KQED’s health coverage spans daily news to deep-dive stories from the Bay Area and beyond. We cover policy, health trends and the issues that show up in your life and at your doctor appointments.
These Peers Provided Alternative 911 Responders. San Francisco Is Removing Them
UC Doctors Seek to Unionize 10,000 Colleagues in Massive Campaign
California Scientists Find Early Warning Sign of Irreversible Groundwater Damage
These 8 Camping Fears Are Real. Let Us Solve Them for You
California-Based Taylor Farms Recalls Lettuce Shipped to 27 States Over Cyclospora Risk
As Kids Grapple With a Mid-Summer Heat Wave, New State Laws Try to Help
COVID Is Rising Again in the Bay Area For Summer 2026 — But Don’t Panic
San Francisco Approves Cannabis Cafés, a First for the Bay Area
San Francisco CEO Gets 6 Years for Scheme to Sell Adderall Online
San Francisco Celebrates Morning-After Pill for STIs. Other Countries Warn of Antibiotic Resistance
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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\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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"\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\" />\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>“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",
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"\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"
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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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"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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"\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",
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"\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",
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"\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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"\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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"\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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"\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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"\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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"\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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"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>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",
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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/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=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\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. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\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",
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"innerHTML": "\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",
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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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"\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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"\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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"\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>“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",
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"\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"
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"innerHTML": "\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",
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"\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"
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"innerHTML": "\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",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\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>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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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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"content": "\u003cp>Some farming towns in California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/central-valley\">Central Valley\u003c/a> have sunk by more than 11 feet in recent years because of groundwater pumping, the extraction of water from underground aquifers using wells and electric pumps for drinking, farming and industry. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While some land subsidence is temporary, excessive pumping can cause aquifers to permanently collapse, reducing storage capacity and damaging homes, roads, bridges and canals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>New research from UCLA and Caltech has outlined a way to detect when temporary land subsidence becomes permanent and irreversible. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The research, \u003ca href=\"https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2526041123\">published this week\u003c/a> in \u003cem>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003c/em>, uses satellite imagery to identify the “abrupt transition to irreversible damage.” Researchers hope this will give decision makers new tools to keep an eye on water resources. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you start seeing that the ground is subsiding this fast, like we’re seeing, we’re hoping this is really an early warning signal that, okay, something is wrong, we need to stop pumping groundwater right now,” said \u003ca href=\"https://epss.ucla.edu/epss-welcomes-new-assistant-professor-dr-stacy-larochelle/\">Stacy Larochelle,\u003c/a> an assistant professor at UCLA. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Larochelle and co-authors found that parts of the Sacramento Valley, which has a centurylong history of groundwater exploitation to sustain the region’s intensive agricultural economy, underwent an abrupt and widespread change around 2021, indicating a shift to rapid, permanent subsidence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Essentially, researchers saw if ground movement, as detected by satellites, linked up with water levels in wells, which indicated temporary sinking. If the ground didn’t bounce back when water levels did, the sink was permanent. Larochelle’s hope is that one day this monitoring can be done by satellites alone.