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"content": "\u003cp>In a long-awaited preliminary study, Caltrans found that lifting a decades-old \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12032217/caltrans-launches-long-awaited-study-on-i-580-truck-ban-and-pollution-impact\">truck ban on Interstate 580 \u003c/a>would add about 3,800 large vehicles to the highway daily — and reduce truck traffic along parallel Interstate 880. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The findings come as the state’s transportation department examines the potential traffic, health and equity impacts of removing a more than 70-year-old ban on trucks heavier than 9,000 pounds, with the exception of some buses and paratransit vehicles, from the highway running along the base of the East Bay Hills in Oakland and San Leandro.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oakland residents have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11879641/trucks-are-banned-on-oaklands-i-580-these-sixth-graders-wondered-why\">raised concerns\u003c/a> for years about the health impacts of the ban, which diverts most truck traffic coming through the East Bay to I-880. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-09-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094111\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-09-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-09-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-09-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cameron Oakes (left) and John Xu pose for a photo at a public information event for Oakland residents to ask questions about newly released findings from the Interstate 580 Truck Access Study on Aug. 5, 2026, in Oakland. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the trucks bring goods to the East Oakland port, they also deliver noise, air pollution and a heightened risk of asthma and cancer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>More than half of residents living along I-880 are environmentally burdened — meaning they carry the heaviest pollution, health, and economic burdens — compared to just 8.7% of residents living along I-580, according to the Caltrans study. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Caltrans said the study will not result in any change to the status of the ban or produce a recommendation around keeping or removing the ban. Only the state Legislature can lift the ban. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even so, the study has drawn criticism from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085096/east-bay-residents-push-back-as-caltrans-studies-lifting-i-580-truck-ban\">residents\u003c/a> who worry that removing the ban will spread more pollution throughout the East Bay.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, Caltrans presented its initial findings with a poster session at the Oakland Public Library’s West Oakland branch as part of a series of community engagement events. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Diane Russell, a member of No Big-Rigs on I-580 — which opposes lifting the ban — attended and said she learned about the projected impacts on cancer and asthma as well as the projected traffic flows from the poster session. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Russell said she opposed the ban because there are a higher number of sensitive sites like hospitals along I-580.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Keep the ban and mitigate the bad influences along 880 for the people who live there, because it is inequitable,” Russell said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cameron Oakes, deputy district director of transportation and local assistance at Caltrans, said that the study is responding to concerns around freight traffic raised in community action plans from West and East Oakland focused on \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/community-health/community-health-protection-program/west-oakland-community-action-plan\">air quality\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/Government/Oakland-Improvement-Projects/East-Oakland-Mobility-Action-Plan\">transit equity\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-05-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094108\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-05-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-05-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-05-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Flyers are displayed showing results from the study at a public information event for Oakland residents to ask questions about newly released findings from the Interstate 580 Truck Access Study on Aug. 5, 2026, in Oakland. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Caltrans examined the potential impacts of lifting the I-580 truck ban for communities living along both highways by modeling traffic flows and air quality scenarios along each road in 2035. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The study found that lifting the ban would reduce truck traffic along I-880 from roughly 9,200 trucks per day to about 6,200.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, the study found environmentally burdened communities would see only a slightly lower cancer risk with the ban removed. A \u003ca href=\"https://apps.fehrandpeers.com/i580_equity_explorer/\">“no-ban”\u003c/a> scenario would shift the cancer risk from 9 cases per million to 8 cases per million.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The initial findings do suggest, though, an overall reduction in cancer risk in the entire study area through 2035 — largely due to projected improvements in trucking fuels as California moves to meet higher air quality standards, Oakes said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The current analysis is based on old diesel-powered trucks being replaced by new diesel-powered trucks, not electric or hydrogen, according to Oakes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251021-I-580-MD-03-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094103\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251021-I-580-MD-03-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251021-I-580-MD-03-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251021-I-580-MD-03-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251021-I-580-MD-03-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251021-I-580-MD-03-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The 580 freeway in Oakland on Oct. 21, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Caltrans will continue to share the study’s preliminary findings and seek input on other ways to reduce the impact of freight traffic on communities. The final sharing session will take place Aug. 11 at the South Berkeley Farmers Market. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other solutions included constructing sound walls, expanding support for zero-emission truck standards, increasing tree planting and centering restorative justice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Caltrans’ survey asking community members how the study findings impact their opinion on lifting the ban is now \u003ca href=\"https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/i580TAS-Survey\">live\u003c/a>. They plan to release their final report this winter.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-09-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094111\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-09-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-09-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-09-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cameron Oakes (left) and John Xu pose for a photo at a public information event for Oakland residents to ask questions about newly released findings from the Interstate 580 Truck Access Study on Aug. 5, 2026, in Oakland.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-09-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094111\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cameron Oakes (left) and John Xu pose for a photo at a public information event for Oakland residents to ask questions about newly released findings from the Interstate 580 Truck Access Study on Aug. 5, 2026, in Oakland.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As the trucks bring goods to the East Oakland port, they also deliver noise, air pollution and a heightened risk of asthma and cancer. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>More than half of residents living along I-880 are environmentally burdened — meaning they carry the heaviest pollution, health, and economic burdens — compared to just 8.7% of residents living along I-580, according to the Caltrans study. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>More than half of residents living along I-880 are environmentally burdened — meaning they carry the heaviest pollution, health, and economic burdens — compared to just 8.7% of residents living along I-580, according to the Caltrans study. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Caltrans said the study will not result in any change to the status of the ban or produce a recommendation around keeping or removing the ban. Only the state Legislature can lift the ban. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Caltrans said the study will not result in any change to the status of the ban or produce a recommendation around keeping or removing the ban. Only the state Legislature can lift the ban. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even so, the study has drawn criticism from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085096/east-bay-residents-push-back-as-caltrans-studies-lifting-i-580-truck-ban\">residents\u003c/a> who worry that removing the ban will spread more pollution throughout the East Bay.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Even so, the study has drawn criticism from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085096/east-bay-residents-push-back-as-caltrans-studies-lifting-i-580-truck-ban\">residents\u003c/a> who worry that removing the ban will spread more pollution throughout the East Bay.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, Caltrans presented its initial findings with a poster session at the Oakland Public Library’s West Oakland branch as part of a series of community engagement events. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Diane Russell, a member of No Big-Rigs on I-580 — which opposes lifting the ban — attended and said she learned about the projected impacts on cancer and asthma as well as the projected traffic flows from the poster session. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Diane Russell, a member of No Big-Rigs on I-580 — which opposes lifting the ban — attended and said she learned about the projected impacts on cancer and asthma as well as the projected traffic flows from the poster session. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Russell said she opposed the ban because there are a higher number of sensitive sites like hospitals along I-580.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Keep the ban and mitigate the bad influences along 880 for the people who live there, because it is inequitable,” Russell said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Keep the ban and mitigate the bad influences along 880 for the people who live there, because it is inequitable,” Russell said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Cameron Oakes, deputy district director of transportation and local assistance at Caltrans, said that the study is responding to concerns around freight traffic raised in community action plans from West and East Oakland focused on \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/community-health/community-health-protection-program/west-oakland-community-action-plan\">air quality\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/Government/Oakland-Improvement-Projects/East-Oakland-Mobility-Action-Plan\">transit equity\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Cameron Oakes, deputy district director of transportation and local assistance at Caltrans, said that the study is responding to concerns around freight traffic raised in community action plans from West and East Oakland focused on \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/community-health/community-health-protection-program/west-oakland-community-action-plan\">air quality\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/Government/Oakland-Improvement-Projects/East-Oakland-Mobility-Action-Plan\">transit equity\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-05-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094108\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-05-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-05-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-05-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Flyers are displayed showing results from the study at a public information event for Oakland residents to ask questions about newly released findings from the Interstate 580 Truck Access Study on Aug. 5, 2026, in Oakland.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-05-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094108\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Flyers are displayed showing results from the study at a public information event for Oakland residents to ask questions about newly released findings from the Interstate 580 Truck Access Study on Aug. 5, 2026, in Oakland.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Caltrans examined the potential impacts of lifting the I-580 truck ban for communities living along both highways by modeling traffic flows and air quality scenarios along each road in 2035. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Caltrans examined the potential impacts of lifting the I-580 truck ban for communities living along both highways by modeling traffic flows and air quality scenarios along each road in 2035. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The study found that lifting the ban would reduce truck traffic along I-880 from roughly 9,200 trucks per day to about 6,200.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The study found that lifting the ban would reduce truck traffic along I-880 from roughly 9,200 trucks per day to about 6,200.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, the study found environmentally burdened communities would see only a slightly lower cancer risk with the ban removed. A \u003ca href=\"https://apps.fehrandpeers.com/i580_equity_explorer/\">“no-ban”\u003c/a> scenario would shift the cancer risk from 9 cases per million to 8 cases per million.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>However, the study found environmentally burdened communities would see only a slightly lower cancer risk with the ban removed. A \u003ca href=\"https://apps.fehrandpeers.com/i580_equity_explorer/\">“no-ban”\u003c/a> scenario would shift the cancer risk from 9 cases per million to 8 cases per million.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The initial findings do suggest, though, an overall reduction in cancer risk in the entire study area through 2035 — largely due to projected improvements in trucking fuels as California moves to meet higher air quality standards, Oakes said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The initial findings do suggest, though, an overall reduction in cancer risk in the entire study area through 2035 — largely due to projected improvements in trucking fuels as California moves to meet higher air quality standards, Oakes said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The current analysis is based on old diesel-powered trucks being replaced by new diesel-powered trucks, not electric or hydrogen, according to Oakes. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The current analysis is based on old diesel-powered trucks being replaced by new diesel-powered trucks, not electric or hydrogen, according to Oakes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251021-I-580-MD-03-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094103\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251021-I-580-MD-03-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251021-I-580-MD-03-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251021-I-580-MD-03-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251021-I-580-MD-03-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251021-I-580-MD-03-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The 580 freeway in Oakland on Oct. 21, 2025.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251021-I-580-MD-03-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094103\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The 580 freeway in Oakland on Oct. 21, 2025.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Caltrans will continue to share the study’s preliminary findings and seek input on other ways to reduce the impact of freight traffic on communities. The final sharing session will take place Aug. 11 at the South Berkeley Farmers Market. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Caltrans will continue to share the study’s preliminary findings and seek input on other ways to reduce the impact of freight traffic on communities. The final sharing session will take place Aug. 11 at the South Berkeley Farmers Market. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other solutions included constructing sound walls, expanding support for zero-emission truck standards, increasing tree planting and centering restorative justice. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Other solutions included constructing sound walls, expanding support for zero-emission truck standards, increasing tree planting and centering restorative justice. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Caltrans’ survey asking community members how the study findings impact their opinion on lifting the ban is now \u003ca href=\"https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/i580TAS-Survey\">live\u003c/a>. They plan to release their final report this winter.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Caltrans’ survey asking community members how the study findings impact their opinion on lifting the ban is now \u003ca href=\"https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/i580TAS-Survey\">live\u003c/a>. They plan to release their final report this winter.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Trucks haven’t been allowed to drive on Interstate 580 since the 1950s. Caltrans is now exploring the impact of lifting the ban.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In a long-awaited preliminary study, Caltrans found that lifting a decades-old \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12032217/caltrans-launches-long-awaited-study-on-i-580-truck-ban-and-pollution-impact\">truck ban on Interstate 580 \u003c/a>would add about 3,800 large vehicles to the highway daily — and reduce truck traffic along parallel Interstate 880. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The findings come as the state’s transportation department examines the potential traffic, health and equity impacts of removing a more than 70-year-old ban on trucks heavier than 9,000 pounds, with the exception of some buses and paratransit vehicles, from the highway running along the base of the East Bay Hills in Oakland and San Leandro.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oakland residents have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11879641/trucks-are-banned-on-oaklands-i-580-these-sixth-graders-wondered-why\">raised concerns\u003c/a> for years about the health impacts of the ban, which diverts most truck traffic coming through the East Bay to I-880. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-09-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094111\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-09-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-09-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-09-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cameron Oakes (left) and John Xu pose for a photo at a public information event for Oakland residents to ask questions about newly released findings from the Interstate 580 Truck Access Study on Aug. 5, 2026, in Oakland. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the trucks bring goods to the East Oakland port, they also deliver noise, air pollution and a heightened risk of asthma and cancer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>More than half of residents living along I-880 are environmentally burdened — meaning they carry the heaviest pollution, health, and economic burdens — compared to just 8.7% of residents living along I-580, according to the Caltrans study. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Caltrans said the study will not result in any change to the status of the ban or produce a recommendation around keeping or removing the ban. Only the state Legislature can lift the ban. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even so, the study has drawn criticism from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085096/east-bay-residents-push-back-as-caltrans-studies-lifting-i-580-truck-ban\">residents\u003c/a> who worry that removing the ban will spread more pollution throughout the East Bay.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, Caltrans presented its initial findings with a poster session at the Oakland Public Library’s West Oakland branch as part of a series of community engagement events. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Diane Russell, a member of No Big-Rigs on I-580 — which opposes lifting the ban — attended and said she learned about the projected impacts on cancer and asthma as well as the projected traffic flows from the poster session. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Russell said she opposed the ban because there are a higher number of sensitive sites like hospitals along I-580.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Keep the ban and mitigate the bad influences along 880 for the people who live there, because it is inequitable,” Russell said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cameron Oakes, deputy district director of transportation and local assistance at Caltrans, said that the study is responding to concerns around freight traffic raised in community action plans from West and East Oakland focused on \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/community-health/community-health-protection-program/west-oakland-community-action-plan\">air quality\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/Government/Oakland-Improvement-Projects/East-Oakland-Mobility-Action-Plan\">transit equity\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-05-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094108\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-05-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-05-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080526-I580STUDY-05-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Flyers are displayed showing results from the study at a public information event for Oakland residents to ask questions about newly released findings from the Interstate 580 Truck Access Study on Aug. 5, 2026, in Oakland. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Caltrans examined the potential impacts of lifting the I-580 truck ban for communities living along both highways by modeling traffic flows and air quality scenarios along each road in 2035. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The study found that lifting the ban would reduce truck traffic along I-880 from roughly 9,200 trucks per day to about 6,200.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, the study found environmentally burdened communities would see only a slightly lower cancer risk with the ban removed. A \u003ca href=\"https://apps.fehrandpeers.com/i580_equity_explorer/\">“no-ban”\u003c/a> scenario would shift the cancer risk from 9 cases per million to 8 cases per million.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The initial findings do suggest, though, an overall reduction in cancer risk in the entire study area through 2035 — largely due to projected improvements in trucking fuels as California moves to meet higher air quality standards, Oakes said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The current analysis is based on old diesel-powered trucks being replaced by new diesel-powered trucks, not electric or hydrogen, according to Oakes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251021-I-580-MD-03-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094103\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251021-I-580-MD-03-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251021-I-580-MD-03-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251021-I-580-MD-03-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251021-I-580-MD-03-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251021-I-580-MD-03-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The 580 freeway in Oakland on Oct. 21, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Caltrans will continue to share the study’s preliminary findings and seek input on other ways to reduce the impact of freight traffic on communities. The final sharing session will take place Aug. 11 at the South Berkeley Farmers Market. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other solutions included constructing sound walls, expanding support for zero-emission truck standards, increasing tree planting and centering restorative justice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Caltrans’ survey asking community members how the study findings impact their opinion on lifting the ban is now \u003ca href=\"https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/i580TAS-Survey\">live\u003c/a>. They plan to release their final report this winter.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Pacific Northwest Wildfires May Worsen Air Quality in the Bay Area, Officials Warn",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/news/tag/wildfires\">Wildfire\u003c/a> smoke from the Pacific Northwest could settle over the Bay Area, impacting air quality in the coming days, according to climate officials.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District issued an air quality advisory for Tuesday and Wednesday, warning about the possibility of hazy skies as fires burning across Oregon and Washington exhibit what the National Interagency Fire Center called “extreme fire behavior.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Smoke has already been drifting offshore. It’s moving south, and those smokes are expected to drift and move down along the coast,” said Duc Nguyen, a meteorologist with the Bay Area air district. “Essentially, it’s going to enter the Bay Area right through the Golden Gate area.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dozens of fires, including the Rowe Creek Complex Fire near Bend, Oregon and the Little Giant Fire near Lake Chelan in Washington, have burned hundreds of thousands of acres in the Pacific Northwest in recent weeks. Many were started by lightning strikes, which ignited dried-out trees and debris in hot, windy conditions that made it easy for fires to spread. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Although air quality throughout the Bay Area was mostly in the healthy range midday Tuesday, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s monitoring, the air district predicted that levels could slip into the ‘moderate’ to ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’ zones throughout the day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pollution levels between 50 and 100 are considered moderate, and can be a risk for a small number of people, while levels between 100 and 150 can cause adverse health impacts for sensitive groups. In those conditions, older people, children and those with respiratory illnesses like asthma, emphysema and COPD should take extra precautions to avoid exposure, according to the air district. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wildfire smoke contains fine particulate matter, most commonly PM2.5, and other harmful pollutants that are unhealthy, even for short periods of exposure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nguyen said that since the exact impact of the smoke is hard to predict, depending on the weather and wind conditions across the state, residents should monitor their local air quality and take precautions if their area’s pollution levels are elevated.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The agency recommended that Bay Area residents stay inside with windows and doors closed if there is smoke in their area. If they are driving, people can reduce smoke exposure by setting car vents to recirculate, to prevent outside air from entering the vehicle.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are in the peak of the wildfire season, a lot of lands are being burned and it’s really impacting the health of a lot of people,” Nguyen said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re going to be watching very closely just to try to understand the impact and also getting some guidance,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Smoke has already been drifting offshore. It’s moving south, and those smokes are expected to drift and move down along the coast,” said Duc Nguyen, a meteorologist with the Bay Area air district. “Essentially, it’s going to enter the Bay Area right through the Golden Gate area.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Dozens of fires, including the Rowe Creek Complex Fire near Bend, Oregon and the Little Giant Fire near Lake Chelan in Washington, have burned hundreds of thousands of acres in the Pacific Northwest in recent weeks. Many were started by lightning strikes, which ignited dried-out trees and debris in hot, windy conditions that made it easy for fires to spread. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Pollution levels between 50 and 100 are considered moderate, and can be a risk for a small number of people, while levels between 100 and 150 can cause adverse health impacts for sensitive groups. In those conditions, older people, children and those with respiratory illnesses like asthma, emphysema and COPD should take extra precautions to avoid exposure, according to the air district. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nguyen said that since the exact impact of the smoke is hard to predict, depending on the weather and wind conditions across the state, residents should monitor their local air quality and take precautions if their area’s pollution levels are elevated.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Nguyen said that since the exact impact of the smoke is hard to predict, depending on the weather and wind conditions across the state, residents should monitor their local air quality and take precautions if their area’s pollution levels are elevated.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The agency recommended that Bay Area residents stay inside with windows and doors closed if there is smoke in their area. If they are driving, people can reduce smoke exposure by setting car vents to recirculate, to prevent outside air from entering the vehicle.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We are in the peak of the wildfire season, a lot of lands are being burned and it’s really impacting the health of a lot of people,” Nguyen said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/news/tag/wildfires\">Wildfire\u003c/a> smoke from the Pacific Northwest could settle over the Bay Area, impacting air quality in the coming days, according to climate officials.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District issued an air quality advisory for Tuesday and Wednesday, warning about the possibility of hazy skies as fires burning across Oregon and Washington exhibit what the National Interagency Fire Center called “extreme fire behavior.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Smoke has already been drifting offshore. It’s moving south, and those smokes are expected to drift and move down along the coast,” said Duc Nguyen, a meteorologist with the Bay Area air district. “Essentially, it’s going to enter the Bay Area right through the Golden Gate area.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dozens of fires, including the Rowe Creek Complex Fire near Bend, Oregon and the Little Giant Fire near Lake Chelan in Washington, have burned hundreds of thousands of acres in the Pacific Northwest in recent weeks. Many were started by lightning strikes, which ignited dried-out trees and debris in hot, windy conditions that made it easy for fires to spread. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Although air quality throughout the Bay Area was mostly in the healthy range midday Tuesday, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s monitoring, the air district predicted that levels could slip into the ‘moderate’ to ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’ zones throughout the day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>As if you needed another health concern to worry about — beyond the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090791/cyclosporiasis-symptoms-california-parasite-explosive-diarrhea-foodborne-cyclospora-michigan-outbreak-fruits-vegetables-incubation-antibiotics\">“explosive diarrhea” stomach parasite\u003c/a> causing a surge of sicknesses around the United States — the COVID-19 virus has made a reappearance in the Bay Area this summer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To put it another way: Any “summer cold” you hear people complaining about over the coming weeks could once again be COVID-19.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to Stanford University’s WastewaterSCAN team, which monitors coronavirus presence in human sewage, concentrations of the pathogen across the Bay Area sites they monitor were up 136% in July, compared to their June levels — and as of Tuesday, median levels of the virus are even higher than they were during the winter peak.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1324\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/COVID-levels-Aug-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093831\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/COVID-levels-Aug-4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/COVID-levels-Aug-4-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/COVID-levels-Aug-4-1536x1017.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">WastewaterSCAN’s summary of recent COVID-19 concentrations in the Bay Area, as of Aug. 4. (Courtesy of WastewaterSCAN)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Stanford typically sees a COVID-19 summer wastewater wave start to happen in late May or June, WastewaterSCAN’s Amanda Bidwell said, and the Bay Area saw “a slower start” this year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But now, COVID concentrations in wastewater are “continuing to rise at sites across the Bay Area,” said Bidwell. Some 64% of the sites monitored by WastewaterSCAN are now in the “Medium” category for COVID — although for context, current levels are still far below the heights of \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CoYBEAA4AUgAUgY1NzlkYTNSBjM3NDMwYVIGZTllODdlUgYwN2NlZDdSBjhhOWI0YlIGYzhkMzU3UgYyNTQ4MTlSBmRkMzZmYlIGZmEyZDYzUgZiNzIzYWVSBmJjNzlmOVIGODRkNDg5UgZkZGU4OGZaBk4gR2VuZXj8A4oBBjcwNzIxM7gBiwg%3D&selectedChartId=707213\">last year’s summer swell\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If it’s been a while since you or your family weathered an infection, a refresher might be handy as we enter a period of potentially higher risk. Here’s what we know about COVID-19 in the Bay Area for summer 2026.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is there a new COVID-19 variant out there for summer 2026 I should be worried about?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>WastewaterSCAN’s Bidwell noted that although current COVID levels “still appear low” compared to \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CtYBCkxTQVJT4oCTQ29W4oCTMiBXYXN0ZXdhdGVyIENvbmNlbnRyYXRpb25zOiBHcmVhdGVyIFNhbiBGcmFuY2lzY28gQmF5IEFyZWEsIENBEAA4AUABSABSBjU3OWRhM1IGMzc0MzBhUgZlOWU4N2VSBjA3Y2VkN1IGOGE5YjRiUgZjOGQzNTdSBjI1NDgxOVIGZGQzNmZiUgZmYTJkNjNSBmI3MjNhZVIGYmM3OWY5UgY4NGQ0ODlSBmRkZTg4ZloGTiBHZW5leIINigEGMWI1NzQzuAGlBg%3D%3D&selectedChartId=1b5743\">historic data and past infection waves\u003c/a>, her team has observed a mixture of variants in local circulation rather than one dominant variant, “like we have seen in the past” — something that’s also \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=ClwKNFNBUlPigJNDb1bigJMyIFNlcXVlbmNpbmc6IFdXU0NBTiBOYXRpb25hbCBBZ2dyZWdhdGUQA0ABSABSBnNlcXVlbloGTiBHZW5leLwBigEGY2JhODQ4uAGlBg%3D%3D&selectedChartId=cba848\">mirrored nationally\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But when it comes to the question of if there’s a major new strain out there about to cause chaos, the short answer is : No, said Dr. Abraar Karan, an infectious disease expert at Stanford University. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The COVID variant he’s been seeing in the Bay Area in these last weeks is still XFG, also known as “Stratus,” in the omicron lineage. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12033385\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A syringe is filled with a dose of the Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site inside Reuther Hall at Forty Acres on March 13, 2021, in Delano, California. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>People infected with XFG have often reported a scratchy, hoarse throat that’s easily mistaken for allergies, along with the kind of primarily respiratory symptoms we’ve come to expect from COVID, said Karan: “Sore throat, cough, congestion, fatigue, fever, that kind of thing.” Also still in circulation, unfortunately, is NB.1.8.1 or “Nimbus”: the strain that’s also nicknamed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12045979/xfg-stratus-nimbus-nb181-covid-variant-symptoms-razor-blade-throat-incubation-period-testing\">“razor blade throat”\u003c/a> for the intense sore throat it gives many people.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The good news is that there’s nothing — at least genomically — that’s telling us we’re dealing with something very different, or something that should cause major concern or that will give us an increase in hospitalizations,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What about other newer strains you might have heard about, like BA.3.2, dubbed \u003ca href=\"https://www.ajmc.com/view/cicada-covid-19-variant-faqs-symptoms-risk-and-prevention\">“Cicada”\u003c/a>? While any news of new COVID-19 variants might bring flashbacks to the game-changing emergence of \u003ca href=\"https://archive.cdc.gov/www_cdc_gov/media/releases/2021/s1201-omicron-variant.html\">omicron\u003c/a> in 2021, or delta after it, “the vast majority” of these latest strains aren’t giving medical professionals sleepless nights in 2026, Karan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Nothing has shown a severe increase in severe disease or hospitalizations, or that they will be resistant to antivirals, or that they will render diagnostics invalid,” he said. “Those are the main things we worry about, but I’ve not seen that with any of the variants.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How will my most recent COVID vaccine hold up against a 2026 summer wave?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The 2025-26 \u003ca href=\"https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-vaccine/art-20484859\">COVID-19 vaccine\u003c/a> that rolled out in fall 2025 was formulated to target descendants of omicron and include XFG, the dominant variant now.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But if you got your shot as soon as you were able to last year, despite \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12055165/where-can-i-find-new-updated-2025-covid-vaccine-near-me-moderna-pfizer-cvs-walgreens-safeway-vaccinations-health-insurance-cost\">the Food and Drug Administration’s efforts\u003c/a> to limit eligibility to the vaccine, that also means it’s been longer since you had that immunity boost. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Broadly speaking, the longer it’s been since you got vaccinated, the lower your immune response is going to be,” Karan said. “As time goes on, the more variants there are since [the one] which the vaccine was based on, the more chance that you’ll have stronger symptoms or more likely to be infected.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1709\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"A closeup image of two COVID-19 antigen test results.\" class=\"wp-image-12002056\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-800x534.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-1020x681.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-1536x1025.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-2048x1367.jpeg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-1920x1281.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">COVID-19 antigen home tests indicating a positive result photographed in New York on April 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But nothing researchers are seeing suggests that the vaccine is completely ineffective — or that it will no longer have benefits, Karan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So you’re somewhere in the middle,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And while “the goal of the vaccines is to prevent you from getting very sick,” they can’t prevent you from being infected in the first place. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a nutshell: Don’t assume your fall 2025 vaccine will necessarily mean any infection you get in summer 2026 will be short or mild, so it’s worth considering your risks and taking precautions if necessary. Speaking of which …\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">So should I be wearing a mask again on BART or in the grocery store?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think it depends on how high the levels get,” Karan said — who recommended you keep an eye on the COVID-19 levels in your own county’s wastewater, according to WastewaterSCAN’s monitoring:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=Ci0QACABSABSBmU5ZTg3ZVIGMzc0MzBhWgZOIEdlbmV41AGKAQZiNDYyMGHAAQE%3D&selectedChartId=b4620a\">San Francisco \u003c/a>| \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CkUQACABSABSBjVhYTY5OVIGMDJkMjQyUgZkZDM2ZmJSBjY3YzJlYlIGMjkzYjI1WgZOIEdlbmV40gGKAQY1OTRlYzPAAQE%3D&selectedChartId=594ec3\">Alameda\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=Cj0QACABSABSBjA3Y2VkN1IGN2NhOTA1UgY3NGIzOWFSBmM5NWU2NFoGTiBHZW5leNIBigEGMjc3MmU4wAEB&selectedChartId=2772e8\">San Mateo\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=Cj0QACABSABSBjI1NDgxOVIGOGE5YjRiUgY1NzlkYTNSBmM4ZDM1N1oGTiBHZW5leNIBigEGZDVjZjMzwAEB&selectedChartId=d5cf33\">Santa Clara\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=Ci0QACABSABSBjc0ZDAyNlIGNTc1NzM4WgZOIEdlbmV40gGKAQY1MDg4Y2XAAQE%3D&selectedChartId=5088ce\">Contra Costa\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=Ci0QACABSABSBmZhMmQ2M1IGMGM4MDkxWgZOIEdlbmV40gGKAQYwMzU3N2bAAQE%3D&selectedChartId=03577f\">Solano\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CkQQACABSABSBjI0ZDAzMFIGNjQ3M2MwUgZiOTI1ZTdSBmRkZTg4ZlIGODRkNDg5WgZOIEdlbmV4dYoBBmZhZGM0ZsABAQ%3D%3D&selectedChartId=fadc4f\">Marin\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CjIQACABSABSBjMwMzJjOFIGNzFhMmY0UgZiYzc5ZjlaBk4gR2VuZXjSAYoBBmQ1NjA5Yw%3D%3D&selectedChartId=d5609c\">Sonoma\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CiUQACABSABSBmI3MjNhZVoGTiBHZW5leNIBigEGZDU1MTZkwAEB&selectedChartId=d5516d\">Napa\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wearing a well-fitting N95 or KN95 mask in crowded places, especially if you observe people with possible COVID-19 symptoms around you, “can reduce the risk that you get infected — and I think for most people, that’s the goal at this point … to prevent infection that would knock them out for a couple of days,” Karan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if the thought of losing a week to infection and isolation isn’t enough, remember the risks of contracting \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/long-covid\">long COVID\u003c/a>. Karan said that in 2026, he still sees long COVID-19 patients regularly. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12016585\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An estimated 20 million gallons of wastewater have spilled into the Suisun Marsh in Contra Costa County. That will expose animals to chemicals that are carried in our sewage system. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Even this week, I’ve seen people that came in with post-COVID infection, with longer-term brain fog and symptoms that are just disruptive and making them feel not great,” the scientist said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These risks are another reason to commit to isolating from other people as much as you can when you have COVID-19, Karan said — or to ensuring that anyone infected in your home isolates from the rest of the household as much as they can, despite the inconveniences that brings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I think I was exposed or have symptoms. When should I take a COVID test?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Step 1: Know about updated incubation times \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If the average incubation times of five to seven days from back in 2020 are still burned into your brain, you should know: Incubation times for COVID-19 — that is, the amount of time between getting exposed to and testing positive — have gotten shorter over the years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>People are testing positive more quickly than they were in 2020, when the average incubation period was five to seven days, because it has changed with each new variant, Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a UC San Francisco infectious disease expert, told KQED in 2025.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Three days has become a common period of time between exposure and getting sick, Chin-Hong said. So given this trend, it makes sense to take a COVID-19 test as early as two days after exposure if you’re already having symptoms.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Step 2: Don’t trust a negative early COVID test\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If your first test is negative, you should absolutely test again the next day if symptoms persist — and again after that if you’re still negative.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Here’s why you can’t necessarily trust a negative at-home COVID-19 test in 2026: While incubation times have gotten shorter, doctors are seeing people take longer to get a positive test, Chin-Hong said. And that’s probably more to do with how much quicker someone with COVID-19 might develop symptoms in 2026 than they would have done in 2020.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a reminder, those symptoms are the sign that your body’s immune system is mounting a response to an invading virus. Back at the start of the pandemic, by the time you developed COVID-19 symptoms and took a test, it would probably already be positive.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/008_StockPhoto_AtHomeCOVIDTest_02022022_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11989966\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/008_StockPhoto_AtHomeCOVIDTest_02022022_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/008_StockPhoto_AtHomeCOVIDTest_02022022_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/008_StockPhoto_AtHomeCOVIDTest_02022022_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/008_StockPhoto_AtHomeCOVIDTest_02022022_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/008_StockPhoto_AtHomeCOVIDTest_02022022_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">As COVID-19 levels continue to rise in Bay Area wastewater for summer 2026, what do you need to know? (Beth La Berge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But at this stage of the pandemic, “we likely have more immune cells circulating that can recognize the enemy, so it ‘sounds the alarm’ quicker [and] people might feel something faster than in the old days,” Chin-Hong said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And because many of us take a COVID-19 test when we start to feel sick, we might actually be testing way too early for an at-home antigen kit to successfully detect enough virus inside us.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bottom line: If you’re testing because you’ve started feeling unwell, don’t assume a negative result means you don’t actually have COVID-19. Play it safe, stay home as much as you can and wear a well-fitted mask if you can’t. Take another antigen test 48 hours later, Chin-Hong said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Step 3: Make sure your COVID test hasn’t expired\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Those COVID-19 tests you might have in a drawer may be approaching their expiration date if they haven’t already passed it. And an expired test could give you an unreliable result.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can check the \u003ca href=\"https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests#list\">FDA’s list\u003c/a> of antigen test types to see whether the box you’re holding has had its \u003ca href=\"https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests#list\">shelf life extended\u003c/a> by the manufacturer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS46094_002_KQED_SanFrancisco_COVIDTesting_11302020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A close-up shot of a health care professional in black gloves holding a COVID-19 rapid test, which is pictured as a thick, white paper test with holes for a cotton swab to rest inside.\" class=\"wp-image-11948954\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS46094_002_KQED_SanFrancisco_COVIDTesting_11302020-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS46094_002_KQED_SanFrancisco_COVIDTesting_11302020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS46094_002_KQED_SanFrancisco_COVIDTesting_11302020-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS46094_002_KQED_SanFrancisco_COVIDTesting_11302020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS46094_002_KQED_SanFrancisco_COVIDTesting_11302020-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A rapid COVID-19 test held by a health care professional at a Unidos En Salud testing site, a collaboration by UCSF and the Latino Task Force, during a post-holiday COVID-19 outreach event on 24th and Mission Streets in San Francisco on Nov. 30, 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The FDA said 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\n\n\n\u003cp>Another tip from Chin-Hong: “A quick-and-dirty way” to know if you’re using a functional COVID-19 test is to make sure the control line turns positive. If that doesn’t happen, “that means the test is probably not working,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If I test positive, how long do I have to isolate with COVID in 2026?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In March 2024, the CDC officially revised its national COVID-19 isolation guidance, saying that COVID-positive people could now \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/p0301-respiratory-virus.html\">return to work\u003c/a> or regular activities once “symptoms are improving overall” and they’ve been fever-free for at least\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/prevention/precautions-when-sick.html\">24 hours\u003c/a> without use of a fever-reducing medication.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Read more about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11973108/how-long-to-isolate-with-covid-in-2024-california-now-says-that-depends-on-symptoms\">current isolation guidance\u003c/a> for COVID-19.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’ve been infected, consider asking your health provider for the COVID-19 medication \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11914514/if-you-get-covid-should-you-try-to-get-paxlovid-heres-how-with-or-without-health-insurance\">Paxlovid, an antiviral treatment\u003c/a> in pill form that is still available free by prescription in California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where can I still find a free COVID test?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Good question.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Finding a quick, free COVID-19 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.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And visiting \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/lab-leak-true-origins-of-covid-19/\">the White House site\u003c/a> that once offered you free at-home COVID-19 tests through USPS will now greet you with an image of President Donald Trump superimposed over the headline “LAB LEAK: The True Origins of COVID,” as well as a page dedicated to the theory \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/04/18/g-s1-61324/lab-leak-white-house-covid-origins\">disputed\u003c/a> by many scientists that the pandemic was caused by the coronavirus leaking from a government laboratory in Wuhan, China.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So, what do you do now if you don’t already have a supply of antigen tests for COVID-19 at home right now?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now that the network of PCR testing options as we knew them has essentially gone, your best option is to purchase a COVID-19 at-home antigen test at a pharmacy. These at-home test kits are usually around $20 for a pack of two.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ideally, ask someone to purchase one for you so you don’t potentially expose other people at the pharmacy, and if you really have to go yourself, wear a well-fitted N95 mask to help lower the risk you pose to others.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you have health insurance, you can \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11969300/how-to-get-reimbursed-for-at-home-covid-tests-in-2023\">request reimbursement from your health insurer\u003c/a> for the cost of up to eight at-home tests per month, so don’t throw away your receipts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re insured through major Bay Area providers like Kaiser Permanente or Sutter Health, you may also be able to ask for a PCR test through your provider.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As if you needed another health concern to worry about — beyond the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090791/cyclosporiasis-symptoms-california-parasite-explosive-diarrhea-foodborne-cyclospora-michigan-outbreak-fruits-vegetables-incubation-antibiotics\">“explosive diarrhea” stomach parasite\u003c/a> causing a surge of sicknesses around the United States — the COVID-19 virus has made a reappearance in the Bay Area this summer. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>As if you needed another health concern to worry about — beyond the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090791/cyclosporiasis-symptoms-california-parasite-explosive-diarrhea-foodborne-cyclospora-michigan-outbreak-fruits-vegetables-incubation-antibiotics\">“explosive diarrhea” stomach parasite\u003c/a> causing a surge of sicknesses around the United States — the COVID-19 virus has made a reappearance in the Bay Area this summer. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>To put it another way: Any “summer cold” you hear people complaining about over the coming weeks could once again be COVID-19.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>To put it another way: Any “summer cold” you hear people complaining about over the coming weeks could once again be COVID-19.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to Stanford University’s WastewaterSCAN team, which monitors coronavirus presence in human sewage, concentrations of the pathogen across the Bay Area sites they monitor were up 136% in July, compared to their June levels — and as of Tuesday, median levels of the virus are even higher than they were during the winter peak.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>According to Stanford University’s WastewaterSCAN team, which monitors coronavirus presence in human sewage, concentrations of the pathogen across the Bay Area sites they monitor were up 136% in July, compared to their June levels — and as of Tuesday, median levels of the virus are even higher than they were during the winter peak.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/COVID-levels-Aug-4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/COVID-levels-Aug-4-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/COVID-levels-Aug-4-1536x1017.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/COVID-levels-Aug-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093831\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/COVID-levels-Aug-4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/COVID-levels-Aug-4-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/COVID-levels-Aug-4-1536x1017.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">WastewaterSCAN’s summary of recent COVID-19 concentrations in the Bay Area, as of Aug. 4.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/COVID-levels-Aug-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093831\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">WastewaterSCAN’s summary of recent COVID-19 concentrations in the Bay Area, as of Aug. 4.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Stanford typically sees a COVID-19 summer wastewater wave start to happen in late May or June, WastewaterSCAN’s Amanda Bidwell said, and the Bay Area saw “a slower start” this year.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Stanford typically sees a COVID-19 summer wastewater wave start to happen in late May or June, WastewaterSCAN’s Amanda Bidwell said, and the Bay Area saw “a slower start” this year.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But now, COVID concentrations in wastewater are “continuing to rise at sites across the Bay Area,” said Bidwell. Some 64% of the sites monitored by WastewaterSCAN are now in the “Medium” category for COVID — although for context, current levels are still far below the heights of \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CoYBEAA4AUgAUgY1NzlkYTNSBjM3NDMwYVIGZTllODdlUgYwN2NlZDdSBjhhOWI0YlIGYzhkMzU3UgYyNTQ4MTlSBmRkMzZmYlIGZmEyZDYzUgZiNzIzYWVSBmJjNzlmOVIGODRkNDg5UgZkZGU4OGZaBk4gR2VuZXj8A4oBBjcwNzIxM7gBiwg%3D&selectedChartId=707213\">last year’s summer swell\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But now, COVID concentrations in wastewater are “continuing to rise at sites across the Bay Area,” said Bidwell. Some 64% of the sites monitored by WastewaterSCAN are now in the “Medium” category for COVID — although for context, current levels are still far below the heights of \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CoYBEAA4AUgAUgY1NzlkYTNSBjM3NDMwYVIGZTllODdlUgYwN2NlZDdSBjhhOWI0YlIGYzhkMzU3UgYyNTQ4MTlSBmRkMzZmYlIGZmEyZDYzUgZiNzIzYWVSBmJjNzlmOVIGODRkNDg5UgZkZGU4OGZaBk4gR2VuZXj8A4oBBjcwNzIxM7gBiwg%3D&selectedChartId=707213\">last year’s summer swell\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If it’s been a while since you or your family weathered an infection, a refresher might be handy as we enter a period of potentially higher risk. Here’s what we know about COVID-19 in the Bay Area for summer 2026.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If it’s been a while since you or your family weathered an infection, a refresher might be handy as we enter a period of potentially higher risk. Here’s what we know about COVID-19 in the Bay Area for summer 2026.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Is there a new COVID-19 variant out there for summer 2026 I should be worried about?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is there a new COVID-19 variant out there for summer 2026 I should be worried about?\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is there a new COVID-19 variant out there for summer 2026 I should be worried about?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>WastewaterSCAN’s Bidwell noted that although current COVID levels “still appear low” compared to \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CtYBCkxTQVJT4oCTQ29W4oCTMiBXYXN0ZXdhdGVyIENvbmNlbnRyYXRpb25zOiBHcmVhdGVyIFNhbiBGcmFuY2lzY28gQmF5IEFyZWEsIENBEAA4AUABSABSBjU3OWRhM1IGMzc0MzBhUgZlOWU4N2VSBjA3Y2VkN1IGOGE5YjRiUgZjOGQzNTdSBjI1NDgxOVIGZGQzNmZiUgZmYTJkNjNSBmI3MjNhZVIGYmM3OWY5UgY4NGQ0ODlSBmRkZTg4ZloGTiBHZW5leIINigEGMWI1NzQzuAGlBg%3D%3D&selectedChartId=1b5743\">historic data and past infection waves\u003c/a>, her team has observed a mixture of variants in local circulation rather than one dominant variant, “like we have seen in the past” — something that’s also \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=ClwKNFNBUlPigJNDb1bigJMyIFNlcXVlbmNpbmc6IFdXU0NBTiBOYXRpb25hbCBBZ2dyZWdhdGUQA0ABSABSBnNlcXVlbloGTiBHZW5leLwBigEGY2JhODQ4uAGlBg%3D%3D&selectedChartId=cba848\">mirrored nationally\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>WastewaterSCAN’s Bidwell noted that although current COVID levels “still appear low” compared to \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CtYBCkxTQVJT4oCTQ29W4oCTMiBXYXN0ZXdhdGVyIENvbmNlbnRyYXRpb25zOiBHcmVhdGVyIFNhbiBGcmFuY2lzY28gQmF5IEFyZWEsIENBEAA4AUABSABSBjU3OWRhM1IGMzc0MzBhUgZlOWU4N2VSBjA3Y2VkN1IGOGE5YjRiUgZjOGQzNTdSBjI1NDgxOVIGZGQzNmZiUgZmYTJkNjNSBmI3MjNhZVIGYmM3OWY5UgY4NGQ0ODlSBmRkZTg4ZloGTiBHZW5leIINigEGMWI1NzQzuAGlBg%3D%3D&selectedChartId=1b5743\">historic data and past infection waves\u003c/a>, her team has observed a mixture of variants in local circulation rather than one dominant variant, “like we have seen in the past” — something that’s also \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=ClwKNFNBUlPigJNDb1bigJMyIFNlcXVlbmNpbmc6IFdXU0NBTiBOYXRpb25hbCBBZ2dyZWdhdGUQA0ABSABSBnNlcXVlbloGTiBHZW5leLwBigEGY2JhODQ4uAGlBg%3D%3D&selectedChartId=cba848\">mirrored nationally\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But when it comes to the question of if there’s a major new strain out there about to cause chaos, the short answer is : No, said Dr. Abraar Karan, an infectious disease expert at Stanford University. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But when it comes to the question of if there’s a major new strain out there about to cause chaos, the short answer is : No, said Dr. Abraar Karan, an infectious disease expert at Stanford University. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The COVID variant he’s been seeing in the Bay Area in these last weeks is still XFG, also known as “Stratus,” in the omicron lineage. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The COVID variant he’s been seeing in the Bay Area in these last weeks is still XFG, also known as “Stratus,” in the omicron lineage. \u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12033385,
