCone_05182023-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65641_023_KQED_LongCOVIDCharlieMcCone_05182023-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Long COVID patient Charlie McCone at his home in San Francisco on May 18, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“My biggest frustration right now isn’t in my symptoms,” McCone said. “It’s in the lack of action around doing things we know could help patients right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McCone and other long COVID patients and advocates have for years pushed state and federal health agencies to begin trials for long COVID treatments, underscoring the urgency of the situation, but say their efforts have gained little traction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of times it feels like the patient community is screaming into a void,” said Lisa McCorkell, an Oakland resident who has experienced long COVID symptoms for more than three years, and who now runs a group that advocates for patient-involved research on the condition. “It really feels like [we’re] not being heard a lot of the time.”[aside label=\"Related Stories\" postID=\"news_11948032,news_11946927\"]But the National Institutes of Health, which in 2020 received more than $1 billion to research long COVID, says it’s taking a cautious, big-picture approach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are being a little more deliberate. Particularly to try and get something to have a high-effect size in patients and really make a big difference,” said Dr. Walter Koroshetz, co-chair of the NIH’s \u003ca href=\"https://recovercovid.org/\">RECOVER Initiative\u003c/a> (Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery). “[We want to] test therapies which we think might help reduce the symptom burden in people who are suffering.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Koroshetz said he understands the frustration long COVID patients feel, but noted that even though it’s not a new condition, “how it happens in people is not well understood.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nevertheless, Koroshetz says he’s confident treatments to reduce debilitating symptoms will be available fairly soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re also hoping to test drugs that go after the main culprit for the biological cause of long COVID,” he added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But so far, the NIH has not started a clinical trial for possible treatments. One of the only official long COVID clinical trials is underway at Stanford University, to determine whether Paxlovid can be an effective treatment. But it isn’t even being led by the NIH, and results aren’t expected until late this year.[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Charlie McCone, long COVID patient\"]‘My biggest frustration right now isn’t in my symptoms. It’s in the lack of action around doing things we know could help patients right now.’[/pullquote]Dr. Steven Deeks, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF who has extensively researched long COVID, argues that clinical trials for possible treatments should have started months ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Based on the fact there’s anecdotes of people getting better with antiviral therapy, yes, it’s an absolute urgency right now to study, in a controlled manner, all of the antiviral therapies that we have available,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Part of the problem, Deeks argues, is the lack of buy-in from pharmaceutical companies, in stark contrast to their involvement in developing an initial COVID vaccine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The drug companies realize there’s this great unmet need. They realize there’s this market for a drug and there’s money to be made,” he said. “But right now I think they’re waiting on the sidelines for academic groups to get better clarity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC3817112873&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hundreds of symptoms have been linked to long COVID, and there is little data tracking how many people actually have it, all of which has made it difficult to clearly define the condition and expedite efforts to treat it, notes David Putrino, a physical therapist at Mount Sinai Health System in New York who has worked with scores of long COVID patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Long COVID really is anyone who has contracted an acute COVID infection and at the three-month point is still feeling unwell and worse than they did before their acute COVID infection,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nevertheless, the apparent lack of urgency from government health agencies is troublesome, says Dr. Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez, chair of rehabilitation medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, who runs a long COVID clinic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11950658\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11950658\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65628_011_KQED_LongCOVIDCharlieMcCone_05182023-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A white man with light brown curly hair and eyeglasses has a steam inhaler in his mouth as he laws reclines against a sofa in his living room.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65628_011_KQED_LongCOVIDCharlieMcCone_05182023-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65628_011_KQED_LongCOVIDCharlieMcCone_05182023-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65628_011_KQED_LongCOVIDCharlieMcCone_05182023-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65628_011_KQED_LongCOVIDCharlieMcCone_05182023-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65628_011_KQED_LongCOVIDCharlieMcCone_05182023-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Long COVID patient Charlie McCone uses a steam inhaler at his home in San Francisco on May 18, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Part of me is like, ‘OK, they put a lot of effort in vaccines and treatments at the front lines and, yes, that’s wonderful. People aren’t dying,’” she said. “But there are now millions of people with long COVID who are suffering tremendously. I’m seeing these patients and they want some treatments now to help them. And so it’s frustrating to not be able to say, ‘OK, let’s try this right away,’ or, ‘Oh, this has been proven.’ We don’t have that, and the patients need it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lisa McCorkell, of Oakland, couldn’t agree more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s definitely enough that we know about long COVID for us to be ready for clinical trials,” she said. “And given the scale of the issue, we’re at the point to see if any of those work in resolving long COVID completely or at least managing symptoms.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>After contracting COVID-19 at the onset of the pandemic more than three years ago, Charlie McCone is still very much hostage to the disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can shower myself and I can do that stuff, but that’s kind of about it,” said McCone, a previously healthy Bay Area man in his 30s. “If I have to make lunch, I’m laid out for a couple of hours. If I have to make dinner, it’s doomsday. I can’t stand up for longer than five minutes without all of my symptoms going haywire.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McCone is among the millions of Americans with long COVID, a condition broadly defined as a collection of often-debilitating symptoms — everything from brain fog and fatigue to respiratory and heart problems — that can develop or intensify after an initial COVID infection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This isn’t a mild condition. This is completely life-altering,” said McCone, who notes that many other long COVID patients are in even worse shape than he is. “We have patients who are taking their lives. This is the fastest-growing health crisis in America.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Amid the end of the federal health emergency earlier this month, as the vast majority of people in this country have ditched their masks and resumed their pre-pandemic lives, McCone and other long COVID patients say they feel largely left behind, and see no end to their suffering.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11950655\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11950655 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65641_023_KQED_LongCOVIDCharlieMcCone_05182023-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A white man with curly light brown hair and eye glasses sits on a couch with feet up and looks at the camera with head turned to the side.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65641_023_KQED_LongCOVIDCharlieMcCone_05182023-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65641_023_KQED_LongCOVIDCharlieMcCone_05182023-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65641_023_KQED_LongCOVIDCharlieMcCone_05182023-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65641_023_KQED_LongCOVIDCharlieMcCone_05182023-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65641_023_KQED_LongCOVIDCharlieMcCone_05182023-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Long COVID patient Charlie McCone at his home in San Francisco on May 18, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“My biggest frustration right now isn’t in my symptoms,” McCone said. “It’s in the lack of action around doing things we know could help patients right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McCone and other long COVID patients and advocates have for years pushed state and federal health agencies to begin trials for long COVID treatments, underscoring the urgency of the situation, but say their efforts have gained little traction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of times it feels like the patient community is screaming into a void,” said Lisa McCorkell, an Oakland resident who has experienced long COVID symptoms for more than three years, and who now runs a group that advocates for patient-involved research on the condition. “It really feels like [we’re] not being heard a lot of the time.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But the National Institutes of Health, which in 2020 received more than $1 billion to research long COVID, says it’s taking a cautious, big-picture approach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are being a little more deliberate. Particularly to try and get something to have a high-effect size in patients and really make a big difference,” said Dr. Walter Koroshetz, co-chair of the NIH’s \u003ca href=\"https://recovercovid.org/\">RECOVER Initiative\u003c/a> (Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery). “[We want to] test therapies which we think might help reduce the symptom burden in people who are suffering.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Koroshetz said he understands the frustration long COVID patients feel, but noted that even though it’s not a new condition, “how it happens in people is not well understood.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nevertheless, Koroshetz says he’s confident treatments to reduce debilitating symptoms will be available fairly soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re also hoping to test drugs that go after the main culprit for the biological cause of long COVID,” he added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But so far, the NIH has not started a clinical trial for possible treatments. One of the only official long COVID clinical trials is underway at Stanford University, to determine whether Paxlovid can be an effective treatment. But it isn’t even being led by the NIH, and results aren’t expected until late this year.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Dr. Steven Deeks, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF who has extensively researched long COVID, argues that clinical trials for possible treatments should have started months ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Based on the fact there’s anecdotes of people getting better with antiviral therapy, yes, it’s an absolute urgency right now to study, in a controlled manner, all of the antiviral therapies that we have available,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Part of the problem, Deeks argues, is the lack of buy-in from pharmaceutical companies, in stark contrast to their involvement in developing an initial COVID vaccine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The drug companies realize there’s this great unmet need. They realize there’s this market for a drug and there’s money to be made,” he said. “But right now I think they’re waiting on the sidelines for academic groups to get better clarity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC3817112873&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hundreds of symptoms have been linked to long COVID, and there is little data tracking how many people actually have it, all of which has made it difficult to clearly define the condition and expedite efforts to treat it, notes David Putrino, a physical therapist at Mount Sinai Health System in New York who has worked with scores of long COVID patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Long COVID really is anyone who has contracted an acute COVID infection and at the three-month point is still feeling unwell and worse than they did before their acute COVID infection,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nevertheless, the apparent lack of urgency from government health agencies is troublesome, says Dr. Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez, chair of rehabilitation medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, who runs a long COVID clinic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11950658\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11950658\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65628_011_KQED_LongCOVIDCharlieMcCone_05182023-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A white man with light brown curly hair and eyeglasses has a steam inhaler in his mouth as he laws reclines against a sofa in his living room.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65628_011_KQED_LongCOVIDCharlieMcCone_05182023-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65628_011_KQED_LongCOVIDCharlieMcCone_05182023-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65628_011_KQED_LongCOVIDCharlieMcCone_05182023-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65628_011_KQED_LongCOVIDCharlieMcCone_05182023-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65628_011_KQED_LongCOVIDCharlieMcCone_05182023-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Long COVID patient Charlie McCone uses a steam inhaler at his home in San Francisco on May 18, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Part of me is like, ‘OK, they put a lot of effort in vaccines and treatments at the front lines and, yes, that’s wonderful. People aren’t dying,’” she said. “But there are now millions of people with long COVID who are suffering tremendously. I’m seeing these patients and they want some treatments now to help them. And so it’s frustrating to not be able to say, ‘OK, let’s try this right away,’ or, ‘Oh, this has been proven.’ We don’t have that, and the patients need it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lisa McCorkell, of Oakland, couldn’t agree more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s definitely enough that we know about long COVID for us to be ready for clinical trials,” she said. “And given the scale of the issue, we’re at the point to see if any of those work in resolving long COVID completely or at least managing symptoms.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, June 20: As of June 1, you can no longer \u003ca href=\"https://covidtests.gov/\">order free COVID-19 tests from the federal government and USPS\u003c/a>. A message on the \u003ca href=\"https://covidtests.gov/\">covidtests.gov site\u003c/a> says that ordering has “been suspended to preserve remaining supply.” \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a new COVID-19 variant rapidly emerges, many are wondering how tools such as at-home testing will fare against the latest virus evolutions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The good news is that testing, along with vaccines and post-infection treatments, are still readily available, and infectious disease experts say these remain some of our best defenses against the spread of COVID-19.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Do at-home antigen tests work with the latest COVID-19 variant?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Yes! There is little evidence showing that at-home COVID-19 antigen tests work any differently with the newer strains of the virus, including XBB.1.16, also known as arcturus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The FDA data suggests the antigen tests currently in use are as effective in detecting arcturus as they are with other subvariants of omicron,” said Dr. John Swartzberg, clinical professor emeritus of the Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology division at UC Berkeley.[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Dr. John Swartzberg, clinical professor emeritus, UC Berkeley\"]‘The FDA data suggests the antigen tests currently in use are as effective in detecting arcturus as they are with other subvariants of omicron.’[/pullquote]In general, rapid antigen tests are less sensitive and therefore less likely to detect an infection compared with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. PCR tests look for viral genetic material, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, whereas antigen tests detect proteins on the surface of the virus.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>When (and how) should I use an antigen rapid test to get the most accurate result?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you were exposed to someone with COVID-19, but are not experiencing symptoms, or your symptoms are mild, one rule of thumb is to test five days after the exposure, according to Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert and professor at UCSF.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re looking to test before a large event or before visiting someone who may be particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, test right before the visit to get the most accurate read.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Test just before the visit if you’re going to check before seeing Grandma,” Chin-Hong said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, if you have COVID symptoms and test negative, “take precautions as if you have COVID and repeat the test every one to two days,” Swartzberg said.\u003cbr>\n[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What about false positives or negatives?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Overall, hospitalizations and deaths stemming from COVID-19 are near their lowest since the start of the pandemic. During lulls like this, there is a higher likelihood that an antigen test could yield a false positive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The lower it is in the community, the higher the chance you might get a false positive. If you get a positive out of the blue, try to track down a PCR,” said Chin-Hong.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, false positives are still quite rare. “If the antigen test is positive, it is very likely you have COVID,” said Swartzberg. “If it is negative, you cannot feel confident you do not have COVID,” he added, saying that many tests will show up negative in the early stages of infection.[aside label='More Guides from KQED' tag='layoffs']Improving your sample collection for at-home tests will also improve your chances of getting an accurate result. For example, when swabbing the nostril, scrape the inner lining of the nose rather than just the snot and boogers hanging about. That’s why antigen tests generally recommend you blow your nose before swabbing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Make sure you’re not just swabbing snot but you’re swabbing the cells in your nose. You have to swab relatively hard,” Chin-Hong said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some but not all doctors recommend swabbing the inside of the throat also, especially if a sore throat is presenting as a symptom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also important when buying at-home tests is to make sure the tests have not expired (more on that below) and that they are not counterfeit. Most major pharmacies carry only FDA-approved antigen tests. If you’re not sure, check for a few indicators like misspellings or lack of an expiration date.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests\">A full list of FDA-approved tests can be found here.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Can I still get free antigen tests anywhere?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>There’s no getting around this fact: In 2023, finding free or low-cost antigen COVID tests is much harder than in previous years of the pandemic. And certainly, the days when packs of antigen COVID tests were given out for free are gone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s how to keep getting free or low-cost antigen tests:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Order your (last) four free tests from the White House via USPS\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The White House website \u003ca href=\"https://www.covid.gov/tests\">covid.gov/tests\u003c/a> has been offering separate orders of free COVID antigen tests for each household during the pandemic. This program looks to be continuing after the federal public health emergency ended on May 11, but it’s unclear how much longer it’ll last. So if your household hasn’t ordered any free tests since Dec. 15, 2022, consider placing your order for another four free COVID tests ASAP — in case the program ends abruptly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you have health insurance, get eight antigen tests reimbursed per month\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In other states, the recent end of the federal public health emergency for COVID means insurers no longer have to keep covering the costs of up to eight over-the-counter antigen tests a month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But California has enacted laws that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11948759/how-to-access-covid-care-in-california-as-u-s-public-health-emergency-ends\">force insurers to keep reimbursing their members for the costs of eight tests each month (as well as Paxlovid)\u003c/a>. This also applies to people on Medi-Cal, but this is \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-02-07/with-covid-emergency-ending-will-i-have-to-pay-for-tests\">only in effect until Nov. 11\u003c/a>. Read about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11902122/at-home-covid-test-reimbursement-from-blue-shield-to-kaiser-how-to-get-your-health-insurance-to-pay-you-back\">how to get reimbursed for COVID tests by your insurer\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re on Medicare Part B (medical insurance), \u003ca href=\"https://www.medicare.gov/medicare-coronavirus\">you can keep getting eight free over-the-counter COVID tests after May 11\u003c/a>. However, people on Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) have lost access to those free tests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>For free testing, consider getting a PCR test instead\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PCR testing is more accurate than an antigen test — because it’s more sensitive at picking up traces of the coronavirus in your body — but it may take longer to get your results than with an at-home test, which could affect your ability to source a prescription for Paxlovid quickly (see below).