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We think this is the first time that we’re really able to image this transition with such high- quality data,” Larochelle said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://vcresearch.berkeley.edu/faculty/roland-burgmann\">Roland Bürgmann\u003c/a>, a UC Berkeley geophysicist who was not involved in the research, said the research clearly showed how permanent damage was done to the Sacramento Valley water system by overuse during the recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/tag/california-drought\">drought\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This could and should have been avoided by proper monitoring and water management,” Bürgmann said. “Every water district in the world should probably be using the kind of satellite imaging data and analysis the authors relied on, so they can recognize when their valuable water storage systems are in danger of such irreversible loss of storage capacity.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S Geological Survey’s California Water Center \u003ca href=\"https://www.usgs.gov/publications/groundwater-sustainability-and-land-subsidence-californias-central-valley\">estimates 15%\u003c/a> of the Central Valley’s groundwater storage capacity has been permanently lost because of subsidence.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If you start seeing that the ground is subsiding this fast, like we’re seeing, we’re hoping this is really an early warning signal that, okay, something is wrong, we need to stop pumping groundwater right now,” said \u003ca href=\"https://epss.ucla.edu/epss-welcomes-new-assistant-professor-dr-stacy-larochelle/\">Stacy Larochelle,\u003c/a> an assistant professor at UCLA. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://vcresearch.berkeley.edu/faculty/roland-burgmann\">Roland Bürgmann\u003c/a>, a UC Berkeley geophysicist who was not involved in the research, said the research clearly showed how permanent damage was done to the Sacramento Valley water system by overuse during the recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/tag/california-drought\">drought\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Some farming towns in California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/central-valley\">Central Valley\u003c/a> have sunk by more than 11 feet in recent years because of groundwater pumping, the extraction of water from underground aquifers using wells and electric pumps for drinking, farming and industry. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While some land subsidence is temporary, excessive pumping can cause aquifers to permanently collapse, reducing storage capacity and damaging homes, roads, bridges and canals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>New research from UCLA and Caltech has outlined a way to detect when temporary land subsidence becomes permanent and irreversible. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The research, \u003ca href=\"https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2526041123\">published this week\u003c/a> in \u003cem>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003c/em>, uses satellite imagery to identify the “abrupt transition to irreversible damage.” Researchers hope this will give decision makers new tools to keep an eye on water resources. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you start seeing that the ground is subsiding this fast, like we’re seeing, we’re hoping this is really an early warning signal that, okay, something is wrong, we need to stop pumping groundwater right now,” said \u003ca href=\"https://epss.ucla.edu/epss-welcomes-new-assistant-professor-dr-stacy-larochelle/\">Stacy Larochelle,\u003c/a> an assistant professor at UCLA. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Larochelle and co-authors found that parts of the Sacramento Valley, which has a centurylong history of groundwater exploitation to sustain the region’s intensive agricultural economy, underwent an abrupt and widespread change around 2021, indicating a shift to rapid, permanent subsidence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Essentially, researchers saw if ground movement, as detected by satellites, linked up with water levels in wells, which indicated temporary sinking. If the ground didn’t bounce back when water levels did, the sink was permanent. Larochelle’s hope is that one day this monitoring can be done by satellites alone.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We think this is the first time that we’re really able to image this transition with such high- quality data,” Larochelle said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://vcresearch.berkeley.edu/faculty/roland-burgmann\">Roland Bürgmann\u003c/a>, a UC Berkeley geophysicist who was not involved in the research, said the research clearly showed how permanent damage was done to the Sacramento Valley water system by overuse during the recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/tag/california-drought\">drought\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This could and should have been avoided by proper monitoring and water management,” Bürgmann said. “Every water district in the world should probably be using the kind of satellite imaging data and analysis the authors relied on, so they can recognize when their valuable water storage systems are in danger of such irreversible loss of storage capacity.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S Geological Survey’s California Water Center \u003ca href=\"https://www.usgs.gov/publications/groundwater-sustainability-and-land-subsidence-californias-central-valley\">estimates 15%\u003c/a> of the Central Valley’s groundwater storage capacity has been permanently lost because of subsidence.\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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"innerHTML": "\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>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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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Your concerns and fears are legitimate,” Bothwell said. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\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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"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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"\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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"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",
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"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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"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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"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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"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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{
"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\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. I am afraid of wildlife\u003c/h2>\n",
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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\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",
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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",