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"imageCredit": "Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12033385\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A syringe is filled with a dose of the Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site inside Reuther Hall at Forty Acres on March 13, 2021, in Delano, California.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12033385\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A syringe is filled with a dose of the Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site inside Reuther Hall at Forty Acres on March 13, 2021, in Delano, California.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>People infected with XFG have often reported a scratchy, hoarse throat that’s easily mistaken for allergies, along with the kind of primarily respiratory symptoms we’ve come to expect from COVID, said Karan: “Sore throat, cough, congestion, fatigue, fever, that kind of thing.” Also still in circulation, unfortunately, is NB.1.8.1 or “Nimbus”: the strain that’s also nicknamed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12045979/xfg-stratus-nimbus-nb181-covid-variant-symptoms-razor-blade-throat-incubation-period-testing\">“razor blade throat”\u003c/a> for the intense sore throat it gives many people.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>People infected with XFG have often reported a scratchy, hoarse throat that’s easily mistaken for allergies, along with the kind of primarily respiratory symptoms we’ve come to expect from COVID, said Karan: “Sore throat, cough, congestion, fatigue, fever, that kind of thing.” Also still in circulation, unfortunately, is NB.1.8.1 or “Nimbus”: the strain that’s also nicknamed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12045979/xfg-stratus-nimbus-nb181-covid-variant-symptoms-razor-blade-throat-incubation-period-testing\">“razor blade throat”\u003c/a> for the intense sore throat it gives many people.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The good news is that there’s nothing — at least genomically — that’s telling us we’re dealing with something very different, or something that should cause major concern or that will give us an increase in hospitalizations,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The good news is that there’s nothing — at least genomically — that’s telling us we’re dealing with something very different, or something that should cause major concern or that will give us an increase in hospitalizations,” he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>What about other newer strains you might have heard about, like BA.3.2, dubbed \u003ca href=\"https://www.ajmc.com/view/cicada-covid-19-variant-faqs-symptoms-risk-and-prevention\">“Cicada”\u003c/a>? While any news of new COVID-19 variants might bring flashbacks to the game-changing emergence of \u003ca href=\"https://archive.cdc.gov/www_cdc_gov/media/releases/2021/s1201-omicron-variant.html\">omicron\u003c/a> in 2021, or delta after it, “the vast majority” of these latest strains aren’t giving medical professionals sleepless nights in 2026, Karan said. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>What about other newer strains you might have heard about, like BA.3.2, dubbed \u003ca href=\"https://www.ajmc.com/view/cicada-covid-19-variant-faqs-symptoms-risk-and-prevention\">“Cicada”\u003c/a>? While any news of new COVID-19 variants might bring flashbacks to the game-changing emergence of \u003ca href=\"https://archive.cdc.gov/www_cdc_gov/media/releases/2021/s1201-omicron-variant.html\">omicron\u003c/a> in 2021, or delta after it, “the vast majority” of these latest strains aren’t giving medical professionals sleepless nights in 2026, Karan said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Nothing has shown a severe increase in severe disease or hospitalizations, or that they will be resistant to antivirals, or that they will render diagnostics invalid,” he said. “Those are the main things we worry about, but I’ve not seen that with any of the variants.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Nothing has shown a severe increase in severe disease or hospitalizations, or that they will be resistant to antivirals, or that they will render diagnostics invalid,” he said. “Those are the main things we worry about, but I’ve not seen that with any of the variants.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "How will my most recent COVID vaccine hold up against a 2026 summer wave?",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How will my most recent COVID vaccine hold up against a 2026 summer wave?\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How will my most recent COVID vaccine hold up against a 2026 summer wave?\u003c/h2>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The 2025-26 \u003ca href=\"https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-vaccine/art-20484859\">COVID-19 vaccine\u003c/a> that rolled out in fall 2025 was formulated to target descendants of omicron and include XFG, the dominant variant now.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The 2025-26 \u003ca href=\"https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-vaccine/art-20484859\">COVID-19 vaccine\u003c/a> that rolled out in fall 2025 was formulated to target descendants of omicron and include XFG, the dominant variant now.\u003c/p>\n"
],
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},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But if you got your shot as soon as you were able to last year, despite \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12055165/where-can-i-find-new-updated-2025-covid-vaccine-near-me-moderna-pfizer-cvs-walgreens-safeway-vaccinations-health-insurance-cost\">the Food and Drug Administration’s efforts\u003c/a> to limit eligibility to the vaccine, that also means it’s been longer since you had that immunity boost. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But if you got your shot as soon as you were able to last year, despite \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12055165/where-can-i-find-new-updated-2025-covid-vaccine-near-me-moderna-pfizer-cvs-walgreens-safeway-vaccinations-health-insurance-cost\">the Food and Drug Administration’s efforts\u003c/a> to limit eligibility to the vaccine, that also means it’s been longer since you had that immunity boost. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Broadly speaking, the longer it’s been since you got vaccinated, the lower your immune response is going to be,” Karan said. “As time goes on, the more variants there are since [the one] which the vaccine was based on, the more chance that you’ll have stronger symptoms or more likely to be infected.” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Broadly speaking, the longer it’s been since you got vaccinated, the lower your immune response is going to be,” Karan said. “As time goes on, the more variants there are since [the one] which the vaccine was based on, the more chance that you’ll have stronger symptoms or more likely to be infected.” \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12002056,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"imageCredit": " AP Photo/Patrick Sison",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-800x534.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-1020x681.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-1536x1025.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-2048x1367.jpeg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-1920x1281.jpeg 1920w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"A closeup image of two COVID-19 antigen test results.\" class=\"wp-image-12002056\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-800x534.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-1020x681.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-1536x1025.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-2048x1367.jpeg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-1920x1281.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">COVID-19 antigen home tests indicating a positive result photographed in New York on April 5, 2023. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"A closeup image of two COVID-19 antigen test results.\" class=\"wp-image-12002056\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">COVID-19 antigen home tests indicating a positive result photographed in New York on April 5, 2023. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
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},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But nothing researchers are seeing suggests that the vaccine is completely ineffective — or that it will no longer have benefits, Karan said. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But nothing researchers are seeing suggests that the vaccine is completely ineffective — or that it will no longer have benefits, Karan said. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“So you’re somewhere in the middle,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“So you’re somewhere in the middle,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And while “the goal of the vaccines is to prevent you from getting very sick,” they can’t prevent you from being infected in the first place. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>And while “the goal of the vaccines is to prevent you from getting very sick,” they can’t prevent you from being infected in the first place. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a nutshell: Don’t assume your fall 2025 vaccine will necessarily mean any infection you get in summer 2026 will be short or mild, so it’s worth considering your risks and taking precautions if necessary. Speaking of which …\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In a nutshell: Don’t assume your fall 2025 vaccine will necessarily mean any infection you get in summer 2026 will be short or mild, so it’s worth considering your risks and taking precautions if necessary. Speaking of which …\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "So should I be wearing a mask again on BART or in the grocery store?",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">So should I be wearing a mask again on BART or in the grocery store?\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">So should I be wearing a mask again on BART or in the grocery store?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think it depends on how high the levels get,” Karan said — who recommended you keep an eye on the COVID-19 levels in your own county’s wastewater, according to WastewaterSCAN’s monitoring:\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“I think it depends on how high the levels get,” Karan said — who recommended you keep an eye on the COVID-19 levels in your own county’s wastewater, according to WastewaterSCAN’s monitoring:\u003c/p>\n"
],
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=Ci0QACABSABSBmU5ZTg3ZVIGMzc0MzBhWgZOIEdlbmV41AGKAQZiNDYyMGHAAQE%3D&selectedChartId=b4620a\">San Francisco \u003c/a>| \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CkUQACABSABSBjVhYTY5OVIGMDJkMjQyUgZkZDM2ZmJSBjY3YzJlYlIGMjkzYjI1WgZOIEdlbmV40gGKAQY1OTRlYzPAAQE%3D&selectedChartId=594ec3\">Alameda\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=Cj0QACABSABSBjA3Y2VkN1IGN2NhOTA1UgY3NGIzOWFSBmM5NWU2NFoGTiBHZW5leNIBigEGMjc3MmU4wAEB&selectedChartId=2772e8\">San Mateo\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=Cj0QACABSABSBjI1NDgxOVIGOGE5YjRiUgY1NzlkYTNSBmM4ZDM1N1oGTiBHZW5leNIBigEGZDVjZjMzwAEB&selectedChartId=d5cf33\">Santa Clara\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=Ci0QACABSABSBjc0ZDAyNlIGNTc1NzM4WgZOIEdlbmV40gGKAQY1MDg4Y2XAAQE%3D&selectedChartId=5088ce\">Contra Costa\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=Ci0QACABSABSBmZhMmQ2M1IGMGM4MDkxWgZOIEdlbmV40gGKAQYwMzU3N2bAAQE%3D&selectedChartId=03577f\">Solano\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CkQQACABSABSBjI0ZDAzMFIGNjQ3M2MwUgZiOTI1ZTdSBmRkZTg4ZlIGODRkNDg5WgZOIEdlbmV4dYoBBmZhZGM0ZsABAQ%3D%3D&selectedChartId=fadc4f\">Marin\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CjIQACABSABSBjMwMzJjOFIGNzFhMmY0UgZiYzc5ZjlaBk4gR2VuZXjSAYoBBmQ1NjA5Yw%3D%3D&selectedChartId=d5609c\">Sonoma\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CiUQACABSABSBmI3MjNhZVoGTiBHZW5leNIBigEGZDU1MTZkwAEB&selectedChartId=d5516d\">Napa\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=Ci0QACABSABSBmU5ZTg3ZVIGMzc0MzBhWgZOIEdlbmV41AGKAQZiNDYyMGHAAQE%3D&selectedChartId=b4620a\">San Francisco \u003c/a>| \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CkUQACABSABSBjVhYTY5OVIGMDJkMjQyUgZkZDM2ZmJSBjY3YzJlYlIGMjkzYjI1WgZOIEdlbmV40gGKAQY1OTRlYzPAAQE%3D&selectedChartId=594ec3\">Alameda\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=Cj0QACABSABSBjA3Y2VkN1IGN2NhOTA1UgY3NGIzOWFSBmM5NWU2NFoGTiBHZW5leNIBigEGMjc3MmU4wAEB&selectedChartId=2772e8\">San Mateo\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=Cj0QACABSABSBjI1NDgxOVIGOGE5YjRiUgY1NzlkYTNSBmM4ZDM1N1oGTiBHZW5leNIBigEGZDVjZjMzwAEB&selectedChartId=d5cf33\">Santa Clara\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=Ci0QACABSABSBjc0ZDAyNlIGNTc1NzM4WgZOIEdlbmV40gGKAQY1MDg4Y2XAAQE%3D&selectedChartId=5088ce\">Contra Costa\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=Ci0QACABSABSBmZhMmQ2M1IGMGM4MDkxWgZOIEdlbmV40gGKAQYwMzU3N2bAAQE%3D&selectedChartId=03577f\">Solano\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CkQQACABSABSBjI0ZDAzMFIGNjQ3M2MwUgZiOTI1ZTdSBmRkZTg4ZlIGODRkNDg5WgZOIEdlbmV4dYoBBmZhZGM0ZsABAQ%3D%3D&selectedChartId=fadc4f\">Marin\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CjIQACABSABSBjMwMzJjOFIGNzFhMmY0UgZiYzc5ZjlaBk4gR2VuZXjSAYoBBmQ1NjA5Yw%3D%3D&selectedChartId=d5609c\">Sonoma\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CiUQACABSABSBmI3MjNhZVoGTiBHZW5leNIBigEGZDU1MTZkwAEB&selectedChartId=d5516d\">Napa\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wearing a well-fitting N95 or KN95 mask in crowded places, especially if you observe people with possible COVID-19 symptoms around you, “can reduce the risk that you get infected — and I think for most people, that’s the goal at this point … to prevent infection that would knock them out for a couple of days,” Karan said. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Wearing a well-fitting N95 or KN95 mask in crowded places, especially if you observe people with possible COVID-19 symptoms around you, “can reduce the risk that you get infected — and I think for most people, that’s the goal at this point … to prevent infection that would knock them out for a couple of days,” Karan said. \u003c/p>\n"
],
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},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And if the thought of losing a week to infection and isolation isn’t enough, remember the risks of contracting \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/long-covid\">long COVID\u003c/a>. Karan said that in 2026, he still sees long COVID-19 patients regularly. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>And if the thought of losing a week to infection and isolation isn’t enough, remember the risks of contracting \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/long-covid\">long COVID\u003c/a>. Karan said that in 2026, he still sees long COVID-19 patients regularly. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12016585,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"imageCredit": "Gina Castro/KQED",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8-1920x1280.jpg 1920w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12016585\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An estimated 20 million gallons of wastewater have spilled into the Suisun Marsh in Contra Costa County. That will expose animals to chemicals that are carried in our sewage system.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12016585\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An estimated 20 million gallons of wastewater have spilled into the Suisun Marsh in Contra Costa County. That will expose animals to chemicals that are carried in our sewage system.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
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},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Even this week, I’ve seen people that came in with post-COVID infection, with longer-term brain fog and symptoms that are just disruptive and making them feel not great,” the scientist said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Even this week, I’ve seen people that came in with post-COVID infection, with longer-term brain fog and symptoms that are just disruptive and making them feel not great,” the scientist said.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>These risks are another reason to commit to isolating from other people as much as you can when you have COVID-19, Karan said — or to ensuring that anyone infected in your home isolates from the rest of the household as much as they can, despite the inconveniences that brings.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>These risks are another reason to commit to isolating from other people as much as you can when you have COVID-19, Karan said — or to ensuring that anyone infected in your home isolates from the rest of the household as much as they can, despite the inconveniences that brings.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "I think I was exposed or have symptoms. When should I take a COVID test?",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I think I was exposed or have symptoms. When should I take a COVID test?\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I think I was exposed or have symptoms. When should I take a COVID test?\u003c/h2>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Step 1: Know about updated incubation times \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Step 1: Know about updated incubation times \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If the average incubation times of five to seven days from back in 2020 are still burned into your brain, you should know: Incubation times for COVID-19 — that is, the amount of time between getting exposed to and testing positive — have gotten shorter over the years. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If the average incubation times of five to seven days from back in 2020 are still burned into your brain, you should know: Incubation times for COVID-19 — that is, the amount of time between getting exposed to and testing positive — have gotten shorter over the years. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>People are testing positive more quickly than they were in 2020, when the average incubation period was five to seven days, because it has changed with each new variant, Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a UC San Francisco infectious disease expert, told KQED in 2025.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>People are testing positive more quickly than they were in 2020, when the average incubation period was five to seven days, because it has changed with each new variant, Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a UC San Francisco infectious disease expert, told KQED in 2025.\u003c/p>\n"
],
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},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Three days has become a common period of time between exposure and getting sick, Chin-Hong said. So given this trend, it makes sense to take a COVID-19 test as early as two days after exposure if you’re already having symptoms.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Three days has become a common period of time between exposure and getting sick, Chin-Hong said. So given this trend, it makes sense to take a COVID-19 test as early as two days after exposure if you’re already having symptoms.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Step 2: Don’t trust a negative early COVID test\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Step 2: Don’t trust a negative early COVID test\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If your first test is negative, you should absolutely test again the next day if symptoms persist — and again after that if you’re still negative.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If your first test is negative, you should absolutely test again the next day if symptoms persist — and again after that if you’re still negative.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Here’s why you can’t necessarily trust a negative at-home COVID-19 test in 2026: While incubation times have gotten shorter, doctors are seeing people take longer to get a positive test, Chin-Hong said. And that’s probably more to do with how much quicker someone with COVID-19 might develop symptoms in 2026 than they would have done in 2020.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Here’s why you can’t necessarily trust a negative at-home COVID-19 test in 2026: While incubation times have gotten shorter, doctors are seeing people take longer to get a positive test, Chin-Hong said. And that’s probably more to do with how much quicker someone with COVID-19 might develop symptoms in 2026 than they would have done in 2020.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As a reminder, those symptoms are the sign that your body’s immune system is mounting a response to an invading virus. Back at the start of the pandemic, by the time you developed COVID-19 symptoms and took a test, it would probably already be positive.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As a reminder, those symptoms are the sign that your body’s immune system is mounting a response to an invading virus. Back at the start of the pandemic, by the time you developed COVID-19 symptoms and took a test, it would probably already be positive.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/008_StockPhoto_AtHomeCOVIDTest_02022022_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11989966\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/008_StockPhoto_AtHomeCOVIDTest_02022022_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/008_StockPhoto_AtHomeCOVIDTest_02022022_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/008_StockPhoto_AtHomeCOVIDTest_02022022_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/008_StockPhoto_AtHomeCOVIDTest_02022022_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/008_StockPhoto_AtHomeCOVIDTest_02022022_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">As COVID-19 levels continue to rise in Bay Area wastewater for summer 2026, what do you need to know?\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/008_StockPhoto_AtHomeCOVIDTest_02022022_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11989966\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">As COVID-19 levels continue to rise in Bay Area wastewater for summer 2026, what do you need to know?\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But at this stage of the pandemic, “we likely have more immune cells circulating that can recognize the enemy, so it ‘sounds the alarm’ quicker [and] people might feel something faster than in the old days,” Chin-Hong said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But at this stage of the pandemic, “we likely have more immune cells circulating that can recognize the enemy, so it ‘sounds the alarm’ quicker [and] people might feel something faster than in the old days,” Chin-Hong said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And because many of us take a COVID-19 test when we start to feel sick, we might actually be testing way too early for an at-home antigen kit to successfully detect enough virus inside us.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>And because many of us take a COVID-19 test when we start to feel sick, we might actually be testing way too early for an at-home antigen kit to successfully detect enough virus inside us.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The bottom line: If you’re testing because you’ve started feeling unwell, don’t assume a negative result means you don’t actually have COVID-19. Play it safe, stay home as much as you can and wear a well-fitted mask if you can’t. Take another antigen test 48 hours later, Chin-Hong said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The bottom line: If you’re testing because you’ve started feeling unwell, don’t assume a negative result means you don’t actually have COVID-19. Play it safe, stay home as much as you can and wear a well-fitted mask if you can’t. Take another antigen test 48 hours later, Chin-Hong said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Step 3: Make sure your COVID test hasn’t expired\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Step 3: Make sure your COVID test hasn’t expired\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Those COVID-19 tests you might have in a drawer may be approaching their expiration date if they haven’t already passed it. And an expired test could give you an unreliable result.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Those COVID-19 tests you might have in a drawer may be approaching their expiration date if they haven’t already passed it. And an expired test could give you an unreliable result.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You can check the \u003ca href=\"https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests#list\">FDA’s list\u003c/a> of antigen test types to see whether the box you’re holding has had its \u003ca href=\"https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests#list\">shelf life extended\u003c/a> by the manufacturer. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>You can check the \u003ca href=\"https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests#list\">FDA’s list\u003c/a> of antigen test types to see whether the box you’re holding has had its \u003ca href=\"https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests#list\">shelf life extended\u003c/a> by the manufacturer. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS46094_002_KQED_SanFrancisco_COVIDTesting_11302020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A close-up shot of a health care professional in black gloves holding a COVID-19 rapid test, which is pictured as a thick, white paper test with holes for a cotton swab to rest inside.\" class=\"wp-image-11948954\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS46094_002_KQED_SanFrancisco_COVIDTesting_11302020-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS46094_002_KQED_SanFrancisco_COVIDTesting_11302020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS46094_002_KQED_SanFrancisco_COVIDTesting_11302020-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS46094_002_KQED_SanFrancisco_COVIDTesting_11302020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS46094_002_KQED_SanFrancisco_COVIDTesting_11302020-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A rapid COVID-19 test held by a health care professional at a Unidos En Salud testing site, a collaboration by UCSF and the Latino Task Force, during a post-holiday COVID-19 outreach event on 24th and Mission Streets in San Francisco on Nov. 30, 2020.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS46094_002_KQED_SanFrancisco_COVIDTesting_11302020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A close-up shot of a health care professional in black gloves holding a COVID-19 rapid test, which is pictured as a thick, white paper test with holes for a cotton swab to rest inside.\" class=\"wp-image-11948954\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A rapid COVID-19 test held by a health care professional at a Unidos En Salud testing site, a collaboration by UCSF and the Latino Task Force, during a post-holiday COVID-19 outreach event on 24th and Mission Streets in San Francisco on Nov. 30, 2020.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The FDA said 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",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The FDA said 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"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another tip from Chin-Hong: “A quick-and-dirty way” to know if you’re using a functional COVID-19 test is to make sure the control line turns positive. If that doesn’t happen, “that means the test is probably not working,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Another tip from Chin-Hong: “A quick-and-dirty way” to know if you’re using a functional COVID-19 test is to make sure the control line turns positive. If that doesn’t happen, “that means the test is probably not working,” he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "If I test positive, how long do I have to isolate with COVID in 2026?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If I test positive, how long do I have to isolate with COVID in 2026?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If I test positive, how long do I have to isolate with COVID in 2026?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In March 2024, the CDC officially revised its national COVID-19 isolation guidance, saying that COVID-positive people could now \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/p0301-respiratory-virus.html\">return to work\u003c/a> or regular activities once “symptoms are improving overall” and they’ve been fever-free for at least\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/prevention/precautions-when-sick.html\">24 hours\u003c/a> without use of a fever-reducing medication.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In March 2024, the CDC officially revised its national COVID-19 isolation guidance, saying that COVID-positive people could now \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/p0301-respiratory-virus.html\">return to work\u003c/a> or regular activities once “symptoms are improving overall” and they’ve been fever-free for at least\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/prevention/precautions-when-sick.html\">24 hours\u003c/a> without use of a fever-reducing medication.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Read more about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11973108/how-long-to-isolate-with-covid-in-2024-california-now-says-that-depends-on-symptoms\">current isolation guidance\u003c/a> for COVID-19.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Read more about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11973108/how-long-to-isolate-with-covid-in-2024-california-now-says-that-depends-on-symptoms\">current isolation guidance\u003c/a> for COVID-19.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you’ve been infected, consider asking your health provider for the COVID-19 medication \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11914514/if-you-get-covid-should-you-try-to-get-paxlovid-heres-how-with-or-without-health-insurance\">Paxlovid, an antiviral treatment\u003c/a> in pill form that is still available free by prescription in California. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If you’ve been infected, consider asking your health provider for the COVID-19 medication \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11914514/if-you-get-covid-should-you-try-to-get-paxlovid-heres-how-with-or-without-health-insurance\">Paxlovid, an antiviral treatment\u003c/a> in pill form that is still available free by prescription in California. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Where can I still find a free COVID test?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where can I still find a free COVID test?\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where can I still find a free COVID test?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Good question.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Good question.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Finding a quick, free COVID-19 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.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Finding a quick, free COVID-19 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.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And visiting \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/lab-leak-true-origins-of-covid-19/\">the White House site\u003c/a> that once offered you free at-home COVID-19 tests through USPS will now greet you with an image of President Donald Trump superimposed over the headline “LAB LEAK: The True Origins of COVID,” as well as a page dedicated to the theory \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/04/18/g-s1-61324/lab-leak-white-house-covid-origins\">disputed\u003c/a> by many scientists that the pandemic was caused by the coronavirus leaking from a government laboratory in Wuhan, China.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>And visiting \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/lab-leak-true-origins-of-covid-19/\">the White House site\u003c/a> that once offered you free at-home COVID-19 tests through USPS will now greet you with an image of President Donald Trump superimposed over the headline “LAB LEAK: The True Origins of COVID,” as well as a page dedicated to the theory \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/04/18/g-s1-61324/lab-leak-white-house-covid-origins\">disputed\u003c/a> by many scientists that the pandemic was caused by the coronavirus leaking from a government laboratory in Wuhan, China.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So, what do you do now if you don’t already have a supply of antigen tests for COVID-19 at home right now?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>So, what do you do now if you don’t already have a supply of antigen tests for COVID-19 at home right now?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Now that the network of PCR testing options as we knew them has essentially gone, your best option is to purchase a COVID-19 at-home antigen test at a pharmacy. These at-home test kits are usually around $20 for a pack of two.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Now that the network of PCR testing options as we knew them has essentially gone, your best option is to purchase a COVID-19 at-home antigen test at a pharmacy. These at-home test kits are usually around $20 for a pack of two.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ideally, ask someone to purchase one for you so you don’t potentially expose other people at the pharmacy, and if you really have to go yourself, wear a well-fitted N95 mask to help lower the risk you pose to others.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Ideally, ask someone to purchase one for you so you don’t potentially expose other people at the pharmacy, and if you really have to go yourself, wear a well-fitted N95 mask to help lower the risk you pose to others.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you have health insurance, you can \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11969300/how-to-get-reimbursed-for-at-home-covid-tests-in-2023\">request reimbursement from your health insurer\u003c/a> for the cost of up to eight at-home tests per month, so don’t throw away your receipts.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If you have health insurance, you can \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11969300/how-to-get-reimbursed-for-at-home-covid-tests-in-2023\">request reimbursement from your health insurer\u003c/a> for the cost of up to eight at-home tests per month, so don’t throw away your receipts.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you’re insured through major Bay Area providers like Kaiser Permanente or Sutter Health, you may also be able to ask for a PCR test through your provider.\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As if you needed another health concern to worry about — beyond the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090791/cyclosporiasis-symptoms-california-parasite-explosive-diarrhea-foodborne-cyclospora-michigan-outbreak-fruits-vegetables-incubation-antibiotics\">“explosive diarrhea” stomach parasite\u003c/a> causing a surge of sicknesses around the United States — the COVID-19 virus has made a reappearance in the Bay Area this summer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To put it another way: Any “summer cold” you hear people complaining about over the coming weeks could once again be COVID-19.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to Stanford University’s WastewaterSCAN team, which monitors coronavirus presence in human sewage, concentrations of the pathogen across the Bay Area sites they monitor were up 136% in July, compared to their June levels — and as of Tuesday, median levels of the virus are even higher than they were during the winter peak.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1324\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/COVID-levels-Aug-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093831\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/COVID-levels-Aug-4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/COVID-levels-Aug-4-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/COVID-levels-Aug-4-1536x1017.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">WastewaterSCAN’s summary of recent COVID-19 concentrations in the Bay Area, as of Aug. 4. (Courtesy of WastewaterSCAN)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Stanford typically sees a COVID-19 summer wastewater wave start to happen in late May or June, WastewaterSCAN’s Amanda Bidwell said, and the Bay Area saw “a slower start” this year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But now, COVID concentrations in wastewater are “continuing to rise at sites across the Bay Area,” said Bidwell. Some 64% of the sites monitored by WastewaterSCAN are now in the “Medium” category for COVID — although for context, current levels are still far below the heights of \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CoYBEAA4AUgAUgY1NzlkYTNSBjM3NDMwYVIGZTllODdlUgYwN2NlZDdSBjhhOWI0YlIGYzhkMzU3UgYyNTQ4MTlSBmRkMzZmYlIGZmEyZDYzUgZiNzIzYWVSBmJjNzlmOVIGODRkNDg5UgZkZGU4OGZaBk4gR2VuZXj8A4oBBjcwNzIxM7gBiwg%3D&selectedChartId=707213\">last year’s summer swell\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If it’s been a while since you or your family weathered an infection, a refresher might be handy as we enter a period of potentially higher risk. Here’s what we know about COVID-19 in the Bay Area for summer 2026.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is there a new COVID-19 variant out there for summer 2026 I should be worried about?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>WastewaterSCAN’s Bidwell noted that although current COVID levels “still appear low” compared to \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CtYBCkxTQVJT4oCTQ29W4oCTMiBXYXN0ZXdhdGVyIENvbmNlbnRyYXRpb25zOiBHcmVhdGVyIFNhbiBGcmFuY2lzY28gQmF5IEFyZWEsIENBEAA4AUABSABSBjU3OWRhM1IGMzc0MzBhUgZlOWU4N2VSBjA3Y2VkN1IGOGE5YjRiUgZjOGQzNTdSBjI1NDgxOVIGZGQzNmZiUgZmYTJkNjNSBmI3MjNhZVIGYmM3OWY5UgY4NGQ0ODlSBmRkZTg4ZloGTiBHZW5leIINigEGMWI1NzQzuAGlBg%3D%3D&selectedChartId=1b5743\">historic data and past infection waves\u003c/a>, her team has observed a mixture of variants in local circulation rather than one dominant variant, “like we have seen in the past” — something that’s also \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=ClwKNFNBUlPigJNDb1bigJMyIFNlcXVlbmNpbmc6IFdXU0NBTiBOYXRpb25hbCBBZ2dyZWdhdGUQA0ABSABSBnNlcXVlbloGTiBHZW5leLwBigEGY2JhODQ4uAGlBg%3D%3D&selectedChartId=cba848\">mirrored nationally\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But when it comes to the question of if there’s a major new strain out there about to cause chaos, the short answer is : No, said Dr. Abraar Karan, an infectious disease expert at Stanford University. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The COVID variant he’s been seeing in the Bay Area in these last weeks is still XFG, also known as “Stratus,” in the omicron lineage. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12033385\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-1231697879_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A syringe is filled with a dose of the Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site inside Reuther Hall at Forty Acres on March 13, 2021, in Delano, California. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>People infected with XFG have often reported a scratchy, hoarse throat that’s easily mistaken for allergies, along with the kind of primarily respiratory symptoms we’ve come to expect from COVID, said Karan: “Sore throat, cough, congestion, fatigue, fever, that kind of thing.” Also still in circulation, unfortunately, is NB.1.8.1 or “Nimbus”: the strain that’s also nicknamed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12045979/xfg-stratus-nimbus-nb181-covid-variant-symptoms-razor-blade-throat-incubation-period-testing\">“razor blade throat”\u003c/a> for the intense sore throat it gives many people.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The good news is that there’s nothing — at least genomically — that’s telling us we’re dealing with something very different, or something that should cause major concern or that will give us an increase in hospitalizations,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What about other newer strains you might have heard about, like BA.3.2, dubbed \u003ca href=\"https://www.ajmc.com/view/cicada-covid-19-variant-faqs-symptoms-risk-and-prevention\">“Cicada”\u003c/a>? While any news of new COVID-19 variants might bring flashbacks to the game-changing emergence of \u003ca href=\"https://archive.cdc.gov/www_cdc_gov/media/releases/2021/s1201-omicron-variant.html\">omicron\u003c/a> in 2021, or delta after it, “the vast majority” of these latest strains aren’t giving medical professionals sleepless nights in 2026, Karan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Nothing has shown a severe increase in severe disease or hospitalizations, or that they will be resistant to antivirals, or that they will render diagnostics invalid,” he said. “Those are the main things we worry about, but I’ve not seen that with any of the variants.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How will my most recent COVID vaccine hold up against a 2026 summer wave?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The 2025-26 \u003ca href=\"https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-vaccine/art-20484859\">COVID-19 vaccine\u003c/a> that rolled out in fall 2025 was formulated to target descendants of omicron and include XFG, the dominant variant now.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But if you got your shot as soon as you were able to last year, despite \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12055165/where-can-i-find-new-updated-2025-covid-vaccine-near-me-moderna-pfizer-cvs-walgreens-safeway-vaccinations-health-insurance-cost\">the Food and Drug Administration’s efforts\u003c/a> to limit eligibility to the vaccine, that also means it’s been longer since you had that immunity boost. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Broadly speaking, the longer it’s been since you got vaccinated, the lower your immune response is going to be,” Karan said. “As time goes on, the more variants there are since [the one] which the vaccine was based on, the more chance that you’ll have stronger symptoms or more likely to be infected.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1709\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"A closeup image of two COVID-19 antigen test results.\" class=\"wp-image-12002056\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-800x534.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-1020x681.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-1536x1025.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-2048x1367.jpeg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap23323639771611-1920x1281.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">COVID-19 antigen home tests indicating a positive result photographed in New York on April 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But nothing researchers are seeing suggests that the vaccine is completely ineffective — or that it will no longer have benefits, Karan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So you’re somewhere in the middle,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And while “the goal of the vaccines is to prevent you from getting very sick,” they can’t prevent you from being infected in the first place. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a nutshell: Don’t assume your fall 2025 vaccine will necessarily mean any infection you get in summer 2026 will be short or mild, so it’s worth considering your risks and taking precautions if necessary. Speaking of which …\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">So should I be wearing a mask again on BART or in the grocery store?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think it depends on how high the levels get,” Karan said — who recommended you keep an eye on the COVID-19 levels in your own county’s wastewater, according to WastewaterSCAN’s monitoring:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=Ci0QACABSABSBmU5ZTg3ZVIGMzc0MzBhWgZOIEdlbmV41AGKAQZiNDYyMGHAAQE%3D&selectedChartId=b4620a\">San Francisco \u003c/a>| \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CkUQACABSABSBjVhYTY5OVIGMDJkMjQyUgZkZDM2ZmJSBjY3YzJlYlIGMjkzYjI1WgZOIEdlbmV40gGKAQY1OTRlYzPAAQE%3D&selectedChartId=594ec3\">Alameda\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=Cj0QACABSABSBjA3Y2VkN1IGN2NhOTA1UgY3NGIzOWFSBmM5NWU2NFoGTiBHZW5leNIBigEGMjc3MmU4wAEB&selectedChartId=2772e8\">San Mateo\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=Cj0QACABSABSBjI1NDgxOVIGOGE5YjRiUgY1NzlkYTNSBmM4ZDM1N1oGTiBHZW5leNIBigEGZDVjZjMzwAEB&selectedChartId=d5cf33\">Santa Clara\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=Ci0QACABSABSBjc0ZDAyNlIGNTc1NzM4WgZOIEdlbmV40gGKAQY1MDg4Y2XAAQE%3D&selectedChartId=5088ce\">Contra Costa\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=Ci0QACABSABSBmZhMmQ2M1IGMGM4MDkxWgZOIEdlbmV40gGKAQYwMzU3N2bAAQE%3D&selectedChartId=03577f\">Solano\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CkQQACABSABSBjI0ZDAzMFIGNjQ3M2MwUgZiOTI1ZTdSBmRkZTg4ZlIGODRkNDg5WgZOIEdlbmV4dYoBBmZhZGM0ZsABAQ%3D%3D&selectedChartId=fadc4f\">Marin\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CjIQACABSABSBjMwMzJjOFIGNzFhMmY0UgZiYzc5ZjlaBk4gR2VuZXjSAYoBBmQ1NjA5Yw%3D%3D&selectedChartId=d5609c\">Sonoma\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CiUQACABSABSBmI3MjNhZVoGTiBHZW5leNIBigEGZDU1MTZkwAEB&selectedChartId=d5516d\">Napa\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wearing a well-fitting N95 or KN95 mask in crowded places, especially if you observe people with possible COVID-19 symptoms around you, “can reduce the risk that you get infected — and I think for most people, that’s the goal at this point … to prevent infection that would knock them out for a couple of days,” Karan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if the thought of losing a week to infection and isolation isn’t enough, remember the risks of contracting \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/long-covid\">long COVID\u003c/a>. Karan said that in 2026, he still sees long COVID-19 patients regularly. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12016585\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_SewageLeak_GC-8-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An estimated 20 million gallons of wastewater have spilled into the Suisun Marsh in Contra Costa County. That will expose animals to chemicals that are carried in our sewage system. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Even this week, I’ve seen people that came in with post-COVID infection, with longer-term brain fog and symptoms that are just disruptive and making them feel not great,” the scientist said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These risks are another reason to commit to isolating from other people as much as you can when you have COVID-19, Karan said — or to ensuring that anyone infected in your home isolates from the rest of the household as much as they can, despite the inconveniences that brings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I think I was exposed or have symptoms. When should I take a COVID test?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Step 1: Know about updated incubation times \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If the average incubation times of five to seven days from back in 2020 are still burned into your brain, you should know: Incubation times for COVID-19 — that is, the amount of time between getting exposed to and testing positive — have gotten shorter over the years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>People are testing positive more quickly than they were in 2020, when the average incubation period was five to seven days, because it has changed with each new variant, Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a UC San Francisco infectious disease expert, told KQED in 2025.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Three days has become a common period of time between exposure and getting sick, Chin-Hong said. So given this trend, it makes sense to take a COVID-19 test as early as two days after exposure if you’re already having symptoms.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Step 2: Don’t trust a negative early COVID test\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If your first test is negative, you should absolutely test again the next day if symptoms persist — and again after that if you’re still negative.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Here’s why you can’t necessarily trust a negative at-home COVID-19 test in 2026: While incubation times have gotten shorter, doctors are seeing people take longer to get a positive test, Chin-Hong said. And that’s probably more to do with how much quicker someone with COVID-19 might develop symptoms in 2026 than they would have done in 2020.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a reminder, those symptoms are the sign that your body’s immune system is mounting a response to an invading virus. Back at the start of the pandemic, by the time you developed COVID-19 symptoms and took a test, it would probably already be positive.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/008_StockPhoto_AtHomeCOVIDTest_02022022_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11989966\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/008_StockPhoto_AtHomeCOVIDTest_02022022_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/008_StockPhoto_AtHomeCOVIDTest_02022022_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/008_StockPhoto_AtHomeCOVIDTest_02022022_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/008_StockPhoto_AtHomeCOVIDTest_02022022_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/008_StockPhoto_AtHomeCOVIDTest_02022022_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">As COVID-19 levels continue to rise in Bay Area wastewater for summer 2026, what do you need to know? (Beth La Berge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But at this stage of the pandemic, “we likely have more immune cells circulating that can recognize the enemy, so it ‘sounds the alarm’ quicker [and] people might feel something faster than in the old days,” Chin-Hong said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And because many of us take a COVID-19 test when we start to feel sick, we might actually be testing way too early for an at-home antigen kit to successfully detect enough virus inside us.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bottom line: If you’re testing because you’ve started feeling unwell, don’t assume a negative result means you don’t actually have COVID-19. Play it safe, stay home as much as you can and wear a well-fitted mask if you can’t. Take another antigen test 48 hours later, Chin-Hong said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Step 3: Make sure your COVID test hasn’t expired\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Those COVID-19 tests you might have in a drawer may be approaching their expiration date if they haven’t already passed it. And an expired test could give you an unreliable result.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can check the \u003ca href=\"https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests#list\">FDA’s list\u003c/a> of antigen test types to see whether the box you’re holding has had its \u003ca href=\"https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests#list\">shelf life extended\u003c/a> by the manufacturer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS46094_002_KQED_SanFrancisco_COVIDTesting_11302020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A close-up shot of a health care professional in black gloves holding a COVID-19 rapid test, which is pictured as a thick, white paper test with holes for a cotton swab to rest inside.\" class=\"wp-image-11948954\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS46094_002_KQED_SanFrancisco_COVIDTesting_11302020-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS46094_002_KQED_SanFrancisco_COVIDTesting_11302020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS46094_002_KQED_SanFrancisco_COVIDTesting_11302020-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS46094_002_KQED_SanFrancisco_COVIDTesting_11302020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS46094_002_KQED_SanFrancisco_COVIDTesting_11302020-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A rapid COVID-19 test held by a health care professional at a Unidos En Salud testing site, a collaboration by UCSF and the Latino Task Force, during a post-holiday COVID-19 outreach event on 24th and Mission Streets in San Francisco on Nov. 30, 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The FDA said 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\n\n\n\u003cp>Another tip from Chin-Hong: “A quick-and-dirty way” to know if you’re using a functional COVID-19 test is to make sure the control line turns positive. If that doesn’t happen, “that means the test is probably not working,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If I test positive, how long do I have to isolate with COVID in 2026?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In March 2024, the CDC officially revised its national COVID-19 isolation guidance, saying that COVID-positive people could now \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/p0301-respiratory-virus.html\">return to work\u003c/a> or regular activities once “symptoms are improving overall” and they’ve been fever-free for at least\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/prevention/precautions-when-sick.html\">24 hours\u003c/a> without use of a fever-reducing medication.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Read more about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11973108/how-long-to-isolate-with-covid-in-2024-california-now-says-that-depends-on-symptoms\">current isolation guidance\u003c/a> for COVID-19.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’ve been infected, consider asking your health provider for the COVID-19 medication \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11914514/if-you-get-covid-should-you-try-to-get-paxlovid-heres-how-with-or-without-health-insurance\">Paxlovid, an antiviral treatment\u003c/a> in pill form that is still available free by prescription in California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where can I still find a free COVID test?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Good question.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Finding a quick, free COVID-19 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.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And visiting \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/lab-leak-true-origins-of-covid-19/\">the White House site\u003c/a> that once offered you free at-home COVID-19 tests through USPS will now greet you with an image of President Donald Trump superimposed over the headline “LAB LEAK: The True Origins of COVID,” as well as a page dedicated to the theory \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/04/18/g-s1-61324/lab-leak-white-house-covid-origins\">disputed\u003c/a> by many scientists that the pandemic was caused by the coronavirus leaking from a government laboratory in Wuhan, China.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So, what do you do now if you don’t already have a supply of antigen tests for COVID-19 at home right now?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now that the network of PCR testing options as we knew them has essentially gone, your best option is to purchase a COVID-19 at-home antigen test at a pharmacy. These at-home test kits are usually around $20 for a pack of two.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ideally, ask someone to purchase one for you so you don’t potentially expose other people at the pharmacy, and if you really have to go yourself, wear a well-fitted N95 mask to help lower the risk you pose to others.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you have health insurance, you can \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11969300/how-to-get-reimbursed-for-at-home-covid-tests-in-2023\">request reimbursement from your health insurer\u003c/a> for the cost of up to eight at-home tests per month, so don’t throw away your receipts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re insured through major Bay Area providers like Kaiser Permanente or Sutter Health, you may also be able to ask for a PCR test through your provider.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "the-no-judgement-guide-to-not-passing-out-at-a-concert-and-other-concert-health-tips",
"title": "The No Judgement Guide to Not Passing Out at a Concert (and Other Concert Health Tips)",
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"headTitle": "The No Judgement Guide to Not Passing Out at a Concert (and Other Concert Health Tips) | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Since pandemic-era restrictions lifted in 2021, concert etiquette has been a hot topic among live music fans. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The complaints range far and wide: Constant \u003ca href=\"https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/concert-behavior-bebe-rexha-pink-ashes-ava-max-1234782356/\">phone use\u003c/a>. Throwing \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1197953096\">“gifts” on the stage\u003c/a>, sometimes even hitting the artist. And most recently, according to musicians Olivia Rodrigo and Noah Kahan, \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jul/22/pass-the-pit-diapers-why-are-fans-wetting-themselves-to-stand-front-row-at-concerts-olivia-rodrigo-noah-kahan-morgan-wallen\">wearing diapers\u003c/a> to avoid going to the bathroom and losing a spot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But while wearing diapers (for non-medical reasons) is rather unpleasant — do you want to upset your fellow fans and Rodrigo \u003cem>personally? \u003c/em>— a concerning element many concertgoers have started \u003ca href=\"https://dailyfreepress.com/02/28/15/210485/rocking-out-has-gotten-out-of-hand-mad-women/\">discussing more\u003c/a> is \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/Ethelcain/comments/1swc8r2/are_people_passing_out_at_every_show_or_whats/\">people passing out\u003c/a> in the crowd to the point of halting the concert — sometimes due to dehydration and exhaustion after \u003ca href=\"https://www.billboard.com/music/concerts/phoebe-bridgers-toronto-fan-medical-calls-1235084420/\">overnight camping\u003c/a> to get to the front of a barricade, like Phoebe Bridgers fans in 2022.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Something is happening on this tour that we have never, ever experienced before, which is that we’re seeing more people than ever either pass out or have panic attacks in the audience,” singer Maggie Rogers said \u003ca href=\"https://people.com/music/maggie-rogers-says-more-concertgoers-pass-out-and-have-panic-attacks-post-pandemic/\">in 2023.\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This reporter watched Lorde stop her 2025 Berkeley show several times to allow medical staff to help someone out of the crowded general admission section at the front — the singer patiently waiting for the audience member to be escorted safely out.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/OutsideLandsEG.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091860\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/OutsideLandsEG.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/OutsideLandsEG-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/OutsideLandsEG-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nori Nakayama, right, poses for a portrait as Glass Animals performs at Outside Lands on Aug. 9, 2025. (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a day and age where tickets cost an arm and a leg, this reporter can somewhat understand the desire to make the most out of an experience. And to put the blame entirely on fan behavior would be unfair. For example, water bottles in stadiums can be pricey (although many offer refill stations now), and extreme weather conditions, \u003ca href=\"https://www.businessinsider.com/billie-eilish-concert-london-people-fainting-fan-safety-2022-6\">especially\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.fox5dc.com/news/6-hospitalized-heat-related-illness-stray-kids-concert-nats-park\">heat\u003c/a>, have also led to \u003ca href=\"https://deadline.com/2026/07/lorde-pauses-lollapalooza-show-fans-pass-out-1237015099/\">people fainting\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But while it may seem to fans like there’s been a post-pandemic increase in questionable concert behavior, everything — diapers, rushing the barricade, avoiding drinking to save a spot — has actually been part of fan behavior for generations, according to Gordon Oldham, managing director of \u003ca href=\"https://www.rockmed.org/\">Rock Medicine\u003c/a> (a program of HealthRIGHT 360), which has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090715/outside-lands-ticket-pass-friday-saturday-sunday-lineup-resale-scams-2026\">worked festivals like San Francisco’s Outside Lands\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In fact, he said, the idea of Rock Medicine started in 1972, a few years after the Summer of Love, when founder \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Dr-George-Skip-Gay-dies-in-Alaska-3224695.php\">Skip Gay\u003c/a> and the Haight-Ashbury Free Clinic were asked to help out with two massive outdoor concerts featuring the Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The city of San Francisco was kind of going, ‘Holy crap.’ Because what most people don’t realize is that only roughly 20% of the concert goers — and that’s still probably a little high — live in the local area,” he said. “Seventy to 80% come from outside the area. Our infrastructure is built to take care of the people that live in the city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So they were kind of freaking out, and we’ve got to remember they were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12050476/the-deadheads-are-coming-and-sf-is-ready-next-up-2-more-weekends-of-live-music\">Deadheads\u003c/a>,” Oldham said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rock Medicine was formalized in 1973 and still continues to provide support at venues like Levi’s Stadium and the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We might not be all hippies and wearing tie-dye and all the crazy stuff we did back in the day, but we still provide the exact same medicine that we started 53 years ago,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A major tenet of event medicine, Oldham said, is to take care of the fan at the venue and “get them home safe and sound with their family and their friends” without overwhelming the local infrastructure, like hospitals, fire departments and police. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We were built on non-judgmental healthcare,” he said. “We’ve all done crazy stuff in our lives … We just want to take care of people.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you are going to a show any time soon — be it a major stadium show or outdoor music festival like Outside Lands or \u003ca href=\"https://www.daisychainfields.com/\">Daisy Chain Fields\u003c/a> down in Southern California — and you tend to be the responsible member of the friend group, here’s what you should keep in mind for you and your loved ones when attending. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This guide is primarily for those who don’t have a history of fainting. Be sure to check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091823/outside-lands-2026-tickets-parking-road-closures-and-bag-rules\">KQED’s guide on Outside Lands\u003c/a> to learn more about the festival’s options for accessibility. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First off: What is event medicine?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The folks at the first aid or medical tents are sometimes volunteer or staffed doctors, nurses and EMTs with an organization dedicated to event medicine — also known as crowd medicine. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We work as a medical clinic on site, an urgent care clinic,” Oldham said. “We’re able to stitch people up, fix them up, get them better, hydrate them if we need to and get them back out to the show.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oldham emphasized that over Rock Medicine’s 50-plus years of experience, only a small percentage of the audience ends up at the medical tent or booth. But they have seen it all — impacts from heat, alcohol, the common cold.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/08082025_Outsidelands_EG_082_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12052315\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/08082025_Outsidelands_EG_082_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/08082025_Outsidelands_EG_082_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/08082025_Outsidelands_EG_082_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A concertgoer wears three pairs of sunglasses as he watches Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso perform at Outside Lands on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025. (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re used to a lot of vomit,” he said. “We’re used to people not happy and sad and crying. But everybody tries to be very cheerful, happy and give them the best experience possible with medicine.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The things we see the most are low-acuity common things like asthma exacerbations, trips and falls, abrasions and lacerations and cuts, abdominal pain,” said Matt Friedman, an emergency medicine physician and national medical director for \u003ca href=\"https://crowdrx.org/\">CrowdRx\u003c/a>, which provides medical support to venues like Chase Center, SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and Madison Square Garden in New York. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The adrenaline surges and emotional highs — and people are just so excited that they forget to eat and drink,” he said. “But at some points, no matter how young and vivacious you are, at some point that surge is gonna dampen a little bit.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happens when you do pass out?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Age-wise, visits to the medical tent vary, but Oldham said “the majority” tend to be younger fans. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Younger fans that haven’t been there, haven’t done that before,” he said. “It’s all new to them, and they spent a bazillion dollars to go see this artist, and they want to be as close as they can.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But if you don’t take care of yourself, you end up with us, and then you don’t see them at all,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/Josh-Withers-scaled-e1635549076106.jpg\" alt=\"A large crowd at a nighttime outdoor concert.\" class=\"wp-image-11894419\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A packed crowd at the Outside Lands Festival in Golden Gate Park in 2019, the last time the event was held before the COVID pandemic. (Josh Withers/Outside Lands)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We see it among younger fans, but we also see it amongst the elderly as well, who sort of suffer as well from standing in positions waiting for the show to open and from the sun exposure,” Friedman said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By the time the headliner comes up — “whether it’s Lorde or Billie Eilish or ACDC, I don’t care who it is” — at least six to seven fans who have been standing in front of the barricade all day long are going to experience a “sinkable episode,” Oldham said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People think they have a seizure,” Oldham said. “They just have a quick pass out because their body’s had enough, and that’s telling you, ‘Hey, you gotta take care of yourself.’”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Friedman said that most of the time, “passing out is a pretty benign experience” and there are “no long-term harmful effects.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, he said what first aid staff is really worried about is when people pass out and “hit their head hard — and that can be just from a ground-level fall.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s also “the other 5% of the cases where passing out is not due to a benign cause, but has sort of a serious cause that we need to investigate,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Either way, once you pass out, Friedman said, “you’re not feeling back to your normal self right away. It takes a while. It takes 30 minutes to a couple of hours to feel back to your normal self, back to the point where you can enjoy the show again,” which you have likely missed a good portion of. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some people may need to recover by getting rehydrated with IV fluids. Some people need to have their electrolytes checked. And sometimes, staff may need to be more involved.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s a bunch of things as the medical providers, we need to do and make sure that you’re not in the 5% of the group that has serious causes for the passing out,” he said. “Sometimes we will do an EKG; we’re gonna monitor your vital signs, and we don’t just want one set of vital signs. We wanna repeat vital signs 10 minutes later to make sure that they’re improving … We really have to investigate why each time somebody passes out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What should you know about concert health?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The prep starts early\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oldham said that fans should prepare a couple of days early before going to a festival like Outside Lands — specifically drinking water and hydrating themselves. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s like an adult Disneyland for a weekend where there’s all these cool things and different things that they can go do and see,” he said. “And if you don’t prepare for the three days in advance, it’s gonna catch up with you.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He said people should try to hydrate with more than just water — anything with electrolytes, such as Gatorade or Liquid IV packs. If someone is going to multiple days of a festival, they should return home that night with the intention of hydrating themselves before bed and preparing for the next day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/outside-lands-2025.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12050547\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/outside-lands-2025.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/outside-lands-2025-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/outside-lands-2025-1536x1024.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chappell Roan performs at Outside Lands 2024. (Alive Coverage/Outside Lands)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oldham said most venues allow for a refillable water bottle and some have water stations, where fans can fill their containers for free. (Be sure to check what kind of bottles are allowed at a stadium or venue — for example, some places ban \u003cem>glass\u003c/em> bottles.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We want people to eat like they normally would and drink like they normally would and really prepare for the show knowing that they’re gonna be standing for several hours on end,” Friedman said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Know what to do in the heat\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While San Francisco in particular isn’t known for having extreme heat waves like some parts of the Bay Area, experts say that even \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11878134/bay-area-heat-wave-how-to-stay-safe-during-dangerously-hot-weather\">85 degrees can be dangerous for people\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Be sure to relax in the shade, Oldham said, stay out of the sun for some periods of time and wear sunscreen. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He also recommended cutting down alcohol and soda intake during the hottest parts of the day. Oldham noted that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030278/things-to-do-bay-area-alcohol-free-evening\">younger crowds aren’t big drinkers\u003c/a>, but if they were to consume alcohol, they should try to have water afterward.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Heat exhaustion is what happens when the body loses too much water and salt, and signs of it \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11878134/bay-area-heat-wave-how-to-stay-safe-during-dangerously-hot-weather\">include cramps, headache, nausea, tiredness or dizziness\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To get quick relief, fans can cool their body’s pulse points, such as the back of their neck, the inside of their elbows and behind their knees.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>(Although remember, if the festival you are heading to is Outside Lands, know that Golden Gate Park can get unpredictably cold. Be sure to have layers on hand.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Don’t lock your knees\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You’ve probably seen videos of weddings where the groomsmen suddenly collapse. That’s usually because they were \u003ca href=\"https://hornphotographyanddesign.com/tips-for-our-couples/weekly-wednesday-wedding-tip-episode-019-dont-lock-your-knees/\">standing with their knees straight\u003c/a> for too long, explained Oldham. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Locking your knees can \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z62esVdmxCQ&t=100s\">interrupt blood flow to the head and brain\u003c/a>, leading to a sinkable episode.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s an old trick: if you bend your knees and move a little bit,” Oldham said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.vumc.org/autonomic-dysfunction-center/symptoms\">guidance\u003c/a> from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, fans can also shift their weight or stand on their toes to rock back and forth. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On the subject of standing, this reporter has never tried out this trick, but \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us/2026/jul/30/best-compression-socks\">some people swear by compression socks\u003c/a> to help with aching feet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Be aware of your bladder\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whether it’s because they don’t want to lose their place in the crowd or dread using a port-a-potty, avoiding the need to pee is often a top priority for concertgoers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to Giulia Ippolito, a neuro-urologist and pelvic reconstruction specialist at Michigan Medicine, in adults without “underlying medical conditions, one-time or infrequent events, like holding urine at a concert, are unlikely to have significant impacts on long-term bladder health.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But she added that a person could “potentially develop a \u003ca href=\"https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urinary-tract-infection/symptoms-causes/syc-20353447\">[urinary tract infection]\u003c/a> from overholding.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She recommended adults without underlying medical conditions drink 50 to 70 ounces of water throughout the day in “small 2-3 ounce sips rather than all at once.” (Keep in mind: a good sign of hydration is pale yellow or clear urine.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>People can also try to \u003ca href=\"https://sufuorg.com/docs/oab/oab-food-and-drink.aspx\">avoid certain foods and drinks\u003c/a> that may “irritate the bladder,” such as: \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Alcoholic drinks\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Caffeinated foods and drinks, such as soft drinks, coffee, tea, chocolate and energy drinks\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Tomato-based foods and drinks \u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Citrus fruits and juices\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Spicy foods\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Artificial sweeteners\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ippolito said that “shifting water intake to earlier or later in the day” to avoid heading to the bathroom at a specific time “could be a strategy that can be safely employed in short periods.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“For example,” she said, “it may be reasonable to shift hydration to earlier in the day if you are planning on an evening concert or if you are trying to catch a specific set at a show,” with the goal being 50 ounces “earlier in the day so that you would clear this by the time the concert/set starts.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But she does \u003cem>not\u003c/em> recommend this strategy for all-day concerts or multi-day festivals — especially ones outside, where concertgoers should instead “prioritize hydration with water to avoid dehydration.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And returning to the subject of port-a-potties — Ippolito said people cannot “catch a UTI” from a public bathroom, since they are not contagious and not caused by hygiene. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“However, the bladder and urinary tract have their own microbiome,” she said. “Holding urine for more than [three to four] hours and not drinking enough water to keep urine dilute are things that could lead to a UTI due to conditions that allow overgrowth of naturally occurring bacteria.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And nothing can make you feel like you’ll have an accident more than \u003cem>waiting \u003c/em>in the line to the restroom. Ippolito said this is a good time to practice “mind over bladder” in these situations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And assuming the fan has emptied their bladder within the past couple of hours, they can also \u003ca href=\"https://sufuorg.com/docs/oab/oab-controlling-bladder-urges.aspx\">try some suppression techniques\u003c/a> like:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Focusing on relaxing\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Squeezing their pelvic floor muscles quickly three to five times\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Taking slow, deep breaths in and out, concentrating on the movement of the chest\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Have a friend with you\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oldham said having a designated person in the group to make sure everyone gets home safe is also vital. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t think anybody should go by themselves,” Oldham said. “At a festival especially, you should have a group of friends that you’re with at all times.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When you and your group walk in, he said to make sure you know where the exits are and that you do have an exit strategy or a meeting place in case of an emergency. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/08082025_Outsidelands_EG_106_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093698\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/08082025_Outsidelands_EG_106_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/08082025_Outsidelands_EG_106_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/08082025_Outsidelands_EG_106_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Festival goers dance as Jorja Smith performs at Outside Lands on Aug. 9, 2025. (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Be cautious about recreational drugs\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both medical professionals recommend avoiding recreational drugs — but both acknowledge the reality of their presence at music festivals and concerts and say that Narcan is available at first aid stations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m very honest with my kids,” Oldham said. “Don’t let somebody give you anything. If you don’t know them, and if it’s open, don’t drink out of that bottle.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If they do partake in recreational substances — which we do not recommend — be sure to do it with a group of others because there is safety in numbers,” Friedman said. “The advantage of that, obviously, is if the recreational substance is laced with fentanyl; hopefully somebody will have Narcan or can alert somebody.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the concerns aren’t just fentanyl — stimulants like MDMA can bring up people’s body temperatures incredibly high and may require attention, Friedman said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Know what to do in crowds\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you are going to a festival like Outside Lands, be prepared for large — often overwhelming — crowds, especially at the headlining shows. Many may also fear crushes, in which a crowd becomes dangerous and can lead to deaths, like \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/11/09/1053828800/south-korea-seoul-halloween-crowd-safety-tips\">the Halloween celebration tragedy in South Korea in 2022\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The more barriers you have and engineering controls to prevent too many people from going into too crowded of an area, the better,” Friedman said. “At times we bemoan security measures, which takes a long time to get into the venue. However, it is quite necessary to ensure crowd safety.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While being in a seated area is safer than an open field or general admission section, fans should always stay aware of their surroundings and know where security is located, he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If the crowd starts getting too rowdy or too rough, or there’s too much pushing, and there’s not enough security personnel or measures around, it’s very prudent to leave,” he said. “Everyone should really have a 1- to 2-foot perimeter at the minimum from other people.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Once that space is lost, fans should think about moving to get a better view farther away to maintain their safety.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If a crush were to occur, it is important to stay on your feet and try “putting your arms on your chest” in order “to give your chest wall some room to rise so that you can breathe.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mehdi Moussaïd, a research scientist who studies crowd behavior, also spoke to NPR about crowds after \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/11/09/1053828800/south-korea-seoul-halloween-crowd-safety-tips\">the South Korea incident\u003c/a> and said that people should try to avoid pushing, since that could trigger a chain reaction.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But hopefully it doesn’t come to that,” Friedman said. “If it comes to that, that sort of late stage, at that point, we really want people to start moving out of the area, contact security professionals.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The complaints range far and wide: Constant \u003ca href=\"https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/concert-behavior-bebe-rexha-pink-ashes-ava-max-1234782356/\">phone use\u003c/a>. Throwing \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1197953096\">“gifts” on the stage\u003c/a>, sometimes even hitting the artist. And most recently, according to musicians Olivia Rodrigo and Noah Kahan, \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jul/22/pass-the-pit-diapers-why-are-fans-wetting-themselves-to-stand-front-row-at-concerts-olivia-rodrigo-noah-kahan-morgan-wallen\">wearing diapers\u003c/a> to avoid going to the bathroom and losing a spot. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The complaints range far and wide: Constant \u003ca href=\"https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/concert-behavior-bebe-rexha-pink-ashes-ava-max-1234782356/\">phone use\u003c/a>. Throwing \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1197953096\">“gifts” on the stage\u003c/a>, sometimes even hitting the artist. And most recently, according to musicians Olivia Rodrigo and Noah Kahan, \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jul/22/pass-the-pit-diapers-why-are-fans-wetting-themselves-to-stand-front-row-at-concerts-olivia-rodrigo-noah-kahan-morgan-wallen\">wearing diapers\u003c/a> to avoid going to the bathroom and losing a spot. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But while wearing diapers (for non-medical reasons) is rather unpleasant — do you want to upset your fellow fans and Rodrigo \u003cem>personally? \u003c/em>— a concerning element many concertgoers have started \u003ca href=\"https://dailyfreepress.com/02/28/15/210485/rocking-out-has-gotten-out-of-hand-mad-women/\">discussing more\u003c/a> is \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/Ethelcain/comments/1swc8r2/are_people_passing_out_at_every_show_or_whats/\">people passing out\u003c/a> in the crowd to the point of halting the concert — sometimes due to dehydration and exhaustion after \u003ca href=\"https://www.billboard.com/music/concerts/phoebe-bridgers-toronto-fan-medical-calls-1235084420/\">overnight camping\u003c/a> to get to the front of a barricade, like Phoebe Bridgers fans in 2022.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But while wearing diapers (for non-medical reasons) is rather unpleasant — do you want to upset your fellow fans and Rodrigo \u003cem>personally? \u003c/em>— a concerning element many concertgoers have started \u003ca href=\"https://dailyfreepress.com/02/28/15/210485/rocking-out-has-gotten-out-of-hand-mad-women/\">discussing more\u003c/a> is \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/Ethelcain/comments/1swc8r2/are_people_passing_out_at_every_show_or_whats/\">people passing out\u003c/a> in the crowd to the point of halting the concert — sometimes due to dehydration and exhaustion after \u003ca href=\"https://www.billboard.com/music/concerts/phoebe-bridgers-toronto-fan-medical-calls-1235084420/\">overnight camping\u003c/a> to get to the front of a barricade, like Phoebe Bridgers fans in 2022.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Something is happening on this tour that we have never, ever experienced before, which is that we’re seeing more people than ever either pass out or have panic attacks in the audience,” singer Maggie Rogers said \u003ca href=\"https://people.com/music/maggie-rogers-says-more-concertgoers-pass-out-and-have-panic-attacks-post-pandemic/\">in 2023.\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Something is happening on this tour that we have never, ever experienced before, which is that we’re seeing more people than ever either pass out or have panic attacks in the audience,” singer Maggie Rogers said \u003ca href=\"https://people.com/music/maggie-rogers-says-more-concertgoers-pass-out-and-have-panic-attacks-post-pandemic/\">in 2023.\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This reporter watched Lorde stop her 2025 Berkeley show several times to allow medical staff to help someone out of the crowded general admission section at the front — the singer patiently waiting for the audience member to be escorted safely out.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This reporter watched Lorde stop her 2025 Berkeley show several times to allow medical staff to help someone out of the crowded general admission section at the front — the singer patiently waiting for the audience member to be escorted safely out.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/OutsideLandsEG.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091860\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/OutsideLandsEG.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/OutsideLandsEG-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/OutsideLandsEG-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nori Nakayama, right, poses for a portrait as Glass Animals performs at Outside Lands on Aug. 9, 2025. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/OutsideLandsEG.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091860\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nori Nakayama, right, poses for a portrait as Glass Animals performs at Outside Lands on Aug. 9, 2025. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a day and age where tickets cost an arm and a leg, this reporter can somewhat understand the desire to make the most out of an experience. And to put the blame entirely on fan behavior would be unfair. For example, water bottles in stadiums can be pricey (although many offer refill stations now), and extreme weather conditions, \u003ca href=\"https://www.businessinsider.com/billie-eilish-concert-london-people-fainting-fan-safety-2022-6\">especially\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.fox5dc.com/news/6-hospitalized-heat-related-illness-stray-kids-concert-nats-park\">heat\u003c/a>, have also led to \u003ca href=\"https://deadline.com/2026/07/lorde-pauses-lollapalooza-show-fans-pass-out-1237015099/\">people fainting\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a day and age where tickets cost an arm and a leg, this reporter can somewhat understand the desire to make the most out of an experience. And to put the blame entirely on fan behavior would be unfair. For example, water bottles in stadiums can be pricey (although many offer refill stations now), and extreme weather conditions, \u003ca href=\"https://www.businessinsider.com/billie-eilish-concert-london-people-fainting-fan-safety-2022-6\">especially\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.fox5dc.com/news/6-hospitalized-heat-related-illness-stray-kids-concert-nats-park\">heat\u003c/a>, have also led to \u003ca href=\"https://deadline.com/2026/07/lorde-pauses-lollapalooza-show-fans-pass-out-1237015099/\">people fainting\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But while it may seem to fans like there’s been a post-pandemic increase in questionable concert behavior, everything — diapers, rushing the barricade, avoiding drinking to save a spot — has actually been part of fan behavior for generations, according to Gordon Oldham, managing director of \u003ca href=\"https://www.rockmed.org/\">Rock Medicine\u003c/a> (a program of HealthRIGHT 360), which has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090715/outside-lands-ticket-pass-friday-saturday-sunday-lineup-resale-scams-2026\">worked festivals like San Francisco’s Outside Lands\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But while it may seem to fans like there’s been a post-pandemic increase in questionable concert behavior, everything — diapers, rushing the barricade, avoiding drinking to save a spot — has actually been part of fan behavior for generations, according to Gordon Oldham, managing director of \u003ca href=\"https://www.rockmed.org/\">Rock Medicine\u003c/a> (a program of HealthRIGHT 360), which has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090715/outside-lands-ticket-pass-friday-saturday-sunday-lineup-resale-scams-2026\">worked festivals like San Francisco’s Outside Lands\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In fact, he said, the idea of Rock Medicine started in 1972, a few years after the Summer of Love, when founder \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Dr-George-Skip-Gay-dies-in-Alaska-3224695.php\">Skip Gay\u003c/a> and the Haight-Ashbury Free Clinic were asked to help out with two massive outdoor concerts featuring the Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In fact, he said, the idea of Rock Medicine started in 1972, a few years after the Summer of Love, when founder \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Dr-George-Skip-Gay-dies-in-Alaska-3224695.php\">Skip Gay\u003c/a> and the Haight-Ashbury Free Clinic were asked to help out with two massive outdoor concerts featuring the Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The city of San Francisco was kind of going, ‘Holy crap.’ Because what most people don’t realize is that only roughly 20% of the concert goers — and that’s still probably a little high — live in the local area,” he said. “Seventy to 80% come from outside the area. Our infrastructure is built to take care of the people that live in the city.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The city of San Francisco was kind of going, ‘Holy crap.’ Because what most people don’t realize is that only roughly 20% of the concert goers — and that’s still probably a little high — live in the local area,” he said. “Seventy to 80% come from outside the area. Our infrastructure is built to take care of the people that live in the city.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“So they were kind of freaking out, and we’ve got to remember they were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12050476/the-deadheads-are-coming-and-sf-is-ready-next-up-2-more-weekends-of-live-music\">Deadheads\u003c/a>,” Oldham said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rock Medicine was formalized in 1973 and still continues to provide support at venues like Levi’s Stadium and the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rock Medicine was formalized in 1973 and still continues to provide support at venues like Levi’s Stadium and the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We might not be all hippies and wearing tie-dye and all the crazy stuff we did back in the day, but we still provide the exact same medicine that we started 53 years ago,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We might not be all hippies and wearing tie-dye and all the crazy stuff we did back in the day, but we still provide the exact same medicine that we started 53 years ago,” he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A major tenet of event medicine, Oldham said, is to take care of the fan at the venue and “get them home safe and sound with their family and their friends” without overwhelming the local infrastructure, like hospitals, fire departments and police. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A major tenet of event medicine, Oldham said, is to take care of the fan at the venue and “get them home safe and sound with their family and their friends” without overwhelming the local infrastructure, like hospitals, fire departments and police. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We were built on non-judgmental healthcare,” he said. “We’ve all done crazy stuff in our lives … We just want to take care of people.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We were built on non-judgmental healthcare,” he said. “We’ve all done crazy stuff in our lives … We just want to take care of people.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you are going to a show any time soon — be it a major stadium show or outdoor music festival like Outside Lands or \u003ca href=\"https://www.daisychainfields.com/\">Daisy Chain Fields\u003c/a> down in Southern California — and you tend to be the responsible member of the friend group, here’s what you should keep in mind for you and your loved ones when attending. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If you are going to a show any time soon — be it a major stadium show or outdoor music festival like Outside Lands or \u003ca href=\"https://www.daisychainfields.com/\">Daisy Chain Fields\u003c/a> down in Southern California — and you tend to be the responsible member of the friend group, here’s what you should keep in mind for you and your loved ones when attending. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This guide is primarily for those who don’t have a history of fainting. Be sure to check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091823/outside-lands-2026-tickets-parking-road-closures-and-bag-rules\">KQED’s guide on Outside Lands\u003c/a> to learn more about the festival’s options for accessibility. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This guide is primarily for those who don’t have a history of fainting. Be sure to check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091823/outside-lands-2026-tickets-parking-road-closures-and-bag-rules\">KQED’s guide on Outside Lands\u003c/a> to learn more about the festival’s options for accessibility. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "First off: What is event medicine?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First off: What is event medicine?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The folks at the first aid or medical tents are sometimes volunteer or staffed doctors, nurses and EMTs with an organization dedicated to event medicine — also known as crowd medicine. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We work as a medical clinic on site, an urgent care clinic,” Oldham said. “We’re able to stitch people up, fix them up, get them better, hydrate them if we need to and get them back out to the show.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We work as a medical clinic on site, an urgent care clinic,” Oldham said. “We’re able to stitch people up, fix them up, get them better, hydrate them if we need to and get them back out to the show.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Oldham emphasized that over Rock Medicine’s 50-plus years of experience, only a small percentage of the audience ends up at the medical tent or booth. But they have seen it all — impacts from heat, alcohol, the common cold.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Oldham emphasized that over Rock Medicine’s 50-plus years of experience, only a small percentage of the audience ends up at the medical tent or booth. But they have seen it all — impacts from heat, alcohol, the common cold.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/08082025_Outsidelands_EG_082_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12052315\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/08082025_Outsidelands_EG_082_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/08082025_Outsidelands_EG_082_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/08082025_Outsidelands_EG_082_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A concertgoer wears three pairs of sunglasses as he watches Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso perform at Outside Lands on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/08082025_Outsidelands_EG_082_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12052315\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A concertgoer wears three pairs of sunglasses as he watches Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso perform at Outside Lands on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re used to a lot of vomit,” he said. “We’re used to people not happy and sad and crying. But everybody tries to be very cheerful, happy and give them the best experience possible with medicine.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’re used to a lot of vomit,” he said. “We’re used to people not happy and sad and crying. But everybody tries to be very cheerful, happy and give them the best experience possible with medicine.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The things we see the most are low-acuity common things like asthma exacerbations, trips and falls, abrasions and lacerations and cuts, abdominal pain,” said Matt Friedman, an emergency medicine physician and national medical director for \u003ca href=\"https://crowdrx.org/\">CrowdRx\u003c/a>, which provides medical support to venues like Chase Center, SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and Madison Square Garden in New York. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The things we see the most are low-acuity common things like asthma exacerbations, trips and falls, abrasions and lacerations and cuts, abdominal pain,” said Matt Friedman, an emergency medicine physician and national medical director for \u003ca href=\"https://crowdrx.org/\">CrowdRx\u003c/a>, which provides medical support to venues like Chase Center, SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and Madison Square Garden in New York. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The adrenaline surges and emotional highs — and people are just so excited that they forget to eat and drink,” he said. “But at some points, no matter how young and vivacious you are, at some point that surge is gonna dampen a little bit.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The adrenaline surges and emotional highs — and people are just so excited that they forget to eat and drink,” he said. “But at some points, no matter how young and vivacious you are, at some point that surge is gonna dampen a little bit.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "What happens when you do pass out?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happens when you do pass out?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Age-wise, visits to the medical tent vary, but Oldham said “the majority” tend to be younger fans. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Age-wise, visits to the medical tent vary, but Oldham said “the majority” tend to be younger fans. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Younger fans that haven’t been there, haven’t done that before,” he said. “It’s all new to them, and they spent a bazillion dollars to go see this artist, and they want to be as close as they can.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Younger fans that haven’t been there, haven’t done that before,” he said. “It’s all new to them, and they spent a bazillion dollars to go see this artist, and they want to be as close as they can.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“But if you don’t take care of yourself, you end up with us, and then you don’t see them at all,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“But if you don’t take care of yourself, you end up with us, and then you don’t see them at all,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/Josh-Withers-scaled-e1635549076106.jpg\" alt=\"A large crowd at a nighttime outdoor concert.\" class=\"wp-image-11894419\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A packed crowd at the Outside Lands Festival in Golden Gate Park in 2019, the last time the event was held before the COVID pandemic.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/Josh-Withers-scaled-e1635549076106.jpg\" alt=\"A large crowd at a nighttime outdoor concert.\" class=\"wp-image-11894419\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A packed crowd at the Outside Lands Festival in Golden Gate Park in 2019, the last time the event was held before the COVID pandemic.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We see it among younger fans, but we also see it amongst the elderly as well, who sort of suffer as well from standing in positions waiting for the show to open and from the sun exposure,” Friedman said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We see it among younger fans, but we also see it amongst the elderly as well, who sort of suffer as well from standing in positions waiting for the show to open and from the sun exposure,” Friedman said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>By the time the headliner comes up — “whether it’s Lorde or Billie Eilish or ACDC, I don’t care who it is” — at least six to seven fans who have been standing in front of the barricade all day long are going to experience a “sinkable episode,” Oldham said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>By the time the headliner comes up — “whether it’s Lorde or Billie Eilish or ACDC, I don’t care who it is” — at least six to seven fans who have been standing in front of the barricade all day long are going to experience a “sinkable episode,” Oldham said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“People think they have a seizure,” Oldham said. “They just have a quick pass out because their body’s had enough, and that’s telling you, ‘Hey, you gotta take care of yourself.’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“People think they have a seizure,” Oldham said. “They just have a quick pass out because their body’s had enough, and that’s telling you, ‘Hey, you gotta take care of yourself.’”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Friedman said that most of the time, “passing out is a pretty benign experience” and there are “no long-term harmful effects.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Friedman said that most of the time, “passing out is a pretty benign experience” and there are “no long-term harmful effects.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, he said what first aid staff is really worried about is when people pass out and “hit their head hard — and that can be just from a ground-level fall.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>However, he said what first aid staff is really worried about is when people pass out and “hit their head hard — and that can be just from a ground-level fall.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There’s also “the other 5% of the cases where passing out is not due to a benign cause, but has sort of a serious cause that we need to investigate,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>There’s also “the other 5% of the cases where passing out is not due to a benign cause, but has sort of a serious cause that we need to investigate,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Either way, once you pass out, Friedman said, “you’re not feeling back to your normal self right away. It takes a while. It takes 30 minutes to a couple of hours to feel back to your normal self, back to the point where you can enjoy the show again,” which you have likely missed a good portion of. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Either way, once you pass out, Friedman said, “you’re not feeling back to your normal self right away. It takes a while. It takes 30 minutes to a couple of hours to feel back to your normal self, back to the point where you can enjoy the show again,” which you have likely missed a good portion of. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some people may need to recover by getting rehydrated with IV fluids. Some people need to have their electrolytes checked. And sometimes, staff may need to be more involved.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Some people may need to recover by getting rehydrated with IV fluids. Some people need to have their electrolytes checked. And sometimes, staff may need to be more involved.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s a bunch of things as the medical providers, we need to do and make sure that you’re not in the 5% of the group that has serious causes for the passing out,” he said. “Sometimes we will do an EKG; we’re gonna monitor your vital signs, and we don’t just want one set of vital signs. We wanna repeat vital signs 10 minutes later to make sure that they’re improving … We really have to investigate why each time somebody passes out.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“There’s a bunch of things as the medical providers, we need to do and make sure that you’re not in the 5% of the group that has serious causes for the passing out,” he said. “Sometimes we will do an EKG; we’re gonna monitor your vital signs, and we don’t just want one set of vital signs. We wanna repeat vital signs 10 minutes later to make sure that they’re improving … We really have to investigate why each time somebody passes out.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "What should you know about concert health?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What should you know about concert health?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The prep starts early\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Oldham said that fans should prepare a couple of days early before going to a festival like Outside Lands — specifically drinking water and hydrating themselves. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Oldham said that fans should prepare a couple of days early before going to a festival like Outside Lands — specifically drinking water and hydrating themselves. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s like an adult Disneyland for a weekend where there’s all these cool things and different things that they can go do and see,” he said. “And if you don’t prepare for the three days in advance, it’s gonna catch up with you.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s like an adult Disneyland for a weekend where there’s all these cool things and different things that they can go do and see,” he said. “And if you don’t prepare for the three days in advance, it’s gonna catch up with you.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He said people should try to hydrate with more than just water — anything with electrolytes, such as Gatorade or Liquid IV packs. If someone is going to multiple days of a festival, they should return home that night with the intention of hydrating themselves before bed and preparing for the next day. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He said people should try to hydrate with more than just water — anything with electrolytes, such as Gatorade or Liquid IV packs. If someone is going to multiple days of a festival, they should return home that night with the intention of hydrating themselves before bed and preparing for the next day. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/outside-lands-2025.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12050547\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/outside-lands-2025.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/outside-lands-2025-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/outside-lands-2025-1536x1024.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chappell Roan performs at Outside Lands 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Oldham said most venues allow for a refillable water bottle and some have water stations, where fans can fill their containers for free. (Be sure to check what kind of bottles are allowed at a stadium or venue — for example, some places ban \u003cem>glass\u003c/em> bottles.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We want people to eat like they normally would and drink like they normally would and really prepare for the show knowing that they’re gonna be standing for several hours on end,” Friedman said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While San Francisco in particular isn’t known for having extreme heat waves like some parts of the Bay Area, experts say that even \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11878134/bay-area-heat-wave-how-to-stay-safe-during-dangerously-hot-weather\">85 degrees can be dangerous for people\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Be sure to relax in the shade, Oldham said, stay out of the sun for some periods of time and wear sunscreen. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He also recommended cutting down alcohol and soda intake during the hottest parts of the day. Oldham noted that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030278/things-to-do-bay-area-alcohol-free-evening\">younger crowds aren’t big drinkers\u003c/a>, but if they were to consume alcohol, they should try to have water afterward.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Heat exhaustion is what happens when the body loses too much water and salt, and signs of it \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11878134/bay-area-heat-wave-how-to-stay-safe-during-dangerously-hot-weather\">include cramps, headache, nausea, tiredness or dizziness\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>To get quick relief, fans can cool their body’s pulse points, such as the back of their neck, the inside of their elbows and behind their knees.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>(Although remember, if the festival you are heading to is Outside Lands, know that Golden Gate Park can get unpredictably cold. Be sure to have layers on hand.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Don’t lock your knees\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You’ve probably seen videos of weddings where the groomsmen suddenly collapse. That’s usually because they were \u003ca href=\"https://hornphotographyanddesign.com/tips-for-our-couples/weekly-wednesday-wedding-tip-episode-019-dont-lock-your-knees/\">standing with their knees straight\u003c/a> for too long, explained Oldham. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Locking your knees can \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z62esVdmxCQ&t=100s\">interrupt blood flow to the head and brain\u003c/a>, leading to a sinkable episode.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Locking your knees can \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z62esVdmxCQ&t=100s\">interrupt blood flow to the head and brain\u003c/a>, leading to a sinkable episode.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s an old trick: if you bend your knees and move a little bit,” Oldham said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.vumc.org/autonomic-dysfunction-center/symptoms\">guidance\u003c/a> from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, fans can also shift their weight or stand on their toes to rock back and forth. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.vumc.org/autonomic-dysfunction-center/symptoms\">guidance\u003c/a> from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, fans can also shift their weight or stand on their toes to rock back and forth. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On the subject of standing, this reporter has never tried out this trick, but \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us/2026/jul/30/best-compression-socks\">some people swear by compression socks\u003c/a> to help with aching feet.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On the subject of standing, this reporter has never tried out this trick, but \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us/2026/jul/30/best-compression-socks\">some people swear by compression socks\u003c/a> to help with aching feet.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Be aware of your bladder\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Be aware of your bladder\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Whether it’s because they don’t want to lose their place in the crowd or dread using a port-a-potty, avoiding the need to pee is often a top priority for concertgoers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to Giulia Ippolito, a neuro-urologist and pelvic reconstruction specialist at Michigan Medicine, in adults without “underlying medical conditions, one-time or infrequent events, like holding urine at a concert, are unlikely to have significant impacts on long-term bladder health.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But she added that a person could “potentially develop a \u003ca href=\"https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urinary-tract-infection/symptoms-causes/syc-20353447\">[urinary tract infection]\u003c/a> from overholding.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She recommended adults without underlying medical conditions drink 50 to 70 ounces of water throughout the day in “small 2-3 ounce sips rather than all at once.” (Keep in mind: a good sign of hydration is pale yellow or clear urine.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>People can also try to \u003ca href=\"https://sufuorg.com/docs/oab/oab-food-and-drink.aspx\">avoid certain foods and drinks\u003c/a> that may “irritate the bladder,” such as: \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ippolito said that “shifting water intake to earlier or later in the day” to avoid heading to the bathroom at a specific time “could be a strategy that can be safely employed in short periods.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“For example,” she said, “it may be reasonable to shift hydration to earlier in the day if you are planning on an evening concert or if you are trying to catch a specific set at a show,” with the goal being 50 ounces “earlier in the day so that you would clear this by the time the concert/set starts.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And returning to the subject of port-a-potties — Ippolito said people cannot “catch a UTI” from a public bathroom, since they are not contagious and not caused by hygiene. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“However, the bladder and urinary tract have their own microbiome,” she said. “Holding urine for more than [three to four] hours and not drinking enough water to keep urine dilute are things that could lead to a UTI due to conditions that allow overgrowth of naturally occurring bacteria.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And nothing can make you feel like you’ll have an accident more than \u003cem>waiting \u003c/em>in the line to the restroom. Ippolito said this is a good time to practice “mind over bladder” in these situations. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I don’t think anybody should go by themselves,” Oldham said. “At a festival especially, you should have a group of friends that you’re with at all times.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Be cautious about recreational drugs\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Both medical professionals recommend avoiding recreational drugs — but both acknowledge the reality of their presence at music festivals and concerts and say that Narcan is available at first aid stations.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m very honest with my kids,” Oldham said. “Don’t let somebody give you anything. If you don’t know them, and if it’s open, don’t drink out of that bottle.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If they do partake in recreational substances — which we do not recommend — be sure to do it with a group of others because there is safety in numbers,” Friedman said. “The advantage of that, obviously, is if the recreational substance is laced with fentanyl; hopefully somebody will have Narcan or can alert somebody.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If they do partake in recreational substances — which we do not recommend — be sure to do it with a group of others because there is safety in numbers,” Friedman said. “The advantage of that, obviously, is if the recreational substance is laced with fentanyl; hopefully somebody will have Narcan or can alert somebody.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the concerns aren’t just fentanyl — stimulants like MDMA can bring up people’s body temperatures incredibly high and may require attention, Friedman said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Know what to do in crowds\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you are going to a festival like Outside Lands, be prepared for large — often overwhelming — crowds, especially at the headlining shows. Many may also fear crushes, in which a crowd becomes dangerous and can lead to deaths, like \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/11/09/1053828800/south-korea-seoul-halloween-crowd-safety-tips\">the Halloween celebration tragedy in South Korea in 2022\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If you are going to a festival like Outside Lands, be prepared for large — often overwhelming — crowds, especially at the headlining shows. Many may also fear crushes, in which a crowd becomes dangerous and can lead to deaths, like \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/11/09/1053828800/south-korea-seoul-halloween-crowd-safety-tips\">the Halloween celebration tragedy in South Korea in 2022\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The more barriers you have and engineering controls to prevent too many people from going into too crowded of an area, the better,” Friedman said. “At times we bemoan security measures, which takes a long time to get into the venue. However, it is quite necessary to ensure crowd safety.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The more barriers you have and engineering controls to prevent too many people from going into too crowded of an area, the better,” Friedman said. “At times we bemoan security measures, which takes a long time to get into the venue. However, it is quite necessary to ensure crowd safety.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While being in a seated area is safer than an open field or general admission section, fans should always stay aware of their surroundings and know where security is located, he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If the crowd starts getting too rowdy or too rough, or there’s too much pushing, and there’s not enough security personnel or measures around, it’s very prudent to leave,” he said. “Everyone should really have a 1- to 2-foot perimeter at the minimum from other people.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If the crowd starts getting too rowdy or too rough, or there’s too much pushing, and there’s not enough security personnel or measures around, it’s very prudent to leave,” he said. “Everyone should really have a 1- to 2-foot perimeter at the minimum from other people.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Once that space is lost, fans should think about moving to get a better view farther away to maintain their safety.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If a crush were to occur, it is important to stay on your feet and try “putting your arms on your chest” in order “to give your chest wall some room to rise so that you can breathe.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mehdi Moussaïd, a research scientist who studies crowd behavior, also spoke to NPR about crowds after \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/11/09/1053828800/south-korea-seoul-halloween-crowd-safety-tips\">the South Korea incident\u003c/a> and said that people should try to avoid pushing, since that could trigger a chain reaction.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“But hopefully it doesn’t come to that,” Friedman said. “If it comes to that, that sort of late stage, at that point, we really want people to start moving out of the area, contact security professionals.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Festival medics offer their best guidance on staying healthy at crowded concerts where fainting can be a regular occurrence.\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Since pandemic-era restrictions lifted in 2021, concert etiquette has been a hot topic among live music fans. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The complaints range far and wide: Constant \u003ca href=\"https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/concert-behavior-bebe-rexha-pink-ashes-ava-max-1234782356/\">phone use\u003c/a>. Throwing \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1197953096\">“gifts” on the stage\u003c/a>, sometimes even hitting the artist. And most recently, according to musicians Olivia Rodrigo and Noah Kahan, \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jul/22/pass-the-pit-diapers-why-are-fans-wetting-themselves-to-stand-front-row-at-concerts-olivia-rodrigo-noah-kahan-morgan-wallen\">wearing diapers\u003c/a> to avoid going to the bathroom and losing a spot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But while wearing diapers (for non-medical reasons) is rather unpleasant — do you want to upset your fellow fans and Rodrigo \u003cem>personally? \u003c/em>— a concerning element many concertgoers have started \u003ca href=\"https://dailyfreepress.com/02/28/15/210485/rocking-out-has-gotten-out-of-hand-mad-women/\">discussing more\u003c/a> is \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/Ethelcain/comments/1swc8r2/are_people_passing_out_at_every_show_or_whats/\">people passing out\u003c/a> in the crowd to the point of halting the concert — sometimes due to dehydration and exhaustion after \u003ca href=\"https://www.billboard.com/music/concerts/phoebe-bridgers-toronto-fan-medical-calls-1235084420/\">overnight camping\u003c/a> to get to the front of a barricade, like Phoebe Bridgers fans in 2022.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Something is happening on this tour that we have never, ever experienced before, which is that we’re seeing more people than ever either pass out or have panic attacks in the audience,” singer Maggie Rogers said \u003ca href=\"https://people.com/music/maggie-rogers-says-more-concertgoers-pass-out-and-have-panic-attacks-post-pandemic/\">in 2023.\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This reporter watched Lorde stop her 2025 Berkeley show several times to allow medical staff to help someone out of the crowded general admission section at the front — the singer patiently waiting for the audience member to be escorted safely out.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/OutsideLandsEG.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091860\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/OutsideLandsEG.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/OutsideLandsEG-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/OutsideLandsEG-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nori Nakayama, right, poses for a portrait as Glass Animals performs at Outside Lands on Aug. 9, 2025. (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a day and age where tickets cost an arm and a leg, this reporter can somewhat understand the desire to make the most out of an experience. And to put the blame entirely on fan behavior would be unfair. For example, water bottles in stadiums can be pricey (although many offer refill stations now), and extreme weather conditions, \u003ca href=\"https://www.businessinsider.com/billie-eilish-concert-london-people-fainting-fan-safety-2022-6\">especially\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.fox5dc.com/news/6-hospitalized-heat-related-illness-stray-kids-concert-nats-park\">heat\u003c/a>, have also led to \u003ca href=\"https://deadline.com/2026/07/lorde-pauses-lollapalooza-show-fans-pass-out-1237015099/\">people fainting\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But while it may seem to fans like there’s been a post-pandemic increase in questionable concert behavior, everything — diapers, rushing the barricade, avoiding drinking to save a spot — has actually been part of fan behavior for generations, according to Gordon Oldham, managing director of \u003ca href=\"https://www.rockmed.org/\">Rock Medicine\u003c/a> (a program of HealthRIGHT 360), which has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090715/outside-lands-ticket-pass-friday-saturday-sunday-lineup-resale-scams-2026\">worked festivals like San Francisco’s Outside Lands\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In fact, he said, the idea of Rock Medicine started in 1972, a few years after the Summer of Love, when founder \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Dr-George-Skip-Gay-dies-in-Alaska-3224695.php\">Skip Gay\u003c/a> and the Haight-Ashbury Free Clinic were asked to help out with two massive outdoor concerts featuring the Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The city of San Francisco was kind of going, ‘Holy crap.’ Because what most people don’t realize is that only roughly 20% of the concert goers — and that’s still probably a little high — live in the local area,” he said. “Seventy to 80% come from outside the area. Our infrastructure is built to take care of the people that live in the city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So they were kind of freaking out, and we’ve got to remember they were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12050476/the-deadheads-are-coming-and-sf-is-ready-next-up-2-more-weekends-of-live-music\">Deadheads\u003c/a>,” Oldham said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rock Medicine was formalized in 1973 and still continues to provide support at venues like Levi’s Stadium and the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We might not be all hippies and wearing tie-dye and all the crazy stuff we did back in the day, but we still provide the exact same medicine that we started 53 years ago,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A major tenet of event medicine, Oldham said, is to take care of the fan at the venue and “get them home safe and sound with their family and their friends” without overwhelming the local infrastructure, like hospitals, fire departments and police. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We were built on non-judgmental healthcare,” he said. “We’ve all done crazy stuff in our lives … We just want to take care of people.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you are going to a show any time soon — be it a major stadium show or outdoor music festival like Outside Lands or \u003ca href=\"https://www.daisychainfields.com/\">Daisy Chain Fields\u003c/a> down in Southern California — and you tend to be the responsible member of the friend group, here’s what you should keep in mind for you and your loved ones when attending. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This guide is primarily for those who don’t have a history of fainting. Be sure to check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091823/outside-lands-2026-tickets-parking-road-closures-and-bag-rules\">KQED’s guide on Outside Lands\u003c/a> to learn more about the festival’s options for accessibility. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First off: What is event medicine?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The folks at the first aid or medical tents are sometimes volunteer or staffed doctors, nurses and EMTs with an organization dedicated to event medicine — also known as crowd medicine. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We work as a medical clinic on site, an urgent care clinic,” Oldham said. “We’re able to stitch people up, fix them up, get them better, hydrate them if we need to and get them back out to the show.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oldham emphasized that over Rock Medicine’s 50-plus years of experience, only a small percentage of the audience ends up at the medical tent or booth. But they have seen it all — impacts from heat, alcohol, the common cold.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/08082025_Outsidelands_EG_082_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12052315\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/08082025_Outsidelands_EG_082_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/08082025_Outsidelands_EG_082_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/08082025_Outsidelands_EG_082_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A concertgoer wears three pairs of sunglasses as he watches Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso perform at Outside Lands on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025. (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re used to a lot of vomit,” he said. “We’re used to people not happy and sad and crying. But everybody tries to be very cheerful, happy and give them the best experience possible with medicine.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The things we see the most are low-acuity common things like asthma exacerbations, trips and falls, abrasions and lacerations and cuts, abdominal pain,” said Matt Friedman, an emergency medicine physician and national medical director for \u003ca href=\"https://crowdrx.org/\">CrowdRx\u003c/a>, which provides medical support to venues like Chase Center, SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and Madison Square Garden in New York. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The adrenaline surges and emotional highs — and people are just so excited that they forget to eat and drink,” he said. “But at some points, no matter how young and vivacious you are, at some point that surge is gonna dampen a little bit.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happens when you do pass out?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Age-wise, visits to the medical tent vary, but Oldham said “the majority” tend to be younger fans. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Younger fans that haven’t been there, haven’t done that before,” he said. “It’s all new to them, and they spent a bazillion dollars to go see this artist, and they want to be as close as they can.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But if you don’t take care of yourself, you end up with us, and then you don’t see them at all,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/Josh-Withers-scaled-e1635549076106.jpg\" alt=\"A large crowd at a nighttime outdoor concert.\" class=\"wp-image-11894419\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A packed crowd at the Outside Lands Festival in Golden Gate Park in 2019, the last time the event was held before the COVID pandemic. (Josh Withers/Outside Lands)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We see it among younger fans, but we also see it amongst the elderly as well, who sort of suffer as well from standing in positions waiting for the show to open and from the sun exposure,” Friedman said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By the time the headliner comes up — “whether it’s Lorde or Billie Eilish or ACDC, I don’t care who it is” — at least six to seven fans who have been standing in front of the barricade all day long are going to experience a “sinkable episode,” Oldham said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People think they have a seizure,” Oldham said. “They just have a quick pass out because their body’s had enough, and that’s telling you, ‘Hey, you gotta take care of yourself.’”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Friedman said that most of the time, “passing out is a pretty benign experience” and there are “no long-term harmful effects.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, he said what first aid staff is really worried about is when people pass out and “hit their head hard — and that can be just from a ground-level fall.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s also “the other 5% of the cases where passing out is not due to a benign cause, but has sort of a serious cause that we need to investigate,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Either way, once you pass out, Friedman said, “you’re not feeling back to your normal self right away. It takes a while. It takes 30 minutes to a couple of hours to feel back to your normal self, back to the point where you can enjoy the show again,” which you have likely missed a good portion of. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some people may need to recover by getting rehydrated with IV fluids. Some people need to have their electrolytes checked. And sometimes, staff may need to be more involved.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s a bunch of things as the medical providers, we need to do and make sure that you’re not in the 5% of the group that has serious causes for the passing out,” he said. “Sometimes we will do an EKG; we’re gonna monitor your vital signs, and we don’t just want one set of vital signs. We wanna repeat vital signs 10 minutes later to make sure that they’re improving … We really have to investigate why each time somebody passes out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What should you know about concert health?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The prep starts early\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oldham said that fans should prepare a couple of days early before going to a festival like Outside Lands — specifically drinking water and hydrating themselves. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s like an adult Disneyland for a weekend where there’s all these cool things and different things that they can go do and see,” he said. “And if you don’t prepare for the three days in advance, it’s gonna catch up with you.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He said people should try to hydrate with more than just water — anything with electrolytes, such as Gatorade or Liquid IV packs. If someone is going to multiple days of a festival, they should return home that night with the intention of hydrating themselves before bed and preparing for the next day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/outside-lands-2025.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12050547\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/outside-lands-2025.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/outside-lands-2025-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/outside-lands-2025-1536x1024.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chappell Roan performs at Outside Lands 2024. (Alive Coverage/Outside Lands)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oldham said most venues allow for a refillable water bottle and some have water stations, where fans can fill their containers for free. (Be sure to check what kind of bottles are allowed at a stadium or venue — for example, some places ban \u003cem>glass\u003c/em> bottles.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We want people to eat like they normally would and drink like they normally would and really prepare for the show knowing that they’re gonna be standing for several hours on end,” Friedman said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Know what to do in the heat\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While San Francisco in particular isn’t known for having extreme heat waves like some parts of the Bay Area, experts say that even \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11878134/bay-area-heat-wave-how-to-stay-safe-during-dangerously-hot-weather\">85 degrees can be dangerous for people\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Be sure to relax in the shade, Oldham said, stay out of the sun for some periods of time and wear sunscreen. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He also recommended cutting down alcohol and soda intake during the hottest parts of the day. Oldham noted that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030278/things-to-do-bay-area-alcohol-free-evening\">younger crowds aren’t big drinkers\u003c/a>, but if they were to consume alcohol, they should try to have water afterward.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Heat exhaustion is what happens when the body loses too much water and salt, and signs of it \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11878134/bay-area-heat-wave-how-to-stay-safe-during-dangerously-hot-weather\">include cramps, headache, nausea, tiredness or dizziness\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To get quick relief, fans can cool their body’s pulse points, such as the back of their neck, the inside of their elbows and behind their knees.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>(Although remember, if the festival you are heading to is Outside Lands, know that Golden Gate Park can get unpredictably cold. Be sure to have layers on hand.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Don’t lock your knees\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You’ve probably seen videos of weddings where the groomsmen suddenly collapse. That’s usually because they were \u003ca href=\"https://hornphotographyanddesign.com/tips-for-our-couples/weekly-wednesday-wedding-tip-episode-019-dont-lock-your-knees/\">standing with their knees straight\u003c/a> for too long, explained Oldham. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Locking your knees can \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z62esVdmxCQ&t=100s\">interrupt blood flow to the head and brain\u003c/a>, leading to a sinkable episode.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s an old trick: if you bend your knees and move a little bit,” Oldham said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.vumc.org/autonomic-dysfunction-center/symptoms\">guidance\u003c/a> from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, fans can also shift their weight or stand on their toes to rock back and forth. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On the subject of standing, this reporter has never tried out this trick, but \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us/2026/jul/30/best-compression-socks\">some people swear by compression socks\u003c/a> to help with aching feet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Be aware of your bladder\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whether it’s because they don’t want to lose their place in the crowd or dread using a port-a-potty, avoiding the need to pee is often a top priority for concertgoers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to Giulia Ippolito, a neuro-urologist and pelvic reconstruction specialist at Michigan Medicine, in adults without “underlying medical conditions, one-time or infrequent events, like holding urine at a concert, are unlikely to have significant impacts on long-term bladder health.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But she added that a person could “potentially develop a \u003ca href=\"https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urinary-tract-infection/symptoms-causes/syc-20353447\">[urinary tract infection]\u003c/a> from overholding.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She recommended adults without underlying medical conditions drink 50 to 70 ounces of water throughout the day in “small 2-3 ounce sips rather than all at once.” (Keep in mind: a good sign of hydration is pale yellow or clear urine.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>People can also try to \u003ca href=\"https://sufuorg.com/docs/oab/oab-food-and-drink.aspx\">avoid certain foods and drinks\u003c/a> that may “irritate the bladder,” such as: \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Alcoholic drinks\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Caffeinated foods and drinks, such as soft drinks, coffee, tea, chocolate and energy drinks\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Tomato-based foods and drinks \u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Citrus fruits and juices\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Spicy foods\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Artificial sweeteners\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ippolito said that “shifting water intake to earlier or later in the day” to avoid heading to the bathroom at a specific time “could be a strategy that can be safely employed in short periods.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“For example,” she said, “it may be reasonable to shift hydration to earlier in the day if you are planning on an evening concert or if you are trying to catch a specific set at a show,” with the goal being 50 ounces “earlier in the day so that you would clear this by the time the concert/set starts.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But she does \u003cem>not\u003c/em> recommend this strategy for all-day concerts or multi-day festivals — especially ones outside, where concertgoers should instead “prioritize hydration with water to avoid dehydration.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And returning to the subject of port-a-potties — Ippolito said people cannot “catch a UTI” from a public bathroom, since they are not contagious and not caused by hygiene. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“However, the bladder and urinary tract have their own microbiome,” she said. “Holding urine for more than [three to four] hours and not drinking enough water to keep urine dilute are things that could lead to a UTI due to conditions that allow overgrowth of naturally occurring bacteria.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And nothing can make you feel like you’ll have an accident more than \u003cem>waiting \u003c/em>in the line to the restroom. Ippolito said this is a good time to practice “mind over bladder” in these situations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And assuming the fan has emptied their bladder within the past couple of hours, they can also \u003ca href=\"https://sufuorg.com/docs/oab/oab-controlling-bladder-urges.aspx\">try some suppression techniques\u003c/a> like:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Focusing on relaxing\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Squeezing their pelvic floor muscles quickly three to five times\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Taking slow, deep breaths in and out, concentrating on the movement of the chest\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Have a friend with you\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oldham said having a designated person in the group to make sure everyone gets home safe is also vital. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t think anybody should go by themselves,” Oldham said. “At a festival especially, you should have a group of friends that you’re with at all times.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When you and your group walk in, he said to make sure you know where the exits are and that you do have an exit strategy or a meeting place in case of an emergency. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/08082025_Outsidelands_EG_106_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093698\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/08082025_Outsidelands_EG_106_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/08082025_Outsidelands_EG_106_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/08082025_Outsidelands_EG_106_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Festival goers dance as Jorja Smith performs at Outside Lands on Aug. 9, 2025. (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Be cautious about recreational drugs\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both medical professionals recommend avoiding recreational drugs — but both acknowledge the reality of their presence at music festivals and concerts and say that Narcan is available at first aid stations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m very honest with my kids,” Oldham said. “Don’t let somebody give you anything. If you don’t know them, and if it’s open, don’t drink out of that bottle.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If they do partake in recreational substances — which we do not recommend — be sure to do it with a group of others because there is safety in numbers,” Friedman said. “The advantage of that, obviously, is if the recreational substance is laced with fentanyl; hopefully somebody will have Narcan or can alert somebody.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the concerns aren’t just fentanyl — stimulants like MDMA can bring up people’s body temperatures incredibly high and may require attention, Friedman said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Know what to do in crowds\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you are going to a festival like Outside Lands, be prepared for large — often overwhelming — crowds, especially at the headlining shows. Many may also fear crushes, in which a crowd becomes dangerous and can lead to deaths, like \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/11/09/1053828800/south-korea-seoul-halloween-crowd-safety-tips\">the Halloween celebration tragedy in South Korea in 2022\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The more barriers you have and engineering controls to prevent too many people from going into too crowded of an area, the better,” Friedman said. “At times we bemoan security measures, which takes a long time to get into the venue. However, it is quite necessary to ensure crowd safety.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While being in a seated area is safer than an open field or general admission section, fans should always stay aware of their surroundings and know where security is located, he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If the crowd starts getting too rowdy or too rough, or there’s too much pushing, and there’s not enough security personnel or measures around, it’s very prudent to leave,” he said. “Everyone should really have a 1- to 2-foot perimeter at the minimum from other people.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Once that space is lost, fans should think about moving to get a better view farther away to maintain their safety.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If a crush were to occur, it is important to stay on your feet and try “putting your arms on your chest” in order “to give your chest wall some room to rise so that you can breathe.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mehdi Moussaïd, a research scientist who studies crowd behavior, also spoke to NPR about crowds after \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/11/09/1053828800/south-korea-seoul-halloween-crowd-safety-tips\">the South Korea incident\u003c/a> and said that people should try to avoid pushing, since that could trigger a chain reaction.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But hopefully it doesn’t come to that,” Friedman said. “If it comes to that, that sort of late stage, at that point, we really want people to start moving out of the area, contact security professionals.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "kids-are-actually-eating-the-food-state-expands-lunch-program-that-pairs-schools-with-farms",
"title": "‘Kids Are Actually Eating the Food’: State Expands Lunch Program That Pairs Schools With Farms",