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Currently, there are still some sites offering free COVID testing around the state; go to \u003ca href=\"https://myturn.ca.gov/testing.html\">myturn.ca.gov/testing\u003c/a> and apply the “Free Sites” filter from the drop-down menu. It’s not yet clear how many of these sites will continue operating in the coming months after the end of the federal public health emergency. If you have health insurance, you may be able to get a PCR test ordered by your health care provider with the costs covered.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11940562/how-to-find-a-free-covid-test-near-you-in-2023-because-its-getting-harder\">For more ideas on how to find a free or low-cost COVID test near you, see the KQED guide.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Another key use for antigen tests: Getting Paxlovid in time\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As of Feb. 2023, you no longer need proof of a positive COVID test \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11942172/should-everyone-be-trying-to-get-paxlovid-for-covid-now-yes-basically\">to get a prescription for Paxlovid, the powerful antiviral COVID treatment\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But for it to be effective, health officials recommend starting a course of Paxlovid within five days of a positive test. This means it is still very important to take a test as soon as you suspect you have COVID — and a big part of that is having swift access to a test. Now that there’s no shortage of Paxlovid, the drug is no longer reserved for people most at risk of severe illness from COVID, and everyone is encouraged to contact a health care provider to see whether they qualify.[aside postID=\"news_11942172\" hero=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS63490_GettyImages-1407371840-qut-1038x576.jpg\"]Since results from PCR tests can take longer, and some testing sites may not be available at certain times you need the test — like evenings and weekends — consider using the methods listed above to make sure you have access to at least one antigen test available at home if you begin to feel the symptoms of COVID.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How to check whether your antigen tests have expired — or had their shelf life extended\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>You may be lucky enough to have an existing supply of antigen tests from a while back — but it’s important to check that using those tests will still give you an accurate COVID test result.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Check the expiration date on the box, but don’t panic if it’s passed. Before you toss the box, \u003ca href=\"https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests#list\">check the FDA’s list of antigen test types to see whether the one you’re holding has had its shelf life extended by the manufacturer\u003c/a>. The FDA says that if a test’s shelf life has been extended, it’s because the manufacturer has given the agency enough “data showing that the shelf-life is longer than was known when the test was first authorized.” In other words, it’s still OK to use that test.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, June 20: As of June 1, you can no longer \u003ca href=\"https://covidtests.gov/\">order free COVID-19 tests from the federal government and USPS\u003c/a>. A message on the \u003ca href=\"https://covidtests.gov/\">covidtests.gov site\u003c/a> says that ordering has “been suspended to preserve remaining supply.” \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a new COVID-19 variant rapidly emerges, many are wondering how tools such as at-home testing will fare against the latest virus evolutions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The good news is that testing, along with vaccines and post-infection treatments, are still readily available, and infectious disease experts say these remain some of our best defenses against the spread of COVID-19.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Do at-home antigen tests work with the latest COVID-19 variant?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Yes! There is little evidence showing that at-home COVID-19 antigen tests work any differently with the newer strains of the virus, including XBB.1.16, also known as arcturus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The FDA data suggests the antigen tests currently in use are as effective in detecting arcturus as they are with other subvariants of omicron,” said Dr. John Swartzberg, clinical professor emeritus of the Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology division at UC Berkeley.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘The FDA data suggests the antigen tests currently in use are as effective in detecting arcturus as they are with other subvariants of omicron.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In general, rapid antigen tests are less sensitive and therefore less likely to detect an infection compared with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. PCR tests look for viral genetic material, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, whereas antigen tests detect proteins on the surface of the virus.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>When (and how) should I use an antigen rapid test to get the most accurate result?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you were exposed to someone with COVID-19, but are not experiencing symptoms, or your symptoms are mild, one rule of thumb is to test five days after the exposure, according to Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert and professor at UCSF.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re looking to test before a large event or before visiting someone who may be particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, test right before the visit to get the most accurate read.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Test just before the visit if you’re going to check before seeing Grandma,” Chin-Hong said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, if you have COVID symptoms and test negative, “take precautions as if you have COVID and repeat the test every one to two days,” Swartzberg said.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What about false positives or negatives?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Overall, hospitalizations and deaths stemming from COVID-19 are near their lowest since the start of the pandemic. During lulls like this, there is a higher likelihood that an antigen test could yield a false positive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The lower it is in the community, the higher the chance you might get a false positive. If you get a positive out of the blue, try to track down a PCR,” said Chin-Hong.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, false positives are still quite rare. “If the antigen test is positive, it is very likely you have COVID,” said Swartzberg. “If it is negative, you cannot feel confident you do not have COVID,” he added, saying that many tests will show up negative in the early stages of infection.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Improving your sample collection for at-home tests will also improve your chances of getting an accurate result. For example, when swabbing the nostril, scrape the inner lining of the nose rather than just the snot and boogers hanging about. That’s why antigen tests generally recommend you blow your nose before swabbing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Make sure you’re not just swabbing snot but you’re swabbing the cells in your nose. You have to swab relatively hard,” Chin-Hong said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some but not all doctors recommend swabbing the inside of the throat also, especially if a sore throat is presenting as a symptom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also important when buying at-home tests is to make sure the tests have not expired (more on that below) and that they are not counterfeit. Most major pharmacies carry only FDA-approved antigen tests. If you’re not sure, check for a few indicators like misspellings or lack of an expiration date.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests\">A full list of FDA-approved tests can be found here.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Can I still get free antigen tests anywhere?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>There’s no getting around this fact: In 2023, finding free or low-cost antigen COVID tests is much harder than in previous years of the pandemic. And certainly, the days when packs of antigen COVID tests were given out for free are gone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s how to keep getting free or low-cost antigen tests:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Order your (last) four free tests from the White House via USPS\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The White House website \u003ca href=\"https://www.covid.gov/tests\">covid.gov/tests\u003c/a> has been offering separate orders of free COVID antigen tests for each household during the pandemic. This program looks to be continuing after the federal public health emergency ended on May 11, but it’s unclear how much longer it’ll last. So if your household hasn’t ordered any free tests since Dec. 15, 2022, consider placing your order for another four free COVID tests ASAP — in case the program ends abruptly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you have health insurance, get eight antigen tests reimbursed per month\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In other states, the recent end of the federal public health emergency for COVID means insurers no longer have to keep covering the costs of up to eight over-the-counter antigen tests a month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But California has enacted laws that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11948759/how-to-access-covid-care-in-california-as-u-s-public-health-emergency-ends\">force insurers to keep reimbursing their members for the costs of eight tests each month (as well as Paxlovid)\u003c/a>. This also applies to people on Medi-Cal, but this is \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-02-07/with-covid-emergency-ending-will-i-have-to-pay-for-tests\">only in effect until Nov. 11\u003c/a>. Read about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11902122/at-home-covid-test-reimbursement-from-blue-shield-to-kaiser-how-to-get-your-health-insurance-to-pay-you-back\">how to get reimbursed for COVID tests by your insurer\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re on Medicare Part B (medical insurance), \u003ca href=\"https://www.medicare.gov/medicare-coronavirus\">you can keep getting eight free over-the-counter COVID tests after May 11\u003c/a>. However, people on Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) have lost access to those free tests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>For free testing, consider getting a PCR test instead\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PCR testing is more accurate than an antigen test — because it’s more sensitive at picking up traces of the coronavirus in your body — but it may take longer to get your results than with an at-home test, which could affect your ability to source a prescription for Paxlovid quickly (see below).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Currently, there are still some sites offering free COVID testing around the state; go to \u003ca href=\"https://myturn.ca.gov/testing.html\">myturn.ca.gov/testing\u003c/a> and apply the “Free Sites” filter from the drop-down menu. It’s not yet clear how many of these sites will continue operating in the coming months after the end of the federal public health emergency. If you have health insurance, you may be able to get a PCR test ordered by your health care provider with the costs covered.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11940562/how-to-find-a-free-covid-test-near-you-in-2023-because-its-getting-harder\">For more ideas on how to find a free or low-cost COVID test near you, see the KQED guide.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Another key use for antigen tests: Getting Paxlovid in time\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As of Feb. 2023, you no longer need proof of a positive COVID test \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11942172/should-everyone-be-trying-to-get-paxlovid-for-covid-now-yes-basically\">to get a prescription for Paxlovid, the powerful antiviral COVID treatment\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But for it to be effective, health officials recommend starting a course of Paxlovid within five days of a positive test. This means it is still very important to take a test as soon as you suspect you have COVID — and a big part of that is having swift access to a test. Now that there’s no shortage of Paxlovid, the drug is no longer reserved for people most at risk of severe illness from COVID, and everyone is encouraged to contact a health care provider to see whether they qualify.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Since results from PCR tests can take longer, and some testing sites may not be available at certain times you need the test — like evenings and weekends — consider using the methods listed above to make sure you have access to at least one antigen test available at home if you begin to feel the symptoms of COVID.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How to check whether your antigen tests have expired — or had their shelf life extended\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>You may be lucky enough to have an existing supply of antigen tests from a while back — but it’s important to check that using those tests will still give you an accurate COVID test result.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Check the expiration date on the box, but don’t panic if it’s passed. Before you toss the box, \u003ca href=\"https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests#list\">check the FDA’s list of antigen test types to see whether the one you’re holding has had its shelf life extended by the manufacturer\u003c/a>. The FDA says that if a test’s shelf life has been extended, it’s because the manufacturer has given the agency enough “data showing that the shelf-life is longer than was known when the test was first authorized.” In other words, it’s still OK to use that test.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Thousands of Californians Are Still Waiting for COVID Unemployment Funds",
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"content": "\u003cp>It’s been 22 months and three unemployment appeals since Nicolas Allen’s last job in Fresno.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the time it has taken the 44-year-old graphic designer to win a fraction of the benefits that he applied for, his wife has weathered a high-risk pregnancy, his youngest son was born and his family has been pushed to the financial brink.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, Allen is one of thousands of Californians who\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>say they lost jobs due to the pandemic, but are still fighting lengthy legal battles over unemployment money that state and federal relief programs were designed to provide. It’s a ripple effect of earlier \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/explainers/california-edd-unemployment-crisis-explained/\">benefit backlogs\u003c/a> that ensnared some \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4615\">5 million people\u003c/a> at the state Employment Development Department (EDD), which \u003ca href=\"https://www.auditor.ca.gov/reports/2020-128and628.1/introduction.html\">officials have said\u003c/a> was unprepared and overwhelmed by mass job losses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those caught up in payment disputes say they have struggled with debt, housing and necessities like food or health care. Meanwhile, no one is publicly tracking how much appeals cases and lawsuits might end up costing workers or taxpayers in a state that still owes the federal government \u003ca href=\"https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/docs/trustFundSolvReport2023.pdf\">nearly $19 billion (PDF)\u003c/a> in unemployment debt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s easier to not think the money’s there,” Allen said. “Because if I worry about it too much, it’s too painful.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The EDD has paid out \u003ca href=\"https://edd.ca.gov/en/newsroom/facts-and-stats/dashboard/\">$188 billion\u003c/a> in unemployment benefits since the first pandemic shutdowns. State and federal officials waived many ordinary application requirements as millions of claims flooded in, and the agency \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/california-edd-unemployment-fraud-ca-scam-insurance/10011810/#:~:text=CA%20EDD%20admits%20that%20as,to%20scammers%2C%20California%20EDD%20admits.\">has acknowledged\u003c/a> that up to $31 billion was paid to scammers in the rush to distribute money quickly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Along the way, state watchdogs say \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4615\">up to 1 million workers\u003c/a> were wrongly denied benefits — many mistakenly flagged for committing fraud themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Accusing people of fraud is a big deal,” said George Warner, director of the Wage Protection Program at San Francisco’s Legal Aid at Work. “And the EDD does it very casually, very frequently.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The biggest logjam of contested unemployment cases lies in a \u003ca href=\"https://edd.ca.gov/en/unemployment/appeals/\">state appeals process\u003c/a>, where more than 1 million workers have asked for a review of EDD’s decisions in their cases since March 2020. About 880,000 of those cases have already \u003ca href=\"https://cuiab.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/documents/cuiabUiAppealsFlowchart.pdf\">been transferred (PDF)\u003c/a> and heard by a lesser-known state labor agency, the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, where the average case is still languishing for 139 days before a hearing with a judge, federal \u003ca href=\"https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/ui_insurance_appeal.asp\">data shows\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dozens of workers who have exhausted this state process have elevated their claims even further, to \u003ca href=\"https://cuiab.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2023/03/Historical-CourtCases-0223b.pdf\">appellate or superior courts (PDF)\u003c/a>. Finally, advocacy groups and hundreds more workers \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2021/01/bank-of-america-sued-over-edd-unemployment-debit-card-fraud/\">have joined\u003c/a> proposed class-action lawsuits against the EDD or its \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-divide/2021/02/how-edd-and-bank-of-america-make-millions-on-california-unemployment/\">debit card contractor\u003c/a>, Bank of America.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both the EDD and the Appeals Board refused requests for interviews to discuss workers’ concerns and state efforts to respond. The agencies also referred some inquiries to one another or offered conflicting answers, raising questions about how delays and associated costs are being tracked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Carole M., officer manager, Southern California\"]‘I had no money, and I kept saying: ‘How long is this going to take?”[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gregory Crettol, assistant director of the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, told CalMatters in a statement that the Appeals Board has hired and trained 105 judges and 100 new support staffers since the onset of the pandemic. The board is also rolling out a new online system for workers to track their cases, and officials said at an April meeting that judges are now closing almost twice as many cases per month as pre-pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, “Given the historic backlog of appeals,” Crettol said in a statement, the Appeals Board “anticipates it will likely take several more years to completely resolve before workload returns to normal levels.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unemployment cases are complex and vary widely, but workers awaiting disputed funds have faced similarly dire challenges. A 33-year-old video editor in Burbank had to create a GoFundMe to restart her life during a gender transition. A security guard In L.A. County worried whether fellow workers still seeking unemployment would end up in the homeless camps he once patrolled. A 62-year-old temp worker in Sacramento spent months terrified she’d lose her car, and a legal office manager in Southern California filed for food stamps and Medi-Cal to survive an appeal with no end in sight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I really feel like I’m a hostage,” said the office manager, who asked to be identified only as Carole M. and has been awaiting an appeal hearing since November. “I had no money, and I kept saying: ‘How long is this going to take?’”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Fraud fury\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Like many of California’s COVID-era unemployment challenges, slow and unwieldy payment disputes aren’t new. But the pandemic did two things: unleash an unprecedented flood of \u003ca href=\"https://edd.ca.gov/en/newsroom/facts-and-stats/dashboard/#TotalUnemploymentClaims\">29 million\u003c/a> jobless claims, and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2020/12/who-will-pay-for-all-of-californias-unemployment-fraud/\">supercharge anxiety\u003c/a> about a new generation of online fraud.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rival politicians have seized on jobless claims filed in the name of \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-11-24/california-has-sent-jobless-benefits-to-death-row-inmates\">death row inmates\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/18/us/nuke-bizzle-fraud-youtube.html#:~:text=the%20main%20story-,Rapper%20Arrested%20After%20Bragging%20About%20Unemployment%20Fraud%20in%20Video,coronavirus%20pandemic%2C%20the%20authorities%20said.\">YouTube rappers\u003c/a> bragging about EDD-fueled spending sprees. \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/identity-theft-and-unemployment-benefits\">Investigators attribute\u003c/a> the bulk of pandemic unemployment fraud to organized identity theft. Unemployment attorneys, meanwhile, say they’re seeing regular workers who thought they were eligible for benefits disqualified — and sometimes charged with lying — in cases that can sometimes be explained by confusion about state forms, clerical errors, language barriers or disagreements between workers and employers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s so wrong,” said Assaf Lichtash, founding attorney of Los Angeles-based Pershing Square Law Firm. “The way I see it, the EDD is punishing regular civilians that are just filing for benefits who make honest mistakes — they’re punishing them for their failure to safeguard the money from fraudsters.