"innerContent": [
"\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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"slug": "summer-covid-test-2026-wastewater-variants-isolation-contagious-xfg-san-francisco-bay-area-california",
"title": "COVID Is Rising Again in the Bay Area For Summer 2026 — But Don’t Panic",
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"headTitle": "COVID Is Rising Again in the Bay Area For Summer 2026 — But Don’t Panic | KQED",
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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 — it looks like the COVID-19 virus is making a gradual reappearance in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To put it another way: Any “summer cold” you hear people complaining about over the coming week 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 are up 104% right now, compared to their June levels.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1314\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Bay-Area-Wastewater-COVID-rise.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091462\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Bay-Area-Wastewater-COVID-rise.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Bay-Area-Wastewater-COVID-rise-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Bay-Area-Wastewater-COVID-rise-1536x1009.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. (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, “but this year we are off to a slower start.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Statewide, COVID-19 levels in \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/RespiratoryVirusReport.aspx\">California wastewater \u003c/a>are still “very low.” But as families continue to embark on summer travel, Bidwell said Stanford is starting to see COVID-19 concentrations increase in wastewater across the southern states.\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 variant out there for summer 2026 I should be worried about?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In short: No, said Dr. Abraar Karan, an infectious disease expert at Stanford University. The primary COVID-19 variant out there right now is still XFG, also known as “Stratus,” in the omicron lineage. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unfortunately, that’s the one 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. But other than that, XFG presents the kind of primarily respiratory symptoms we’ve come to expect from COVID-19, Karan said: “Sore throat, cough, congestion, fatigue, fever, that kind of thing.”\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\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>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",
"blocks": [
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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 — it looks like the COVID-19 virus is making a gradual reappearance in the Bay Area. \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 — it looks like the COVID-19 virus is making a gradual reappearance in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>To put it another way: Any “summer cold” you hear people complaining about over the coming week could once again be COVID-19.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>To put it another way: Any “summer cold” you hear people complaining about over the coming week could once again be COVID-19.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"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 are up 104% right now, compared to their June levels.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\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 are up 104% right now, compared to their June levels.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
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"imageCredit": "Courtesy of WastewaterSCAN",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Bay-Area-Wastewater-COVID-rise.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Bay-Area-Wastewater-COVID-rise-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Bay-Area-Wastewater-COVID-rise-1536x1009.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/Bay-Area-Wastewater-COVID-rise.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091462\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Bay-Area-Wastewater-COVID-rise.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Bay-Area-Wastewater-COVID-rise-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Bay-Area-Wastewater-COVID-rise-1536x1009.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.\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/Bay-Area-Wastewater-COVID-rise.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091462\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">WastewaterSCAN’s summary of recent COVID-19 concentrations in the Bay Area.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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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, “but this year we are off to a slower start.”\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, “but this year we are off to a slower start.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Statewide, COVID-19 levels in \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/RespiratoryVirusReport.aspx\">California wastewater \u003c/a>are still “very low.” But as families continue to embark on summer travel, Bidwell said Stanford is starting to see COVID-19 concentrations increase in wastewater across the southern states.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Statewide, COVID-19 levels in \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/RespiratoryVirusReport.aspx\">California wastewater \u003c/a>are still “very low.” But as families continue to embark on summer travel, Bidwell said Stanford is starting to see COVID-19 concentrations increase in wastewater across the southern states.\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 variant out there for summer 2026 I should be worried about?",
"level": 2
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is there a new COVID 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 variant out there for summer 2026 I should be worried about?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In short: No, said Dr. Abraar Karan, an infectious disease expert at Stanford University. The primary COVID-19 variant out there right now is still XFG, also known as “Stratus,” in the omicron lineage. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In short: No, said Dr. Abraar Karan, an infectious disease expert at Stanford University. The primary COVID-19 variant out there right now is still XFG, also known as “Stratus,” in the omicron lineage. \u003c/p>\n"
],