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"headTitle": "‘Kids Are Actually Eating the Food’: State Expands Lunch Program That Pairs Schools With Farms | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In school lunchrooms around Lake Tahoe, students line up for a red, hairy fruit called a rambutan. On pozole day, they shout, “We want more!” And when the salad bar runs dry, they ask the staff to refill it – over and over.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This brings joy to the cafeteria crew, but Gage Gautheier recently bestowed the highest possible praise from a middle-schooler: “I have literally never heard anyone complain about the food.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tahoe-Truckee Unified is among 500 California school districts that get their food through the state’s Farm to School program, which pairs local farmers, ranchers and other food producers with school districts to provide fresh meals to students. The program has been \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2023/08/school-lunches/\">so successful\u003c/a> since it started in 2021 that this month the state \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb172\">expanded it\u003c/a> and made it a permanent part of the Department of Food and Agriculture.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m so relieved the state decided to step it up and make this program permanent,” said Christina Lawson, director of nutrition services at Western Placer Unified in Lincoln, a Sacramento suburb. “That’s been my abiding fear – that our funding would dry up after all this work we’ve done.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Farm to School program is part of a broader state effort to improve school meals, which for decades consisted mostly of soggy hot dogs and frozen pizzas. Through the program, schools get grant money to obtain fresh, local food; send students on field trips to farms; and send cafeteria workers to culinary academies so they can learn to cook things like braised short ribs and roasted root vegetables.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12093654\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093654\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">First: The Spork Food Hub warehouse, surrounded by an orchard, in Davis on July 28, 2026. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12093655\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093655\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Last: Jacob Weiss, the general manager of Spork Food Hub in Davis, messages directly with a local farmer about ripening crops on July 28, 2026. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093656\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Warehouse Supervisor Lucas Morace removes a pallet of strawberries from a walk-in refrigerator to prepare for delivery at the Spork Food Hub warehouse in Davis on July 28, 2026. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Another grant program helps schools upgrade their kitchens. And during the pandemic, the state started offering universal school meals to all students. In all, the state has invested well over $1 billion in healthy school meals since 2021.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our goal is not only to ensure every California child has access to nutritious, locally grown, regenerative organic meals that fuel their full potential, but to continue setting the national standard for what school food can and should be,” said First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a longtime champion of the state’s overhaul of school meals. “When we invest in healthy, thriving kids, everyone benefits.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the most helpful parts of the Farm to School Program, according to school nutrition directors, is that it pays for food hubs to act as intermediaries between schools and farms. The food hubs place orders with farmers, deliver produce to schools and handle much of the logistical paperwork – tasks that can be overwhelming for harried cafeteria workers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Spork is a food hub based in Davis that works with more than 100 small farms and 40 school districts from Crescent City to Los Angeles Unified. Crews deliver up to 120 tons – or 720 truckloads – of produce a week to school kitchens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Deliveries include items like vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, purple daikon radishes, Hakurei turnips, and something called a painted serpent cucumber – a snake-like, striped vegetable with a thin skin and a sweet, mild flavor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What we’re trying to do is change kids’ eating habits at a young age by showing them how great fruits and vegetables can be,” said Jacob Weiss, general manager of Spork. “People think kids don’t like vegetables, but we found that if you give them fresh, delicious vegetables, they love it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A boost to local farms \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another goal of Farm to School is to give a boost to small farmers, who often struggle with fluctuating markets and customers’ fickle tastes. A farmer might plant a field of a specialty item like heirloom tomatoes, for example, but only sell half of them. Contracting with schools can provide a stable, predictable market, allowing farmers to plan crops more efficiently. Overall, the program works with nearly 600 small farmers in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Patrick Bollinger co-owns Foothill Roots Farm in Meadow Vista in Placer County. On 20 rolling acres in the Sierra foothills, he and his crew grow 50 different crops, much of it for the Tahoe Food Hub, which distributes to Tahoe-Truckee Unified and other sources.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If we get an order for watermelon radishes, I know we’ll be able to sell them before we even get the seeds in the ground,” Bollinger said. “And when we sell to the food hub, we don’t have to do the deliveries or marketing. … It’s been incredibly advantageous for us.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12093658\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093658\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">First: Daniela Castillo, manager at Fiery Ginger Farm in West Sacramento, picks sungold tomatoes on July 28, 2026. Fiery Ginger Farm is one of over 100 small local farms that partner with Spork Food Hub. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12093659\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093659\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch6.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch6-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch6-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Last: A cart of ripe tomatoes stays cool in a walk-in refrigerator at the Spork Food Hub warehouse in Davis on July 28, 2026. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/pdfs/2026_CDFA_F2S_Impact.pdf\">estimates\u003c/a> that every dollar spent through Farm to School results in $2.10 in local economic growth. Bollinger said he’s saved enough money to retain more employees year-round and lease an additional 8 acres since he started working with the Farm to School program. It’s also allowed him to plan more strategically, growing more salad greens, carrots and winter squash while still saving room for things like beets, herbs and chard.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At Tahoe-Truckee Unified, Kat Soltanmorad has never been happier in her 25 years as a school nutrition worker. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We now have access to the richness of California agriculture,” said Soltanmorad, director of the district’s food services department. “It’s good for the economy, it’s good for the environment, it’s good for student wellness.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She and her crew come up with menu items like barbecue ribs with whole grain garlic bread, organic mashed potatoes and kale caesar salad; mango lassis; and potstickers with oven-baked pancit and cilantro lime brown rice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They taste-test new menu items with students and offer a wide variety of options at the salad bar so everyone can find something they like.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I have become a radish expert,” Soltanmorad said, noting that the district offers radish varieties such as baby French breakfast and Easter egg from small farms near her district. “We dress them up with Tajin and lime juice or cilantro, and the students love it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gauthier, who just finished eighth grade, transferred to Tahoe-Truckee two years ago from Reno, where he said the school food was unimpressive.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In Reno they’d give us little sandwiches in plastic bags. Not cooked or anything, just a cold sandwich,” he said. “Here, they actually make an effort. They try.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Back in Lincoln, Lawson choked up when describing the changes to her district’s lunch program thanks to Farm to School. The 8,200-student district now offers things like homemade muffins made from locally milled flour, low-sugar Greek yogurt from Sierra Nevada Creamery, local homemade tortillas and pupusas, and fresh produce ranging from kumquats to canary melons to finger limes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The staff, too, has benefitted. Because there’s more work for them, they’re getting more hours and bigger paychecks, plus greater job satisfaction, she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to school food service,” Lawson said. “The staff is happier, the farmers are benefiting. And the kids are actually eating the food.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/08/school-lunch-california/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In school lunchrooms around Lake Tahoe, students line up for a red, hairy fruit called a rambutan. On pozole day, they shout, “We want more!” And when the salad bar runs dry, they ask the staff to refill it – over and over.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In school lunchrooms around Lake Tahoe, students line up for a red, hairy fruit called a rambutan. On pozole day, they shout, “We want more!” And when the salad bar runs dry, they ask the staff to refill it – over and over.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This brings joy to the cafeteria crew, but Gage Gautheier recently bestowed the highest possible praise from a middle-schooler: “I have literally never heard anyone complain about the food.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>This brings joy to the cafeteria crew, but Gage Gautheier recently bestowed the highest possible praise from a middle-schooler: “I have literally never heard anyone complain about the food.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tahoe-Truckee Unified is among 500 California school districts that get their food through the state’s Farm to School program, which pairs local farmers, ranchers and other food producers with school districts to provide fresh meals to students. The program has been \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2023/08/school-lunches/\">so successful\u003c/a> since it started in 2021 that this month the state \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb172\">expanded it\u003c/a> and made it a permanent part of the Department of Food and Agriculture.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Tahoe-Truckee Unified is among 500 California school districts that get their food through the state’s Farm to School program, which pairs local farmers, ranchers and other food producers with school districts to provide fresh meals to students. The program has been \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2023/08/school-lunches/\">so successful\u003c/a> since it started in 2021 that this month the state \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb172\">expanded it\u003c/a> and made it a permanent part of the Department of Food and Agriculture.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m so relieved the state decided to step it up and make this program permanent,” said Christina Lawson, director of nutrition services at Western Placer Unified in Lincoln, a Sacramento suburb. “That’s been my abiding fear – that our funding would dry up after all this work we’ve done.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“I’m so relieved the state decided to step it up and make this program permanent,” said Christina Lawson, director of nutrition services at Western Placer Unified in Lincoln, a Sacramento suburb. “That’s been my abiding fear – that our funding would dry up after all this work we’ve done.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Farm to School program is part of a broader state effort to improve school meals, which for decades consisted mostly of soggy hot dogs and frozen pizzas. Through the program, schools get grant money to obtain fresh, local food; send students on field trips to farms; and send cafeteria workers to culinary academies so they can learn to cook things like braised short ribs and roasted root vegetables.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The Farm to School program is part of a broader state effort to improve school meals, which for decades consisted mostly of soggy hot dogs and frozen pizzas. Through the program, schools get grant money to obtain fresh, local food; send students on field trips to farms; and send cafeteria workers to culinary academies so they can learn to cook things like braised short ribs and roasted root vegetables.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093654\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">First: The Spork Food Hub warehouse, surrounded by an orchard, in Davis on July 28, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093654\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">First: The Spork Food Hub warehouse, surrounded by an orchard, in Davis on July 28, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093655\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Last: Jacob Weiss, the general manager of Spork Food Hub in Davis, messages directly with a local farmer about ripening crops on July 28, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093655\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Last: Jacob Weiss, the general manager of Spork Food Hub in Davis, messages directly with a local farmer about ripening crops on July 28, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093656\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Warehouse Supervisor Lucas Morace removes a pallet of strawberries from a walk-in refrigerator to prepare for delivery at the Spork Food Hub warehouse in Davis on July 28, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093656\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Warehouse Supervisor Lucas Morace removes a pallet of strawberries from a walk-in refrigerator to prepare for delivery at the Spork Food Hub warehouse in Davis on July 28, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another grant program helps schools upgrade their kitchens. And during the pandemic, the state started offering universal school meals to all students. In all, the state has invested well over $1 billion in healthy school meals since 2021.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Another grant program helps schools upgrade their kitchens. And during the pandemic, the state started offering universal school meals to all students. In all, the state has invested well over $1 billion in healthy school meals since 2021.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Our goal is not only to ensure every California child has access to nutritious, locally grown, regenerative organic meals that fuel their full potential, but to continue setting the national standard for what school food can and should be,” said First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a longtime champion of the state’s overhaul of school meals. “When we invest in healthy, thriving kids, everyone benefits.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Our goal is not only to ensure every California child has access to nutritious, locally grown, regenerative organic meals that fuel their full potential, but to continue setting the national standard for what school food can and should be,” said First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a longtime champion of the state’s overhaul of school meals. “When we invest in healthy, thriving kids, everyone benefits.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of the most helpful parts of the Farm to School Program, according to school nutrition directors, is that it pays for food hubs to act as intermediaries between schools and farms. The food hubs place orders with farmers, deliver produce to schools and handle much of the logistical paperwork – tasks that can be overwhelming for harried cafeteria workers.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>One of the most helpful parts of the Farm to School Program, according to school nutrition directors, is that it pays for food hubs to act as intermediaries between schools and farms. The food hubs place orders with farmers, deliver produce to schools and handle much of the logistical paperwork – tasks that can be overwhelming for harried cafeteria workers.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Spork is a food hub based in Davis that works with more than 100 small farms and 40 school districts from Crescent City to Los Angeles Unified. Crews deliver up to 120 tons – or 720 truckloads – of produce a week to school kitchens.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Spork is a food hub based in Davis that works with more than 100 small farms and 40 school districts from Crescent City to Los Angeles Unified. Crews deliver up to 120 tons – or 720 truckloads – of produce a week to school kitchens.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Deliveries include items like vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, purple daikon radishes, Hakurei turnips, and something called a painted serpent cucumber – a snake-like, striped vegetable with a thin skin and a sweet, mild flavor.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Deliveries include items like vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, purple daikon radishes, Hakurei turnips, and something called a painted serpent cucumber – a snake-like, striped vegetable with a thin skin and a sweet, mild flavor.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What we’re trying to do is change kids’ eating habits at a young age by showing them how great fruits and vegetables can be,” said Jacob Weiss, general manager of Spork. “People think kids don’t like vegetables, but we found that if you give them fresh, delicious vegetables, they love it.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“What we’re trying to do is change kids’ eating habits at a young age by showing them how great fruits and vegetables can be,” said Jacob Weiss, general manager of Spork. “People think kids don’t like vegetables, but we found that if you give them fresh, delicious vegetables, they love it.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "A boost to local farms",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A boost to local farms \u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A boost to local farms \u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another goal of Farm to School is to give a boost to small farmers, who often struggle with fluctuating markets and customers’ fickle tastes. A farmer might plant a field of a specialty item like heirloom tomatoes, for example, but only sell half of them. Contracting with schools can provide a stable, predictable market, allowing farmers to plan crops more efficiently. Overall, the program works with nearly 600 small farmers in California.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Another goal of Farm to School is to give a boost to small farmers, who often struggle with fluctuating markets and customers’ fickle tastes. A farmer might plant a field of a specialty item like heirloom tomatoes, for example, but only sell half of them. Contracting with schools can provide a stable, predictable market, allowing farmers to plan crops more efficiently. Overall, the program works with nearly 600 small farmers in California.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Patrick Bollinger co-owns Foothill Roots Farm in Meadow Vista in Placer County. On 20 rolling acres in the Sierra foothills, he and his crew grow 50 different crops, much of it for the Tahoe Food Hub, which distributes to Tahoe-Truckee Unified and other sources.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Patrick Bollinger co-owns Foothill Roots Farm in Meadow Vista in Placer County. On 20 rolling acres in the Sierra foothills, he and his crew grow 50 different crops, much of it for the Tahoe Food Hub, which distributes to Tahoe-Truckee Unified and other sources.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If we get an order for watermelon radishes, I know we’ll be able to sell them before we even get the seeds in the ground,” Bollinger said. “And when we sell to the food hub, we don’t have to do the deliveries or marketing. … It’s been incredibly advantageous for us.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“If we get an order for watermelon radishes, I know we’ll be able to sell them before we even get the seeds in the ground,” Bollinger said. “And when we sell to the food hub, we don’t have to do the deliveries or marketing. … It’s been incredibly advantageous for us.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093658\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">First: Daniela Castillo, manager at Fiery Ginger Farm in West Sacramento, picks sungold tomatoes on July 28, 2026. Fiery Ginger Farm is one of over 100 small local farms that partner with Spork Food Hub. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093658\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">First: Daniela Castillo, manager at Fiery Ginger Farm in West Sacramento, picks sungold tomatoes on July 28, 2026. Fiery Ginger Farm is one of over 100 small local farms that partner with Spork Food Hub. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093659\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Last: A cart of ripe tomatoes stays cool in a walk-in refrigerator at the Spork Food Hub warehouse in Davis on July 28, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/pdfs/2026_CDFA_F2S_Impact.pdf\">estimates\u003c/a> that every dollar spent through Farm to School results in $2.10 in local economic growth. Bollinger said he’s saved enough money to retain more employees year-round and lease an additional 8 acres since he started working with the Farm to School program. It’s also allowed him to plan more strategically, growing more salad greens, carrots and winter squash while still saving room for things like beets, herbs and chard.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At Tahoe-Truckee Unified, Kat Soltanmorad has never been happier in her 25 years as a school nutrition worker. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We now have access to the richness of California agriculture,” said Soltanmorad, director of the district’s food services department. “It’s good for the economy, it’s good for the environment, it’s good for student wellness.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She and her crew come up with menu items like barbecue ribs with whole grain garlic bread, organic mashed potatoes and kale caesar salad; mango lassis; and potstickers with oven-baked pancit and cilantro lime brown rice.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They taste-test new menu items with students and offer a wide variety of options at the salad bar so everyone can find something they like.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I have become a radish expert,” Soltanmorad said, noting that the district offers radish varieties such as baby French breakfast and Easter egg from small farms near her district. “We dress them up with Tajin and lime juice or cilantro, and the students love it.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gauthier, who just finished eighth grade, transferred to Tahoe-Truckee two years ago from Reno, where he said the school food was unimpressive.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“In Reno they’d give us little sandwiches in plastic bags. Not cooked or anything, just a cold sandwich,” he said. “Here, they actually make an effort. They try.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Back in Lincoln, Lawson choked up when describing the changes to her district’s lunch program thanks to Farm to School. The 8,200-student district now offers things like homemade muffins made from locally milled flour, low-sugar Greek yogurt from Sierra Nevada Creamery, local homemade tortillas and pupusas, and fresh produce ranging from kumquats to canary melons to finger limes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The staff, too, has benefitted. Because there’s more work for them, they’re getting more hours and bigger paychecks, plus greater job satisfaction, she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to school food service,” Lawson said. “The staff is happier, the farmers are benefiting. And the kids are actually eating the food.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/08/school-lunch-california/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Through the Farm to School program, schools get grant money to obtain fresh, local food, send students on field trips to farms and send cafeteria workers to culinary academies.",
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"title": "‘Kids Are Actually Eating the Food’: State Expands Lunch Program That Pairs Schools With Farms | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In school lunchrooms around Lake Tahoe, students line up for a red, hairy fruit called a rambutan. On pozole day, they shout, “We want more!” And when the salad bar runs dry, they ask the staff to refill it – over and over.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This brings joy to the cafeteria crew, but Gage Gautheier recently bestowed the highest possible praise from a middle-schooler: “I have literally never heard anyone complain about the food.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tahoe-Truckee Unified is among 500 California school districts that get their food through the state’s Farm to School program, which pairs local farmers, ranchers and other food producers with school districts to provide fresh meals to students. The program has been \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2023/08/school-lunches/\">so successful\u003c/a> since it started in 2021 that this month the state \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb172\">expanded it\u003c/a> and made it a permanent part of the Department of Food and Agriculture.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m so relieved the state decided to step it up and make this program permanent,” said Christina Lawson, director of nutrition services at Western Placer Unified in Lincoln, a Sacramento suburb. “That’s been my abiding fear – that our funding would dry up after all this work we’ve done.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Farm to School program is part of a broader state effort to improve school meals, which for decades consisted mostly of soggy hot dogs and frozen pizzas. Through the program, schools get grant money to obtain fresh, local food; send students on field trips to farms; and send cafeteria workers to culinary academies so they can learn to cook things like braised short ribs and roasted root vegetables.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12093654\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093654\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">First: The Spork Food Hub warehouse, surrounded by an orchard, in Davis on July 28, 2026. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12093655\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093655\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Last: Jacob Weiss, the general manager of Spork Food Hub in Davis, messages directly with a local farmer about ripening crops on July 28, 2026. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093656\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Warehouse Supervisor Lucas Morace removes a pallet of strawberries from a walk-in refrigerator to prepare for delivery at the Spork Food Hub warehouse in Davis on July 28, 2026. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Another grant program helps schools upgrade their kitchens. And during the pandemic, the state started offering universal school meals to all students. In all, the state has invested well over $1 billion in healthy school meals since 2021.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our goal is not only to ensure every California child has access to nutritious, locally grown, regenerative organic meals that fuel their full potential, but to continue setting the national standard for what school food can and should be,” said First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a longtime champion of the state’s overhaul of school meals. “When we invest in healthy, thriving kids, everyone benefits.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the most helpful parts of the Farm to School Program, according to school nutrition directors, is that it pays for food hubs to act as intermediaries between schools and farms. The food hubs place orders with farmers, deliver produce to schools and handle much of the logistical paperwork – tasks that can be overwhelming for harried cafeteria workers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Spork is a food hub based in Davis that works with more than 100 small farms and 40 school districts from Crescent City to Los Angeles Unified. Crews deliver up to 120 tons – or 720 truckloads – of produce a week to school kitchens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Deliveries include items like vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, purple daikon radishes, Hakurei turnips, and something called a painted serpent cucumber – a snake-like, striped vegetable with a thin skin and a sweet, mild flavor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What we’re trying to do is change kids’ eating habits at a young age by showing them how great fruits and vegetables can be,” said Jacob Weiss, general manager of Spork. “People think kids don’t like vegetables, but we found that if you give them fresh, delicious vegetables, they love it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A boost to local farms \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another goal of Farm to School is to give a boost to small farmers, who often struggle with fluctuating markets and customers’ fickle tastes. A farmer might plant a field of a specialty item like heirloom tomatoes, for example, but only sell half of them. Contracting with schools can provide a stable, predictable market, allowing farmers to plan crops more efficiently. Overall, the program works with nearly 600 small farmers in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Patrick Bollinger co-owns Foothill Roots Farm in Meadow Vista in Placer County. On 20 rolling acres in the Sierra foothills, he and his crew grow 50 different crops, much of it for the Tahoe Food Hub, which distributes to Tahoe-Truckee Unified and other sources.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If we get an order for watermelon radishes, I know we’ll be able to sell them before we even get the seeds in the ground,” Bollinger said. “And when we sell to the food hub, we don’t have to do the deliveries or marketing. … It’s been incredibly advantageous for us.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12093658\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093658\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">First: Daniela Castillo, manager at Fiery Ginger Farm in West Sacramento, picks sungold tomatoes on July 28, 2026. Fiery Ginger Farm is one of over 100 small local farms that partner with Spork Food Hub. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12093659\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093659\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch6.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch6-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CMLunch6-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Last: A cart of ripe tomatoes stays cool in a walk-in refrigerator at the Spork Food Hub warehouse in Davis on July 28, 2026. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/pdfs/2026_CDFA_F2S_Impact.pdf\">estimates\u003c/a> that every dollar spent through Farm to School results in $2.10 in local economic growth. Bollinger said he’s saved enough money to retain more employees year-round and lease an additional 8 acres since he started working with the Farm to School program. It’s also allowed him to plan more strategically, growing more salad greens, carrots and winter squash while still saving room for things like beets, herbs and chard.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At Tahoe-Truckee Unified, Kat Soltanmorad has never been happier in her 25 years as a school nutrition worker. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We now have access to the richness of California agriculture,” said Soltanmorad, director of the district’s food services department. “It’s good for the economy, it’s good for the environment, it’s good for student wellness.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She and her crew come up with menu items like barbecue ribs with whole grain garlic bread, organic mashed potatoes and kale caesar salad; mango lassis; and potstickers with oven-baked pancit and cilantro lime brown rice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They taste-test new menu items with students and offer a wide variety of options at the salad bar so everyone can find something they like.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I have become a radish expert,” Soltanmorad said, noting that the district offers radish varieties such as baby French breakfast and Easter egg from small farms near her district. “We dress them up with Tajin and lime juice or cilantro, and the students love it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gauthier, who just finished eighth grade, transferred to Tahoe-Truckee two years ago from Reno, where he said the school food was unimpressive.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In Reno they’d give us little sandwiches in plastic bags. Not cooked or anything, just a cold sandwich,” he said. “Here, they actually make an effort. They try.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Back in Lincoln, Lawson choked up when describing the changes to her district’s lunch program thanks to Farm to School. The 8,200-student district now offers things like homemade muffins made from locally milled flour, low-sugar Greek yogurt from Sierra Nevada Creamery, local homemade tortillas and pupusas, and fresh produce ranging from kumquats to canary melons to finger limes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The staff, too, has benefitted. Because there’s more work for them, they’re getting more hours and bigger paychecks, plus greater job satisfaction, she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to school food service,” Lawson said. “The staff is happier, the farmers are benefiting. And the kids are actually eating the food.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/08/school-lunch-california/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/santa-clara-county\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a> has reported its first two human cases of West Nile Virus in 2026, public health officials announced Wednesday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>West Nile Virus is the most common and most serious mosquito-borne disease in the region, Dr. Krishna Surasi, the county’s assistant public health officer, said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Common symptoms include fever, head and muscle aches, nausea and vomiting. Severe cases can lead to neurological illness or death.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These two cases are a reminder that West Nile Virus can cause very serious illness,” Surasi said. “While West Nile Virus is not spread person to person, there are steps the public should take to discourage mosquitoes from feeling welcome in our neighborhoods.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1340\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/WestNileGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12000242\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/WestNileGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/WestNileGetty-800x536.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/WestNileGetty-1020x683.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/WestNileGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/WestNileGetty-1536x1029.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/WestNileGetty-1920x1286.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Contra Costa County Mosquito and Vector Control District technician Josefa Cabada holds a container with mosquito larvae that were found in a retention pond on July 21, 2015, in Bay Point, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While most people who are infected experience mild or no symptoms, people over 60 or with certain underlying conditions are at risk of more serious illness. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The infected Santa Clara County residents received treatment and are recovering at home, according to Surasi. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s unclear if local mosquitoes infected the patients. Because both traveled domestically during the disease’s incubation period — which is generally between two days and two weeks — the county cannot be sure where they contracted it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>West Nile is present in counties across California, and Mosquito and Vector Control District Assistant Manager Jeremy Shannon said this year, health officials have seen an increase in mosquito activity statewide. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Santa Clara’s Mosquito and Vector Control District has been conducting routine monitoring, including setting traps, collecting more than 20,000 insects and testing mosquito pools to identify where in the county the disease is present. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shannon said the county is planning adult mosquito treatments in the areas around the two pools where they identified West Nile. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shannon also said residents can also help deter mosquito populations by dumping or draining water around their yards, wearing Environmental Protection Agency-approved mosquito repellents, like DEET and IR 3535, and reporting places where they see standing water to the district. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our team at the Mosquito and Vector Control District is working year-round to protect the public,” Shannon said. “But we can’t do it alone. Our community plays a huge role.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/santa-clara-county\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a> has reported its first two human cases of West Nile Virus in 2026, public health officials announced Wednesday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>West Nile Virus is the most common and most serious mosquito-borne disease in the region, Dr. Krishna Surasi, the county’s assistant public health officer, said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Common symptoms include fever, head and muscle aches, nausea and vomiting. Severe cases can lead to neurological illness or death.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These two cases are a reminder that West Nile Virus can cause very serious illness,” Surasi said. “While West Nile Virus is not spread person to person, there are steps the public should take to discourage mosquitoes from feeling welcome in our neighborhoods.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1340\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/WestNileGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12000242\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/WestNileGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/WestNileGetty-800x536.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/WestNileGetty-1020x683.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/WestNileGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/WestNileGetty-1536x1029.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/WestNileGetty-1920x1286.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Contra Costa County Mosquito and Vector Control District technician Josefa Cabada holds a container with mosquito larvae that were found in a retention pond on July 21, 2015, in Bay Point, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While most people who are infected experience mild or no symptoms, people over 60 or with certain underlying conditions are at risk of more serious illness. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The infected Santa Clara County residents received treatment and are recovering at home, according to Surasi. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s unclear if local mosquitoes infected the patients. Because both traveled domestically during the disease’s incubation period — which is generally between two days and two weeks — the county cannot be sure where they contracted it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>West Nile is present in counties across California, and Mosquito and Vector Control District Assistant Manager Jeremy Shannon said this year, health officials have seen an increase in mosquito activity statewide. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Santa Clara’s Mosquito and Vector Control District has been conducting routine monitoring, including setting traps, collecting more than 20,000 insects and testing mosquito pools to identify where in the county the disease is present. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shannon said the county is planning adult mosquito treatments in the areas around the two pools where they identified West Nile. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shannon also said residents can also help deter mosquito populations by dumping or draining water around their yards, wearing Environmental Protection Agency-approved mosquito repellents, like DEET and IR 3535, and reporting places where they see standing water to the district. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our team at the Mosquito and Vector Control District is working year-round to protect the public,” Shannon said. “But we can’t do it alone. Our community plays a huge role.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>After losing her job because of substance abuse, Chantel Hernandez-Wood was living \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1994288/you-mean-something-to-someone-overcoming-homelessness-and-addiction-this-san-francisco-woman-now-helps-others-heal\">on the streets of San Francisco\u003c/a> when she saw a red van parked nearby one day in 2022. It was the city’s former Street Overdose Response Team, and she flagged them down for help. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Equipped with a peer counselor trained to connect with people in crisis, the crew drove her to a recovery center, where she received medication to assist with alcohol withdrawal and entered a 90-day recovery program. While there, she decided she wanted to do the same kind of work as the people who came to her rescue. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It felt like I meant something to someone. They went above and beyond to help get me off the streets,” Hernandez-Wood told KQED. “I thought, ‘I’d love to do that, I want to give back.’”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After successfully finishing the recovery program, Hernandez-Wood completed training to become a certified peer support specialist, learning techniques to engage with vulnerable populations and navigate social services. She started working at the nonprofit Glide, helping people who struggle with drug use, went on to work on the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1994288/you-mean-something-to-someone-overcoming-homelessness-and-addiction-this-san-francisco-woman-now-helps-others-heal\">Street Overdose Response Team\u003c/a>, and later stepped into her current role as a peer responder on the Street Crisis Response Team. Peer responders currently pair with fire department paramedics to respond to some calls together. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/240903-OverdoseResponse-48-BL_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"A middle-aged woman stands in front of a red van labeled 'Street Overdose Response Team'\" class=\"wp-image-12014173\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/240903-OverdoseResponse-48-BL_qed-1.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/240903-OverdoseResponse-48-BL_qed-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/240903-OverdoseResponse-48-BL_qed-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/240903-OverdoseResponse-48-BL_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/240903-OverdoseResponse-48-BL_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/240903-OverdoseResponse-48-BL_qed-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Counselor Chantel Hernandez-Wood, member of the Street Overdose Response Team, gets supplies from her van after speaking with two people sitting on the street in the South of Market neighborhood in San Francisco on Sept. 3, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was so surreal, because I was working on the same type of team that helped me when I needed help the most,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But now, San Francisco is quietly shifting its emergency response networks and the roles that peers with lived experience have within them. The fire department is planning to remove peer specialists from its 911 response this summer, setting off alarms for peer advocates who say the decision is a regressive step in the city’s approach to mental and behavioral health emergencies.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s just an incredible disservice to the community,” Hernandez-Wood said. “I feel blindsided.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fire department officials said the move to pull peers off of the Street Crisis Response Team came after “careful consideration,” and cited challenges with scheduling that made picking up the peer responders before calls difficult. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This decision was not made lightly and reflects the evolving needs and direction of crisis response within the larger 911 system,” a spokesperson for the fire department said in an email. “We believe that by working together within the Street Response framework, SFFD can ensure those we serve continue to receive the appropriate response.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Widespread protests against police brutality in 2020 sparked national discussions around how first responders can better serve people experiencing a mental health crisis, overdose or other behavioral health issues. In the wake of those conversations, the city did not decrease its police budget, but instead created new teams to respond to people in crisis, including the Street Crisis Response Team.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The peer responders are not fire department employees, but are contracted through the nonprofit RAMS, which the Department of Public Health administers. Others are specialists with the San Francisco Homeless Outreach Team. The Department of Public Health declined to comment on the staffing changes, saying the Street Crisis Response Team is under the fire department’s purview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Peer responders with the Street Crisis Response Team help address issues ranging from a street-level overdose to a domestic dispute in a penthouse, offering support for de-escalation, navigating social services and sometimes bringing lived experiences to a crew of medical and safety professionals. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Over the years, I’ve noticed that a lot of people will look to their peers for guidance or answers because we’re not in uniform,” Hernandez-Wood said. “A lot of unhoused folks that have substance use disorders, they don’t want to talk to anybody in uniform, they just feel more comfortable and less intimidated.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco has served as a model for other cities and jurisdictions looking to improve the way that they address complicated 911 emergency calls. A 2024 \u003ca href=\"https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58a33e881b631bc60d4f8b31/t/668d922525a2bc711295fe86/1720554079016/San+Francisco%27s+Public+Safety+System\">report\u003c/a> by the Policing Project at New York University found that the city’s programs “saved law enforcement resources, freeing up the police for other more pressing work.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/San-Francisco-Fire-Dept-Getty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092840\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/San-Francisco-Fire-Dept-Getty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/San-Francisco-Fire-Dept-Getty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/San-Francisco-Fire-Dept-Getty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A San Francisco fire engine on March 25, 2026. (Smith Collection/Gado via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the novel approach presented challenges. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the report, “911 dispatchers are stretched thin and struggle with the scripted protocols they must use to assess call eligibility, in particular because those protocols may not always resolve the calls they receive. There still is some confusion among frontline workers about responsibilities of each at the scene of an incident. And many community members and some call takers are disappointed that alternative responses are not solving complex social problems.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Fire Department has meanwhile been developing its Community Paramedicine team, whose members have training in trauma-informed care and resource navigation, to more appropriately respond to people struggling with substance use, mental health crises, homelessness and other behavioral health challenges. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The community paramedics have more training in emergency medicine, and they arrive in uniform and steel-toed boots, unlike the peer specialists, who work in regular street clothes, a small but important detail that can signal a more relatable helper for some 911 callers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The last day on the Street Crisis Response rigs for peer responders, who say their lived experience is central to their expertise, is Aug. 14.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Amelia Harmon, who works with peer responders on the Street Crisis Response Team, has been advocating to keep the positions within the fire department at public health and law enforcement commission meetings, as well as urging city supervisors to step in to reverse the decision. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said it’s especially urgent after behavioral health clinicians were removed from the Street Crisis Response Team in 2023. Pulling peer responders off of 911 responses is further “chipping away” at the work that she and others have spent the last five years building, she said. \u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Removing peers doesn’t cut costs, it moves costs to the most expensive part of the system,” said Harmon, a peer supervisor with RAMS. “Why would we forfeit high-quality care that has mechanisms for federal and state reimbursement in this budget climate?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The decision to remove peer specialists from 911 responses is also drawing wider criticism from other workers in the city’s homelessness response system and public safety. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I have personal experience with crisis, and I would rather speak to a non-uniformed peer,” said Joshua Cantero, a case manager at a San Francisco homeless shelter, in a letter to the Board of Supervisors. A peer counselor, Cantero wrote, “makes the clients feel more comfortable and assists with getting them into shelters and making them feel safe.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s not yet clear what will happen next to the peer responders. They have not received layoff notices and could be reassigned to different street teams. Fire department officials said they will continue to refer people to experts with lived experience when it’s appropriate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Harmon is desperate to keep the peer responders on 911 calls, saying she’s seen firsthand how their approach can be both life-saving and ease the burden for other first responders. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Why would you cut out the heart and soul of the program,” she said, “and risk burning out your own people?”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It felt like I meant something to someone. They went above and beyond to help get me off the streets,” Hernandez-Wood told KQED. “I thought, ‘I’d love to do that, I want to give back.’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After successfully finishing the recovery program, Hernandez-Wood completed training to become a certified peer support specialist, learning techniques to engage with vulnerable populations and navigate social services. She started working at the nonprofit Glide, helping people who struggle with drug use, went on to work on the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1994288/you-mean-something-to-someone-overcoming-homelessness-and-addiction-this-san-francisco-woman-now-helps-others-heal\">Street Overdose Response Team\u003c/a>, and later stepped into her current role as a peer responder on the Street Crisis Response Team. Peer responders currently pair with fire department paramedics to respond to some calls together. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After successfully finishing the recovery program, Hernandez-Wood completed training to become a certified peer support specialist, learning techniques to engage with vulnerable populations and navigate social services. She started working at the nonprofit Glide, helping people who struggle with drug use, went on to work on the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1994288/you-mean-something-to-someone-overcoming-homelessness-and-addiction-this-san-francisco-woman-now-helps-others-heal\">Street Overdose Response Team\u003c/a>, and later stepped into her current role as a peer responder on the Street Crisis Response Team. Peer responders currently pair with fire department paramedics to respond to some calls together. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/240903-OverdoseResponse-48-BL_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"A middle-aged woman stands in front of a red van labeled 'Street Overdose Response Team'\" class=\"wp-image-12014173\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/240903-OverdoseResponse-48-BL_qed-1.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/240903-OverdoseResponse-48-BL_qed-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/240903-OverdoseResponse-48-BL_qed-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/240903-OverdoseResponse-48-BL_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/240903-OverdoseResponse-48-BL_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/240903-OverdoseResponse-48-BL_qed-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Counselor Chantel Hernandez-Wood, member of the Street Overdose Response Team, gets supplies from her van after speaking with two people sitting on the street in the South of Market neighborhood in San Francisco on Sept. 3, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But now, San Francisco is quietly shifting its emergency response networks and the roles that peers with lived experience have within them. The fire department is planning to remove peer specialists from its 911 response this summer, setting off alarms for peer advocates who say the decision is a regressive step in the city’s approach to mental and behavioral health emergencies.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But now, San Francisco is quietly shifting its emergency response networks and the roles that peers with lived experience have within them. The fire department is planning to remove peer specialists from its 911 response this summer, setting off alarms for peer advocates who say the decision is a regressive step in the city’s approach to mental and behavioral health emergencies.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s just an incredible disservice to the community,” Hernandez-Wood said. “I feel blindsided.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s just an incredible disservice to the community,” Hernandez-Wood said. “I feel blindsided.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Fire department officials said the move to pull peers off of the Street Crisis Response Team came after “careful consideration,” and cited challenges with scheduling that made picking up the peer responders before calls difficult. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Fire department officials said the move to pull peers off of the Street Crisis Response Team came after “careful consideration,” and cited challenges with scheduling that made picking up the peer responders before calls difficult. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This decision was not made lightly and reflects the evolving needs and direction of crisis response within the larger 911 system,” a spokesperson for the fire department said in an email. “We believe that by working together within the Street Response framework, SFFD can ensure those we serve continue to receive the appropriate response.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Widespread protests against police brutality in 2020 sparked national discussions around how first responders can better serve people experiencing a mental health crisis, overdose or other behavioral health issues. In the wake of those conversations, the city did not decrease its police budget, but instead created new teams to respond to people in crisis, including the Street Crisis Response Team.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Widespread protests against police brutality in 2020 sparked national discussions around how first responders can better serve people experiencing a mental health crisis, overdose or other behavioral health issues. In the wake of those conversations, the city did not decrease its police budget, but instead created new teams to respond to people in crisis, including the Street Crisis Response Team.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The peer responders are not fire department employees, but are contracted through the nonprofit RAMS, which the Department of Public Health administers. Others are specialists with the San Francisco Homeless Outreach Team. The Department of Public Health declined to comment on the staffing changes, saying the Street Crisis Response Team is under the fire department’s purview. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The peer responders are not fire department employees, but are contracted through the nonprofit RAMS, which the Department of Public Health administers. Others are specialists with the San Francisco Homeless Outreach Team. The Department of Public Health declined to comment on the staffing changes, saying the Street Crisis Response Team is under the fire department’s purview. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Peer responders with the Street Crisis Response Team help address issues ranging from a street-level overdose to a domestic dispute in a penthouse, offering support for de-escalation, navigating social services and sometimes bringing lived experiences to a crew of medical and safety professionals. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Peer responders with the Street Crisis Response Team help address issues ranging from a street-level overdose to a domestic dispute in a penthouse, offering support for de-escalation, navigating social services and sometimes bringing lived experiences to a crew of medical and safety professionals. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Over the years, I’ve noticed that a lot of people will look to their peers for guidance or answers because we’re not in uniform,” Hernandez-Wood said. “A lot of unhoused folks that have substance use disorders, they don’t want to talk to anybody in uniform, they just feel more comfortable and less intimidated.” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Over the years, I’ve noticed that a lot of people will look to their peers for guidance or answers because we’re not in uniform,” Hernandez-Wood said. “A lot of unhoused folks that have substance use disorders, they don’t want to talk to anybody in uniform, they just feel more comfortable and less intimidated.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco has served as a model for other cities and jurisdictions looking to improve the way that they address complicated 911 emergency calls. A 2024 \u003ca href=\"https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58a33e881b631bc60d4f8b31/t/668d922525a2bc711295fe86/1720554079016/San+Francisco%27s+Public+Safety+System\">report\u003c/a> by the Policing Project at New York University found that the city’s programs “saved law enforcement resources, freeing up the police for other more pressing work.