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State reports have also highlighted a disconnect between the EDD’s ham-fisted approach to large-scale fraud and what some say seems like a hair-trigger impulse to flag individual workers. Organized scammers evaded the agency’s automated application systems early in the pandemic, one \u003ca href=\"https://www.govops.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2020/09/Assessment.pdf\">September 2020 report (PDF)\u003c/a> by a governor-appointed EDD Strike Team found, while the vast majority of individual workers scrutinized in manual reviews appeared to be innocent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Processes intended to block fraud are slowing service delivery without catching fraud,” the Strike Team wrote, since just 0.02% of the 1.3 million cases flagged that summer appeared to be real fraud. “The cost of finding that small number of imposters is extremely high.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label='More Stories on Health' tag='health']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A separate \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4615\">report last August\u003c/a> by the Legislative Analyst’s Office found that, during the pandemic, state appeals judges overturned EDD unemployment denials up to 80% of the time. That report highlighted another sample of 1.1 million unemployment claims stopped due to fraud concerns by an EDD consultant early in the pandemic, where at least 600,000 cases were later “confirmed as legitimate” and workers saw payments needlessly delayed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even before COVID upended the job market, the Analyst’s Office estimated that improper unemployment denials cost workers $500 million to $1 billion a year in unpaid benefits. The agency also noted “concerning steps” at EDD in recent years that “suggest that ensuring eligible workers get benefits is not among its top priorities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The EDD refused to discuss its approach to appeals during the pandemic. Over the past three years, the agency has \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2021/04/california-unemployment-crisis-contracts/\">invested heavily\u003c/a> in new anti-fraud technology and \u003ca href=\"https://edd.ca.gov/siteassets/files/about_edd/pdf/news-22-06.pdf\">sought federal waivers (PDF)\u003c/a> for some workers who may have received extra federal pandemic unemployment funds “through no fault of their own.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For workers who still want to fight an unemployment case, \u003ca href=\"https://cuiab.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/documents/cuiabUiAppealsFlowchart.pdf\">the first step (PDF)\u003c/a> is to notify the EDD in writing. The EDD then transfers the case to a local office of the Appeals Board, which schedules a hearing with an administrative judge. If a worker or business still feels that their case is unresolved, they can file another appeal with the state-level office of the Appeals Board, or eventually escalate the case to a superior or appellate court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of March, the average first-level appeals case with a judge was taking 139 days — a lag not as extreme as some other states, U.S. Department of Labor \u003ca href=\"https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/ui_insurance_appeal.asp\">data shows\u003c/a>, but still roughly triple the federal government’s 30- and 45-day targets for state unemployment appeals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/13621589/embed?auto=1\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This kind of surge is predictable after a recession; the Appeals Board heard about 1.6 million cases in the years around the Great Recession, Crettol said. But workers like Allen, the Fresno graphic designer, have seen first-hand how pandemic cases can be complicated by heightened focus on fraud and differing interpretations of emergency health orders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Allen’s case, he told state officials that he quit his job in July 2021, when the Delta variant of the coronavirus was raging and his wife was instructed not to be vaccinated against COVID-19 while navigating a high-risk pregnancy. Since health precautions like masking were not strictly enforced at his in-person job as a sign installer, Allen wrote in a state appeals filing, he quit “to eliminate the risk of bringing COVID-19 home.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One unemployment payment arrived, but then the money stopped.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11949703\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11949703\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/CalMattersNicolasAllen.jpg\" alt=\"A man wearing a black shirt, gold chain and a black Bluetooth device in his ear poses inside his home next to a white door. On the white door is a homemade sign that reads, "William's and Joseph's Room" with two photos of the two boys.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/CalMattersNicolasAllen.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/CalMattersNicolasAllen-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/CalMattersNicolasAllen-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/CalMattersNicolasAllen-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nicolas Allen in his home in Fresno on April 10, 2023. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I was told that it had been reported that it was a fraudulent claim,” Allen said. “Because my former employer was claiming that I quit without cause.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So began an odyssey that involved months of arguing about pandemic protocols, clerical confusion over a brief freelance gig and paperwork ping-ponging between the EDD and the Appeals Board. After the second appeal, a state judge awarded Allen about six weeks out of the six months of benefits he applied for — securing around $3,000 of the $10,000 he sought, not counting potential federal unemployment supplements available during the pandemic — but denied the rest after questioning how actively he was seeking work while caring for two children under age 2.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across the state, some 170,000 other appeals cases are still pending, according to the most recent \u003ca href=\"https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/ui_insurance_appeal.asp\">data reported\u003c/a> by the U.S. Department of Labor. Crettol said the Appeals Board is encouraged that new appeals have started to decline in recent months, and cited a lower state count of 154,000 backlogged cases through the end of March — a discrepancy that he said stems from differences in how state and federal numbers are reported due to funding sources and EDD processing times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/13621625/embed?auto=1\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attorneys like Lichtash add that for those stuck waiting, one challenge is a lack of information about if and when a case has been transferred to the Appeals Board from the EDD, the latter of which he called a “black hole.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The EDD said in a statement to CalMatters that it sends cases to the Appeals Board in an average of three days. The Appeals Board offered a conflicting number: that it receives about two-thirds of appeals within a week after an appeal is filed, which Crettol said could differ due to how the two agencies track processing times. Neither agency regularly tracks the “monetary value” of appeals cases, or how much the state is being awarded or ordered to pay, spokespeople said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For workers like Allen caught in the fray, the price of being caught up in the confusion has been high.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His family slashed expenses like cable TV and was able to refinance their house, which they credit with avoiding falling behind on the mortgage. But Allen said they were still forced to borrow money from family and take on credit card debt, putting everyday luxuries like a dinner at a restaurant with their kids out of reach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s horrible. I mean, we’re living off my paycheck,” said Allen’s wife, Sharon, who works in human resources. “We’ve almost divorced a few times because of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A path for reform?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In many ways, unemployment advocates like Jenna Gerry say the pandemic has shone “a spotlight” on chronic problems with the state’s job safety net, from worker confusion over benefit denials to delays at EDD to inconsistent anti-fraud efforts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The question she and others are asking now is whether state officials will act to change the system that has once again gone haywire, or whether workers caught up in pandemic disputes will be left to bear the brunt of the confusion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was a perfect storm,” said Gerry, a senior staff attorney with the National Employment Law Project. “Instead of being like, ‘Wow, that was really bad. How do we make reforms now?’ … all people want to lift up is fraud, and not actually look at the systemic issues.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The biggest underlying issue, Gerry said, is that millions of California workers — such as gig workers, undocumented workers and others in tenuous hourly positions — aren’t eligible for normal unemployment benefits. That was why the federal government started \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/explainers/california-edd-unemployment-crisis-explained/\">emergency jobless programs\u003c/a> like Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. But subsequent high rates of fraud in the emergency program have complicated conversations at the federal and state levels about whether to make elements of the program permanent to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-divide/2022/04/california-undocumented-immigrants/\">cover more workers\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Jenna Gerry, staff attorney, National Employment Law Project\"]‘All people want to lift up is fraud, and not actually look at the systemic issues.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One potential change that advocates are watching closely in California is a plan to finally upgrade the state’s unemployment technology. The Appeals Board says it is rolling out a new system now, and the EDD is \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2022/12/unemployment-benefits-california-edd/\">preparing to launch\u003c/a> an effort called EDDNext. The challenge will be ensuring that such projects are more effective than other \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2021/04/california-unemployment-crisis-contracts/\">costly upgrades\u003c/a> after the Great Recession, which audits said \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2021/04/california-unemployment-crisis-contracts/\">buckled at the EDD during the pandemic\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among the more targeted reforms that state agencies \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4615\">have recommended\u003c/a>, but which legislators have yet to act on: removing the EDD from the appeals process, expanding the role of the Appeals Board or adding a new surcharge for businesses that frivolously appeal unemployment insurance (UI) claims.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To correct state practices that have the effect of limiting UI payments,” the Legislative Analyst’s Office wrote last summer, “the state should give the appeals board the authority and responsibility to set UI policy and practices.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As these debates drag on, some unemployment advocates and workers are taking matters into their own hands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In one Alameda County \u003ca href=\"https://edd.ca.gov/siteassets/files/about_edd/notice-of-class-action-settlement.pdf\">lawsuit against the EDD (PDF)\u003c/a>, the Sacramento-based Center for Workers’ Rights negotiated a February settlement to head off more payment disputes. The EDD \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/edd-won-t-require-refunds-unemployment-17789516.php\">agreed to cancel\u003c/a> around 5,000 notices of overpayment sent to workers already past a year-long statute of limitations, and to refrain from sending other similar notices past the allowed timeframe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agreement applies only to workers not flagged for potential fraud, leaving attorneys to worry that others still caught up in disputes or unsure how to contest their cases will slip through the cracks. Workers marked for making false statements to EDD face severe penalties — they could be forced to repay the money at high interest, have their wages garnished or be disqualified from collecting benefits if they lose a future job.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The burden is generally put on the claimant to appeal,” said Daniela Urban, executive director of the Center for Workers’ Rights. “But these notices never should have been issued.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11949702\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11949702\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/CalMattersMadelineMaye.jpg\" alt=\"A woman with reddish, shoulder-length hair, cateye glasses and a yellow and black floral blouse poses with a serious face in front of her apartment complex.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/CalMattersMadelineMaye.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/CalMattersMadelineMaye-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/CalMattersMadelineMaye-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/CalMattersMadelineMaye-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Madeline Maye, a video editor based in Burbank on Feb. 12, 2023. Maye lost $5000 to the Bank of America EDD debit card fraud of 2020. She had been laid off from her job just months earlier and was struggling to find freelance video editing work in the pandemic. The situation was compounded for Maye by the fact that she had just come out as transgender, was navigating hormone therapy, and trying to pay for essentials like rent and feminine-presenting clothes and products. \u003ccite>(Alisha Jucevic/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Farther south, in Burbank, Madeline Maye is still seeking some form of closure two years into another proposed class action lawsuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The timing couldn’t have been worse in mid-2020, when, in the midst of hormone therapy and a gender transition, the video editor became \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2020/11/how-bank-of-america-helped-fuel-californias-unemployment-meltdown/\">one of thousands of California workers\u003c/a> who noticed money draining from their unemployment debit cards in alleged fraudulent charges. The next year, she joined a class action claim against the state’s debit card contractor, Bank of America, which is now awaiting a hearing date before a federal judge in San Diego.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bank of America has filed to dismiss the suit and declined to comment on ongoing litigation. It was separately \u003ca href=\"https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/federal-regulators-fine-bank-of-america-225-million-over-botched-disbursement-of-state-unemployment-benefits-at-height-of-pandemic/\">fined $225 million\u003c/a> last year by federal regulators for what they deemed “botched disbursement of state unemployment benefits.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Maye’s case, it took about six months to get her unemployment money back from the bank, forcing her to start a GoFundMe account to pay rent and buy essentials like new clothes to restart her life. Her lawsuit is one of several that will test what justice might look like after the state’s job safety net failed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I got my money back, but it was one of the worst times in my life,” Maye said. “It felt like I was alone — that no one gave a shit about me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Californians who lost their jobs due to the pandemic, are still fighting lengthy legal battles over unemployment money that state and federal relief programs were designed to provide.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It’s been 22 months and three unemployment appeals since Nicolas Allen’s last job in Fresno.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the time it has taken the 44-year-old graphic designer to win a fraction of the benefits that he applied for, his wife has weathered a high-risk pregnancy, his youngest son was born and his family has been pushed to the financial brink.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, Allen is one of thousands of Californians who\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>say they lost jobs due to the pandemic, but are still fighting lengthy legal battles over unemployment money that state and federal relief programs were designed to provide. It’s a ripple effect of earlier \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/explainers/california-edd-unemployment-crisis-explained/\">benefit backlogs\u003c/a> that ensnared some \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4615\">5 million people\u003c/a> at the state Employment Development Department (EDD), which \u003ca href=\"https://www.auditor.ca.gov/reports/2020-128and628.1/introduction.html\">officials have said\u003c/a> was unprepared and overwhelmed by mass job losses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those caught up in payment disputes say they have struggled with debt, housing and necessities like food or health care. Meanwhile, no one is publicly tracking how much appeals cases and lawsuits might end up costing workers or taxpayers in a state that still owes the federal government \u003ca href=\"https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/docs/trustFundSolvReport2023.pdf\">nearly $19 billion (PDF)\u003c/a> in unemployment debt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s easier to not think the money’s there,” Allen said. “Because if I worry about it too much, it’s too painful.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The EDD has paid out \u003ca href=\"https://edd.ca.gov/en/newsroom/facts-and-stats/dashboard/\">$188 billion\u003c/a> in unemployment benefits since the first pandemic shutdowns. State and federal officials waived many ordinary application requirements as millions of claims flooded in, and the agency \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/california-edd-unemployment-fraud-ca-scam-insurance/10011810/#:~:text=CA%20EDD%20admits%20that%20as,to%20scammers%2C%20California%20EDD%20admits.\">has acknowledged\u003c/a> that up to $31 billion was paid to scammers in the rush to distribute money quickly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Along the way, state watchdogs say \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4615\">up to 1 million workers\u003c/a> were wrongly denied benefits — many mistakenly flagged for committing fraud themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Accusing people of fraud is a big deal,” said George Warner, director of the Wage Protection Program at San Francisco’s Legal Aid at Work. “And the EDD does it very casually, very frequently.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The biggest logjam of contested unemployment cases lies in a \u003ca href=\"https://edd.ca.gov/en/unemployment/appeals/\">state appeals process\u003c/a>, where more than 1 million workers have asked for a review of EDD’s decisions in their cases since March 2020. About 880,000 of those cases have already \u003ca href=\"https://cuiab.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/documents/cuiabUiAppealsFlowchart.pdf\">been transferred (PDF)\u003c/a> and heard by a lesser-known state labor agency, the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, where the average case is still languishing for 139 days before a hearing with a judge, federal \u003ca href=\"https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/ui_insurance_appeal.asp\">data shows\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dozens of workers who have exhausted this state process have elevated their claims even further, to \u003ca href=\"https://cuiab.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2023/03/Historical-CourtCases-0223b.pdf\">appellate or superior courts (PDF)\u003c/a>. Finally, advocacy groups and hundreds more workers \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2021/01/bank-of-america-sued-over-edd-unemployment-debit-card-fraud/\">have joined\u003c/a> proposed class-action lawsuits against the EDD or its \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-divide/2021/02/how-edd-and-bank-of-america-make-millions-on-california-unemployment/\">debit card contractor\u003c/a>, Bank of America.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both the EDD and the Appeals Board refused requests for interviews to discuss workers’ concerns and state efforts to respond. The agencies also referred some inquiries to one another or offered conflicting answers, raising questions about how delays and associated costs are being tracked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gregory Crettol, assistant director of the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, told CalMatters in a statement that the Appeals Board has hired and trained 105 judges and 100 new support staffers since the onset of the pandemic. The board is also rolling out a new online system for workers to track their cases, and officials said at an April meeting that judges are now closing almost twice as many cases per month as pre-pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, “Given the historic backlog of appeals,” Crettol said in a statement, the Appeals Board “anticipates it will likely take several more years to completely resolve before workload returns to normal levels.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unemployment cases are complex and vary widely, but workers awaiting disputed funds have faced similarly dire challenges. A 33-year-old video editor in Burbank had to create a GoFundMe to restart her life during a gender transition. A security guard In L.A. County worried whether fellow workers still seeking unemployment would end up in the homeless camps he once patrolled. A 62-year-old temp worker in Sacramento spent months terrified she’d lose her car, and a legal office manager in Southern California filed for food stamps and Medi-Cal to survive an appeal with no end in sight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I really feel like I’m a hostage,” said the office manager, who asked to be identified only as Carole M. and has been awaiting an appeal hearing since November. “I had no money, and I kept saying: ‘How long is this going to take?’”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Fraud fury\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Like many of California’s COVID-era unemployment challenges, slow and unwieldy payment disputes aren’t new. But the pandemic did two things: unleash an unprecedented flood of \u003ca href=\"https://edd.ca.gov/en/newsroom/facts-and-stats/dashboard/#TotalUnemploymentClaims\">29 million\u003c/a> jobless claims, and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2020/12/who-will-pay-for-all-of-californias-unemployment-fraud/\">supercharge anxiety\u003c/a> about a new generation of online fraud.