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Unfortunately, that’s the one 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. But other than that, XFG presents the kind of primarily respiratory symptoms we’ve come to expect from COVID-19, Karan said: “Sore throat, cough, congestion, fatigue, fever, that kind of thing.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Unfortunately, that’s the one 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. But other than that, XFG presents the kind of primarily respiratory symptoms we’ve come to expect from COVID-19, Karan said: “Sore throat, cough, congestion, fatigue, fever, that kind of thing.”\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",
"innerContent": [
"\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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"blockName": "core/image",
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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>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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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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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",
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"\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"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "How will my most recent COVID vaccine hold up against a 2026 summer wave?",
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"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"
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"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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"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"
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"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",
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"\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"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/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",
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"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"
],
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},
{
"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"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "So should I be wearing a mask again on BART or in the grocery store?",
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},
"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)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241203_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"
],
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{
"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"
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{
"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"
],
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},
{
"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"
],
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},
{
"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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},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"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",
"innerContent": [
"\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"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 11989966,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"imageCredit": "Beth La Berge/KQED",
"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)"
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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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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"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",
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"\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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"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",
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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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"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",
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"\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",
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"\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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"excerpt": "COVID levels in Bay Area wastewaters are starting to increase, signaling a possible summer swell — as if you needed another thing to worry about. Here’s what to know about your risk.",
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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 — it looks like the COVID-19 virus is making a gradual reappearance in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To put it another way: Any “summer cold” you hear people complaining about over the coming week 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 are up 104% right now, compared to their June levels.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1314\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Bay-Area-Wastewater-COVID-rise.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091462\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Bay-Area-Wastewater-COVID-rise.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Bay-Area-Wastewater-COVID-rise-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/Bay-Area-Wastewater-COVID-rise-1536x1009.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. (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, “but this year we are off to a slower start.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Statewide, COVID-19 levels in \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/RespiratoryVirusReport.aspx\">California wastewater \u003c/a>are still “very low.” But as families continue to embark on summer travel, Bidwell said Stanford is starting to see COVID-19 concentrations increase in wastewater across the southern states.\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 variant out there for summer 2026 I should be worried about?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In short: No, said Dr. Abraar Karan, an infectious disease expert at Stanford University. The primary COVID-19 variant out there right now is still XFG, also known as “Stratus,” in the omicron lineage. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unfortunately, that’s the one 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. But other than that, XFG presents the kind of primarily respiratory symptoms we’ve come to expect from COVID-19, Karan said: “Sore throat, cough, congestion, fatigue, fever, that kind of thing.”\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\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>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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"title": "San Francisco Approves Cannabis Cafés, a First for the Bay Area",
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"headTitle": "San Francisco Approves Cannabis Cafés, a First for the Bay Area | KQED",