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>San Francisco has served as a model for other cities and jurisdictions looking to improve the way that they address complicated 911 emergency calls. A 2024 \u003ca href=\"https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58a33e881b631bc60d4f8b31/t/668d922525a2bc711295fe86/1720554079016/San+Francisco%27s+Public+Safety+System\">report\u003c/a> by the Policing Project at New York University found that the city’s programs “saved law enforcement resources, freeing up the police for other more pressing work.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/San-Francisco-Fire-Dept-Getty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092840\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/San-Francisco-Fire-Dept-Getty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/San-Francisco-Fire-Dept-Getty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/San-Francisco-Fire-Dept-Getty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A San Francisco fire engine on March 25, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the novel approach presented challenges. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to the report, “911 dispatchers are stretched thin and struggle with the scripted protocols they must use to assess call eligibility, in particular because those protocols may not always resolve the calls they receive. There still is some confusion among frontline workers about responsibilities of each at the scene of an incident. And many community members and some call takers are disappointed that alternative responses are not solving complex social problems.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>According to the report, “911 dispatchers are stretched thin and struggle with the scripted protocols they must use to assess call eligibility, in particular because those protocols may not always resolve the calls they receive. There still is some confusion among frontline workers about responsibilities of each at the scene of an incident. And many community members and some call takers are disappointed that alternative responses are not solving complex social problems.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Fire Department has meanwhile been developing its Community Paramedicine team, whose members have training in trauma-informed care and resource navigation, to more appropriately respond to people struggling with substance use, mental health crises, homelessness and other behavioral health challenges. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Fire Department has meanwhile been developing its Community Paramedicine team, whose members have training in trauma-informed care and resource navigation, to more appropriately respond to people struggling with substance use, mental health crises, homelessness and other behavioral health challenges. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The community paramedics have more training in emergency medicine, and they arrive in uniform and steel-toed boots, unlike the peer specialists, who work in regular street clothes, a small but important detail that can signal a more relatable helper for some 911 callers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The community paramedics have more training in emergency medicine, and they arrive in uniform and steel-toed boots, unlike the peer specialists, who work in regular street clothes, a small but important detail that can signal a more relatable helper for some 911 callers.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The last day on the Street Crisis Response rigs for peer responders, who say their lived experience is central to their expertise, is Aug. 14.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Amelia Harmon, who works with peer responders on the Street Crisis Response Team, has been advocating to keep the positions within the fire department at public health and law enforcement commission meetings, as well as urging city supervisors to step in to reverse the decision. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Amelia Harmon, who works with peer responders on the Street Crisis Response Team, has been advocating to keep the positions within the fire department at public health and law enforcement commission meetings, as well as urging city supervisors to step in to reverse the decision. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She said it’s especially urgent after behavioral health clinicians were removed from the Street Crisis Response Team in 2023. Pulling peer responders off of 911 responses is further “chipping away” at the work that she and others have spent the last five years building, she said. \u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Removing peers doesn’t cut costs, it moves costs to the most expensive part of the system,” said Harmon, a peer supervisor with RAMS. “Why would we forfeit high-quality care that has mechanisms for federal and state reimbursement in this budget climate?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She said it’s especially urgent after behavioral health clinicians were removed from the Street Crisis Response Team in 2023. Pulling peer responders off of 911 responses is further “chipping away” at the work that she and others have spent the last five years building, she said. \u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Removing peers doesn’t cut costs, it moves costs to the most expensive part of the system,” said Harmon, a peer supervisor with RAMS. “Why would we forfeit high-quality care that has mechanisms for federal and state reimbursement in this budget climate?”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The decision to remove peer specialists from 911 responses is also drawing wider criticism from other workers in the city’s homelessness response system and public safety. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I have personal experience with crisis, and I would rather speak to a non-uniformed peer,” said Joshua Cantero, a case manager at a San Francisco homeless shelter, in a letter to the Board of Supervisors. A peer counselor, Cantero wrote, “makes the clients feel more comfortable and assists with getting them into shelters and making them feel safe.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I have personal experience with crisis, and I would rather speak to a non-uniformed peer,” said Joshua Cantero, a case manager at a San Francisco homeless shelter, in a letter to the Board of Supervisors. A peer counselor, Cantero wrote, “makes the clients feel more comfortable and assists with getting them into shelters and making them feel safe.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s not yet clear what will happen next to the peer responders. They have not received layoff notices and could be reassigned to different street teams. Fire department officials said they will continue to refer people to experts with lived experience when it’s appropriate. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Harmon is desperate to keep the peer responders on 911 calls, saying she’s seen firsthand how their approach can be both life-saving and ease the burden for other first responders. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Why would you cut out the heart and soul of the program,” she said, “and risk burning out your own people?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Advocates say the decision is a regressive step in the city’s approach to mental and behavioral health crises.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>After losing her job because of substance abuse, Chantel Hernandez-Wood was living \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1994288/you-mean-something-to-someone-overcoming-homelessness-and-addiction-this-san-francisco-woman-now-helps-others-heal\">on the streets of San Francisco\u003c/a> when she saw a red van parked nearby one day in 2022. It was the city’s former Street Overdose Response Team, and she flagged them down for help. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Equipped with a peer counselor trained to connect with people in crisis, the crew drove her to a recovery center, where she received medication to assist with alcohol withdrawal and entered a 90-day recovery program. While there, she decided she wanted to do the same kind of work as the people who came to her rescue. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It felt like I meant something to someone. They went above and beyond to help get me off the streets,” Hernandez-Wood told KQED. “I thought, ‘I’d love to do that, I want to give back.’”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After successfully finishing the recovery program, Hernandez-Wood completed training to become a certified peer support specialist, learning techniques to engage with vulnerable populations and navigate social services. She started working at the nonprofit Glide, helping people who struggle with drug use, went on to work on the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1994288/you-mean-something-to-someone-overcoming-homelessness-and-addiction-this-san-francisco-woman-now-helps-others-heal\">Street Overdose Response Team\u003c/a>, and later stepped into her current role as a peer responder on the Street Crisis Response Team. Peer responders currently pair with fire department paramedics to respond to some calls together. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/240903-OverdoseResponse-48-BL_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"A middle-aged woman stands in front of a red van labeled 'Street Overdose Response Team'\" class=\"wp-image-12014173\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/240903-OverdoseResponse-48-BL_qed-1.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/240903-OverdoseResponse-48-BL_qed-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/240903-OverdoseResponse-48-BL_qed-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/240903-OverdoseResponse-48-BL_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/240903-OverdoseResponse-48-BL_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/240903-OverdoseResponse-48-BL_qed-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Counselor Chantel Hernandez-Wood, member of the Street Overdose Response Team, gets supplies from her van after speaking with two people sitting on the street in the South of Market neighborhood in San Francisco on Sept. 3, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was so surreal, because I was working on the same type of team that helped me when I needed help the most,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But now, San Francisco is quietly shifting its emergency response networks and the roles that peers with lived experience have within them. The fire department is planning to remove peer specialists from its 911 response this summer, setting off alarms for peer advocates who say the decision is a regressive step in the city’s approach to mental and behavioral health emergencies.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s just an incredible disservice to the community,” Hernandez-Wood said. “I feel blindsided.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fire department officials said the move to pull peers off of the Street Crisis Response Team came after “careful consideration,” and cited challenges with scheduling that made picking up the peer responders before calls difficult. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This decision was not made lightly and reflects the evolving needs and direction of crisis response within the larger 911 system,” a spokesperson for the fire department said in an email. “We believe that by working together within the Street Response framework, SFFD can ensure those we serve continue to receive the appropriate response.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Widespread protests against police brutality in 2020 sparked national discussions around how first responders can better serve people experiencing a mental health crisis, overdose or other behavioral health issues. In the wake of those conversations, the city did not decrease its police budget, but instead created new teams to respond to people in crisis, including the Street Crisis Response Team.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The peer responders are not fire department employees, but are contracted through the nonprofit RAMS, which the Department of Public Health administers. Others are specialists with the San Francisco Homeless Outreach Team. The Department of Public Health declined to comment on the staffing changes, saying the Street Crisis Response Team is under the fire department’s purview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Peer responders with the Street Crisis Response Team help address issues ranging from a street-level overdose to a domestic dispute in a penthouse, offering support for de-escalation, navigating social services and sometimes bringing lived experiences to a crew of medical and safety professionals. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Over the years, I’ve noticed that a lot of people will look to their peers for guidance or answers because we’re not in uniform,” Hernandez-Wood said. “A lot of unhoused folks that have substance use disorders, they don’t want to talk to anybody in uniform, they just feel more comfortable and less intimidated.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco has served as a model for other cities and jurisdictions looking to improve the way that they address complicated 911 emergency calls. A 2024 \u003ca href=\"https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58a33e881b631bc60d4f8b31/t/668d922525a2bc711295fe86/1720554079016/San+Francisco%27s+Public+Safety+System\">report\u003c/a> by the Policing Project at New York University found that the city’s programs “saved law enforcement resources, freeing up the police for other more pressing work.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/San-Francisco-Fire-Dept-Getty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092840\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/San-Francisco-Fire-Dept-Getty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/San-Francisco-Fire-Dept-Getty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/San-Francisco-Fire-Dept-Getty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A San Francisco fire engine on March 25, 2026. (Smith Collection/Gado via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the novel approach presented challenges. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the report, “911 dispatchers are stretched thin and struggle with the scripted protocols they must use to assess call eligibility, in particular because those protocols may not always resolve the calls they receive. There still is some confusion among frontline workers about responsibilities of each at the scene of an incident. And many community members and some call takers are disappointed that alternative responses are not solving complex social problems.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Fire Department has meanwhile been developing its Community Paramedicine team, whose members have training in trauma-informed care and resource navigation, to more appropriately respond to people struggling with substance use, mental health crises, homelessness and other behavioral health challenges. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The community paramedics have more training in emergency medicine, and they arrive in uniform and steel-toed boots, unlike the peer specialists, who work in regular street clothes, a small but important detail that can signal a more relatable helper for some 911 callers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The last day on the Street Crisis Response rigs for peer responders, who say their lived experience is central to their expertise, is Aug. 14.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Amelia Harmon, who works with peer responders on the Street Crisis Response Team, has been advocating to keep the positions within the fire department at public health and law enforcement commission meetings, as well as urging city supervisors to step in to reverse the decision. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said it’s especially urgent after behavioral health clinicians were removed from the Street Crisis Response Team in 2023. Pulling peer responders off of 911 responses is further “chipping away” at the work that she and others have spent the last five years building, she said. \u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Removing peers doesn’t cut costs, it moves costs to the most expensive part of the system,” said Harmon, a peer supervisor with RAMS. “Why would we forfeit high-quality care that has mechanisms for federal and state reimbursement in this budget climate?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The decision to remove peer specialists from 911 responses is also drawing wider criticism from other workers in the city’s homelessness response system and public safety. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I have personal experience with crisis, and I would rather speak to a non-uniformed peer,” said Joshua Cantero, a case manager at a San Francisco homeless shelter, in a letter to the Board of Supervisors. A peer counselor, Cantero wrote, “makes the clients feel more comfortable and assists with getting them into shelters and making them feel safe.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s not yet clear what will happen next to the peer responders. They have not received layoff notices and could be reassigned to different street teams. Fire department officials said they will continue to refer people to experts with lived experience when it’s appropriate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Harmon is desperate to keep the peer responders on 911 calls, saying she’s seen firsthand how their approach can be both life-saving and ease the burden for other first responders. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Why would you cut out the heart and soul of the program,” she said, “and risk burning out your own people?”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "uc-doctors-seek-to-unionize-10000-colleagues-in-massive-campaign",
"title": "UC Doctors Seek to Unionize 10,000 Colleagues in Massive Campaign",
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"headTitle": "UC Doctors Seek to Unionize 10,000 Colleagues in Massive Campaign | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/university-of-california\">University of California\u003c/a> is confronting a large unionization effort among employees who have historically stayed outside of unions: doctors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital on Thursday, physicians announced their plans to form a union with SEIU Doctors United — a partnership between Doctors Council, Service Employees International Union and Committee of Interns and Residents that represents more than 45,000 doctors nationwide.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The move points to a marked shift in the healthcare industry, where in the past, it has been somewhat rare for generally highly paid doctors to join unions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But interest in collective bargaining within the medical profession has accelerated, particularly post-pandemic, as more physicians report deteriorating working conditions and a loss of clinical autonomy amidst an increasingly consolidated and profit-driven industry.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/UCDoctors3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092511\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/UCDoctors3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/UCDoctors3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/UCDoctors3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Doctors attend a press conference held by UCSF attending doctors to announce the UC unionization effort with SEIU Doctors United at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital on July 23, 2026, in San Francisco, California. (Thos Robinson/Getty Images for SEIU Doctors United)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Attending physicians at UC, who make clinical decisions and often supervise residents and medical students, said they are stretched thin with unsustainable patient loads, understaffing and less decision-making power — concerns often echoed by nurses and other patient care workers with higher union participation rates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Sometimes I do feel, especially as a primary care physician, overwhelmed,” Dr. Radhika Rajan, a UCSF pediatrician at SF General, told KQED. “The work that we have to do does not stop when we are leaving [the] clinic.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So many of us are excited to unionize because the goal is to be able to have the resources to provide better care for our patients,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement, UC said it takes concerns about physicians’ workload, staffing and professional support seriously, adding that burnout is a nationwide challenge driven by workforce shortages and other factors. UC Health leaders regularly work with staff physicians to improve the job environment and evaluate hiring and retention needs, the university said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We remain committed to listening to physicians and clinical faculty, addressing concerns and continuously improving the experience of the people who make UC Health’s clinical, educational and research missions possible,” UC’s statement said. “UC Health locations continually assess staffing, recruitment, security practices and workplace needs, recognizing that conditions vary across specialties, departments and care settings.”\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About $24 billion, \u003ca href=\"https://health.universityofcalifornia.edu/sites/default/files/2025-02/uc-health-fact-sheet-web.pdf\">nearly 40%\u003c/a> of the university’s total revenue last year, came from its six academic health centers, serving 2.5 million Californians. UC is the state’s second largest employer and the nation’s largest public healthcare system.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Labor experts said it’s unlikely that university executives would welcome a new large doctors’ union. If the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ucdoctorsunited.org/\">UC Doctors United\u003c/a> organizing campaign is successful, it could inspire doctors elsewhere to seek a collective voice on the job, according to John Logan, director of labor and employment studies at San Francisco State University. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A second union, University Professional & Technical Employees, is also \u003ca href=\"https://uc-physicians.org/\">organizing\u003c/a> attending physicians at UC. According to Logan, over half of these doctors systemwide would have to show union support in order for the university to be required to recognize them as a unit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People who run the university undoubtedly will not want 10,000 doctors at the UC system to unionize and to have to bargain collectively over things that they can unilaterally decide at the moment,” Logan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The university this month reached a \u003ca href=\"https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/uc-and-cir-seiu-reach-tentative-contract-agreement\">tentative agreement\u003c/a> with the Committee of Interns and Residents, which represents 6,400 resident physicians and fellows who generally earn lower incomes than attending doctors. The deal includes an 18% salary increase and improvements to address emergency room capacity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In California, attending physicians earn more than $200,000 per year on average, depending on location, experience and specialty, according to Salary.com.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nationwide, \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11221793/\">less than 10%\u003c/a> of practicing physicians are union members.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was updated to include a comment from the University of California, which did not respond before original publication.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a statement, UC said it takes concerns about physicians’ workload, staffing and professional support seriously, adding that burnout is a nationwide challenge driven by workforce shortages and other factors. UC Health leaders regularly work with staff physicians to improve the job environment and evaluate hiring and retention needs, the university said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We remain committed to listening to physicians and clinical faculty, addressing concerns and continuously improving the experience of the people who make UC Health’s clinical, educational and research missions possible,” UC’s statement said. “UC Health locations continually assess staffing, recruitment, security practices and workplace needs, recognizing that conditions vary across specialties, departments and care settings.”\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>About $24 billion, \u003ca href=\"https://health.universityofcalifornia.edu/sites/default/files/2025-02/uc-health-fact-sheet-web.pdf\">nearly 40%\u003c/a> of the university’s total revenue last year, came from its six academic health centers, serving 2.5 million Californians. UC is the state’s second largest employer and the nation’s largest public healthcare system.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Labor experts said it’s unlikely that university executives would welcome a new large doctors’ union. If the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ucdoctorsunited.org/\">UC Doctors United\u003c/a> organizing campaign is successful, it could inspire doctors elsewhere to seek a collective voice on the job, according to John Logan, director of labor and employment studies at San Francisco State University. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A second union, University Professional & Technical Employees, is also \u003ca href=\"https://uc-physicians.org/\">organizing\u003c/a> attending physicians at UC. According to Logan, over half of these doctors systemwide would have to show union support in order for the university to be required to recognize them as a unit.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nationwide, \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11221793/\">less than 10%\u003c/a> of practicing physicians are union members.\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Sometimes I do feel, especially as a primary care physician, overwhelmed,” Dr. Radhika Rajan, a UCSF pediatrician at SF General, told KQED. “The work that we have to do does not stop when we are leaving [the] clinic.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So many of us are excited to unionize because the goal is to be able to have the resources to provide better care for our patients,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement, UC said it takes concerns about physicians’ workload, staffing and professional support seriously, adding that burnout is a nationwide challenge driven by workforce shortages and other factors. UC Health leaders regularly work with staff physicians to improve the job environment and evaluate hiring and retention needs, the university said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We remain committed to listening to physicians and clinical faculty, addressing concerns and continuously improving the experience of the people who make UC Health’s clinical, educational and research missions possible,” UC’s statement said. “UC Health locations continually assess staffing, recruitment, security practices and workplace needs, recognizing that conditions vary across specialties, departments and care settings.”\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About $24 billion, \u003ca href=\"https://health.universityofcalifornia.edu/sites/default/files/2025-02/uc-health-fact-sheet-web.pdf\">nearly 40%\u003c/a> of the university’s total revenue last year, came from its six academic health centers, serving 2.5 million Californians. UC is the state’s second largest employer and the nation’s largest public healthcare system.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Labor experts said it’s unlikely that university executives would welcome a new large doctors’ union. If the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ucdoctorsunited.org/\">UC Doctors United\u003c/a> organizing campaign is successful, it could inspire doctors elsewhere to seek a collective voice on the job, according to John Logan, director of labor and employment studies at San Francisco State University. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A second union, University Professional & Technical Employees, is also \u003ca href=\"https://uc-physicians.org/\">organizing\u003c/a> attending physicians at UC. According to Logan, over half of these doctors systemwide would have to show union support in order for the university to be required to recognize them as a unit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People who run the university undoubtedly will not want 10,000 doctors at the UC system to unionize and to have to bargain collectively over things that they can unilaterally decide at the moment,” Logan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The university this month reached a \u003ca href=\"https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/uc-and-cir-seiu-reach-tentative-contract-agreement\">tentative agreement\u003c/a> with the Committee of Interns and Residents, which represents 6,400 resident physicians and fellows who generally earn lower incomes than attending doctors. The deal includes an 18% salary increase and improvements to address emergency room capacity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In California, attending physicians earn more than $200,000 per year on average, depending on location, experience and specialty, according to Salary.com.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nationwide, \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11221793/\">less than 10%\u003c/a> of practicing physicians are union members.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was updated to include a comment from the University of California, which did not respond before original publication.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "these-8-camping-fears-are-real-let-us-solve-them-for-you",
"title": "These 8 Camping Fears Are Real. Let Us Solve Them for You",
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"headTitle": "These 8 Camping Fears Are Real. Let Us Solve Them for You | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Taking off on your first-ever \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086426/the-ultimate-annotated-california-camping-checklist\">camping\u003c/a> or backpacking trip can be intimidating. You might be worried about spending the night in the woods, about wildlife or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086178/campsites-are-hard-to-get-in-california-try-dispersed-camping-instead\">other factors\u003c/a> outside your control. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These emotions are super common, said Richard Bothwell, owner of Outdoor Adventure Club, a San Francisco-based guiding company that leads beginner trips all year long.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Your concerns and fears are legitimate,” Bothwell said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His biggest advice? “Start small and give yourself the grace to be a beginner.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That could mean planning a short, easy trip to start, or hopping onto a guided trip if you’d like the hands-on help of experts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040526CheapCamping_GH_017_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12079261\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040526CheapCamping_GH_017_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040526CheapCamping_GH_017_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040526CheapCamping_GH_017_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Josh Dillen and reporter Sarah Wright begin setting up a tent at a campsite at Anthony Chabot Family Campground on April 5, 2026, in Castro Valley, California. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Regardless, start by trying to home in on your actual concern: \u003ca href=\"#bad-weather\">Is it the unpredictability of the weather?\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"#equipment\">The gear that’s intimidating?\u003c/a> Or maybe you don’t know where to go or \u003ca href=\"#anyone-to-go-with\">who to go with?\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If any of those concerns ring true to you, keep reading, as we’ll break down eight common first-timer (or haven’t-been-since-I-was-a-kid) concerns and address them directly. Remember: No worry is too small or insignificant.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So, yes, you might mess up, make decisions you regret and have more questions than answers after your first trip out. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Or, as Bothwell puts it, “experience is a cruel teacher who gives the exam before the lesson.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But once you break the ice and get out there, you’ll quickly learn what you’d change for next time. And you also might have more drive than ever to get back out and push your comfort level a bit more to get a bit farther into nature. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. I don’t want to be dirty and am worried about hygiene\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The first thing Bothwell does on his guided trips is address the three Ps: peeing, pooping and periods. Yes, talking about any of these three realities of spending a night outdoors may be uncomfortable at first, but he said “There’s comfort in knowing you’re not the first person to go do this and you’re not the first to have this concern.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That includes teaching students these \u003ca href=\"https://lnt.org/\">Leave No Trace\u003c/a> principles:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003col class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Peeing at least 200 feet from trails, campsites and water sources\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Burying your poop in a cathole 6-8 inches deep and 4-6 inches in diameter and packing out your toilet paper\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Packing out tampons or pads in a sealed plastic bag or emptying menstrual cups into catholes.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/CampingGetty1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069168\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/CampingGetty1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/CampingGetty1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/CampingGetty1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A public campground near Camp Richardson is shown on Aug. 4, 2013, in South Lake Tahoe, California. (George Rose/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kirk McLaughlin, \u003ca href=\"https://campuslifeserviceshome.ucsf.edu/fitness-and-recreation/backpacking-and-camping\">UCSF’s outdoor program manager\u003c/a>, said he teaches his students that you can still have good hygiene in the outdoors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On their camping trips, McLaughlin said he provides handwashing stations and, while backpacking, shows people how to take advantage of fresh water in any form. He said he even has fun teaching people how to use a “\u003ca href=\"https://thetrek.co/how-to-poop-in-a-wag-bag-the-wilderness-hygiene-guide-you-never-knew-you-needed/\">wag bag\u003c/a>” to pack out their waste. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We can make the bathroom parts comfortable, too,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If the idea of being or looking dirty is a concern, Bothwell said he sometimes challenges his participants not to bring a change of clothes — and instead, focus on the bits of hygiene that are safety- rather than comfort-oriented.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The clothes are going to get dirty, but when I’m cooking up pad thai for dinner tonight, you’re gonna see me wash my hands like four or five times through that process,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Hiking with all my stuff sounds difficult\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>McLaughlin said the No. 1 thing first-timers on his trips are surprised by is “how they feel after one of our backpacking trips.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Outdoor gear has come a long way in recent years, with new lightweight options for sleeping bags, tents and other gear that might have weighed twice as much when his students were kids. He said people often underestimate how reasonable and comfortable their backpacks can be. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“With the nice backpacks they find, ‘Wow, this is not nearly as painful as I thought it was gonna be,’” McLaughlin said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/IMG_1993-scaled-e1784577012119.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12047594\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Two hikers look out on a lake on the way up Bishop Pass in the Eastern Sierra on June 14, 2025. (Sarah Wright/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Weight is a top concern that Bothwell fields, too. Lots of first-timers feel alone in their discomfort as compared to experienced hikers, he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The difference may simply be that that person next to you knows that in an hour you’re gonna be at camp and everything is gonna be better and you’re gonna kick your shoes off and take your backpack off and just relax,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In the end, you’re gonna remember the time by the campfire more than the aching feet,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Sleeping on the ground is uncomfortable\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The same goes for sleeping on the ground, McLaughlin said. For camping trips, he’s switched from mattresses to cots to bring even more comfort to camp. And for backpackers, participants carry down sleeping bags that are lightweight and warm. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I tell folks, ‘In my youth, I suffered plenty so that they don’t have to,’” he said. “I used a boot for a pillow and slept in some really uncomfortable locations.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>High-quality sleeping gear, in particular, is getting more and more affordable and accessible, he said. (We can attest: Check out our \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082396/cheap-camping-near-bay-area-checklist-gear-cookware-tent-rental-sleeping-bag-pad\">guide to cheap camping\u003c/a> in the Bay Area here for ideas.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. I am afraid of wildlife\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some first-timers are excited to see wildlife, and others are more afraid. Regardless, McLaughlin said he teaches people that it’s really the small mammals like raccoons, squirrels and ravens that tend to get into camp and raid people’s belongings far more often than big mammals like bears. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bothwell said while fears about animals are legitimate, he likes to remind his participants that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12057419/bears-coyotes-moutain-lions-oh-my-what-to-do-when-you-encounter-wildlife-in-the-bay-area\">California bears\u003c/a> aren’t very dangerous. On the off-chance you do encounter a bear in the wilderness in California, you’ll quickly realize that all it takes to scare them off is to get big and yell. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They want to eat your food,” he said. “They have really no interest in attacking you.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"anyone-to-go-with\">5. I don’t know where to go and don’t have anyone to go with\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If where to go is your main concern, we’ve got a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12052990/summer-camping-california-bay-area-weather-heat-wave-campsites\">couple \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083697/how-to-find-dispersed-camping-california-near-san-francisco-bay-area-free-campsites-public-lands-national-forests-blm\">of \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12040242/start-backpacking-trails-bay-area-near-me-permits\">guides\u003c/a> for you. But if even after reading up on various options, you’re still nervous about striking out on your own, going with a guided trip can help. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That includes guide companies like the one Bothwell runs. Or you can check out your local university clubs, like \u003ca href=\"https://campuslifeserviceshome.ucsf.edu/fitness-and-recreation/backpacking-and-camping\">the one at UCSF\u003c/a> that McLaughlin manages, or other community organizations to see if they run trips. Here in the Bay Area, we have many \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087471/a-moment-under-the-sun-queer-led-groups-are-getting-outside-this-pride\">affinity groups\u003c/a> that organize outdoors-oriented trips all year round, most of which try to keep costs affordable for participants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Part of my role, like any outdoor coordinator, is securing campsites and lodging reservations a year in advance, the kind of thing that most people who are new to the outdoors wouldn’t even know where to start,” McLaughlin said. “Or by the time they figure it out, everything’s sold out, especially in California.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/GettyImages-566347731-scaled-e1784577412389.jpg\" alt=\"Tents in a big green meadow.\" class=\"wp-image-11973194\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tents in the early morning, on a hill near the Point Reyes National Seashore, California. (Angelo DeSantis/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His expertise allows him to secure highly in-demand spots like Curry Village in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086272/yosemite-national-park-visitor-congestion-crowding-camping-reservations-where-to-visit-outside-yosemite-valley-yarts\">Yosemite\u003c/a> or the Steep Ravine Cabins in Marin County. One of his favorites is a quick overnight trip to Mendocino County for an unforgettable coastal kayaking trip. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whether you’re planning your own itinerary or joining a group, just don’t bite off more than you can chew, McLaughlin said. He curates his UCSF trips with his clientele — busy, stressed graduate students — in mind. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The main thing is creating an itinerary so that they don’t feel like they have to take a vacation from their vacation when they’re done,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That means taking care to design an itinerary that’s not too intense (and most importantly, is rewarded with a good meal and cozy camp setup — more on that below).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The same goes for backpacking, McLaughlin said. He takes first-time \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12040242/start-backpacking-trails-bay-area-near-me-permits\">backpackers to places like Point Reyes\u003c/a>, where the mileage and elevation are low, but the views are rewarding. Those trips, he said, are most likely to leave participants more interested in the hobby than when they set out. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. I don’t want to eat gross camping food\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If the image you have in your head of camping or backpacking is eating freeze-dried meals and protein bars all day, think again, McLaughlin said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/052626LAKE-TAHOE-_GH_035-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085516\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/052626LAKE-TAHOE-_GH_035-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/052626LAKE-TAHOE-_GH_035-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/052626LAKE-TAHOE-_GH_035-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">KQED Outdoors Engagement Reporter Sarah Wright prepares a campsite meal at D.L. Bliss State Park on May 25, 2026, in the Lake Tahoe Basin. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Eating fresh, filling and comforting meals while out camping isn’t as hard as it seems: On his guided trips, all it takes is bringing a box of pancake mix and a carton of blueberries, McLaughlin said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve never had so many people be so excited for blueberry pancakes,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"equipment\">7. I don’t know how to use my equipment\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’re going on a guided trip, don’t worry: someone will be there to help teach you how to use everything you need. If you’re going solo, be sure to test your gear ahead of time and only bring equipment that you have practiced using. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The reality of camping and backpacking, Bothwell said, is that you’re not going to get \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086426/the-ultimate-annotated-california-camping-checklist\">your packing list\u003c/a> right the first time — and that’s OK. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The first time you do it, your system is going to be rough,” he said. That’ll be true for the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth time, he said. But eventually, your changes will get smaller and smaller, and you’ll get more and more comfortable and confident. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you do decide to go with a guided trip, use the opportunity to ask lots of questions, McLaughlin said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Ask about the gear, ask about destinations and utilize the amazing amount of knowledge that everybody who works in the business has,” McLaughlin said. “It’s really the best resource.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And once you get home, Bothwell said, do a quick debrief, and ask yourself some simple questions: What equipment did you not use? What equipment did you not like and why? In what ways were you uncomfortable and how can you address that on your next trip?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"bad-weather\">8. What if there is bad weather or an emergency?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Going with a guided group can help allay fears about emergencies, Bothwell said. His company’s guides are trained in wilderness first aid, and they check in with someone not on the trip twice per day using satellite communications in case the group encounters any issues.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That person can also relay information back to the group in the backcountry about weather conditions or any other issues that might arise. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’re organizing a trip yourself, Bothwell suggested creating your own risk-mitigation plan that includes telling someone about where you’re planning on going and making sure you have some way to check in with them. It’s also not a bad idea to get some first aid training and make sure everyone on the trip is aligned on safety precautions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It cuts down on a lot of friction once you’re out in the woods,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bothwell said some participants on his trips even use them as an opportunity to test out a self-sustaining kit of gear and their ability level before embarking on a solo trip. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So if you figure out on day two of a four-day trip that you miscalculated or you don’t know how to repair your stove, you have support there,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>McLaughlin, too, suggested planning your first few trips not too far from help or home. One of his favorites is camping on Mt. Diablo. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s right in our backyard, and some of the campsites have the most amazing views on the planet,” he said. “Our activity is to get up and watch sunrise from the summit, and then ‘poof, 45 minutes later, you’re home.’”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"\n\u003cp>These emotions are super common, said Richard Bothwell, owner of Outdoor Adventure Club, a San Francisco-based guiding company that leads beginner trips all year long.\u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cp>“Your concerns and fears are legitimate,” Bothwell said. \u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>His biggest advice? “Start small and give yourself the grace to be a beginner.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>His biggest advice? “Start small and give yourself the grace to be a beginner.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That could mean planning a short, easy trip to start, or hopping onto a guided trip if you’d like the hands-on help of experts. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>That could mean planning a short, easy trip to start, or hopping onto a guided trip if you’d like the hands-on help of experts. \u003c/p>\n"
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{
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040526CheapCamping_GH_017_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040526CheapCamping_GH_017_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040526CheapCamping_GH_017_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040526CheapCamping_GH_017_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12079261\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040526CheapCamping_GH_017_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040526CheapCamping_GH_017_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040526CheapCamping_GH_017_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Josh Dillen and reporter Sarah Wright begin setting up a tent at a campsite at Anthony Chabot Family Campground on April 5, 2026, in Castro Valley, California.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040526CheapCamping_GH_017_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12079261\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Josh Dillen and reporter Sarah Wright begin setting up a tent at a campsite at Anthony Chabot Family Campground on April 5, 2026, in Castro Valley, California.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Regardless, start by trying to home in on your actual concern: \u003ca href=\"#bad-weather\">Is it the unpredictability of the weather?\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"#equipment\">The gear that’s intimidating?\u003c/a> Or maybe you don’t know where to go or \u003ca href=\"#anyone-to-go-with\">who to go with?\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Regardless, start by trying to home in on your actual concern: \u003ca href=\"#bad-weather\">Is it the unpredictability of the weather?\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"#equipment\">The gear that’s intimidating?\u003c/a> Or maybe you don’t know where to go or \u003ca href=\"#anyone-to-go-with\">who to go with?\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If any of those concerns ring true to you, keep reading, as we’ll break down eight common first-timer (or haven’t-been-since-I-was-a-kid) concerns and address them directly. Remember: No worry is too small or insignificant.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If any of those concerns ring true to you, keep reading, as we’ll break down eight common first-timer (or haven’t-been-since-I-was-a-kid) concerns and address them directly. Remember: No worry is too small or insignificant.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So, yes, you might mess up, make decisions you regret and have more questions than answers after your first trip out. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>So, yes, you might mess up, make decisions you regret and have more questions than answers after your first trip out. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Or, as Bothwell puts it, “experience is a cruel teacher who gives the exam before the lesson.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Or, as Bothwell puts it, “experience is a cruel teacher who gives the exam before the lesson.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But once you break the ice and get out there, you’ll quickly learn what you’d change for next time. And you also might have more drive than ever to get back out and push your comfort level a bit more to get a bit farther into nature. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But once you break the ice and get out there, you’ll quickly learn what you’d change for next time. And you also might have more drive than ever to get back out and push your comfort level a bit more to get a bit farther into nature. \u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "1. I don’t want to be dirty and am worried about hygiene",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. I don’t want to be dirty and am worried about hygiene\u003c/h2>\n",
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The first thing Bothwell does on his guided trips is address the three Ps: peeing, pooping and periods. Yes, talking about any of these three realities of spending a night outdoors may be uncomfortable at first, but he said “There’s comfort in knowing you’re not the first person to go do this and you’re not the first to have this concern.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The first thing Bothwell does on his guided trips is address the three Ps: peeing, pooping and periods. Yes, talking about any of these three realities of spending a night outdoors may be uncomfortable at first, but he said “There’s comfort in knowing you’re not the first person to go do this and you’re not the first to have this concern.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That includes teaching students these \u003ca href=\"https://lnt.org/\">Leave No Trace\u003c/a> principles:\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>That includes teaching students these \u003ca href=\"https://lnt.org/\">Leave No Trace\u003c/a> principles:\u003c/p>\n"
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"Peeing at least 200 feet from trails, campsites and water sources",
"Burying your poop in a cathole 6-8 inches deep and 4-6 inches in diameter and packing out your toilet paper",
"Packing out tampons or pads in a sealed plastic bag or emptying menstrual cups into catholes."