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rival politicians have seized on jobless claims filed in the name of \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-11-24/california-has-sent-jobless-benefits-to-death-row-inmates\">death row inmates\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/18/us/nuke-bizzle-fraud-youtube.html#:~:text=the%20main%20story-,Rapper%20Arrested%20After%20Bragging%20About%20Unemployment%20Fraud%20in%20Video,coronavirus%20pandemic%2C%20the%20authorities%20said.\">YouTube rappers\u003c/a> bragging about EDD-fueled spending sprees. \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/identity-theft-and-unemployment-benefits\">Investigators attribute\u003c/a> the bulk of pandemic unemployment fraud to organized identity theft. Unemployment attorneys, meanwhile, say they’re seeing regular workers who thought they were eligible for benefits disqualified — and sometimes charged with lying — in cases that can sometimes be explained by confusion about state forms, clerical errors, language barriers or disagreements between workers and employers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s so wrong,” said Assaf Lichtash, founding attorney of Los Angeles-based Pershing Square Law Firm. “The way I see it, the EDD is punishing regular civilians that are just filing for benefits who make honest mistakes — they’re punishing them for their failure to safeguard the money from fraudsters.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State reports have also highlighted a disconnect between the EDD’s ham-fisted approach to large-scale fraud and what some say seems like a hair-trigger impulse to flag individual workers. Organized scammers evaded the agency’s automated application systems early in the pandemic, one \u003ca href=\"https://www.govops.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2020/09/Assessment.pdf\">September 2020 report (PDF)\u003c/a> by a governor-appointed EDD Strike Team found, while the vast majority of individual workers scrutinized in manual reviews appeared to be innocent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Processes intended to block fraud are slowing service delivery without catching fraud,” the Strike Team wrote, since just 0.02% of the 1.3 million cases flagged that summer appeared to be real fraud. “The cost of finding that small number of imposters is extremely high.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A separate \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4615\">report last August\u003c/a> by the Legislative Analyst’s Office found that, during the pandemic, state appeals judges overturned EDD unemployment denials up to 80% of the time. That report highlighted another sample of 1.1 million unemployment claims stopped due to fraud concerns by an EDD consultant early in the pandemic, where at least 600,000 cases were later “confirmed as legitimate” and workers saw payments needlessly delayed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even before COVID upended the job market, the Analyst’s Office estimated that improper unemployment denials cost workers $500 million to $1 billion a year in unpaid benefits. The agency also noted “concerning steps” at EDD in recent years that “suggest that ensuring eligible workers get benefits is not among its top priorities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The EDD refused to discuss its approach to appeals during the pandemic. Over the past three years, the agency has \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2021/04/california-unemployment-crisis-contracts/\">invested heavily\u003c/a> in new anti-fraud technology and \u003ca href=\"https://edd.ca.gov/siteassets/files/about_edd/pdf/news-22-06.pdf\">sought federal waivers (PDF)\u003c/a> for some workers who may have received extra federal pandemic unemployment funds “through no fault of their own.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For workers who still want to fight an unemployment case, \u003ca href=\"https://cuiab.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/documents/cuiabUiAppealsFlowchart.pdf\">the first step (PDF)\u003c/a> is to notify the EDD in writing. The EDD then transfers the case to a local office of the Appeals Board, which schedules a hearing with an administrative judge. If a worker or business still feels that their case is unresolved, they can file another appeal with the state-level office of the Appeals Board, or eventually escalate the case to a superior or appellate court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of March, the average first-level appeals case with a judge was taking 139 days — a lag not as extreme as some other states, U.S. Department of Labor \u003ca href=\"https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/ui_insurance_appeal.asp\">data shows\u003c/a>, but still roughly triple the federal government’s 30- and 45-day targets for state unemployment appeals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/13621589/embed?auto=1\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This kind of surge is predictable after a recession; the Appeals Board heard about 1.6 million cases in the years around the Great Recession, Crettol said. But workers like Allen, the Fresno graphic designer, have seen first-hand how pandemic cases can be complicated by heightened focus on fraud and differing interpretations of emergency health orders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Allen’s case, he told state officials that he quit his job in July 2021, when the Delta variant of the coronavirus was raging and his wife was instructed not to be vaccinated against COVID-19 while navigating a high-risk pregnancy. Since health precautions like masking were not strictly enforced at his in-person job as a sign installer, Allen wrote in a state appeals filing, he quit “to eliminate the risk of bringing COVID-19 home.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One unemployment payment arrived, but then the money stopped.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11949703\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11949703\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/CalMattersNicolasAllen.jpg\" alt=\"A man wearing a black shirt, gold chain and a black Bluetooth device in his ear poses inside his home next to a white door. On the white door is a homemade sign that reads, "William's and Joseph's Room" with two photos of the two boys.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/CalMattersNicolasAllen.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/CalMattersNicolasAllen-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/CalMattersNicolasAllen-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/CalMattersNicolasAllen-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nicolas Allen in his home in Fresno on April 10, 2023. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I was told that it had been reported that it was a fraudulent claim,” Allen said. “Because my former employer was claiming that I quit without cause.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So began an odyssey that involved months of arguing about pandemic protocols, clerical confusion over a brief freelance gig and paperwork ping-ponging between the EDD and the Appeals Board. After the second appeal, a state judge awarded Allen about six weeks out of the six months of benefits he applied for — securing around $3,000 of the $10,000 he sought, not counting potential federal unemployment supplements available during the pandemic — but denied the rest after questioning how actively he was seeking work while caring for two children under age 2.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across the state, some 170,000 other appeals cases are still pending, according to the most recent \u003ca href=\"https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/ui_insurance_appeal.asp\">data reported\u003c/a> by the U.S. Department of Labor. Crettol said the Appeals Board is encouraged that new appeals have started to decline in recent months, and cited a lower state count of 154,000 backlogged cases through the end of March — a discrepancy that he said stems from differences in how state and federal numbers are reported due to funding sources and EDD processing times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/13621625/embed?auto=1\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attorneys like Lichtash add that for those stuck waiting, one challenge is a lack of information about if and when a case has been transferred to the Appeals Board from the EDD, the latter of which he called a “black hole.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The EDD said in a statement to CalMatters that it sends cases to the Appeals Board in an average of three days. The Appeals Board offered a conflicting number: that it receives about two-thirds of appeals within a week after an appeal is filed, which Crettol said could differ due to how the two agencies track processing times. Neither agency regularly tracks the “monetary value” of appeals cases, or how much the state is being awarded or ordered to pay, spokespeople said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For workers like Allen caught in the fray, the price of being caught up in the confusion has been high.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His family slashed expenses like cable TV and was able to refinance their house, which they credit with avoiding falling behind on the mortgage. But Allen said they were still forced to borrow money from family and take on credit card debt, putting everyday luxuries like a dinner at a restaurant with their kids out of reach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s horrible. I mean, we’re living off my paycheck,” said Allen’s wife, Sharon, who works in human resources. “We’ve almost divorced a few times because of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A path for reform?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In many ways, unemployment advocates like Jenna Gerry say the pandemic has shone “a spotlight” on chronic problems with the state’s job safety net, from worker confusion over benefit denials to delays at EDD to inconsistent anti-fraud efforts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The question she and others are asking now is whether state officials will act to change the system that has once again gone haywire, or whether workers caught up in pandemic disputes will be left to bear the brunt of the confusion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was a perfect storm,” said Gerry, a senior staff attorney with the National Employment Law Project. “Instead of being like, ‘Wow, that was really bad. How do we make reforms now?’ … all people want to lift up is fraud, and not actually look at the systemic issues.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The biggest underlying issue, Gerry said, is that millions of California workers — such as gig workers, undocumented workers and others in tenuous hourly positions — aren’t eligible for normal unemployment benefits. That was why the federal government started \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/explainers/california-edd-unemployment-crisis-explained/\">emergency jobless programs\u003c/a> like Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. But subsequent high rates of fraud in the emergency program have complicated conversations at the federal and state levels about whether to make elements of the program permanent to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-divide/2022/04/california-undocumented-immigrants/\">cover more workers\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One potential change that advocates are watching closely in California is a plan to finally upgrade the state’s unemployment technology. The Appeals Board says it is rolling out a new system now, and the EDD is \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2022/12/unemployment-benefits-california-edd/\">preparing to launch\u003c/a> an effort called EDDNext. The challenge will be ensuring that such projects are more effective than other \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2021/04/california-unemployment-crisis-contracts/\">costly upgrades\u003c/a> after the Great Recession, which audits said \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2021/04/california-unemployment-crisis-contracts/\">buckled at the EDD during the pandemic\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among the more targeted reforms that state agencies \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4615\">have recommended\u003c/a>, but which legislators have yet to act on: removing the EDD from the appeals process, expanding the role of the Appeals Board or adding a new surcharge for businesses that frivolously appeal unemployment insurance (UI) claims.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To correct state practices that have the effect of limiting UI payments,” the Legislative Analyst’s Office wrote last summer, “the state should give the appeals board the authority and responsibility to set UI policy and practices.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As these debates drag on, some unemployment advocates and workers are taking matters into their own hands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In one Alameda County \u003ca href=\"https://edd.ca.gov/siteassets/files/about_edd/notice-of-class-action-settlement.pdf\">lawsuit against the EDD (PDF)\u003c/a>, the Sacramento-based Center for Workers’ Rights negotiated a February settlement to head off more payment disputes. The EDD \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/edd-won-t-require-refunds-unemployment-17789516.php\">agreed to cancel\u003c/a> around 5,000 notices of overpayment sent to workers already past a year-long statute of limitations, and to refrain from sending other similar notices past the allowed timeframe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agreement applies only to workers not flagged for potential fraud, leaving attorneys to worry that others still caught up in disputes or unsure how to contest their cases will slip through the cracks. Workers marked for making false statements to EDD face severe penalties — they could be forced to repay the money at high interest, have their wages garnished or be disqualified from collecting benefits if they lose a future job.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The burden is generally put on the claimant to appeal,” said Daniela Urban, executive director of the Center for Workers’ Rights. “But these notices never should have been issued.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11949702\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11949702\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/CalMattersMadelineMaye.jpg\" alt=\"A woman with reddish, shoulder-length hair, cateye glasses and a yellow and black floral blouse poses with a serious face in front of her apartment complex.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/CalMattersMadelineMaye.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/CalMattersMadelineMaye-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/CalMattersMadelineMaye-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/CalMattersMadelineMaye-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Madeline Maye, a video editor based in Burbank on Feb. 12, 2023. Maye lost $5000 to the Bank of America EDD debit card fraud of 2020. She had been laid off from her job just months earlier and was struggling to find freelance video editing work in the pandemic. The situation was compounded for Maye by the fact that she had just come out as transgender, was navigating hormone therapy, and trying to pay for essentials like rent and feminine-presenting clothes and products. \u003ccite>(Alisha Jucevic/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Farther south, in Burbank, Madeline Maye is still seeking some form of closure two years into another proposed class action lawsuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The timing couldn’t have been worse in mid-2020, when, in the midst of hormone therapy and a gender transition, the video editor became \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2020/11/how-bank-of-america-helped-fuel-californias-unemployment-meltdown/\">one of thousands of California workers\u003c/a> who noticed money draining from their unemployment debit cards in alleged fraudulent charges. The next year, she joined a class action claim against the state’s debit card contractor, Bank of America, which is now awaiting a hearing date before a federal judge in San Diego.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bank of America has filed to dismiss the suit and declined to comment on ongoing litigation. It was separately \u003ca href=\"https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/federal-regulators-fine-bank-of-america-225-million-over-botched-disbursement-of-state-unemployment-benefits-at-height-of-pandemic/\">fined $225 million\u003c/a> last year by federal regulators for what they deemed “botched disbursement of state unemployment benefits.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Maye’s case, it took about six months to get her unemployment money back from the bank, forcing her to start a GoFundMe account to pay rent and buy essentials like new clothes to restart her life. Her lawsuit is one of several that will test what justice might look like after the state’s job safety net failed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I got my money back, but it was one of the worst times in my life,” Maye said. “It felt like I was alone — that no one gave a shit about me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The federal COVID emergency will officially end on Thursday. But for those living with long COVID, the end of the pandemic couldn’t feel farther from reality. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dubbed by some as a “mass disabling event,” long COVID has left millions of Americans unable to work and stuck navigating the system of disability benefits in order to survive. Doctors and researchers have yet to pin down the exact cause of long COVID. Meanwhile, patients feel that not enough has been done to help find an effective treatment.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://bit.ly/42JCgnv\">\u003cem>Episode transcript\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guest: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/newskeith\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Keith Mizuguchi\u003c/a>, producer for KQED’s The California Report \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp id=\"embed-code\" class=\"inconsolata\">\n\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC3817112873&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The federal COVID emergency ends on Thursday. But for those living with long COVID, the end of the pandemic couldn’t feel farther from their reality. \r\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The federal COVID emergency will officially end on Thursday. But for those living with long COVID, the end of the pandemic couldn’t feel farther from reality. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dubbed by some as a “mass disabling event,” long COVID has left millions of Americans unable to work and stuck navigating the system of disability benefits in order to survive. Doctors and researchers have yet to pin down the exact cause of long COVID. Meanwhile, patients feel that not enough has been done to help find an effective treatment.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://bit.ly/42JCgnv\">\u003cem>Episode transcript\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Guest: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/newskeith\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Keith Mizuguchi\u003c/a>, producer for KQED’s The California Report \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp id=\"embed-code\" class=\"inconsolata\">\n\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC3817112873&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "The 'Arcturus' COVID Variant Is Already in the Bay Area. What We Know About XBB.1.16",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was updated at 11 a.m. on Tuesday\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A new COVID-19 variant is making its way through the Bay Area. But health experts say there’s no need to panic yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The XBB.1.16 strain — \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/TRyanGregory/status/1635398471120482306\">dubbed “Arcturus” by some online\u003c/a> — was added to the World Health Organization’s list of variants of interest in April, and has been detected in California, according to wastewater surveillance systems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump to: \u003ca href=\"#arcturuspinkeye\">What’s the connection between Arcturus and pink eye?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>It’s still early, but Arcturus is already “set to be the dominant strain by summer — and the rate of increase is very steep,” Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at UCSF, told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As COVID continues to evolve with our lives, KQED is monitoring new variants and challenges the virus presents and how to stay safe. Keep reading for what we know so far about XBB.1.16, this omicron subvariant.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Is the Arcturus strain present in the Bay Area?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Yes. \u003ca href=\"https://wwscan.ghost.io/\">The Arcturus variant has been detected in San Francisco, Sacramento and San José\u003c/a>, according to wastewater data from Stanford University’s Sewer Coronavirus Alert Network, or SCAN, system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are seeing it more frequently in the more recent samples,” said Alexandria Boehm, a professor at Stanford who oversees the SCAN system. The wastewater data takes two weeks to process, and the most recent showed that 10% of the genomes in the wastewater could be classified as XBB.1.16, i.e. the Arcturus variant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#tellus\">Tell us: What else do you need information about right now?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>More recent estimates based on COVID testing among patients at UCSF showed the omicron offshoot variant is now present in about 12% of identified cases of COVID-19, according to Chin-Hong. That’s way up from 2% back on April 1.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because so \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11940562/how-to-find-a-free-covid-test-near-you-in-2023-because-its-getting-harder\">many COVID testing resources have been wound down by officials in recent months\u003c/a>, the exact level of the virus in the community is difficult to measure. “We are not doing as much surveillance as we used to — but even though we don’t have formal numbers yet, it’s here,” said Chin-Hong.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The good news is that \u003ca href=\"https://covid19.ca.gov/state-dashboard/\">cases of COVID-19, including hospitalizations, are near their lowest levels\u003c/a> since the beginning of the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11902349\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11902349 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/RS53252_GettyImages-1237291550-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A hand holds an at-home COVID test, while another person's hand points to the test.