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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>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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"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>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>\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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"title": "San Francisco CEO Gets 6 Years for Scheme to Sell Adderall Online",
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"content": "\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco-based\u003c/a> telehealth company’s top executives were sentenced to years in prison on Tuesday over a $100 million scheme to fraudulently distribute Adderall and other stimulants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ruthia He, the founder and CEO of Done Global, and David Brody, its clinical president, were convicted of conspiring to commit healthcare fraud and distributing controlled substances to people without a medical need and conspiring to defraud pharmacies, along with Medicaid, Medicare and commercial insurers, to dispense stimulants in violation of their corresponding responsibilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He was handed down the six-year sentence, followed by three years of supervised release, though Judge Charles Breyer said she was likely to be deported after her release.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He, who came to the U.S. from China 14 years ago, told the court tearfully that she had wanted to contribute and make a positive impact.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brody, 70, was given a shorter two-year sentence, followed by three years of supervised release. His lawyer, Roberto Escobar, said he planned to appeal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prior to his sentencing, he said he was remorseful for his actions and asked to be sentenced to home confinement. His defense counsel said he had spent three decades providing mental-health care to underserved communities in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was faced with a challenging situational operation, and I chose poorly,” he told Breyer. “I relied too heavily on my own judgment. At the very moment when outside input would have made a crucial difference, I failed to engage others. I also owe an apology to the patients and staff of Done.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12003275\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12003275\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The U.S. Department of Justice headquarters, pictured on Sept. 5, 2024. \u003ccite>(J. David Ake/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Both will be fined $1 million, in addition to restitution to the families of victims.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The pair spearheaded the online mental health treatment venture to provide easy access to Adderall, Vyvanse and other stimulants. The Department of Justice alleged that they took advantage of eased restrictions on prescribing controlled substances without in-person consultations amid the COVID-19 pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The defendants allegedly preyed on Americans and put profits over patients by exploiting telemedicine rules that facilitated access to medications during the unprecedented COVID-19 public health emergency,” Anne Milgram, then-administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, said in a statement after their arrests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since the beginning of the pandemic, the company arranged for the prescription of more than 40 million pills, according to court documents.[aside postID=news_12089481 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260420-SCCDAANNOUNCEMENT-17-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg']“Instead of properly addressing medical needs, the defendants allegedly made millions of dollars by pushing addictive medications,” Milgram said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the company’s now-defunct website, Brody \u003ca href=\"https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/442850-23\">co-founded\u003c/a> Done Global in 2019, calling it a “passion project” to help friends and coworkers in need of mental-health care navigate a complex system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The startup promoted a quick and easy process to become a monthly subscriber: members completed a one-minute assessment, followed by a telehealth appointment with a licensed clinician before paying the $79 monthly fee for “worry-free refills” and ongoing care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2022, major pharmacies stopped filling prescriptions from prescribers at Done, and another online mental health company, Cerebral — which also came under federal investigation — after reports that some healthcare professionals felt pressured into diagnoses. In 2024, Cerebral agreed to pay more than $3.6 million “for engaging in practices that encouraged the unauthorized distribution of controlled substances” as part of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/telehealth-company-cerebral-agrees-pay-over-36-million-connection-business-practices\">non-prosecution agreement\u003c/a> with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Done faced similar scrutiny, and according to court documents, paid medical professionals to diagnose members with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and write them prescriptions for Adderall and other stimulants, even when people did not qualify for the medications.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He and Brody, among others at the company, created policies including limiting the information available to prescribers, instructing them to issue Adderall and other stimulants even if the Done member did not qualify, and limiting appointments to under 30 minutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Justice alleged that they falsely represented their prescription policies, claiming that they were able to keep appointments short with a screening process designed to weed out people who were unlikely to qualify for a diagnosis — a factor that could have diverted Adderall from people who needed it amid a nationwide shortage that began in 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The DOJ also claimed that the company continued to operate even after He and Brody became aware that information had been posted on social media instructing people to use Done to gain easy access to stimulants — and that some members had overdosed and died.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, Kimberly Atwood told Breyer and the court that her brother Michael had died after he was misdiagnosed by a Done provider and relapsed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have a mistrust of doctors now,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/adahlstromeckman\">\u003cem>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He, who came to the U.S. from China 14 years ago, told the court tearfully that she had wanted to contribute and make a positive impact.