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003col class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n\n\n\u003c/ol>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Peeing at least 200 feet from trails, campsites and water sources\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>Peeing at least 200 feet from trails, campsites and water sources\u003c/li>\n"
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{
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Burying your poop in a cathole 6-8 inches deep and 4-6 inches in diameter and packing out your toilet paper\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>Burying your poop in a cathole 6-8 inches deep and 4-6 inches in diameter and packing out your toilet paper\u003c/li>\n"
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{
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Packing out tampons or pads in a sealed plastic bag or emptying menstrual cups into catholes.\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>Packing out tampons or pads in a sealed plastic bag or emptying menstrual cups into catholes.\u003c/li>\n"
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{
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/CampingGetty1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/CampingGetty1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/CampingGetty1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/CampingGetty1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069168\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/CampingGetty1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/CampingGetty1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/CampingGetty1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A public campground near Camp Richardson is shown on Aug. 4, 2013, in South Lake Tahoe, California. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/CampingGetty1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069168\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A public campground near Camp Richardson is shown on Aug. 4, 2013, in South Lake Tahoe, California. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kirk McLaughlin, \u003ca href=\"https://campuslifeserviceshome.ucsf.edu/fitness-and-recreation/backpacking-and-camping\">UCSF’s outdoor program manager\u003c/a>, said he teaches his students that you can still have good hygiene in the outdoors. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Kirk McLaughlin, \u003ca href=\"https://campuslifeserviceshome.ucsf.edu/fitness-and-recreation/backpacking-and-camping\">UCSF’s outdoor program manager\u003c/a>, said he teaches his students that you can still have good hygiene in the outdoors. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On their camping trips, McLaughlin said he provides handwashing stations and, while backpacking, shows people how to take advantage of fresh water in any form. He said he even has fun teaching people how to use a “\u003ca href=\"https://thetrek.co/how-to-poop-in-a-wag-bag-the-wilderness-hygiene-guide-you-never-knew-you-needed/\">wag bag\u003c/a>” to pack out their waste. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>On their camping trips, McLaughlin said he provides handwashing stations and, while backpacking, shows people how to take advantage of fresh water in any form. He said he even has fun teaching people how to use a “\u003ca href=\"https://thetrek.co/how-to-poop-in-a-wag-bag-the-wilderness-hygiene-guide-you-never-knew-you-needed/\">wag bag\u003c/a>” to pack out their waste. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We can make the bathroom parts comfortable, too,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We can make the bathroom parts comfortable, too,” he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If the idea of being or looking dirty is a concern, Bothwell said he sometimes challenges his participants not to bring a change of clothes — and instead, focus on the bits of hygiene that are safety- rather than comfort-oriented.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If the idea of being or looking dirty is a concern, Bothwell said he sometimes challenges his participants not to bring a change of clothes — and instead, focus on the bits of hygiene that are safety- rather than comfort-oriented.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The clothes are going to get dirty, but when I’m cooking up pad thai for dinner tonight, you’re gonna see me wash my hands like four or five times through that process,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“The clothes are going to get dirty, but when I’m cooking up pad thai for dinner tonight, you’re gonna see me wash my hands like four or five times through that process,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerBlocks": []
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "2. Hiking with all my stuff sounds difficult",
"level": 2
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Hiking with all my stuff sounds difficult\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Hiking with all my stuff sounds difficult\u003c/h2>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>McLaughlin said the No. 1 thing first-timers on his trips are surprised by is “how they feel after one of our backpacking trips.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>McLaughlin said the No. 1 thing first-timers on his trips are surprised by is “how they feel after one of our backpacking trips.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Outdoor gear has come a long way in recent years, with new lightweight options for sleeping bags, tents and other gear that might have weighed twice as much when his students were kids. He said people often underestimate how reasonable and comfortable their backpacks can be. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Outdoor gear has come a long way in recent years, with new lightweight options for sleeping bags, tents and other gear that might have weighed twice as much when his students were kids. He said people often underestimate how reasonable and comfortable their backpacks can be. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“With the nice backpacks they find, ‘Wow, this is not nearly as painful as I thought it was gonna be,’” McLaughlin said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“With the nice backpacks they find, ‘Wow, this is not nearly as painful as I thought it was gonna be,’” McLaughlin said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/IMG_1993-scaled-e1784577012119.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12047594\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Two hikers look out on a lake on the way up Bishop Pass in the Eastern Sierra on June 14, 2025.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/IMG_1993-scaled-e1784577012119.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12047594\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Two hikers look out on a lake on the way up Bishop Pass in the Eastern Sierra on June 14, 2025.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Weight is a top concern that Bothwell fields, too. Lots of first-timers feel alone in their discomfort as compared to experienced hikers, he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Weight is a top concern that Bothwell fields, too. Lots of first-timers feel alone in their discomfort as compared to experienced hikers, he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The difference may simply be that that person next to you knows that in an hour you’re gonna be at camp and everything is gonna be better and you’re gonna kick your shoes off and take your backpack off and just relax,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The difference may simply be that that person next to you knows that in an hour you’re gonna be at camp and everything is gonna be better and you’re gonna kick your shoes off and take your backpack off and just relax,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“In the end, you’re gonna remember the time by the campfire more than the aching feet,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“In the end, you’re gonna remember the time by the campfire more than the aching feet,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "3. Sleeping on the ground is uncomfortable",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Sleeping on the ground is uncomfortable\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The same goes for sleeping on the ground, McLaughlin said. For camping trips, he’s switched from mattresses to cots to bring even more comfort to camp. And for backpackers, participants carry down sleeping bags that are lightweight and warm. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The same goes for sleeping on the ground, McLaughlin said. For camping trips, he’s switched from mattresses to cots to bring even more comfort to camp. And for backpackers, participants carry down sleeping bags that are lightweight and warm. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I tell folks, ‘In my youth, I suffered plenty so that they don’t have to,’” he said. “I used a boot for a pillow and slept in some really uncomfortable locations.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“I tell folks, ‘In my youth, I suffered plenty so that they don’t have to,’” he said. “I used a boot for a pillow and slept in some really uncomfortable locations.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>High-quality sleeping gear, in particular, is getting more and more affordable and accessible, he said. (We can attest: Check out our \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082396/cheap-camping-near-bay-area-checklist-gear-cookware-tent-rental-sleeping-bag-pad\">guide to cheap camping\u003c/a> in the Bay Area here for ideas.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>High-quality sleeping gear, in particular, is getting more and more affordable and accessible, he said. (We can attest: Check out our \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082396/cheap-camping-near-bay-area-checklist-gear-cookware-tent-rental-sleeping-bag-pad\">guide to cheap camping\u003c/a> in the Bay Area here for ideas.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "4. I am afraid of wildlife",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some first-timers are excited to see wildlife, and others are more afraid. Regardless, McLaughlin said he teaches people that it’s really the small mammals like raccoons, squirrels and ravens that tend to get into camp and raid people’s belongings far more often than big mammals like bears. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Some first-timers are excited to see wildlife, and others are more afraid. Regardless, McLaughlin said he teaches people that it’s really the small mammals like raccoons, squirrels and ravens that tend to get into camp and raid people’s belongings far more often than big mammals like bears. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bothwell said while fears about animals are legitimate, he likes to remind his participants that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12057419/bears-coyotes-moutain-lions-oh-my-what-to-do-when-you-encounter-wildlife-in-the-bay-area\">California bears\u003c/a> aren’t very dangerous. On the off-chance you do encounter a bear in the wilderness in California, you’ll quickly realize that all it takes to scare them off is to get big and yell. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Bothwell said while fears about animals are legitimate, he likes to remind his participants that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12057419/bears-coyotes-moutain-lions-oh-my-what-to-do-when-you-encounter-wildlife-in-the-bay-area\">California bears\u003c/a> aren’t very dangerous. On the off-chance you do encounter a bear in the wilderness in California, you’ll quickly realize that all it takes to scare them off is to get big and yell. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They want to eat your food,” he said. “They have really no interest in attacking you.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“They want to eat your food,” he said. “They have really no interest in attacking you.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "5. I don’t know where to go and don’t have anyone to go with",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If where to go is your main concern, we’ve got a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12052990/summer-camping-california-bay-area-weather-heat-wave-campsites\">couple \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083697/how-to-find-dispersed-camping-california-near-san-francisco-bay-area-free-campsites-public-lands-national-forests-blm\">of \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12040242/start-backpacking-trails-bay-area-near-me-permits\">guides\u003c/a> for you. But if even after reading up on various options, you’re still nervous about striking out on your own, going with a guided trip can help. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If where to go is your main concern, we’ve got a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12052990/summer-camping-california-bay-area-weather-heat-wave-campsites\">couple \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083697/how-to-find-dispersed-camping-california-near-san-francisco-bay-area-free-campsites-public-lands-national-forests-blm\">of \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12040242/start-backpacking-trails-bay-area-near-me-permits\">guides\u003c/a> for you. But if even after reading up on various options, you’re still nervous about striking out on your own, going with a guided trip can help. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That includes guide companies like the one Bothwell runs. Or you can check out your local university clubs, like \u003ca href=\"https://campuslifeserviceshome.ucsf.edu/fitness-and-recreation/backpacking-and-camping\">the one at UCSF\u003c/a> that McLaughlin manages, or other community organizations to see if they run trips. Here in the Bay Area, we have many \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087471/a-moment-under-the-sun-queer-led-groups-are-getting-outside-this-pride\">affinity groups\u003c/a> that organize outdoors-oriented trips all year round, most of which try to keep costs affordable for participants.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That includes guide companies like the one Bothwell runs. Or you can check out your local university clubs, like \u003ca href=\"https://campuslifeserviceshome.ucsf.edu/fitness-and-recreation/backpacking-and-camping\">the one at UCSF\u003c/a> that McLaughlin manages, or other community organizations to see if they run trips. Here in the Bay Area, we have many \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087471/a-moment-under-the-sun-queer-led-groups-are-getting-outside-this-pride\">affinity groups\u003c/a> that organize outdoors-oriented trips all year round, most of which try to keep costs affordable for participants.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Part of my role, like any outdoor coordinator, is securing campsites and lodging reservations a year in advance, the kind of thing that most people who are new to the outdoors wouldn’t even know where to start,” McLaughlin said. “Or by the time they figure it out, everything’s sold out, especially in California.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Part of my role, like any outdoor coordinator, is securing campsites and lodging reservations a year in advance, the kind of thing that most people who are new to the outdoors wouldn’t even know where to start,” McLaughlin said. “Or by the time they figure it out, everything’s sold out, especially in California.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/GettyImages-566347731-scaled-e1784577412389.jpg\" alt=\"Tents in a big green meadow.\" class=\"wp-image-11973194\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tents in the early morning, on a hill near the Point Reyes National Seashore, California.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>His expertise allows him to secure highly in-demand spots like Curry Village in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086272/yosemite-national-park-visitor-congestion-crowding-camping-reservations-where-to-visit-outside-yosemite-valley-yarts\">Yosemite\u003c/a> or the Steep Ravine Cabins in Marin County. One of his favorites is a quick overnight trip to Mendocino County for an unforgettable coastal kayaking trip. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>His expertise allows him to secure highly in-demand spots like Curry Village in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086272/yosemite-national-park-visitor-congestion-crowding-camping-reservations-where-to-visit-outside-yosemite-valley-yarts\">Yosemite\u003c/a> or the Steep Ravine Cabins in Marin County. One of his favorites is a quick overnight trip to Mendocino County for an unforgettable coastal kayaking trip. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Whether you’re planning your own itinerary or joining a group, just don’t bite off more than you can chew, McLaughlin said. He curates his UCSF trips with his clientele — busy, stressed graduate students — in mind. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Whether you’re planning your own itinerary or joining a group, just don’t bite off more than you can chew, McLaughlin said. He curates his UCSF trips with his clientele — busy, stressed graduate students — in mind. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The main thing is creating an itinerary so that they don’t feel like they have to take a vacation from their vacation when they’re done,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The main thing is creating an itinerary so that they don’t feel like they have to take a vacation from their vacation when they’re done,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That means taking care to design an itinerary that’s not too intense (and most importantly, is rewarded with a good meal and cozy camp setup — more on that below).\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The same goes for backpacking, McLaughlin said. He takes first-time \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12040242/start-backpacking-trails-bay-area-near-me-permits\">backpackers to places like Point Reyes\u003c/a>, where the mileage and elevation are low, but the views are rewarding. Those trips, he said, are most likely to leave participants more interested in the hobby than when they set out. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The same goes for backpacking, McLaughlin said. He takes first-time \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12040242/start-backpacking-trails-bay-area-near-me-permits\">backpackers to places like Point Reyes\u003c/a>, where the mileage and elevation are low, but the views are rewarding. Those trips, he said, are most likely to leave participants more interested in the hobby than when they set out. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "6. I don’t want to eat gross camping food",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If the image you have in your head of camping or backpacking is eating freeze-dried meals and protein bars all day, think again, McLaughlin said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If the image you have in your head of camping or backpacking is eating freeze-dried meals and protein bars all day, think again, McLaughlin said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/052626LAKE-TAHOE-_GH_035-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085516\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/052626LAKE-TAHOE-_GH_035-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/052626LAKE-TAHOE-_GH_035-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/052626LAKE-TAHOE-_GH_035-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">KQED Outdoors Engagement Reporter Sarah Wright prepares a campsite meal at D.L. Bliss State Park on May 25, 2026, in the Lake Tahoe Basin.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/052626LAKE-TAHOE-_GH_035-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085516\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">KQED Outdoors Engagement Reporter Sarah Wright prepares a campsite meal at D.L. Bliss State Park on May 25, 2026, in the Lake Tahoe Basin.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Eating fresh, filling and comforting meals while out camping isn’t as hard as it seems: On his guided trips, all it takes is bringing a box of pancake mix and a carton of blueberries, McLaughlin said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Eating fresh, filling and comforting meals while out camping isn’t as hard as it seems: On his guided trips, all it takes is bringing a box of pancake mix and a carton of blueberries, McLaughlin said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’ve never had so many people be so excited for blueberry pancakes,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’ve never had so many people be so excited for blueberry pancakes,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "7. I don’t know how to use my equipment",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you’re going on a guided trip, don’t worry: someone will be there to help teach you how to use everything you need. If you’re going solo, be sure to test your gear ahead of time and only bring equipment that you have practiced using. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If you’re going on a guided trip, don’t worry: someone will be there to help teach you how to use everything you need. If you’re going solo, be sure to test your gear ahead of time and only bring equipment that you have practiced using. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The reality of camping and backpacking, Bothwell said, is that you’re not going to get \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086426/the-ultimate-annotated-california-camping-checklist\">your packing list\u003c/a> right the first time — and that’s OK. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The reality of camping and backpacking, Bothwell said, is that you’re not going to get \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086426/the-ultimate-annotated-california-camping-checklist\">your packing list\u003c/a> right the first time — and that’s OK. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The first time you do it, your system is going to be rough,” he said. That’ll be true for the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth time, he said. But eventually, your changes will get smaller and smaller, and you’ll get more and more comfortable and confident. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The first time you do it, your system is going to be rough,” he said. That’ll be true for the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth time, he said. But eventually, your changes will get smaller and smaller, and you’ll get more and more comfortable and confident. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you do decide to go with a guided trip, use the opportunity to ask lots of questions, McLaughlin said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Ask about the gear, ask about destinations and utilize the amazing amount of knowledge that everybody who works in the business has,” McLaughlin said. “It’s really the best resource.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Ask about the gear, ask about destinations and utilize the amazing amount of knowledge that everybody who works in the business has,” McLaughlin said. “It’s really the best resource.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And once you get home, Bothwell said, do a quick debrief, and ask yourself some simple questions: What equipment did you not use? What equipment did you not like and why? In what ways were you uncomfortable and how can you address that on your next trip?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And once you get home, Bothwell said, do a quick debrief, and ask yourself some simple questions: What equipment did you not use? What equipment did you not like and why? In what ways were you uncomfortable and how can you address that on your next trip?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Going with a guided group can help allay fears about emergencies, Bothwell said. His company’s guides are trained in wilderness first aid, and they check in with someone not on the trip twice per day using satellite communications in case the group encounters any issues.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That person can also relay information back to the group in the backcountry about weather conditions or any other issues that might arise. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you’re organizing a trip yourself, Bothwell suggested creating your own risk-mitigation plan that includes telling someone about where you’re planning on going and making sure you have some way to check in with them. It’s also not a bad idea to get some first aid training and make sure everyone on the trip is aligned on safety precautions.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It cuts down on a lot of friction once you’re out in the woods,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bothwell said some participants on his trips even use them as an opportunity to test out a self-sustaining kit of gear and their ability level before embarking on a solo trip. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“So if you figure out on day two of a four-day trip that you miscalculated or you don’t know how to repair your stove, you have support there,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>McLaughlin, too, suggested planning your first few trips not too far from help or home. One of his favorites is camping on Mt. Diablo. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s right in our backyard, and some of the campsites have the most amazing views on the planet,” he said. “Our activity is to get up and watch sunrise from the summit, and then ‘poof, 45 minutes later, you’re home.’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Taking off on your first-ever \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086426/the-ultimate-annotated-california-camping-checklist\">camping\u003c/a> or backpacking trip can be intimidating. You might be worried about spending the night in the woods, about wildlife or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086178/campsites-are-hard-to-get-in-california-try-dispersed-camping-instead\">other factors\u003c/a> outside your control. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These emotions are super common, said Richard Bothwell, owner of Outdoor Adventure Club, a San Francisco-based guiding company that leads beginner trips all year long.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Your concerns and fears are legitimate,” Bothwell said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His biggest advice? “Start small and give yourself the grace to be a beginner.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That could mean planning a short, easy trip to start, or hopping onto a guided trip if you’d like the hands-on help of experts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040526CheapCamping_GH_017_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12079261\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040526CheapCamping_GH_017_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040526CheapCamping_GH_017_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040526CheapCamping_GH_017_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Josh Dillen and reporter Sarah Wright begin setting up a tent at a campsite at Anthony Chabot Family Campground on April 5, 2026, in Castro Valley, California. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Regardless, start by trying to home in on your actual concern: \u003ca href=\"#bad-weather\">Is it the unpredictability of the weather?\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"#equipment\">The gear that’s intimidating?\u003c/a> Or maybe you don’t know where to go or \u003ca href=\"#anyone-to-go-with\">who to go with?\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If any of those concerns ring true to you, keep reading, as we’ll break down eight common first-timer (or haven’t-been-since-I-was-a-kid) concerns and address them directly. Remember: No worry is too small or insignificant.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So, yes, you might mess up, make decisions you regret and have more questions than answers after your first trip out. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Or, as Bothwell puts it, “experience is a cruel teacher who gives the exam before the lesson.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But once you break the ice and get out there, you’ll quickly learn what you’d change for next time. And you also might have more drive than ever to get back out and push your comfort level a bit more to get a bit farther into nature. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. I don’t want to be dirty and am worried about hygiene\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The first thing Bothwell does on his guided trips is address the three Ps: peeing, pooping and periods. Yes, talking about any of these three realities of spending a night outdoors may be uncomfortable at first, but he said “There’s comfort in knowing you’re not the first person to go do this and you’re not the first to have this concern.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That includes teaching students these \u003ca href=\"https://lnt.org/\">Leave No Trace\u003c/a> principles:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003col class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Peeing at least 200 feet from trails, campsites and water sources\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Burying your poop in a cathole 6-8 inches deep and 4-6 inches in diameter and packing out your toilet paper\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Packing out tampons or pads in a sealed plastic bag or emptying menstrual cups into catholes.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/CampingGetty1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069168\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/CampingGetty1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/CampingGetty1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/CampingGetty1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A public campground near Camp Richardson is shown on Aug. 4, 2013, in South Lake Tahoe, California. (George Rose/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kirk McLaughlin, \u003ca href=\"https://campuslifeserviceshome.ucsf.edu/fitness-and-recreation/backpacking-and-camping\">UCSF’s outdoor program manager\u003c/a>, said he teaches his students that you can still have good hygiene in the outdoors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On their camping trips, McLaughlin said he provides handwashing stations and, while backpacking, shows people how to take advantage of fresh water in any form. He said he even has fun teaching people how to use a “\u003ca href=\"https://thetrek.co/how-to-poop-in-a-wag-bag-the-wilderness-hygiene-guide-you-never-knew-you-needed/\">wag bag\u003c/a>” to pack out their waste. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We can make the bathroom parts comfortable, too,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If the idea of being or looking dirty is a concern, Bothwell said he sometimes challenges his participants not to bring a change of clothes — and instead, focus on the bits of hygiene that are safety- rather than comfort-oriented.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The clothes are going to get dirty, but when I’m cooking up pad thai for dinner tonight, you’re gonna see me wash my hands like four or five times through that process,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Hiking with all my stuff sounds difficult\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>McLaughlin said the No. 1 thing first-timers on his trips are surprised by is “how they feel after one of our backpacking trips.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Outdoor gear has come a long way in recent years, with new lightweight options for sleeping bags, tents and other gear that might have weighed twice as much when his students were kids. He said people often underestimate how reasonable and comfortable their backpacks can be. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“With the nice backpacks they find, ‘Wow, this is not nearly as painful as I thought it was gonna be,’” McLaughlin said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/IMG_1993-scaled-e1784577012119.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12047594\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Two hikers look out on a lake on the way up Bishop Pass in the Eastern Sierra on June 14, 2025. (Sarah Wright/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Weight is a top concern that Bothwell fields, too. Lots of first-timers feel alone in their discomfort as compared to experienced hikers, he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The difference may simply be that that person next to you knows that in an hour you’re gonna be at camp and everything is gonna be better and you’re gonna kick your shoes off and take your backpack off and just relax,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In the end, you’re gonna remember the time by the campfire more than the aching feet,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Sleeping on the ground is uncomfortable\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The same goes for sleeping on the ground, McLaughlin said. For camping trips, he’s switched from mattresses to cots to bring even more comfort to camp. And for backpackers, participants carry down sleeping bags that are lightweight and warm. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I tell folks, ‘In my youth, I suffered plenty so that they don’t have to,’” he said. “I used a boot for a pillow and slept in some really uncomfortable locations.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>High-quality sleeping gear, in particular, is getting more and more affordable and accessible, he said. (We can attest: Check out our \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082396/cheap-camping-near-bay-area-checklist-gear-cookware-tent-rental-sleeping-bag-pad\">guide to cheap camping\u003c/a> in the Bay Area here for ideas.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. I am afraid of wildlife\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some first-timers are excited to see wildlife, and others are more afraid. Regardless, McLaughlin said he teaches people that it’s really the small mammals like raccoons, squirrels and ravens that tend to get into camp and raid people’s belongings far more often than big mammals like bears. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bothwell said while fears about animals are legitimate, he likes to remind his participants that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12057419/bears-coyotes-moutain-lions-oh-my-what-to-do-when-you-encounter-wildlife-in-the-bay-area\">California bears\u003c/a> aren’t very dangerous. On the off-chance you do encounter a bear in the wilderness in California, you’ll quickly realize that all it takes to scare them off is to get big and yell. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They want to eat your food,” he said. “They have really no interest in attacking you.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"anyone-to-go-with\">5. I don’t know where to go and don’t have anyone to go with\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If where to go is your main concern, we’ve got a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12052990/summer-camping-california-bay-area-weather-heat-wave-campsites\">couple \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083697/how-to-find-dispersed-camping-california-near-san-francisco-bay-area-free-campsites-public-lands-national-forests-blm\">of \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12040242/start-backpacking-trails-bay-area-near-me-permits\">guides\u003c/a> for you. But if even after reading up on various options, you’re still nervous about striking out on your own, going with a guided trip can help. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That includes guide companies like the one Bothwell runs. Or you can check out your local university clubs, like \u003ca href=\"https://campuslifeserviceshome.ucsf.edu/fitness-and-recreation/backpacking-and-camping\">the one at UCSF\u003c/a> that McLaughlin manages, or other community organizations to see if they run trips. Here in the Bay Area, we have many \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087471/a-moment-under-the-sun-queer-led-groups-are-getting-outside-this-pride\">affinity groups\u003c/a> that organize outdoors-oriented trips all year round, most of which try to keep costs affordable for participants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Part of my role, like any outdoor coordinator, is securing campsites and lodging reservations a year in advance, the kind of thing that most people who are new to the outdoors wouldn’t even know where to start,” McLaughlin said. “Or by the time they figure it out, everything’s sold out, especially in California.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/GettyImages-566347731-scaled-e1784577412389.jpg\" alt=\"Tents in a big green meadow.\" class=\"wp-image-11973194\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tents in the early morning, on a hill near the Point Reyes National Seashore, California. (Angelo DeSantis/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His expertise allows him to secure highly in-demand spots like Curry Village in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086272/yosemite-national-park-visitor-congestion-crowding-camping-reservations-where-to-visit-outside-yosemite-valley-yarts\">Yosemite\u003c/a> or the Steep Ravine Cabins in Marin County. One of his favorites is a quick overnight trip to Mendocino County for an unforgettable coastal kayaking trip. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whether you’re planning your own itinerary or joining a group, just don’t bite off more than you can chew, McLaughlin said. He curates his UCSF trips with his clientele — busy, stressed graduate students — in mind. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The main thing is creating an itinerary so that they don’t feel like they have to take a vacation from their vacation when they’re done,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That means taking care to design an itinerary that’s not too intense (and most importantly, is rewarded with a good meal and cozy camp setup — more on that below).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The same goes for backpacking, McLaughlin said. He takes first-time \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12040242/start-backpacking-trails-bay-area-near-me-permits\">backpackers to places like Point Reyes\u003c/a>, where the mileage and elevation are low, but the views are rewarding. Those trips, he said, are most likely to leave participants more interested in the hobby than when they set out. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. I don’t want to eat gross camping food\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If the image you have in your head of camping or backpacking is eating freeze-dried meals and protein bars all day, think again, McLaughlin said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/052626LAKE-TAHOE-_GH_035-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085516\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/052626LAKE-TAHOE-_GH_035-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/052626LAKE-TAHOE-_GH_035-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/052626LAKE-TAHOE-_GH_035-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">KQED Outdoors Engagement Reporter Sarah Wright prepares a campsite meal at D.L. Bliss State Park on May 25, 2026, in the Lake Tahoe Basin. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Eating fresh, filling and comforting meals while out camping isn’t as hard as it seems: On his guided trips, all it takes is bringing a box of pancake mix and a carton of blueberries, McLaughlin said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve never had so many people be so excited for blueberry pancakes,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"equipment\">7. I don’t know how to use my equipment\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’re going on a guided trip, don’t worry: someone will be there to help teach you how to use everything you need. If you’re going solo, be sure to test your gear ahead of time and only bring equipment that you have practiced using. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The reality of camping and backpacking, Bothwell said, is that you’re not going to get \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086426/the-ultimate-annotated-california-camping-checklist\">your packing list\u003c/a> right the first time — and that’s OK. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The first time you do it, your system is going to be rough,” he said. That’ll be true for the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth time, he said. But eventually, your changes will get smaller and smaller, and you’ll get more and more comfortable and confident. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you do decide to go with a guided trip, use the opportunity to ask lots of questions, McLaughlin said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Ask about the gear, ask about destinations and utilize the amazing amount of knowledge that everybody who works in the business has,” McLaughlin said. “It’s really the best resource.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And once you get home, Bothwell said, do a quick debrief, and ask yourself some simple questions: What equipment did you not use? What equipment did you not like and why? In what ways were you uncomfortable and how can you address that on your next trip?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"bad-weather\">8. What if there is bad weather or an emergency?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Going with a guided group can help allay fears about emergencies, Bothwell said. His company’s guides are trained in wilderness first aid, and they check in with someone not on the trip twice per day using satellite communications in case the group encounters any issues.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That person can also relay information back to the group in the backcountry about weather conditions or any other issues that might arise. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’re organizing a trip yourself, Bothwell suggested creating your own risk-mitigation plan that includes telling someone about where you’re planning on going and making sure you have some way to check in with them. It’s also not a bad idea to get some first aid training and make sure everyone on the trip is aligned on safety precautions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It cuts down on a lot of friction once you’re out in the woods,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bothwell said some participants on his trips even use them as an opportunity to test out a self-sustaining kit of gear and their ability level before embarking on a solo trip. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So if you figure out on day two of a four-day trip that you miscalculated or you don’t know how to repair your stove, you have support there,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>McLaughlin, too, suggested planning your first few trips not too far from help or home. One of his favorites is camping on Mt. Diablo. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s right in our backyard, and some of the campsites have the most amazing views on the planet,” he said. “Our activity is to get up and watch sunrise from the summit, and then ‘poof, 45 minutes later, you’re home.’”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-based-taylor-farms-recalls-lettuce-shipped-to-27-states-over-cyclospora-risk",
"title": "California-Based Taylor Farms Recalls Lettuce Shipped to 27 States Over Cyclospora Risk",
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"headTitle": "California-Based Taylor Farms Recalls Lettuce Shipped to 27 States Over Cyclospora Risk | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>-based Taylor Farms has expanded a voluntary recall of its iceberg lettuce products sourced from central Mexico because of a potential link to the \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/cyclospora-lettuce-taco-bell-cdc-fda-13d9e9ebdc46a4d05a58da2ae8e8d0de\">multistate cyclospora outbreak\u003c/a> that has sickened people across the US.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Products with the potential to be contaminated with the diarrhea-causing parasite were shipped to 27 states including Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois and New Jersey, the company said in a statement Friday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are actively removing the implicated products,” the statement said, adding that the company has stopped sourcing lettuce from an implicated lot in central Mexico.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>US health officials earlier this week identified lettuce from a supplier in Mexico as a source of cyclospora contamination in food served at Taco Bell restaurants in five Midwestern states.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Taylor Farms recall announcement listed 25 shredded lettuce and salad mix products sold under eight different brand codes. Taylor Farms did not respond to an emailed request for the full names of those brands or retailers. The recalled products were shipped as recently as Thursday and have “best by” dates as late as Aug. 3.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sysco, the nation’s largest food distributor, has halted distribution of all Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce products sourced from Mexico and instructed customers to destroy them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that infects food that has come into contact with human feces, most commonly when produce is irrigated or washed with contaminated water. When ingested, the parasite causes intestinal illness marked by “frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the CDC.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2026, cyclospora has sickened at least 1,645 people in the US and hospitalized 141, according to the CDC, which is investigating more than 5,000 additional illnesses that may be linked to the parasite. This time last year, only 249 cases had been reported.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The CDC initially \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/cyclospora-produce-washing-tips-022730ccbc514e15b1f0021c47bf1b68\">warned consumers\u003c/a> to avoid eating shredded lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Taco Bell worked swiftly to voluntarily remove the product from restaurants and the affected ingredient has been removed from our supply chain nationwide,” the company said in a statement Friday.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>-based Taylor Farms has expanded a voluntary recall of its iceberg lettuce products sourced from central Mexico because of a potential link to the \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/cyclospora-lettuce-taco-bell-cdc-fda-13d9e9ebdc46a4d05a58da2ae8e8d0de\">multistate cyclospora outbreak\u003c/a> that has sickened people across the US.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Products with the potential to be contaminated with the diarrhea-causing parasite were shipped to 27 states including Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois and New Jersey, the company said in a statement Friday.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We are actively removing the implicated products,” the statement said, adding that the company has stopped sourcing lettuce from an implicated lot in central Mexico.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>US health officials earlier this week identified lettuce from a supplier in Mexico as a source of cyclospora contamination in food served at Taco Bell restaurants in five Midwestern states.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Taylor Farms recall announcement listed 25 shredded lettuce and salad mix products sold under eight different brand codes. Taylor Farms did not respond to an emailed request for the full names of those brands or retailers. The recalled products were shipped as recently as Thursday and have “best by” dates as late as Aug. 3.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Taylor Farms recall announcement listed 25 shredded lettuce and salad mix products sold under eight different brand codes. Taylor Farms did not respond to an emailed request for the full names of those brands or retailers. The recalled products were shipped as recently as Thursday and have “best by” dates as late as Aug. 3.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sysco, the nation’s largest food distributor, has halted distribution of all Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce products sourced from Mexico and instructed customers to destroy them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that infects food that has come into contact with human feces, most commonly when produce is irrigated or washed with contaminated water. When ingested, the parasite causes intestinal illness marked by “frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the CDC.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2026, cyclospora has sickened at least 1,645 people in the US and hospitalized 141, according to the CDC, which is investigating more than 5,000 additional illnesses that may be linked to the parasite. This time last year, only 249 cases had been reported.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The CDC initially \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/cyclospora-produce-washing-tips-022730ccbc514e15b1f0021c47bf1b68\">warned consumers\u003c/a> to avoid eating shredded lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Taco Bell worked swiftly to voluntarily remove the product from restaurants and the affected ingredient has been removed from our supply chain nationwide,” the company said in a statement Friday.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Taylor Farms has expanded a voluntary recall of its iceberg lettuce products sourced from central Mexico because of a potential link to the multistate cyclospora outbreak that has sickened people across the US.",