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/RS53252_GettyImages-1237291550-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/RS53252_GettyImages-1237291550-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/RS53252_GettyImages-1237291550-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/RS53252_GettyImages-1237291550-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/RS53252_GettyImages-1237291550-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">What should you know about the latest COVID variant? \u003ccite>(Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>How is the Arcturus strain different from previous strains of the coronavirus?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As a strain of COVID, Arcturus is very similar to its predecessors and falls under the BA.2 omicron lineage. But it differs by having an extra protein.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Arcturus is expected to be more transmissible than past variants and that is why it is quickly outcompeting other variants, Chin-Hong said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most of what scientists know now about the latest variant comes from India, where it first rose to concern in January. And so far, there is little evidence that infections with this variant are more severe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The global risk assessment for XBB.1.16 is low as compared to XBB.1.5 and the other currently circulating variants, at this current time and with available evidence,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/21042023xbb.1.16ra-v2.pdf\">a risk assessment report from the WHO (PDF)\u003c/a> reads. “No changes in severity have been reported in countries where XBB.1.16 are reported to be circulating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In India and Indonesia, there has been a slight increase in bed occupancy numbers,” said the statement. “However, the levels are much lower than seen in previous variant waves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"arcturuspinkeye\">\u003c/a>What’s the connection between the Arcturus variant and pink eye?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Reports from India have anecdotally connected some cases of the latest variant with conjunctivitis, more commonly known as pink eye, in children who are infected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While rare, it’s not a totally new response with COVID generally, according to Chin-Hong. About 1% to 3% of all COVID cases have included pink eye symptoms, which include a red coloring of the white part of the eyeball, eye irritation and tears. It can also cause discharge or crust around the eye area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Anecdotally, it seems there is more in this subvariant. But a lot of viruses can cause pink eye, like a regular cold virus, so that’s not unusual,” Chin-Hong explained. “Just like how COVID makes your nose run, it can affect other moist surfaces of the body like the nose or mouth, and the eye is one of the places that can get infected. Other viruses as well can cause that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement to KQED, the San Francisco Department of Public Health noted this particular element among the symptoms to watch for this spring, saying that “while more research needs to be done regarding the symptoms of this [Arcturus] subvariant, people who are displaying common symptoms of COVID-19, as well as people who have pink eye, should stay home.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Who is most at risk of severe illness and hospitalization with Arcturus?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As with nearly all other COVID variants, older populations are most at risk of serious illness, hospitalization or death.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you’re vulnerable to infection, it may be easier to get infected with this variant,” said Chin-Hong. “But for most people, getting infected may not be a huge deal because they have a lot of immunity and T cells and B cells from antibodies, other recent infections and vaccines.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have the tools to make deaths close to zero, but we still have many more deaths with COVID than the regular flu virus,” he said. “So it’s important to protect the most vulnerable in our community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Department of Public Health says the agency continues to “strongly recommend that those eligible \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11924327/where-can-i-find-a-new-omicron-covid-booster-shot-near-me\">seek the bivalent vaccine\u003c/a>, which provides protection against known variants that have been circulating,” and notes that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11945763/can-i-get-second-bivalent-booster-cdc-who-eligible\">people age 65 and over — as well as those with weak immune systems — may now get their second dose\u003c/a> of the bivalent vaccine.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How can I protect myself and my community from this new variant?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Stay up-to-date on vaccinations. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11941531/when-can-i-get-a-second-bivalent-covid-booster-heres-what-we-know-right-now\">Our guide has everything you need to know about boosters and annual shots.\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Get tested if you start feeling sick. Read more about finding \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11940562/how-to-find-a-free-covid-test-near-you-in-2023-because-its-getting-harder\">free testing options near you\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Have a plan to get treatments like Paxlovid. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11942172/should-everyone-be-trying-to-get-paxlovid-for-covid-now-yes-basically\">Read and share our guide for finding treatments and seeking coverage or reimbursement.\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"tellus\">\u003c/a>Tell us: What else do you need information about?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>At KQED News, we know that it can sometimes be hard to track down the answers to navigate life in the Bay Area in 2023. We’ve published \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/coronavirus-resources-and-explainers\">clear, practical explainers and guides about COVID\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11936674/how-to-prepare-for-this-weeks-atmospheric-river-storm-sandbags-emergency-kits-and-more\">how to cope with intense winter weather\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11821950/how-to-safely-attend-a-protest-in-the-bay-area\">how to exercise your right to protest safely\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So tell us: What do you need to know more about? Tell us, and you could see your question answered online or on social media. What you submit will make our reporting stronger, and help us decide what to cover here on our site, and on KQED Public Radio, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[hearken id=\"10483\" src=\"https://modules.wearehearken.com/kqed/embed/10483.js\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was updated at 11 a.m. on Tuesday\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A new COVID-19 variant is making its way through the Bay Area. But health experts say there’s no need to panic yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The XBB.1.16 strain — \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/TRyanGregory/status/1635398471120482306\">dubbed “Arcturus” by some online\u003c/a> — was added to the World Health Organization’s list of variants of interest in April, and has been detected in California, according to wastewater surveillance systems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump to: \u003ca href=\"#arcturuspinkeye\">What’s the connection between Arcturus and pink eye?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>It’s still early, but Arcturus is already “set to be the dominant strain by summer — and the rate of increase is very steep,” Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at UCSF, told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As COVID continues to evolve with our lives, KQED is monitoring new variants and challenges the virus presents and how to stay safe. Keep reading for what we know so far about XBB.1.16, this omicron subvariant.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Is the Arcturus strain present in the Bay Area?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Yes. \u003ca href=\"https://wwscan.ghost.io/\">The Arcturus variant has been detected in San Francisco, Sacramento and San José\u003c/a>, according to wastewater data from Stanford University’s Sewer Coronavirus Alert Network, or SCAN, system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are seeing it more frequently in the more recent samples,” said Alexandria Boehm, a professor at Stanford who oversees the SCAN system. The wastewater data takes two weeks to process, and the most recent showed that 10% of the genomes in the wastewater could be classified as XBB.1.16, i.e. the Arcturus variant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#tellus\">Tell us: What else do you need information about right now?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>More recent estimates based on COVID testing among patients at UCSF showed the omicron offshoot variant is now present in about 12% of identified cases of COVID-19, according to Chin-Hong. That’s way up from 2% back on April 1.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because so \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11940562/how-to-find-a-free-covid-test-near-you-in-2023-because-its-getting-harder\">many COVID testing resources have been wound down by officials in recent months\u003c/a>, the exact level of the virus in the community is difficult to measure. “We are not doing as much surveillance as we used to — but even though we don’t have formal numbers yet, it’s here,” said Chin-Hong.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The good news is that \u003ca href=\"https://covid19.ca.gov/state-dashboard/\">cases of COVID-19, including hospitalizations, are near their lowest levels\u003c/a> since the beginning of the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11902349\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11902349 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/RS53252_GettyImages-1237291550-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A hand holds an at-home COVID test, while another person's hand points to the test.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/RS53252_GettyImages-1237291550-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/RS53252_GettyImages-1237291550-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/RS53252_GettyImages-1237291550-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/RS53252_GettyImages-1237291550-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/RS53252_GettyImages-1237291550-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">What should you know about the latest COVID variant? \u003ccite>(Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>How is the Arcturus strain different from previous strains of the coronavirus?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As a strain of COVID, Arcturus is very similar to its predecessors and falls under the BA.2 omicron lineage. But it differs by having an extra protein.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Arcturus is expected to be more transmissible than past variants and that is why it is quickly outcompeting other variants, Chin-Hong said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most of what scientists know now about the latest variant comes from India, where it first rose to concern in January. And so far, there is little evidence that infections with this variant are more severe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The global risk assessment for XBB.1.16 is low as compared to XBB.1.5 and the other currently circulating variants, at this current time and with available evidence,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/21042023xbb.1.16ra-v2.pdf\">a risk assessment report from the WHO (PDF)\u003c/a> reads. “No changes in severity have been reported in countries where XBB.1.16 are reported to be circulating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In India and Indonesia, there has been a slight increase in bed occupancy numbers,” said the statement. “However, the levels are much lower than seen in previous variant waves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"arcturuspinkeye\">\u003c/a>What’s the connection between the Arcturus variant and pink eye?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Reports from India have anecdotally connected some cases of the latest variant with conjunctivitis, more commonly known as pink eye, in children who are infected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While rare, it’s not a totally new response with COVID generally, according to Chin-Hong. About 1% to 3% of all COVID cases have included pink eye symptoms, which include a red coloring of the white part of the eyeball, eye irritation and tears. It can also cause discharge or crust around the eye area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Anecdotally, it seems there is more in this subvariant. But a lot of viruses can cause pink eye, like a regular cold virus, so that’s not unusual,” Chin-Hong explained. “Just like how COVID makes your nose run, it can affect other moist surfaces of the body like the nose or mouth, and the eye is one of the places that can get infected. 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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Who is most at risk of severe illness and hospitalization with Arcturus?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As with nearly all other COVID variants, older populations are most at risk of serious illness, hospitalization or death.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you’re vulnerable to infection, it may be easier to get infected with this variant,” said Chin-Hong. “But for most people, getting infected may not be a huge deal because they have a lot of immunity and T cells and B cells from antibodies, other recent infections and vaccines.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have the tools to make deaths close to zero, but we still have many more deaths with COVID than the regular flu virus,” he said. “So it’s important to protect the most vulnerable in our community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Department of Public Health says the agency continues to “strongly recommend that those eligible \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11924327/where-can-i-find-a-new-omicron-covid-booster-shot-near-me\">seek the bivalent vaccine\u003c/a>, which provides protection against known variants that have been circulating,” and notes that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11945763/can-i-get-second-bivalent-booster-cdc-who-eligible\">people age 65 and over — as well as those with weak immune systems — may now get their second dose\u003c/a> of the bivalent vaccine.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How can I protect myself and my community from this new variant?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Stay up-to-date on vaccinations. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11941531/when-can-i-get-a-second-bivalent-covid-booster-heres-what-we-know-right-now\">Our guide has everything you need to know about boosters and annual shots.\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Get tested if you start feeling sick. Read more about finding \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11940562/how-to-find-a-free-covid-test-near-you-in-2023-because-its-getting-harder\">free testing options near you\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Have a plan to get treatments like Paxlovid. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11942172/should-everyone-be-trying-to-get-paxlovid-for-covid-now-yes-basically\">Read and share our guide for finding treatments and seeking coverage or reimbursement.\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"tellus\">\u003c/a>Tell us: What else do you need information about?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>At KQED News, we know that it can sometimes be hard to track down the answers to navigate life in the Bay Area in 2023. We’ve published \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/coronavirus-resources-and-explainers\">clear, practical explainers and guides about COVID\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11936674/how-to-prepare-for-this-weeks-atmospheric-river-storm-sandbags-emergency-kits-and-more\">how to cope with intense winter weather\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11821950/how-to-safely-attend-a-protest-in-the-bay-area\">how to exercise your right to protest safely\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So tell us: What do you need to know more about? Tell us, and you could see your question answered online or on social media. What you submit will make our reporting stronger, and help us decide what to cover here on our site, and on KQED Public Radio, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "long-covid-in-california-a-pandemic-of-loneliness-and-social-isolation-and-rejection",
"title": "Long COVID in California: 'A Pandemic of Loneliness and Social Isolation and Rejection'",
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"content": "\u003cp>A bout with COVID-19 two years ago left Mindy Lym with such severe sensitivities to light and sound that she and her partner left their San Francisco home and moved to rural Washington, where there were fewer triggers. In the past two months, she has paid more than $7,500 out-of-pocket for medical care. Although she can afford it, she knows few people can do the same.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stephen Mintz gets just $60 per week from state disability insurance, which he began receiving after the chronic fatigue from COVID-19 prevented him from holding a steady job. He spent all of his savings and borrowed money from family. Without more relief payments from the state, he doesn’t know how he’ll pay his bills.[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Lisa McCorkell, co-founder, Patient-Led Research Collective\"]‘One of the big issues with long COVID … is that the people who are the most motivated to do something about it have the least amount of energy and ability to cause a scene.’[/pullquote]COVID-19 sent Janine Loftis to the hospital in 2020. She relies on a caretaker after lingering symptoms like brain fog, pain and fatigue have kept her from cooking or cleaning. But when Loftis’ caretaker took a monthlong leave of absence, shortages ravaging the health care workforce made it impossible to find a replacement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These are three out of countless stories of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/coronavirus/2022/03/long-covid-inequities-california/\">Californians afflicted by long COVID\u003c/a>. Recent CDC surveys suggest \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/covid19/pulse/long-covid.htm\">5.5% of California adults — roughly 1.5 million people — currently experience the ill-defined, mysterious and often debilitating collection of symptoms that make up long COVID\u003c/a>. More than 80% of them have some limits on their activity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While most of society rushes eagerly back to pre-pandemic life, these patients, known as “long haulers,” have been largely overlooked, particularly by policymakers and the medical establishment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a pandemic of loneliness and social isolation and rejection,” said Ibrahim Rashid, a long hauler and founder of \u003ca href=\"https://www.thestronghaulers.com/\">Strong Haulers\u003c/a>, a start-up app designed to make chronic symptom management easier.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California long haulers can face years-long wait times to get into specialized clinics. Oftentimes they have to fight for disability payments or to be taken seriously by doctors. And state lawmakers, despite holding hearings on the issue last year, have not introduced any proposals this session to assist them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.meaction.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Budget-Request_Long-COVID-ASM-Quirk.pdf\">budget proposal to increase long COVID clinic capacity at University of California health centers failed (PDF)\u003c/a> last year, and it’s unlikely anything new will make it off the ground now, given the state’s likely budget deficit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Former state Sen. Dr. Richard Pan, the Sacramento Democrat who co-chaired a special hearing on long COVID last year, told CalMatters in February, ahead of the deadline to introduce new bills, that he hoped “people are paying attention to this” because long COVID will put new stressors on the state’s health care, mental health and disability systems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state Senate Special Committee on Pandemic Emergency Response was not reinstated this year. A spokesperson for Sen. Josh Newman, a Democrat from Fullerton who chaired the committee last session, said there hasn’t been any conversation about long COVID this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Patients at the forefront\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Instead, the policy legwork has fallen on two people: Lisa McCorkell, co-founder of the Patient-Led Research Collective who has had long COVID since March 2020, and Art Mirin, whose daughter has a \u003ca href=\"https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/57/5/418/htm?s=09\">similar post-viral condition\u003c/a> called \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/me-cfs/about/index.html\">myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome\u003c/a>. Together, McCorkell and Mirin have drafted budget proposals, solicited letters of support from disability advocacy groups, and met with legislators and staffers. They’re doing the work that political power players pay lobbyists millions of dollars to organize — so far to no avail.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“One of the big issues with long COVID … is that the people who are the most motivated to do something about it have the least amount of energy and ability to cause a scene,” McCorkell said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite struggling with \u003ca href=\"https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16560-postural-orthostatic-tachycardia-syndrome-pots\">postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome\u003c/a>, a blood circulation disorder that can cause fatigue and brain fog, as well as other disabling symptoms, McCorkell has \u003ca href=\"https://docs.house.gov/meetings/IF/IF14/20210428/112514/HHRG-117-IF14-Wstate-McCorkellL-20210428.pdf\">testified before Congress on long COVID\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://patientresearchcovid19.com/publication/\">conducted research\u003c/a> and pushed for California to do more for the population.