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brody, 70, was given a shorter two-year sentence, followed by three years of supervised release. His lawyer, Roberto Escobar, said he planned to appeal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prior to his sentencing, he said he was remorseful for his actions and asked to be sentenced to home confinement. His defense counsel said he had spent three decades providing mental-health care to underserved communities in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was faced with a challenging situational operation, and I chose poorly,” he told Breyer. “I relied too heavily on my own judgment. At the very moment when outside input would have made a crucial difference, I failed to engage others. I also owe an apology to the patients and staff of Done.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12003275\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12003275\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/USDeptofJusticeGetty-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The U.S. Department of Justice headquarters, pictured on Sept. 5, 2024. \u003ccite>(J. David Ake/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Both will be fined $1 million, in addition to restitution to the families of victims.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The pair spearheaded the online mental health treatment venture to provide easy access to Adderall, Vyvanse and other stimulants. The Department of Justice alleged that they took advantage of eased restrictions on prescribing controlled substances without in-person consultations amid the COVID-19 pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The defendants allegedly preyed on Americans and put profits over patients by exploiting telemedicine rules that facilitated access to medications during the unprecedented COVID-19 public health emergency,” Anne Milgram, then-administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, said in a statement after their arrests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since the beginning of the pandemic, the company arranged for the prescription of more than 40 million pills, according to court documents.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Instead of properly addressing medical needs, the defendants allegedly made millions of dollars by pushing addictive medications,” Milgram said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the company’s now-defunct website, Brody \u003ca href=\"https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/442850-23\">co-founded\u003c/a> Done Global in 2019, calling it a “passion project” to help friends and coworkers in need of mental-health care navigate a complex system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The startup promoted a quick and easy process to become a monthly subscriber: members completed a one-minute assessment, followed by a telehealth appointment with a licensed clinician before paying the $79 monthly fee for “worry-free refills” and ongoing care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2022, major pharmacies stopped filling prescriptions from prescribers at Done, and another online mental health company, Cerebral — which also came under federal investigation — after reports that some healthcare professionals felt pressured into diagnoses. In 2024, Cerebral agreed to pay more than $3.6 million “for engaging in practices that encouraged the unauthorized distribution of controlled substances” as part of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/telehealth-company-cerebral-agrees-pay-over-36-million-connection-business-practices\">non-prosecution agreement\u003c/a> with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Done faced similar scrutiny, and according to court documents, paid medical professionals to diagnose members with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and write them prescriptions for Adderall and other stimulants, even when people did not qualify for the medications.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He and Brody, among others at the company, created policies including limiting the information available to prescribers, instructing them to issue Adderall and other stimulants even if the Done member did not qualify, and limiting appointments to under 30 minutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Justice alleged that they falsely represented their prescription policies, claiming that they were able to keep appointments short with a screening process designed to weed out people who were unlikely to qualify for a diagnosis — a factor that could have diverted Adderall from people who needed it amid a nationwide shortage that began in 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The DOJ also claimed that the company continued to operate even after He and Brody became aware that information had been posted on social media instructing people to use Done to gain easy access to stimulants — and that some members had overdosed and died.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, Kimberly Atwood told Breyer and the court that her brother Michael had died after he was misdiagnosed by a Done provider and relapsed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have a mistrust of doctors now,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/adahlstromeckman\">\u003cem>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "San Francisco Celebrates Morning-After Pill for STIs. Other Countries Warn of Antibiotic Resistance",
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"headTitle": "San Francisco Celebrates Morning-After Pill for STIs. Other Countries Warn of Antibiotic Resistance | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Tyler Toler has suffered through the trifecta of bacterial STIs: chlamydia, gonorrhea,\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11869396/once-on-the-brink-of-eradication-syphilis-is-raging-again-in-san-francisco\"> syphilis\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the corresponding itching, burning, and rash felt bad enough, the pain of treatment and the social fallout that often followed were worse. Toler dreaded the awkward conversation with his partners, admitting he may have exposed them to an infection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some people are like, ‘Yeah, cool, thank you for letting me know,’” Toler said. “And then there’s some people that think you’re the dirtiest person on the face of the planet.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Toler heard there was a morning-after pill for STIs that could solve all these problems, he wanted in. Doxy PEP, or doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis, is an antibiotic taken within 72 hours of condomless sex to prevent bacterial infections. Toler hasn’t had an STI in the three years since he started taking it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can be as much of a promiscuous person as I possibly can and not have to worry about the ramifications as much,” he said with a wry smile.