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"title": "California-Based Taylor Farms Recalls Lettuce Shipped to 27 States Over Cyclospora Risk | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>-based Taylor Farms has expanded a voluntary recall of its iceberg lettuce products sourced from central Mexico because of a potential link to the \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/cyclospora-lettuce-taco-bell-cdc-fda-13d9e9ebdc46a4d05a58da2ae8e8d0de\">multistate cyclospora outbreak\u003c/a> that has sickened people across the US.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Products with the potential to be contaminated with the diarrhea-causing parasite were shipped to 27 states including Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois and New Jersey, the company said in a statement Friday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are actively removing the implicated products,” the statement said, adding that the company has stopped sourcing lettuce from an implicated lot in central Mexico.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>US health officials earlier this week identified lettuce from a supplier in Mexico as a source of cyclospora contamination in food served at Taco Bell restaurants in five Midwestern states.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Taylor Farms recall announcement listed 25 shredded lettuce and salad mix products sold under eight different brand codes. Taylor Farms did not respond to an emailed request for the full names of those brands or retailers. The recalled products were shipped as recently as Thursday and have “best by” dates as late as Aug. 3.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sysco, the nation’s largest food distributor, has halted distribution of all Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce products sourced from Mexico and instructed customers to destroy them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that infects food that has come into contact with human feces, most commonly when produce is irrigated or washed with contaminated water. When ingested, the parasite causes intestinal illness marked by “frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the CDC.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2026, cyclospora has sickened at least 1,645 people in the US and hospitalized 141, according to the CDC, which is investigating more than 5,000 additional illnesses that may be linked to the parasite. This time last year, only 249 cases had been reported.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The CDC initially \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/cyclospora-produce-washing-tips-022730ccbc514e15b1f0021c47bf1b68\">warned consumers\u003c/a> to avoid eating shredded lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Taco Bell worked swiftly to voluntarily remove the product from restaurants and the affected ingredient has been removed from our supply chain nationwide,” the company said in a statement Friday.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "as-kids-grapple-with-a-mid-summer-heat-wave-new-state-laws-try-to-help",
"title": "As Kids Grapple With a Mid-Summer Heat Wave, New State Laws Try to Help",
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"headTitle": "As Kids Grapple With a Mid-Summer Heat Wave, New State Laws Try to Help | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As triple-digit temperatures bake some parts of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>, two new laws aim to help educate students about heat illness and protect them from it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law that will require the state Board of Education to consider teaching students about the symptoms of heat illness in schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another law, which the governor signed in 2024 with a key deadline this month, requires schools to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/hn/extremeweather.asp\">come up with rules\u003c/a> for outdoor activities when there are extreme weather events like heat waves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both are promising, low-cost measures. But neither requires the state to spend money on the things that experts say would actually make schools safer: updated HVAC, shade structures, a funded health curriculum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The governor’s office says, as of now, it has no plans to propose funding for an updated health framework.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The laws “demonstrate that children in California are already being harmed by extreme heat,” said Sarah Matsumoto, director of policy and government affairs for Green Schoolyards America. “It’s not a future problem anymore. There definitely needs to be a comprehensive plan to protect children from extreme heat.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>A student’s experience becomes law\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In 2022, during a \u003ca href=\"https://tenstrands.org/a-youth-advocate-for-heat-safety-in-schools-interview-with-natalie/\">record-breaking\u003c/a>, triple-digit heat wave in Sacramento, the air conditioning in Natalie Rubio’s school cafeteria gave out. She was in the fourth grade; she and her classmates had to eat lunch outside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now 13, Natalie recalls some of her peers feeling sick – flushed with red cheeks and headaches, symptoms of heat illness. She brought her experience and her idea for a bill promoting heat education to the legislature: Assemblymember Tom Lackey, a Palmdale Republican, wrote \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1653\">Assembly Bill 1653\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adding guidance on how to teach heat illness in schools is a “simple, common-sense step,” Lackey said in a legislative hearing about the bill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080868\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080868\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/027_KQED_GrassValleyElementarySchoolOakland_04282022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/027_KQED_GrassValleyElementarySchoolOakland_04282022_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/027_KQED_GrassValleyElementarySchoolOakland_04282022_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/027_KQED_GrassValleyElementarySchoolOakland_04282022_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students play a game during recess at Grass Valley Elementary School in Oakland on April 28, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This bill creates no mandates,” Lackey said. “It simply promotes awareness and prevention. Because sometimes the most powerful way to protect our students is by giving them the knowledge to protect themselves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heat illness is a growing concern for students, parents and educators as heat waves become stronger and longer. In California, 618 children ages 5 to 17 \u003ca href=\"https://trackingcalifornia.org/topics/heat-related-illness#gsc.tab=0\">went to the emergency room\u003c/a> in 2024 because of heat illness, according to Tracking California, a health surveillance tool by the Public Health Institute. That’s about a 30% jump from the previous year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California students lost more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.undauntedk12.org/california-closures-25-26\">40,000 hours \u003c/a>of instructional time in the 2025-26 school year due to closures and disruptions from extreme heat, according to data collected by UndauntedK12. Extreme heat accounted for 73% of weather-related school closures in the fall semester.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Natalie envisions short, interactive lessons tailored to each grade level and reminders during heat waves. “I want schools to teach every student the signs and symptoms of heat illness and how to respond in a memorable way,” the middle school student said.[aside postID=news_12090872 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CA-Trump-Teacher-Follow-PD2-1.jpg']Lackey’s law doesn’t guarantee new lessons — that depends on when the state next updates its health education framework, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/he/cf/documents/healthedframework2019.pdf\">which last happened in 2019\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Board of Education could incorporate heat illness lessons into its health education framework — a voluntary guide for teaching about subjects including nutrition, physical activity, drugs and alcohol and mental health — the next time it considers updates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there’s no further update scheduled, and doing so again “must be initiated and funded by the legislature.” Marissa Saldivar, a spokesperson for the governor, referred questions about whether the administration would fund a new framework to the education board. The board did not respond to CalMatters’ questions by the deadline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stephanie Seidmon, a project manager for UndauntedK12, said the nonprofit educational advocacy group supported the law “because this is a potentially low-cost solution in a time when our state budget is (limited).”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If an eventual update does include heat illness education, it could make a real difference in the number of kids that end up in the nurse’s office with serious symptoms, said Rosemarie Dowell, government relations committee chair for the California School Nurses Organization.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Students “might not realize that this headache or this dizziness might not just be feeling tired but could be a sign of heat illness,” Dowell said. “That can empower them to react for themselves, react for somebody else, to encourage them to get water, to find that shade or to tell an adult.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>A push for more protections\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The state Department of Education offers no official guidance on how hot is too hot for students to be outside, or how teachers should respond to unusually high temperatures. The department refers schools to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ep/extremeheat.asp\">list of resources\u003c/a>, including the state health department’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/EPO/Pages/Extreme%20Heat%20Pages/BI_Natural-Disasters_Extreme-Heat.aspx\">guidance\u003c/a> on extreme heat, defined as longer than two days and nights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nationally, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/s0749-3797(12)00742-8/fulltext#:~:text=Exertional%20heat%20illness%20occurred%20at,at%20the%20time%20of%20onset.\">an estimated 9,000 high school athletes\u003c/a> suffer from and receive treatment for exertional heat illness every year, with most incidents occurring in August. The California Interscholastic Federation, which governs high school sports, sets and can enforce heat-related policies, including rules about practice times and hydration breaks for student athletes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12044135\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12044135\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250610-HEADSTARTPROGRAMS-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250610-HEADSTARTPROGRAMS-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250610-HEADSTARTPROGRAMS-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250610-HEADSTARTPROGRAMS-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students play on the playground outside a Head Start in Hollister, California, on June 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202320240sb1248\">Senate Bill 1248\u003c/a>, authored by Sen. Melissa Hurtado, a Bakersfield Democrat, requires schools to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/hn/extremeweather.asp\">adopt protocols for outdoor activities\u003c/a>, such as sports practice and recess, during extreme weather. This includes setting criteria for when schools should cancel outdoor activities. The death of \u003ca href=\"https://ktla.com/news/local-news/lake-elsinore-boy-who-died-while-exercising-in-the-heat-at-school-had-a-heart-defect-report/\">12-year-old Yahshua Robinson\u003c/a>, who in August 2023 collapsed and died during P.E. class in Lake Elsinore, prompted that law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The law requires schools to develop heat-safety plans that include monitoring weather forecasts, designating safe indoor alternatives to outdoor activities, and training staff to recognize heat stress, among other measures. The law required schools to have those plans ready by July 1 of this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a legislative hearing in 2024, Yahshua’s mother said her son died following dangerous school rules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was in the nineties outside that day, and even the best and highly trained athletes wouldn’t run in it,” she said. “Yet Yahshua’s class of middle schoolers were made to run in that heat. Physical education should happen only in environments conducive for physical activity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>The funding gap that laws don’t touch\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>School and environmental advocates want state leaders to go further by investing in better cooling systems and more shady areas for children to play. But limited state and school funding stands in the way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many of our school buildings were built before the era of extreme heat fueled by climate change,” Seidmon said. “Our kids are playing on playgrounds, in schoolyards and on fields that don’t have shade … So it’s critical that our school buildings and grounds protect our children from extreme heat.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11988059\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11988059\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-64-BL_qut.jpg\" alt=\"A young girl is seen through a circular opening in an outdoor play gym structure\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-64-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-64-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-64-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-64-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-64-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Transitional kindergarten students play outside during recess at the International Community School in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Emily Penner, an associate professor of education at UC Irvine, is \u003ca href=\"https://www.socsci.uci.edu/newsevents/news/2025/2025-05-20-penners-heat-exposure-in-california-schools\">researching the effects of heat exposure\u003c/a> on school children and how schools are adapting to warmer days. Response, she’s learning, varies widely by region — schools that have long struggled with extreme heat are more likely to try new approaches, such as using more heat-resilient materials for playgrounds and prioritizing air conditioning in school buses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adaptation efforts like shading infrastructure and HVAC in most schools can make a significant difference, Penner says. At the same time, these projects require funding that many schools may not have.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a case where we have some pretty concrete things we know we need to do, like put HVAC at most schools across the state, and now we have to kind of figure out how to marshal political support for something like that,” Penner said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Money on the table, but not enough\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Even where funding exists, schools are finding it hard to secure or insufficient to meet the need. In 2020, the legislature created a state program, known as CalShape, funded by utility ratepayers, which has helped schools pay for assessments and upgrades to their air conditioning systems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the program administrator, the California Energy Commission, abruptly paused applications in 2024, citing budget constraints. The state will return the leftover $200 million to investor-owned utilities if the Legislature doesn’t act by the end of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2024, Californians voted to approve Proposition 2, a bond measure that earmarks $10 billion for school facilities. But school modernization projects already \u003ca href=\"https://www.lacoe.edu/content/dam/lacoeedu/documents/businessservices/bas/facilities-network/OPSC%20May%202025%20Update.pdf\">demand\u003c/a> more than \u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/education/california-school-bond-funding-proposition-2-measure-us\">the funding \u003c/a>provides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11988060\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11988060\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL_qut.jpg\" alt=\"Three young students hold hands outside as they walk away from the camera towards a play gym structure during recess\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Transitional kindergarten students play outside during recess at the International Community School in Oakland on May 17, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Voters also approved Proposition 4, which sends another \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2024/11/california-election-news-proposition-4-environment/\">$10 billion\u003c/a> to climate projects statewide. That includes $50 million for the state’s Urban Forestry Program, which funnels money to local projects that add green space, including in schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Compared to the federal government and many states, California is one of the leaders in this issue,” Matsumoto said. “And we are still not collectively meeting the moment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/climate-change/2026/07/california-school-heat-illness-laws/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "One new California law promotes heat illness education in schools; another, rolling out this month, requires rules for outdoor activity during extreme heat.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As triple-digit temperatures bake some parts of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>, two new laws aim to help educate students about heat illness and protect them from it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law that will require the state Board of Education to consider teaching students about the symptoms of heat illness in schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another law, which the governor signed in 2024 with a key deadline this month, requires schools to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/hn/extremeweather.asp\">come up with rules\u003c/a> for outdoor activities when there are extreme weather events like heat waves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both are promising, low-cost measures. But neither requires the state to spend money on the things that experts say would actually make schools safer: updated HVAC, shade structures, a funded health curriculum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The governor’s office says, as of now, it has no plans to propose funding for an updated health framework.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The laws “demonstrate that children in California are already being harmed by extreme heat,” said Sarah Matsumoto, director of policy and government affairs for Green Schoolyards America. “It’s not a future problem anymore. There definitely needs to be a comprehensive plan to protect children from extreme heat.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>A student’s experience becomes law\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In 2022, during a \u003ca href=\"https://tenstrands.org/a-youth-advocate-for-heat-safety-in-schools-interview-with-natalie/\">record-breaking\u003c/a>, triple-digit heat wave in Sacramento, the air conditioning in Natalie Rubio’s school cafeteria gave out. She was in the fourth grade; she and her classmates had to eat lunch outside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now 13, Natalie recalls some of her peers feeling sick – flushed with red cheeks and headaches, symptoms of heat illness. She brought her experience and her idea for a bill promoting heat education to the legislature: Assemblymember Tom Lackey, a Palmdale Republican, wrote \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1653\">Assembly Bill 1653\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adding guidance on how to teach heat illness in schools is a “simple, common-sense step,” Lackey said in a legislative hearing about the bill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080868\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080868\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/027_KQED_GrassValleyElementarySchoolOakland_04282022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/027_KQED_GrassValleyElementarySchoolOakland_04282022_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/027_KQED_GrassValleyElementarySchoolOakland_04282022_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/027_KQED_GrassValleyElementarySchoolOakland_04282022_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students play a game during recess at Grass Valley Elementary School in Oakland on April 28, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This bill creates no mandates,” Lackey said. “It simply promotes awareness and prevention. Because sometimes the most powerful way to protect our students is by giving them the knowledge to protect themselves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heat illness is a growing concern for students, parents and educators as heat waves become stronger and longer. In California, 618 children ages 5 to 17 \u003ca href=\"https://trackingcalifornia.org/topics/heat-related-illness#gsc.tab=0\">went to the emergency room\u003c/a> in 2024 because of heat illness, according to Tracking California, a health surveillance tool by the Public Health Institute. That’s about a 30% jump from the previous year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California students lost more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.undauntedk12.org/california-closures-25-26\">40,000 hours \u003c/a>of instructional time in the 2025-26 school year due to closures and disruptions from extreme heat, according to data collected by UndauntedK12. Extreme heat accounted for 73% of weather-related school closures in the fall semester.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Natalie envisions short, interactive lessons tailored to each grade level and reminders during heat waves. “I want schools to teach every student the signs and symptoms of heat illness and how to respond in a memorable way,” the middle school student said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Lackey’s law doesn’t guarantee new lessons — that depends on when the state next updates its health education framework, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/he/cf/documents/healthedframework2019.pdf\">which last happened in 2019\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Board of Education could incorporate heat illness lessons into its health education framework — a voluntary guide for teaching about subjects including nutrition, physical activity, drugs and alcohol and mental health — the next time it considers updates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there’s no further update scheduled, and doing so again “must be initiated and funded by the legislature.” Marissa Saldivar, a spokesperson for the governor, referred questions about whether the administration would fund a new framework to the education board. The board did not respond to CalMatters’ questions by the deadline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stephanie Seidmon, a project manager for UndauntedK12, said the nonprofit educational advocacy group supported the law “because this is a potentially low-cost solution in a time when our state budget is (limited).”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If an eventual update does include heat illness education, it could make a real difference in the number of kids that end up in the nurse’s office with serious symptoms, said Rosemarie Dowell, government relations committee chair for the California School Nurses Organization.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Students “might not realize that this headache or this dizziness might not just be feeling tired but could be a sign of heat illness,” Dowell said. “That can empower them to react for themselves, react for somebody else, to encourage them to get water, to find that shade or to tell an adult.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>A push for more protections\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The state Department of Education offers no official guidance on how hot is too hot for students to be outside, or how teachers should respond to unusually high temperatures. The department refers schools to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ep/extremeheat.asp\">list of resources\u003c/a>, including the state health department’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/EPO/Pages/Extreme%20Heat%20Pages/BI_Natural-Disasters_Extreme-Heat.aspx\">guidance\u003c/a> on extreme heat, defined as longer than two days and nights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nationally, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/s0749-3797(12)00742-8/fulltext#:~:text=Exertional%20heat%20illness%20occurred%20at,at%20the%20time%20of%20onset.\">an estimated 9,000 high school athletes\u003c/a> suffer from and receive treatment for exertional heat illness every year, with most incidents occurring in August. The California Interscholastic Federation, which governs high school sports, sets and can enforce heat-related policies, including rules about practice times and hydration breaks for student athletes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12044135\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12044135\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250610-HEADSTARTPROGRAMS-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250610-HEADSTARTPROGRAMS-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250610-HEADSTARTPROGRAMS-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250610-HEADSTARTPROGRAMS-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students play on the playground outside a Head Start in Hollister, California, on June 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202320240sb1248\">Senate Bill 1248\u003c/a>, authored by Sen. Melissa Hurtado, a Bakersfield Democrat, requires schools to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/hn/extremeweather.asp\">adopt protocols for outdoor activities\u003c/a>, such as sports practice and recess, during extreme weather. This includes setting criteria for when schools should cancel outdoor activities. The death of \u003ca href=\"https://ktla.com/news/local-news/lake-elsinore-boy-who-died-while-exercising-in-the-heat-at-school-had-a-heart-defect-report/\">12-year-old Yahshua Robinson\u003c/a>, who in August 2023 collapsed and died during P.E. class in Lake Elsinore, prompted that law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The law requires schools to develop heat-safety plans that include monitoring weather forecasts, designating safe indoor alternatives to outdoor activities, and training staff to recognize heat stress, among other measures. The law required schools to have those plans ready by July 1 of this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a legislative hearing in 2024, Yahshua’s mother said her son died following dangerous school rules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was in the nineties outside that day, and even the best and highly trained athletes wouldn’t run in it,” she said. “Yet Yahshua’s class of middle schoolers were made to run in that heat. Physical education should happen only in environments conducive for physical activity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>The funding gap that laws don’t touch\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>School and environmental advocates want state leaders to go further by investing in better cooling systems and more shady areas for children to play. But limited state and school funding stands in the way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many of our school buildings were built before the era of extreme heat fueled by climate change,” Seidmon said. “Our kids are playing on playgrounds, in schoolyards and on fields that don’t have shade … So it’s critical that our school buildings and grounds protect our children from extreme heat.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11988059\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11988059\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-64-BL_qut.jpg\" alt=\"A young girl is seen through a circular opening in an outdoor play gym structure\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-64-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-64-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-64-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-64-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-64-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Transitional kindergarten students play outside during recess at the International Community School in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Emily Penner, an associate professor of education at UC Irvine, is \u003ca href=\"https://www.socsci.uci.edu/newsevents/news/2025/2025-05-20-penners-heat-exposure-in-california-schools\">researching the effects of heat exposure\u003c/a> on school children and how schools are adapting to warmer days. Response, she’s learning, varies widely by region — schools that have long struggled with extreme heat are more likely to try new approaches, such as using more heat-resilient materials for playgrounds and prioritizing air conditioning in school buses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adaptation efforts like shading infrastructure and HVAC in most schools can make a significant difference, Penner says. At the same time, these projects require funding that many schools may not have.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a case where we have some pretty concrete things we know we need to do, like put HVAC at most schools across the state, and now we have to kind of figure out how to marshal political support for something like that,” Penner said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Money on the table, but not enough\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Even where funding exists, schools are finding it hard to secure or insufficient to meet the need. In 2020, the legislature created a state program, known as CalShape, funded by utility ratepayers, which has helped schools pay for assessments and upgrades to their air conditioning systems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the program administrator, the California Energy Commission, abruptly paused applications in 2024, citing budget constraints. The state will return the leftover $200 million to investor-owned utilities if the Legislature doesn’t act by the end of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2024, Californians voted to approve Proposition 2, a bond measure that earmarks $10 billion for school facilities. But school modernization projects already \u003ca href=\"https://www.lacoe.edu/content/dam/lacoeedu/documents/businessservices/bas/facilities-network/OPSC%20May%202025%20Update.pdf\">demand\u003c/a> more than \u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/education/california-school-bond-funding-proposition-2-measure-us\">the funding \u003c/a>provides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11988060\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11988060\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL_qut.jpg\" alt=\"Three young students hold hands outside as they walk away from the camera towards a play gym structure during recess\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Transitional kindergarten students play outside during recess at the International Community School in Oakland on May 17, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Voters also approved Proposition 4, which sends another \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2024/11/california-election-news-proposition-4-environment/\">$10 billion\u003c/a> to climate projects statewide. That includes $50 million for the state’s Urban Forestry Program, which funnels money to local projects that add green space, including in schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Compared to the federal government and many states, California is one of the leaders in this issue,” Matsumoto said. “And we are still not collectively meeting the moment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/climate-change/2026/07/california-school-heat-illness-laws/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>San Francisco will become the first Bay Area city to allow Amsterdam-style \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/cannabis\">cannabis\u003c/a> cafés, after the Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to let licensed cannabis retailers serve food and nonalcoholic drinks alongside on-site consumption.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The measure implements \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12076584/san-francisco-leaders-hope-to-spark-citys-cannabis-scene\">AB 1775\u003c/a>, a 2024 state law that allows cities to issue licenses to cannabis cafés. Supporters framed it as a lifeline for a legal industry squeezed by high taxes, falling prices and a stubborn illicit market that, by the state’s estimate, still accounts for roughly 60% of cannabis sold in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under the ordinance, cafés may sell cannabis only for consumption on the premises — nothing may leave the building — and no alcohol or tobacco is allowed. Operators must carry a Department of Public Health consumption permit alongside their Office of Cannabis permit, meet the same food safety standards as any restaurant, and verify every customer’s age electronically at the door.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The ordinance, authored by Board President Rafael Mandelman, was approved in a 7-4 vote, with Supervisors Connie Chan, Chyanne Chen, Alan Wong and Myrna Melgar opposing it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1971\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/marijuana070811_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12046766\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/marijuana070811_qed.jpg 1971w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/marijuana070811_qed-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/marijuana070811_qed-1536x1039.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1971px) 100vw, 1971px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A bowl of medicinal marijuana is displayed in a booth at The International Cannabis and Hemp Expo on April 18, 2010, at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“San Francisco just gave our legal cannabis industry a real tool to compete and grow,” Mandelman said in a statement, situating the cafés alongside entertainment zones and free concerts as part of the city’s economic recovery. “There’s no reason our operators shouldn’t have the same tools to compete and help bring people back into our neighborhoods.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legislation establishes the cannabis café within its own permit category, separate from a standard cannabis retailer — the code is amended explicitly so that a “cannabis retailer” no longer includes a café. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This distinction ensures that a café will not sell anything to go, and, as a brand-new license, eventually creates a new entrance into the market rather than simply expanding what current shops can do. For the first year, only existing storefront retailers and their equity partners can apply. After that, new operators may apply.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city has issued 79 cannabis retailer permits, 66 of which were active as of earlier this year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Will Dolan, CEO of the Sunset District’s HYRBA Dispensary, said the change lets the industry “create a full-service cannabis hospitality experience” and “provide our customers with safe, highly regulated spaces.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“No worker should have to choose between earning a paycheck and protecting their health,” wrote Kesa Bruce, the Lung Association’s advocacy director, who noted that the ordinance carves an exception into rules the state has built up since it banned smoking in restaurants in 1995. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ventilation, she added in the letter, “cannot eliminate the health risks associated with secondhand smoke.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the ordinance drew written opposition from different directions. Public health groups warned it would puncture the city’s smoke-free workplace protections. The American Lung Association and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network each sent letters urging a “no” vote, arguing that cannabis cafés would expose workers and patrons to secondhand smoke for hours at a time.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The other objection came from within the industry. Some veteran operators wrote that the city was expanding a market that it hasn’t yet stabilized — a concern turned largely on that new license type. Kevin Reed, founder of The Green Cross and a two-decade veteran of the city’s cannabis politics, urged the board in a letter to permanently limit eligibility to existing retailers or delay new entrants until the market recovers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is the first time in my career that I have felt compelled to ask the City to slow the expansion of cannabis businesses,” Reed wrote, pointing to operators who have “closed” or “struggle every day under excessive taxation, burdensome regulation, declining sales.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>David Goldman, president of the Brownie Mary club’s San Francisco chapter, wrote that he supported allowing current retailers to add food and entertainment, but opposed creating a wholly new license type in an oversaturated market. He noted in his letter that 23 cannabis retail storefronts and 21 delivery services have already closed since the city allowed those permits.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He asked the board to wait for the city to release an economic impact report on the industry, due by mid-2027, before letting new operators in. The one-year head start was the ordinance’s answer to those concerns.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The measure is now headed to Mayor Daniel Lurie’s desk for his signature. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If Lurie signs it, the ordinance takes effect 31 days later, at which point the Office of Cannabis will begin accepting café applications.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The measure implements \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12076584/san-francisco-leaders-hope-to-spark-citys-cannabis-scene\">AB 1775\u003c/a>, a 2024 state law that allows cities to issue licenses to cannabis cafés. Supporters framed it as a lifeline for a legal industry squeezed by high taxes, falling prices and a stubborn illicit market that, by the state’s estimate, still accounts for roughly 60% of cannabis sold in California.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under the ordinance, cafés may sell cannabis only for consumption on the premises — nothing may leave the building — and no alcohol or tobacco is allowed. Operators must carry a Department of Public Health consumption permit alongside their Office of Cannabis permit, meet the same food safety standards as any restaurant, and verify every customer’s age electronically at the door.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The ordinance, authored by Board President Rafael Mandelman, was approved in a 7-4 vote, with Supervisors Connie Chan, Chyanne Chen, Alan Wong and Myrna Melgar opposing it.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“San Francisco just gave our legal cannabis industry a real tool to compete and grow,” Mandelman said in a statement, situating the cafés alongside entertainment zones and free concerts as part of the city’s economic recovery. “There’s no reason our operators shouldn’t have the same tools to compete and help bring people back into our neighborhoods.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The legislation establishes the cannabis café within its own permit category, separate from a standard cannabis retailer — the code is amended explicitly so that a “cannabis retailer” no longer includes a café. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This distinction ensures that a café will not sell anything to go, and, as a brand-new license, eventually creates a new entrance into the market rather than simply expanding what current shops can do. For the first year, only existing storefront retailers and their equity partners can apply. After that, new operators may apply.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city has issued 79 cannabis retailer permits, 66 of which were active as of earlier this year.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Will Dolan, CEO of the Sunset District’s HYRBA Dispensary, said the change lets the industry “create a full-service cannabis hospitality experience” and “provide our customers with safe, highly regulated spaces.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“No worker should have to choose between earning a paycheck and protecting their health,” wrote Kesa Bruce, the Lung Association’s advocacy director, who noted that the ordinance carves an exception into rules the state has built up since it banned smoking in restaurants in 1995. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ventilation, she added in the letter, “cannot eliminate the health risks associated with secondhand smoke.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the ordinance drew written opposition from different directions. Public health groups warned it would puncture the city’s smoke-free workplace protections. The American Lung Association and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network each sent letters urging a “no” vote, arguing that cannabis cafés would expose workers and patrons to secondhand smoke for hours at a time.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The other objection came from within the industry. Some veteran operators wrote that the city was expanding a market that it hasn’t yet stabilized — a concern turned largely on that new license type. Kevin Reed, founder of The Green Cross and a two-decade veteran of the city’s cannabis politics, urged the board in a letter to permanently limit eligibility to existing retailers or delay new entrants until the market recovers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is the first time in my career that I have felt compelled to ask the City to slow the expansion of cannabis businesses,” Reed wrote, pointing to operators who have “closed” or “struggle every day under excessive taxation, burdensome regulation, declining sales.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This is the first time in my career that I have felt compelled to ask the City to slow the expansion of cannabis businesses,” Reed wrote, pointing to operators who have “closed” or “struggle every day under excessive taxation, burdensome regulation, declining sales.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>David Goldman, president of the Brownie Mary club’s San Francisco chapter, wrote that he supported allowing current retailers to add food and entertainment, but opposed creating a wholly new license type in an oversaturated market. He noted in his letter that 23 cannabis retail storefronts and 21 delivery services have already closed since the city allowed those permits.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He asked the board to wait for the city to release an economic impact report on the industry, due by mid-2027, before letting new operators in. The one-year head start was the ordinance’s answer to those concerns.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If Lurie signs it, the ordinance takes effect 31 days later, at which point the Office of Cannabis will begin accepting café applications.\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>San Francisco will become the first Bay Area city to allow Amsterdam-style \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/cannabis\">cannabis\u003c/a> cafés, after the Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to let licensed cannabis retailers serve food and nonalcoholic drinks alongside on-site consumption.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The measure implements \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12076584/san-francisco-leaders-hope-to-spark-citys-cannabis-scene\">AB 1775\u003c/a>, a 2024 state law that allows cities to issue licenses to cannabis cafés. Supporters framed it as a lifeline for a legal industry squeezed by high taxes, falling prices and a stubborn illicit market that, by the state’s estimate, still accounts for roughly 60% of cannabis sold in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under the ordinance, cafés may sell cannabis only for consumption on the premises — nothing may leave the building — and no alcohol or tobacco is allowed. Operators must carry a Department of Public Health consumption permit alongside their Office of Cannabis permit, meet the same food safety standards as any restaurant, and verify every customer’s age electronically at the door.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The ordinance, authored by Board President Rafael Mandelman, was approved in a 7-4 vote, with Supervisors Connie Chan, Chyanne Chen, Alan Wong and Myrna Melgar opposing it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1971\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/marijuana070811_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12046766\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/marijuana070811_qed.jpg 1971w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/marijuana070811_qed-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/marijuana070811_qed-1536x1039.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1971px) 100vw, 1971px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A bowl of medicinal marijuana is displayed in a booth at The International Cannabis and Hemp Expo on April 18, 2010, at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“San Francisco just gave our legal cannabis industry a real tool to compete and grow,” Mandelman said in a statement, situating the cafés alongside entertainment zones and free concerts as part of the city’s economic recovery. “There’s no reason our operators shouldn’t have the same tools to compete and help bring people back into our neighborhoods.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legislation establishes the cannabis café within its own permit category, separate from a standard cannabis retailer — the code is amended explicitly so that a “cannabis retailer” no longer includes a café. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This distinction ensures that a café will not sell anything to go, and, as a brand-new license, eventually creates a new entrance into the market rather than simply expanding what current shops can do. For the first year, only existing storefront retailers and their equity partners can apply. After that, new operators may apply.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city has issued 79 cannabis retailer permits, 66 of which were active as of earlier this year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Will Dolan, CEO of the Sunset District’s HYRBA Dispensary, said the change lets the industry “create a full-service cannabis hospitality experience” and “provide our customers with safe, highly regulated spaces.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“No worker should have to choose between earning a paycheck and protecting their health,” wrote Kesa Bruce, the Lung Association’s advocacy director, who noted that the ordinance carves an exception into rules the state has built up since it banned smoking in restaurants in 1995. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ventilation, she added in the letter, “cannot eliminate the health risks associated with secondhand smoke.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the ordinance drew written opposition from different directions. Public health groups warned it would puncture the city’s smoke-free workplace protections. The American Lung Association and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network each sent letters urging a “no” vote, arguing that cannabis cafés would expose workers and patrons to secondhand smoke for hours at a time.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The other objection came from within the industry. Some veteran operators wrote that the city was expanding a market that it hasn’t yet stabilized — a concern turned largely on that new license type. Kevin Reed, founder of The Green Cross and a two-decade veteran of the city’s cannabis politics, urged the board in a letter to permanently limit eligibility to existing retailers or delay new entrants until the market recovers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is the first time in my career that I have felt compelled to ask the City to slow the expansion of cannabis businesses,” Reed wrote, pointing to operators who have “closed” or “struggle every day under excessive taxation, burdensome regulation, declining sales.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>David Goldman, president of the Brownie Mary club’s San Francisco chapter, wrote that he supported allowing current retailers to add food and entertainment, but opposed creating a wholly new license type in an oversaturated market. He noted in his letter that 23 cannabis retail storefronts and 21 delivery services have already closed since the city allowed those permits.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He asked the board to wait for the city to release an economic impact report on the industry, due by mid-2027, before letting new operators in. The one-year head start was the ordinance’s answer to those concerns.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The measure is now headed to Mayor Daniel Lurie’s desk for his signature. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If Lurie signs it, the ordinance takes effect 31 days later, at which point the Office of Cannabis will begin accepting café applications.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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