[aside label=\"related coverage\" tag=\"long-covid\"]She and Mirin wrote last year’s budget proposal for the state to fund research, training and treatment centers at UC medical campuses and other academic centers. Mirin said it has been challenging to find a champion for this issue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People will say they support one thing or another, but when it comes down to an official public request, other things have a way of coming into play,” Mirin said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although five UC medical campuses have long COVID clinics, demand far exceeds capacity, said Dr. Anne Foster, chief clinical strategy officer for UC Health Systems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are just a lot of patients out there,” she said, noting that UC Health supports McCorkell and Mirin’s proposal, but new state funding isn’t available for it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Officials with the California Department of Public Health plan to create a new COVID-19 Control Branch to monitor variants and outbreaks and support long COVID research, said State Epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan. The department is using some money from last year as well as seed money from \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/coronavirus/2022/02/california-covid-plans/\">the state’s $1.8 billion long-term COVID-19 preparedness plan\u003c/a> to open the branch. However, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-budget/2023/01/california-budget-newsom-deficit/\">proposed budget cuts\u003c/a> make ongoing funding uncertain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are looking at that and trying to advocate for ongoing resources,” Pan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without additional money from the state, Foster said UC Health has pivoted to developing a \u003ca href=\"https://health.universityofcalifornia.edu/long-covid-education\">free continuing education training program for doctors on best practices to treat long COVID patients\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McCorkell and Mirin say the training modules aren’t perfect, but they’re an important resource for primary care doctors, especially considering most people in the state live too far from a specialized clinic to get help.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Many doctors haven’t heard of long COVID\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Stephen Mintz of Fresno is one such patient.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mintz avoided COVID-19 for more than two years, but in August he went to a bar to celebrate his 59th birthday, and tested positive for the virus shortly thereafter. By September, Mintz found he didn’t have the physical or mental stamina to do much of anything. After two-and-a-half hours of activity, his limbs would get heavy and his thoughts would muddle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You could almost set a clock to it,” Mintz said. “Suddenly it would be very difficult to put one foot in front of the other.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948034\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1568px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/040323-Long-Covid-LV_CM-01.jpeg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11948034\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/040323-Long-Covid-LV_CM-01.jpeg\" alt=\"A middle-aged white man with glasses sits on a couch in a dark, shade-drawn room.\" width=\"1568\" height=\"1045\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/040323-Long-Covid-LV_CM-01.jpeg 1568w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/040323-Long-Covid-LV_CM-01-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/040323-Long-Covid-LV_CM-01-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/040323-Long-Covid-LV_CM-01-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/040323-Long-Covid-LV_CM-01-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1568px) 100vw, 1568px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stephen Mintz sits at the side of his bed in his apartment in Fresno on March 3, 2023. Mintz was diagnosed with COVID-19 in September and has had chronic fatigue since then. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In January, Mintz was stacking chairs at a local bar where he works as a security guard. Within 10 minutes he got dizzy and couldn’t lift his arms anymore. It’s a common condition associated with long COVID called \u003ca href=\"https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2021.0106\">post-exertional malaise\u003c/a> — pushing through the fatigue can worsen symptoms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I actually cried then. I’ve been depressed over this and frustrated,” Mintz said. “I couldn’t believe I’m so weak.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mintz went to his primary care doctor in Fresno for help. He said he thought he had long COVID and was met with skepticism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“His first reaction was that he hadn’t really heard of it,” Mintz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On his disability paperwork, Mintz said the doctor wrote “general malaise and short-term amnesia” because he didn’t know how to diagnose Mintz and told him to call UCSF, nearly 200 miles away, for advice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The doctor there said, ‘Um, well, if you lived here you could be part of a research study,’” Mintz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a common experience among people with long COVID-19. Though the pandemic has thrust \u003ca href=\"https://time.com/6240058/post-viral-illnesses-common-long-covid/\">post-viral illnesses\u003c/a> into the spotlight, most doctors still don’t have the experience to treat the collection of \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-022-00846-2\">more than 200 symptoms\u003c/a> that make up long COVID.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each new variant of COVID-19 also changes \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1871402121001193\">which symptoms are most common\u003c/a>, making it doubly difficult for the average primary care doctor to diagnose, said Dr. Nisha Viswanathan, a primary care physician at UCLA Health’s long COVID clinic. The “vague nature” of many symptoms like fatigue and insomnia also lead to misdiagnosis and frustration among patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really challenging,” Viswanathan said. “If you’re not seeing a certain volume of long COVID patients, it can be difficult to recognize when a patient may be having it versus not.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘I knew it had gotten into my brain’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>COVID-19 first hit Mindy Lym, a 37-year-old from San Francisco, like a mild flu, causing fever and congestion. But on Day 5 of her illness, she looked at a text from her girlfriend who was isolating in a separate room and couldn’t make sense of the words. It looked like gibberish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That really scared the shit out of me,” Lym said. “I knew it had gotten into my brain.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She has spent every day since then chasing after an elusive recovery. Like McCorkell, Lym developed \u003ca href=\"https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16560-postural-orthostatic-tachycardia-syndrome-pots\">postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome\u003c/a> and wears compression garments like stockings and a corset to improve blood circulation. She also has \u003ca href=\"https://www.aaaai.org/conditions-treatments/related-conditions/mcas\">mast cell activation syndrome\u003c/a>, which causes an immune response similar to a severe allergic reaction as well as chronic inflammation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For three months, Lym, who formerly worked as a music teacher and theater performer in San Francisco, could barely walk and needed a full-time caretaker to dress and bathe. Even soft noises and dim lights caused her to feel “unbearable pain.” When construction outside her house led to weeks of jackhammering, Lym developed PTSD.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We moved because of my long COVID,” Lym said. “Being in a city with city noises … was completely untenable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948036\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1568px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-18.jpeg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11948036 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-18.jpeg\" alt=\"A woman with long dark hair and glasses sits on a couch, looking out the window. \" width=\"1568\" height=\"1045\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-18.jpeg 1568w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-18-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-18-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-18-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-18-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1568px) 100vw, 1568px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mindy Lym has been living with long COVID since the summer of 2022. \u003ccite>(Celeste Noche/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In September 2022, before moving out of state to rural Washington, Lym called the Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome clinic at Stanford Health Care. The clinic scheduled an appointment for her for October 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The demand has been extremely high,” said Dr. Linda Geng, co-director of Stanford’s long COVID clinic. The clinic sees about 12 to 15 new patients each week and has an eight-month average wait time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet even as patients like Mintz and Lym struggle to get into a specialized clinic, UCLA physician Viswanathan said she has heard from multiple colleagues at other facilities that are considering closing their long COVID care clinics or reducing hours. Health systems are strapped for cash and facing a dire workforce shortage, said Dr. Anil Keswani, chief medical officer at Scripps Health in San Diego.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have increased supply costs. We have increased pharmacy costs. We have increased labor costs,” Keswani said. “How do health care systems invest in programs like long COVID clinics, like hiring more clinicians? Health care organizations have been battered over the last few years, but I don’t see any government relief.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948037\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1568px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-25.jpeg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11948037\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-25.jpeg\" alt=\"Lots of medications in bottles on a table.\" width=\"1568\" height=\"1045\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-25.jpeg 1568w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-25-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-25-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-25-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-25-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1568px) 100vw, 1568px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Some of the many medications and supplements Mindy Lym takes for her long COVID symptoms. \u003ccite>(Celeste Noche/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Janine’s story\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A patient navigator could help someone like Janine Loftis, who has fought for nearly 2 1/2 years to be seen by a long COVID specialist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Elk Grove resident turned 73 in January, but physically, she feels much older. In November 2020, after laying in “the house for two weeks not knowing what to do,” Loftis called an ambulance. It was the middle of the night, she had COVID, and her oxygen level dropped. Family and caretakers couldn’t check on her for fear of infection. By the time Loftis was admitted to the hospital, she had viral and bacterial pneumonia and blood clots forming deep in her veins.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Loftis was already disabled from previous spinal injuries, but the persistent aftereffects of COVID-19 have floored her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s embarrassing how little I can do on my own,” Loftis said. “My body gives out on me. Things are just lost to my mind.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948038\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1568px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/042623-Long-Covid-Portraits-Janine-Loftis-RL-CM-01.jpeg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11948038 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/042623-Long-Covid-Portraits-Janine-Loftis-RL-CM-01.jpeg\" alt=\"An older white woman with neat, white, shoulder-length hair wearing a purple floral long-sleeved blouse poses outside her house.\" width=\"1568\" height=\"1045\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/042623-Long-Covid-Portraits-Janine-Loftis-RL-CM-01.jpeg 1568w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/042623-Long-Covid-Portraits-Janine-Loftis-RL-CM-01-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/042623-Long-Covid-Portraits-Janine-Loftis-RL-CM-01-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/042623-Long-Covid-Portraits-Janine-Loftis-RL-CM-01-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/042623-Long-Covid-Portraits-Janine-Loftis-RL-CM-01-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1568px) 100vw, 1568px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Janine Loftis, 73, at her home in Elk Grove on April 26, 2023. Loftis has long COVID, including lingering symptoms from the original infection such as brain fog and chronic fatigue. \u003ccite>(Rahul Lal/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The chronic fatigue and brain fog prevent her from going to in-person church services, and she recently gave her dog of nine years to an adoption agency after caring for her got too hard. When Loftis’ home caregiver took a leave of absence for four weeks, she couldn’t find a replacement, due to \u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/health/millions-of-californians-need-home-care-industry-in-crisis-ucla-labor-center-report\">long-standing workforce shortages that intensified during the pandemic\u003c/a>. Without anyone to help her, Loftis “struggled really horribly” to manage daily tasks, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Juggling doctors’ appointments and navigating the byzantine health insurance system is an added obstacle for Loftis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My head is spinning just trying to talk about it again,” she said. “I don’t know how lay people, especially disabled ones with a lot of distractions like pain or like me, with brain fog … understand it.”[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Mindy Lym\"]‘I feel like I have my personality back. My fatigue is no longer limiting how I express myself … which is amazing.’[/pullquote]Two months ago, Loftis finally convinced her primary care doctor to refer her to the UC Davis long COVID clinic, but she said her paperwork is now “lost in a pile of things that need authorization.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It takes everything just to keep up with anything,” Loftis said. “When things get ignored or I don’t know the process, I just have to wait for it to play out. I’m the middle man. I can’t do anything.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>No one from UC Davis Health’s long COVID clinic responded to a request for an interview. When asked about clinic capacity, the media relations division said that its post-COVID clinic has the ability to treat “an infinite number of patients.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Hope … with some caveats\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>There is a decent chance of at least a partial recovery from long COVID within a year. Anecdotally, long COVID specialists interviewed by CalMatters said even if patients don’t make a full recovery, most see significant improvement over time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You look a year or 18 months out and the majority of people have had improvement if not complete resolution,” said Dr. Caitlin McAuley, a primary care physician at the USC Keck COVID Recovery Clinic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A large study out of Israel found that \u003ca href=\"https://www.bmj.com/content/380/bmj-2022-072529\">among patients with mild COVID-19 infections, most symptoms resolved within one year\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other studies, however, paint \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-33415-5\">a less rosy picture\u003c/a>, with \u003ca href=\"https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(22)00127-8/fulltext\">few patients reporting full recovery\u003c/a>. One study on French patients found \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-29513-z\">85% still reported long COVID symptoms\u003c/a> a year after onset.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the plus side, Mintz, who has had long COVID for eight months, has slowly regained his energy over time. He can go five or six hours without crashing, compared to two hours in January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And Lym, who has had long COVID for nine months, has also seen a marked improvement. In February, she enrolled in a private long COVID research and treatment clinic. Together with her doctor, Lym discovered certain foods exacerbated her most severe symptoms. Now, she has an 18-page list of foods she can’t eat and takes a medley of antihistamines, blood thinners and supplements daily. Though Lym is still disabled, her sensory issues are 95% better and her energy has steadily improved, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel like I have my personality back. My fatigue is no longer limiting how I express myself … which is amazing,” Lym said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Lym’s clinic isn’t covered by insurance, and costs $1,000 per month, plus the cost of any tests the doctor orders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not accessible,” Lym said. “I know there are so many people going through what I’m going through but don’t have the resources.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "There are currently no legislative proposals in California to help residents suffering from the debilitating effects of long COVID, despite long wait times for care and often unaffordable treatment options.",
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"title": "Long COVID in California: 'A Pandemic of Loneliness and Social Isolation and Rejection' | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A bout with COVID-19 two years ago left Mindy Lym with such severe sensitivities to light and sound that she and her partner left their San Francisco home and moved to rural Washington, where there were fewer triggers. In the past two months, she has paid more than $7,500 out-of-pocket for medical care. Although she can afford it, she knows few people can do the same.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stephen Mintz gets just $60 per week from state disability insurance, which he began receiving after the chronic fatigue from COVID-19 prevented him from holding a steady job. He spent all of his savings and borrowed money from family. Without more relief payments from the state, he doesn’t know how he’ll pay his bills.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘One of the big issues with long COVID … is that the people who are the most motivated to do something about it have the least amount of energy and ability to cause a scene.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>COVID-19 sent Janine Loftis to the hospital in 2020. She relies on a caretaker after lingering symptoms like brain fog, pain and fatigue have kept her from cooking or cleaning. But when Loftis’ caretaker took a monthlong leave of absence, shortages ravaging the health care workforce made it impossible to find a replacement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These are three out of countless stories of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/coronavirus/2022/03/long-covid-inequities-california/\">Californians afflicted by long COVID\u003c/a>. Recent CDC surveys suggest \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/covid19/pulse/long-covid.htm\">5.5% of California adults — roughly 1.5 million people — currently experience the ill-defined, mysterious and often debilitating collection of symptoms that make up long COVID\u003c/a>. More than 80% of them have some limits on their activity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While most of society rushes eagerly back to pre-pandemic life, these patients, known as “long haulers,” have been largely overlooked, particularly by policymakers and the medical establishment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a pandemic of loneliness and social isolation and rejection,” said Ibrahim Rashid, a long hauler and founder of \u003ca href=\"https://www.thestronghaulers.com/\">Strong Haulers\u003c/a>, a start-up app designed to make chronic symptom management easier.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California long haulers can face years-long wait times to get into specialized clinics. Oftentimes they have to fight for disability payments or to be taken seriously by doctors. And state lawmakers, despite holding hearings on the issue last year, have not introduced any proposals this session to assist them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.meaction.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Budget-Request_Long-COVID-ASM-Quirk.pdf\">budget proposal to increase long COVID clinic capacity at University of California health centers failed (PDF)\u003c/a> last year, and it’s unlikely anything new will make it off the ground now, given the state’s likely budget deficit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Former state Sen. Dr. Richard Pan, the Sacramento Democrat who co-chaired a special hearing on long COVID last year, told CalMatters in February, ahead of the deadline to introduce new bills, that he hoped “people are paying attention to this” because long COVID will put new stressors on the state’s health care, mental health and disability systems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state Senate Special Committee on Pandemic Emergency Response was not reinstated this year. A spokesperson for Sen. Josh Newman, a Democrat from Fullerton who chaired the committee last session, said there hasn’t been any conversation about long COVID this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Patients at the forefront\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Instead, the policy legwork has fallen on two people: Lisa McCorkell, co-founder of the Patient-Led Research Collective who has had long COVID since March 2020, and Art Mirin, whose daughter has a \u003ca href=\"https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/57/5/418/htm?s=09\">similar post-viral condition\u003c/a> called \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/me-cfs/about/index.html\">myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome\u003c/a>. Together, McCorkell and Mirin have drafted budget proposals, solicited letters of support from disability advocacy groups, and met with legislators and staffers. They’re doing the work that political power players pay lobbyists millions of dollars to organize — so far to no avail.