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across San Francisco, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-san-francisco-department-of-public-health-reports-significant-declines-in-sexually-transmitted-infections-in-2025\">syphilis rates dropped 24% last year\u003c/a>, chlamydia went down 18% and gonorrhea dipped 5%, leading local health officials to celebrate the success of Doxy PEP and their decision to distribute it broadly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001385\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001385\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-04-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A bottle of doxycycline hyclate tablets, known as Doxy PEP, sits on the counter at Strut health clinic in San Francisco on June 29, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>At the same time, doctors around the globe caution that using antibiotics this way could contribute to antibiotic resistance, making it harder to treat a range of bacterial infections down the road.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tension between reducing STIs and stewarding antibiotics responsibly has led to a range of divergent policies around who should get Doxy PEP and when.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to be thoughtful about how we’re using it,” said\u003ca href=\"https://profiles.ucsf.edu/annie.luetkemeyer\"> Dr. Annie Luetkemeyer\u003c/a>, an infectious disease physician and researcher at UCSF. “Antibiotics are an incredible resource. We all worry about antimicrobial resistance.”[aside postID=news_12089597 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/RobBontaTrumpGetty.jpg']Gonorrhea has already built resistance to the class of antibiotics that include doxycycline, and research suggests that Doxy PEP is making it worse, Luetkemeyer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She is now leading a five-city study, including Atlanta, Miami, Detroit, Seattle and San Francisco, to examine whether Doxy PEP increases resistance in other bacteria, as well, including strep pneumoniae, which can cause lung infections like pneumonia, and staph aureus, which can cause skin infections. Earlier studies raised this concern.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In folks who took Doxy PEP, we saw an increase in doxy-resistant staph aureus,” she said. “The numbers were small, but there was a trend in that direction.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Developing Doxy PEP policy is a balancing act, weighing the benefits of reduced sexually transmitted infections against the risk of cultivating superbugs that are more difficult to treat. San Francisco officials chose to make Doxy PEP\u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-health-update-updated-recommendations-for-prescribing-doxy-pep\"> widely available\u003c/a> and recommended doctors offer it to anyone who might benefit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other countries have taken a more conservative approach. The\u003ca href=\"https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/Doxycycline-prophylaxis-of-bacterial-STIs-in-the-EU-EEA.pdf\"> European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control\u003c/a> and\u003ca href=\"https://ashm.org.au/initiatives/doxy-pep-statement/\"> Australasian Society for Sexual Health Medicine\u003c/a> recommended restricting the use of Doxy PEP for the prevention of syphilis only, with a focus on men who have sex with men who have a history of syphilis infection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001388\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001388\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-14-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-14-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-14-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-14-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-14-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tyler Toler in Santa Rosa on June 29, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Both groups decided against recommending it to prevent gonorrhea or chlamydia because they deemed the benefits did not outweigh the risks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I would argue that for gay men, there is no population-level benefit for getting chlamydia rates down,” said\u003ca href=\"https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/vincent-cornelisse\"> Dr. Vincent Cornelisse\u003c/a>, a sexual health physician and professor at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The consequences of syphilis can be dire: blindness, hearing loss, brain damage. Chlamydia, on the other hand, is more of a nuisance for men, Cornelisse said, uncomfortable, but not dangerous.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Australian committee decided prescribing Doxy PEP to prevent it was an excessive use of antibiotics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think we need to be a bit tempered in recommending strategies to reduce chlamydia amongst gay men when the strategies themselves might have adverse outcomes,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the Strut clinic in the San Francisco Castro neighborhood, nearly half the prescriptions the pharmacy fills are for Doxy PEP. Clinicians offer it to everyone who comes into the clinic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001386\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001386\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-08-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-08-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-08-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-08-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-08-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Hyman Scott (left), medical director at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, speaks with office manager Cantwell Muckenfuss at Strut in the Castro neighborhood in San Francisco on June 29, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Medical director,\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfaf.org/collections/author/hyman-scott-md-mph/\"> Dr. Hyman Scott\u003c/a>, who also does research in the city’s public health department, is firm in his defense of a broad, open policy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the early 2010s, San Francisco made serious missteps with\u003ca href=\"http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hiv-aids/hiv-aids-topics/hiv-prevention/3848-truvada-prep-demonstration-project-debuts-in-san-francisco\"> the rollout of PrEP\u003c/a>, pre-exposure prophylaxis for the prevention of HIV, Scott said, placing a lot of restrictions on who should get it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The guidelines were so confusing and the medication so hard to access, he added, only a quarter of people who actually needed it were taking it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are a lot of things now we’re trying to undo as a result of the way we