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“One of the big issues with long COVID … is that the people who are the most motivated to do something about it have the least amount of energy and ability to cause a scene,” McCorkell said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite struggling with \u003ca href=\"https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16560-postural-orthostatic-tachycardia-syndrome-pots\">postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome\u003c/a>, a blood circulation disorder that can cause fatigue and brain fog, as well as other disabling symptoms, McCorkell has \u003ca href=\"https://docs.house.gov/meetings/IF/IF14/20210428/112514/HHRG-117-IF14-Wstate-McCorkellL-20210428.pdf\">testified before Congress on long COVID\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://patientresearchcovid19.com/publication/\">conducted research\u003c/a> and pushed for California to do more for the population.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>She and Mirin wrote last year’s budget proposal for the state to fund research, training and treatment centers at UC medical campuses and other academic centers. Mirin said it has been challenging to find a champion for this issue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People will say they support one thing or another, but when it comes down to an official public request, other things have a way of coming into play,” Mirin said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although five UC medical campuses have long COVID clinics, demand far exceeds capacity, said Dr. Anne Foster, chief clinical strategy officer for UC Health Systems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are just a lot of patients out there,” she said, noting that UC Health supports McCorkell and Mirin’s proposal, but new state funding isn’t available for it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Officials with the California Department of Public Health plan to create a new COVID-19 Control Branch to monitor variants and outbreaks and support long COVID research, said State Epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan. The department is using some money from last year as well as seed money from \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/coronavirus/2022/02/california-covid-plans/\">the state’s $1.8 billion long-term COVID-19 preparedness plan\u003c/a> to open the branch. However, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-budget/2023/01/california-budget-newsom-deficit/\">proposed budget cuts\u003c/a> make ongoing funding uncertain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are looking at that and trying to advocate for ongoing resources,” Pan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without additional money from the state, Foster said UC Health has pivoted to developing a \u003ca href=\"https://health.universityofcalifornia.edu/long-covid-education\">free continuing education training program for doctors on best practices to treat long COVID patients\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McCorkell and Mirin say the training modules aren’t perfect, but they’re an important resource for primary care doctors, especially considering most people in the state live too far from a specialized clinic to get help.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Many doctors haven’t heard of long COVID\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Stephen Mintz of Fresno is one such patient.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mintz avoided COVID-19 for more than two years, but in August he went to a bar to celebrate his 59th birthday, and tested positive for the virus shortly thereafter. By September, Mintz found he didn’t have the physical or mental stamina to do much of anything. After two-and-a-half hours of activity, his limbs would get heavy and his thoughts would muddle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You could almost set a clock to it,” Mintz said. “Suddenly it would be very difficult to put one foot in front of the other.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948034\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1568px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/040323-Long-Covid-LV_CM-01.jpeg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11948034\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/040323-Long-Covid-LV_CM-01.jpeg\" alt=\"A middle-aged white man with glasses sits on a couch in a dark, shade-drawn room.\" width=\"1568\" height=\"1045\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/040323-Long-Covid-LV_CM-01.jpeg 1568w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/040323-Long-Covid-LV_CM-01-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/040323-Long-Covid-LV_CM-01-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/040323-Long-Covid-LV_CM-01-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/040323-Long-Covid-LV_CM-01-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1568px) 100vw, 1568px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stephen Mintz sits at the side of his bed in his apartment in Fresno on March 3, 2023. Mintz was diagnosed with COVID-19 in September and has had chronic fatigue since then. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In January, Mintz was stacking chairs at a local bar where he works as a security guard. Within 10 minutes he got dizzy and couldn’t lift his arms anymore. It’s a common condition associated with long COVID called \u003ca href=\"https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2021.0106\">post-exertional malaise\u003c/a> — pushing through the fatigue can worsen symptoms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I actually cried then. I’ve been depressed over this and frustrated,” Mintz said. “I couldn’t believe I’m so weak.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mintz went to his primary care doctor in Fresno for help. He said he thought he had long COVID and was met with skepticism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“His first reaction was that he hadn’t really heard of it,” Mintz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On his disability paperwork, Mintz said the doctor wrote “general malaise and short-term amnesia” because he didn’t know how to diagnose Mintz and told him to call UCSF, nearly 200 miles away, for advice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The doctor there said, ‘Um, well, if you lived here you could be part of a research study,’” Mintz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a common experience among people with long COVID-19. Though the pandemic has thrust \u003ca href=\"https://time.com/6240058/post-viral-illnesses-common-long-covid/\">post-viral illnesses\u003c/a> into the spotlight, most doctors still don’t have the experience to treat the collection of \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-022-00846-2\">more than 200 symptoms\u003c/a> that make up long COVID.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each new variant of COVID-19 also changes \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1871402121001193\">which symptoms are most common\u003c/a>, making it doubly difficult for the average primary care doctor to diagnose, said Dr. Nisha Viswanathan, a primary care physician at UCLA Health’s long COVID clinic. The “vague nature” of many symptoms like fatigue and insomnia also lead to misdiagnosis and frustration among patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really challenging,” Viswanathan said. “If you’re not seeing a certain volume of long COVID patients, it can be difficult to recognize when a patient may be having it versus not.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘I knew it had gotten into my brain’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>COVID-19 first hit Mindy Lym, a 37-year-old from San Francisco, like a mild flu, causing fever and congestion. But on Day 5 of her illness, she looked at a text from her girlfriend who was isolating in a separate room and couldn’t make sense of the words. It looked like gibberish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That really scared the shit out of me,” Lym said. “I knew it had gotten into my brain.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She has spent every day since then chasing after an elusive recovery. Like McCorkell, Lym developed \u003ca href=\"https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16560-postural-orthostatic-tachycardia-syndrome-pots\">postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome\u003c/a> and wears compression garments like stockings and a corset to improve blood circulation. She also has \u003ca href=\"https://www.aaaai.org/conditions-treatments/related-conditions/mcas\">mast cell activation syndrome\u003c/a>, which causes an immune response similar to a severe allergic reaction as well as chronic inflammation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For three months, Lym, who formerly worked as a music teacher and theater performer in San Francisco, could barely walk and needed a full-time caretaker to dress and bathe. Even soft noises and dim lights caused her to feel “unbearable pain.” When construction outside her house led to weeks of jackhammering, Lym developed PTSD.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We moved because of my long COVID,” Lym said. “Being in a city with city noises … was completely untenable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948036\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1568px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-18.jpeg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11948036 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-18.jpeg\" alt=\"A woman with long dark hair and glasses sits on a couch, looking out the window. \" width=\"1568\" height=\"1045\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-18.jpeg 1568w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-18-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-18-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-18-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-18-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1568px) 100vw, 1568px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mindy Lym has been living with long COVID since the summer of 2022. \u003ccite>(Celeste Noche/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In September 2022, before moving out of state to rural Washington, Lym called the Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome clinic at Stanford Health Care. The clinic scheduled an appointment for her for October 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The demand has been extremely high,” said Dr. Linda Geng, co-director of Stanford’s long COVID clinic. The clinic sees about 12 to 15 new patients each week and has an eight-month average wait time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet even as patients like Mintz and Lym struggle to get into a specialized clinic, UCLA physician Viswanathan said she has heard from multiple colleagues at other facilities that are considering closing their long COVID care clinics or reducing hours. Health systems are strapped for cash and facing a dire workforce shortage, said Dr. Anil Keswani, chief medical officer at Scripps Health in San Diego.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have increased supply costs. We have increased pharmacy costs. We have increased labor costs,” Keswani said. “How do health care systems invest in programs like long COVID clinics, like hiring more clinicians? Health care organizations have been battered over the last few years, but I don’t see any government relief.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948037\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1568px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-25.jpeg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11948037\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-25.jpeg\" alt=\"Lots of medications in bottles on a table.\" width=\"1568\" height=\"1045\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-25.jpeg 1568w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-25-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-25-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-25-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/041423-Long-COVID-Mindy-Lym-CN-CM-25-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1568px) 100vw, 1568px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Some of the many medications and supplements Mindy Lym takes for her long COVID symptoms. \u003ccite>(Celeste Noche/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Janine’s story\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A patient navigator could help someone like Janine Loftis, who has fought for nearly 2 1/2 years to be seen by a long COVID specialist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Elk Grove resident turned 73 in January, but physically, she feels much older. In November 2020, after laying in “the house for two weeks not knowing what to do,” Loftis called an ambulance. It was the middle of the night, she had COVID, and her oxygen level dropped. Family and caretakers couldn’t check on her for fear of infection. By the time Loftis was admitted to the hospital, she had viral and bacterial pneumonia and blood clots forming deep in her veins.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Loftis was already disabled from previous spinal injuries, but the persistent aftereffects of COVID-19 have floored her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s embarrassing how little I can do on my own,” Loftis said. “My body gives out on me. Things are just lost to my mind.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948038\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1568px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/042623-Long-Covid-Portraits-Janine-Loftis-RL-CM-01.jpeg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11948038 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/042623-Long-Covid-Portraits-Janine-Loftis-RL-CM-01.jpeg\" alt=\"An older white woman with neat, white, shoulder-length hair wearing a purple floral long-sleeved blouse poses outside her house.\" width=\"1568\" height=\"1045\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/042623-Long-Covid-Portraits-Janine-Loftis-RL-CM-01.jpeg 1568w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/042623-Long-Covid-Portraits-Janine-Loftis-RL-CM-01-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/042623-Long-Covid-Portraits-Janine-Loftis-RL-CM-01-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/042623-Long-Covid-Portraits-Janine-Loftis-RL-CM-01-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/042623-Long-Covid-Portraits-Janine-Loftis-RL-CM-01-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1568px) 100vw, 1568px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Janine Loftis, 73, at her home in Elk Grove on April 26, 2023. Loftis has long COVID, including lingering symptoms from the original infection such as brain fog and chronic fatigue. \u003ccite>(Rahul Lal/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The chronic fatigue and brain fog prevent her from going to in-person church services, and she recently gave her dog of nine years to an adoption agency after caring for her got too hard. When Loftis’ home caregiver took a leave of absence for four weeks, she couldn’t find a replacement, due to \u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/health/millions-of-californians-need-home-care-industry-in-crisis-ucla-labor-center-report\">long-standing workforce shortages that intensified during the pandemic\u003c/a>. Without anyone to help her, Loftis “struggled really horribly” to manage daily tasks, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Juggling doctors’ appointments and navigating the byzantine health insurance system is an added obstacle for Loftis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My head is spinning just trying to talk about it again,” she said. “I don’t know how lay people, especially disabled ones with a lot of distractions like pain or like me, with brain fog … understand it.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘I feel like I have my personality back. My fatigue is no longer limiting how I express myself … which is amazing.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Two months ago, Loftis finally convinced her primary care doctor to refer her to the UC Davis long COVID clinic, but she said her paperwork is now “lost in a pile of things that need authorization.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It takes everything just to keep up with anything,” Loftis said. “When things get ignored or I don’t know the process, I just have to wait for it to play out. I’m the middle man. I can’t do anything.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>No one from UC Davis Health’s long COVID clinic responded to a request for an interview. When asked about clinic capacity, the media relations division said that its post-COVID clinic has the ability to treat “an infinite number of patients.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Hope … with some caveats\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>There is a decent chance of at least a partial recovery from long COVID within a year. Anecdotally, long COVID specialists interviewed by CalMatters said even if patients don’t make a full recovery, most see significant improvement over time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You look a year or 18 months out and the majority of people have had improvement if not complete resolution,” said Dr. Caitlin McAuley, a primary care physician at the USC Keck COVID Recovery Clinic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A large study out of Israel found that \u003ca href=\"https://www.bmj.com/content/380/bmj-2022-072529\">among patients with mild COVID-19 infections, most symptoms resolved within one year\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other studies, however, paint \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-33415-5\">a less rosy picture\u003c/a>, with \u003ca href=\"https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(22)00127-8/fulltext\">few patients reporting full recovery\u003c/a>. One study on French patients found \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-29513-z\">85% still reported long COVID symptoms\u003c/a> a year after onset.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the plus side, Mintz, who has had long COVID for eight months, has slowly regained his energy over time. He can go five or six hours without crashing, compared to two hours in January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And Lym, who has had long COVID for nine months, has also seen a marked improvement. In February, she enrolled in a private long COVID research and treatment clinic. Together with her doctor, Lym discovered certain foods exacerbated her most severe symptoms. Now, she has an 18-page list of foods she can’t eat and takes a medley of antihistamines, blood thinners and supplements daily. Though Lym is still disabled, her sensory issues are 95% better and her energy has steadily improved, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel like I have my personality back. My fatigue is no longer limiting how I express myself … which is amazing,” Lym said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Lym’s clinic isn’t covered by insurance, and costs $1,000 per month, plus the cost of any tests the doctor orders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not accessible,” Lym said. “I know there are so many people going through what I’m going through but don’t have the resources.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "What Happened to the 1,300 RVs Gov. Newsom Sent to Address Homelessness Back in 2020?",
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"content": "\u003cp>In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom made a splashy announcement: The state had procured around 1,300 trailers to house people experiencing homelessness who were especially vulnerable to the virus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in the more than three years since the trailers were delivered throughout the state, the results have been mixed. In some areas, the trailers continue to fill a crucial need, like in Napa County, where they are used to quarantine sick farmworkers, and in San Francisco, where they’ve become part of the city’s network of non-congregate homeless shelters. But in some other counties that requested them, like Monterey, the trailers are now gathering dust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Farrah McDaid Ting, director of public affairs, California State Association of Counties\"]‘The tiny home plan is welcome, and it’s going to be amazing, but it’s a drop in the ocean.’[/pullquote]State housing advocates and fiscal watchdogs say the patchwork success of the trailer program raises questions about whether Newsom’s most recently announced homelessness plan — to erect 1,200 tiny homes across the state — could have a similarly uneven, largely inadequate impact.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The tiny home plan is welcome, and it’s going to be amazing, but it’s a drop in the ocean,” said Farrah McDaid Ting, director of public affairs for the California State Association of Counties. “And like the COVID trailers, they may get lost because there is no accountability or expectation of outcomes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>An emergency response to COVID\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In January 2020, the Newsom administration began delivering temporary housing trailers to California cities, including more than a dozen to a parking lot in East Oakland. When the COVID emergency orders went into effect in March, that effort ramped up so both counties and cities could request the trailers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Through the program, the state purchased a total of 1,305 trailers — of which about 105 were used and 1,200 were new — and started leasing hotels in California’s largest population centers to provide isolated lodging to unhoused people. The trailers slept anywhere from two to 10 people. Some had microwaves, bunk beds, sofas, TV mounts and full bathrooms, while others were smaller with fewer amenities.[aside postID=\"news_11945422,news_11927278,news_11796428\" label=\"Related Stories\"]Each trailer cost anywhere from roughly $12,000 to $30,000, totaling nearly $29 million including delivery fees, according to data from the California Department of General Services, which procured them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But once the trailers arrived, it was up to each city or county to figure out how to fund and manage them. Some did; others didn’t.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco set up its 116 trailers — 91 gifted by the state and 21 paid for by the city — at Pier 94 near the Bayview neighborhood. The city paid for electricity, bathrooms and showers for residents, daily meals, transportation services and on-site health services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were able to get power and resources out to the site relatively quickly and open it up to people who were the most vulnerable to COVID living on the streets of the Bayview,” said Emily Cohen, spokesperson for the city’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. “It’s not just a trailer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A total of 303 people have so far participated in San Francisco’s program. Of those, 37 have moved to permanent housing, according to Cohen. All but two of the trailers are still in use, and 118 people are still living at the site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But at a site just across the bay, near Oakland International Airport, the trailer program had a much rockier start.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They were in pretty sad shape and rehabbing them was extremely expensive,” said Derek Soo, an advocate for people experiencing homelessness, who in spring 2020 helped move some residents from nearby encampments into the trailers at the site on Hegenberger Road, which became known as Operation HomeBase. “They were falling apart after the first year.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Soo, who was unhoused himself, reported some of the dangerous conditions at the trailer site in its early days, including a lack of stable electricity. The city of Oakland eventually installed a transformer, which cost about $250,000, according to Soo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Site infrastructure improvements, like physical accessibility and trailer maintenance, and ongoing services, like meals and sanitation, are expensive but necessary to effectively operate temporary housing, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kym Wilson lived in a trailer at HomeBase from May 2020 to November 2021 with her husband and their two cats and a dog, until the couple was finally approved for an emergency housing voucher. The voucher allowed them to move from the trailer into an apartment in San Leandro, where they continue to live today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The trailer was smaller than our tent and we didn’t like that, but we knew we had an opportunity for housing, so we stayed,” said Wilson, who grew up in the East Bay, but was forced into homelessness after being evicted from her apartment in 2017. “Overall, the [trailer] experience was good. It was like a big trailer park right next to the Coliseum.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Jeff Scott, spokesperson, San José Housing Department\"]‘We used the trailers for a couple months, but we found the expense and operational challenges of maintaining such a large fleet of trailers were not a good fit for our city.’[/pullquote]But some other cities that received trailers in 2020 couldn’t follow through on providing the services necessary to make the temporary alternative housing programs successful. And some cities that requested the trailers didn’t receive any at all, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://public.tableau.com/views/COVID-19HomelessImpactDashboard/HomelessImpact?:embed=y&:showVizHome=no\">state data dashboard\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In San José, for instance, only 90 of the 104 trailers sent were deemed habitable upon arrival, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/06/16/san-jose-spent-1-3-million-on-trailers-for-homeless-a-month-later-the-site-was-shut-down/\">Mercury News reported\u003c/a> at the start of the program, as some were missing sinks and had damaged vents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city spent nearly $1.3 million to repair damaged trailers and set up services and infrastructure, like water and electricity. But several months later, San José officials decided to return all 105 of its trailers and ditch the idea altogether.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We used the trailers for a couple months, but we found the expense and operational challenges of maintaining such a large fleet of trailers were not a good fit for our city,” said Jeff Scott, spokesperson for the city’s housing department. “We transitioned our residents into other accommodations and returned the trailers to the state.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Monterey County, 15 trailers were set up at a county-owned park with RV hookups for water and electricity already available. But in the fall of 2022, as the COVID emergency became less dire, the trailers were decommissioned, according to Karen Smith, spokesperson with the Monterey County Public Health Department.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And even though the county continues to grapple with an acute housing shortage, the trailers are now sitting unused, in storage, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Empty trailers in a housing crisis\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11947622\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/GettyImages-1220237023.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11947622\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/GettyImages-1220237023-800x509.jpg\" alt=\"A lineup of trailers outside.\" width=\"800\" height=\"509\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/GettyImages-1220237023-800x509.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/GettyImages-1220237023-1020x649.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/GettyImages-1220237023-160x102.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/GettyImages-1220237023.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trailers that were brought to Oakland to be used by unhoused people remain empty on Day 30 of the coronavirus shelter-in-place order in Oakland on Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Some of the trailers had been there since a joint press conference was held with Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Mayor Libby Schaaf on Jan. 16, 2020. \u003ccite>(Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>To avoid that same fate with tiny homes and other emergency housing initiatives, housing advocates say local municipalities need to receive more guidance and sustained funding from the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness in San Francisco, said Newsom’s tiny home plan feels very similar to the trailer program. “Newsom is doing these one-time investments, then asking municipalities to take it on,” she said. “The local government still has to pay for all the infrastructure costs, like pouring cement, staffing, food costs and other services. That was expensive at Pier 94 [in San Francisco].”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The wide disparity in outcomes for these short-term solutions has much to do with a lack of coordination and accountability when they are rolled out, notes McDaid Ting, of the California State Association of Counties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s so hodgepodge,” she said of the way broad homelessness initiatives, like the trailer program, have been implemented in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McDaid Ting’s group is calling on the governor to create a master plan to address homelessness that clarifies which state, county and local agencies are responsible for managing different parts of the state’s response — from running shelters and building ample housing and safety-net programs to expanding data collection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom has so far allocated around $2.5 billion in this year’s budget to address homelessness, and has directed more than $20 billion toward the issue since taking office in 2018 — far more than any of his predecessors — according to the state Legislative Analyst’s Office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But many advocates say that still falls far short of what is needed to provide long-term solutions to \u003ca class=\"c-link\" href=\"http://chrome-extension//efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"http://chrome-extension//efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">the state’s more than 171,000 unhoused people (PDF)\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The state’s homelessness crisis is so severe that the governor has called in the National Guard, and several city leaders have declared emergencies in their jurisdictions,” Cal Cities executive director and CEO Carolyn Coleman said in a statement in response to a recent survey showing that 90% of California cities don’t know how they’ll pay for homelessness services in the years ahead. “Lasting progress will be out of reach without an ongoing source of state investment in local communities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Tiny homes, big promises\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For Newsom’s newest housing initiative, the state is planning to deliver 350 tiny homes to Sacramento, 500 to Los Angeles, 200 to San José and 150 to San Diego. The cities will own the homes and be on the hook for funding ongoing services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In various studies, a majority of unhoused people say they prefer tiny homes and trailers to congregate shelters because they offer more privacy and security, helping residents to reestablish a greater degree of stability and confidence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everyone wants their own place, the opportunity to move forward from the sidewalk to the trailer or tiny homes and into their own apartment or house. That’s the end result, that’s what we are looking for,” said Wilson, a former resident of Oakland’s Operation HomeBase program. “We came from homes. We haven’t always been homeless.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom made a splashy announcement: The state had procured around 1,300 trailers to house people experiencing homelessness who were especially vulnerable to the virus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in the more than three years since the trailers were delivered throughout the state, the results have been mixed. In some areas, the trailers continue to fill a crucial need, like in Napa County, where they are used to quarantine sick farmworkers, and in San Francisco, where they’ve become part of the city’s network of non-congregate homeless shelters. But in some other counties that requested them, like Monterey, the trailers are now gathering dust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>State housing advocates and fiscal watchdogs say the patchwork success of the trailer program raises questions about whether Newsom’s most recently announced homelessness plan — to erect 1,200 tiny homes across the state — could have a similarly uneven, largely inadequate impact.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The tiny home plan is welcome, and it’s going to be amazing, but it’s a drop in the ocean,” said Farrah McDaid Ting, director of public affairs for the California State Association of Counties. “And like the COVID trailers, they may get lost because there is no accountability or expectation of outcomes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>An emergency response to COVID\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In January 2020, the Newsom administration began delivering temporary housing trailers to California cities, including more than a dozen to a parking lot in East Oakland. When the COVID emergency orders went into effect in March, that effort ramped up so both counties and cities could request the trailers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Through the program, the state purchased a total of 1,305 trailers — of which about 105 were used and 1,200 were new — and started leasing hotels in California’s largest population centers to provide isolated lodging to unhoused people. The trailers slept anywhere from two to 10 people. Some had microwaves, bunk beds, sofas, TV mounts and full bathrooms, while others were smaller with fewer amenities.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Each trailer cost anywhere from roughly $12,000 to $30,000, totaling nearly $29 million including delivery fees, according to data from the California Department of General Services, which procured them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But once the trailers arrived, it was up to each city or county to figure out how to fund and manage them. Some did; others didn’t.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco set up its 116 trailers — 91 gifted by the state and 21 paid for by the city — at Pier 94 near the Bayview neighborhood. The city paid for electricity, bathrooms and showers for residents, daily meals, transportation services and on-site health services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were able to get power and resources out to the site relatively quickly and open it up to people who were the most vulnerable to COVID living on the streets of the Bayview,” said Emily Cohen, spokesperson for the city’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. “It’s not just a trailer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A total of 303 people have so far participated in San Francisco’s program. Of those, 37 have moved to permanent housing, according to Cohen. All but two of the trailers are still in use, and 118 people are still living at the site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But at a site just across the bay, near Oakland International Airport, the trailer program had a much rockier start.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They were in pretty sad shape and rehabbing them was extremely expensive,” said Derek Soo, an advocate for people experiencing homelessness, who in spring 2020 helped move some residents from nearby encampments into the trailers at the site on Hegenberger Road, which became known as Operation HomeBase. “They were falling apart after the first year.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Soo, who was unhoused himself, reported some of the dangerous conditions at the trailer site in its early days, including a lack of stable electricity. The city of Oakland eventually installed a transformer, which cost about $250,000, according to Soo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Site infrastructure improvements, like physical accessibility and trailer maintenance, and ongoing services, like meals and sanitation, are expensive but necessary to effectively operate temporary housing, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kym Wilson lived in a trailer at HomeBase from May 2020 to November 2021 with her husband and their two cats and a dog, until the couple was finally approved for an emergency housing voucher. The voucher allowed them to move from the trailer into an apartment in San Leandro, where they continue to live today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The trailer was smaller than our tent and we didn’t like that, but we knew we had an opportunity for housing, so we stayed,” said Wilson, who grew up in the East Bay, but was forced into homelessness after being evicted from her apartment in 2017. “Overall, the [trailer] experience was good. It was like a big trailer park right next to the Coliseum.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘We used the trailers for a couple months, but we found the expense and operational challenges of maintaining such a large fleet of trailers were not a good fit for our city.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But some other cities that received trailers in 2020 couldn’t follow through on providing the services necessary to make the temporary alternative housing programs successful. And some cities that requested the trailers didn’t receive any at all, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://public.tableau.com/views/COVID-19HomelessImpactDashboard/HomelessImpact?:embed=y&:showVizHome=no\">state data dashboard\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In San José, for instance, only 90 of the 104 trailers sent were deemed habitable upon arrival, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/06/16/san-jose-spent-1-3-million-on-trailers-for-homeless-a-month-later-the-site-was-shut-down/\">Mercury News reported\u003c/a> at the start of the program, as some were missing sinks and had damaged vents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city spent nearly $1.3 million to repair damaged trailers and set up services and infrastructure, like water and electricity. But several months later, San José officials decided to return all 105 of its trailers and ditch the idea altogether.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We used the trailers for a couple months, but we found the expense and operational challenges of maintaining such a large fleet of trailers were not a good fit for our city,” said Jeff Scott, spokesperson for the city’s housing department. “We transitioned our residents into other accommodations and returned the trailers to the state.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Monterey County, 15 trailers were set up at a county-owned park with RV hookups for water and electricity already available. But in the fall of 2022, as the COVID emergency became less dire, the trailers were decommissioned, according to Karen Smith, spokesperson with the Monterey County Public Health Department.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And even though the county continues to grapple with an acute housing shortage, the trailers are now sitting unused, in storage, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Empty trailers in a housing crisis\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11947622\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/GettyImages-1220237023.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11947622\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/GettyImages-1220237023-800x509.jpg\" alt=\"A lineup of trailers outside.\" width=\"800\" height=\"509\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/GettyImages-1220237023-800x509.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/GettyImages-1220237023-1020x649.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/GettyImages-1220237023-160x102.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/GettyImages-1220237023.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trailers that were brought to Oakland to be used by unhoused people remain empty on Day 30 of the coronavirus shelter-in-place order in Oakland on Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Some of the trailers had been there since a joint press conference was held with Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Mayor Libby Schaaf on Jan. 16, 2020. \u003ccite>(Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>To avoid that same fate with tiny homes and other emergency housing initiatives, housing advocates say local municipalities need to receive more guidance and sustained funding from the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness in San Francisco, said Newsom’s tiny home plan feels very similar to the trailer program. “Newsom is doing these one-time investments, then asking municipalities to take it on,” she said. “The local government still has to pay for all the infrastructure costs, like pouring cement, staffing, food costs and other services. That was expensive at Pier 94 [in San Francisco].”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The wide disparity in outcomes for these short-term solutions has much to do with a lack of coordination and accountability when they are rolled out, notes McDaid Ting, of the California State Association of Counties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s so hodgepodge,” she said of the way broad homelessness initiatives, like the trailer program, have been implemented in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McDaid Ting’s group is calling on the governor to create a master plan to address homelessness that clarifies which state, county and local agencies are responsible for managing different parts of the state’s response — from running shelters and building ample housing and safety-net programs to expanding data collection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom has so far allocated around $2.5 billion in this year’s budget to address homelessness, and has directed more than $20 billion toward the issue since taking office in 2018 — far more than any of his predecessors — according to the state Legislative Analyst’s Office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But many advocates say that still falls far short of what is needed to provide long-term solutions to \u003ca class=\"c-link\" href=\"http://chrome-extension//efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"http://chrome-extension//efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">the state’s more than 171,000 unhoused people (PDF)\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The state’s homelessness crisis is so severe that the governor has called in the National Guard, and several city leaders have declared emergencies in their jurisdictions,” Cal Cities executive director and CEO Carolyn Coleman said in a statement in response to a recent survey showing that 90% of California cities don’t know how they’ll pay for homelessness services in the years ahead. “Lasting progress will be out of reach without an ongoing source of state investment in local communities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Tiny homes, big promises\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For Newsom’s newest housing initiative, the state is planning to deliver 350 tiny homes to Sacramento, 500 to Los Angeles, 200 to San José and 150 to San Diego. The cities will own the homes and be on the hook for funding ongoing services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In various studies, a majority of unhoused people say they prefer tiny homes and trailers to congregate shelters because they offer more privacy and security, helping residents to reestablish a greater degree of stability and confidence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everyone wants their own place, the opportunity to move forward from the sidewalk to the trailer or tiny homes and into their own apartment or house. That’s the end result, that’s what we are looking for,” said Wilson, a former resident of Oakland’s Operation HomeBase program. “We came from homes. We haven’t always been homeless.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"marketplace": {
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"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
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"masters-of-scale": {
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},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"order": 12
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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"morning-edition": {
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"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
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"onourwatch": {
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"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"order": 11
},
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"on-the-media": {
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"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
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},
"pbs-newshour": {
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"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
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},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
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"order": 14
},
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"planet-money": {
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"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
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},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 5
},
"link": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
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"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0c2d153-ad36-4c8d-901d-f1da6a724824/political-breakdown",
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
"meta": {
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"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
"subscribe": {
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
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},
"pri-the-world": {
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