did it originally,” Scott said. “We cannot make the same mistakes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health officials learned that they have one shot to make a first impression, positive or negative, and that’s the message that will spread through the community, Scott said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So they decided to make their message about Doxy PEP simple and straightforward: everyone is eligible, just talk to your doctor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001389\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001389\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-19-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-19-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-19-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-19-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-19-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Annie Luetkemeyer, an infectious disease physician, sits in an exam room at Pride Hall on the campus of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital in San Francisco on June 29, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The science about Doxy PEP moves freely on social media, and by word of mouth, so many San Franciscans who take it are aware of the risk for antimicrobial resistance, both for themselves and the broader population.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was very conflicted about it when I started it,” Toler said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But when he talked to his older friends who lived through the AIDS epidemic, his feelings shifted. Gay activists fought hard for the research and innovation that made PreP and Doxy PEP possible, Toler said, and they want the younger generations to have the sex lives that they couldn’t.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to take advantage of the science that we have right now,” he said, “for the people that weren’t able to take advantage of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Sexual freedom is booming in San Francisco with the city’s broad offering of Doxy PEP. But doctors worry this approach may risk making these drugs less effective in the future. ",
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"title": "San Francisco Celebrates Morning-After Pill for STIs. Other Countries Warn of Antibiotic Resistance | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Tyler Toler has suffered through the trifecta of bacterial STIs: chlamydia, gonorrhea,\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11869396/once-on-the-brink-of-eradication-syphilis-is-raging-again-in-san-francisco\"> syphilis\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the corresponding itching, burning, and rash felt bad enough, the pain of treatment and the social fallout that often followed were worse. Toler dreaded the awkward conversation with his partners, admitting he may have exposed them to an infection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some people are like, ‘Yeah, cool, thank you for letting me know,’” Toler said. “And then there’s some people that think you’re the dirtiest person on the face of the planet.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Toler heard there was a morning-after pill for STIs that could solve all these problems, he wanted in. Doxy PEP, or doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis, is an antibiotic taken within 72 hours of condomless sex to prevent bacterial infections. Toler hasn’t had an STI in the three years since he started taking it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can be as much of a promiscuous person as I possibly can and not have to worry about the ramifications as much,” he said with a wry smile.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across San Francisco, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-san-francisco-department-of-public-health-reports-significant-declines-in-sexually-transmitted-infections-in-2025\">syphilis rates dropped 24% last year\u003c/a>, chlamydia went down 18% and gonorrhea dipped 5%, leading local health officials to celebrate the success of Doxy PEP and their decision to distribute it broadly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001385\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001385\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-04-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A bottle of doxycycline hyclate tablets, known as Doxy PEP, sits on the counter at Strut health clinic in San Francisco on June 29, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>At the same time, doctors around the globe caution that using antibiotics this way could contribute to antibiotic resistance, making it harder to treat a range of bacterial infections down the road.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tension between reducing STIs and stewarding antibiotics responsibly has led to a range of divergent policies around who should get Doxy PEP and when.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to be thoughtful about how we’re using it,” said\u003ca href=\"https://profiles.ucsf.edu/annie.luetkemeyer\"> Dr. Annie Luetkemeyer\u003c/a>, an infectious disease physician and researcher at UCSF. “Antibiotics are an incredible resource. We all worry about antimicrobial resistance.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Gonorrhea has already built resistance to the class of antibiotics that include doxycycline, and research suggests that Doxy PEP is making it worse, Luetkemeyer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She is now leading a five-city study, including Atlanta, Miami, Detroit, Seattle and San Francisco, to examine whether Doxy PEP increases resistance in other bacteria, as well, including strep pneumoniae, which can cause lung infections like pneumonia, and staph aureus, which can cause skin infections. Earlier studies raised this concern.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In folks who took Doxy PEP, we saw an increase in doxy-resistant staph aureus,” she said. “The numbers were small, but there was a trend in that direction.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Developing Doxy PEP policy is a balancing act, weighing the benefits of reduced sexually transmitted infections against the risk of cultivating superbugs that are more difficult to treat. San Francisco officials chose to make Doxy PEP\u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-health-update-updated-recommendations-for-prescribing-doxy-pep\"> widely available\u003c/a> and recommended doctors offer it to anyone who might benefit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other countries have taken a more conservative approach. The\u003ca href=\"https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/Doxycycline-prophylaxis-of-bacterial-STIs-in-the-EU-EEA.pdf\"> European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control\u003c/a> and\u003ca href=\"https://ashm.org.au/initiatives/doxy-pep-statement/\"> Australasian Society for Sexual Health Medicine\u003c/a> recommended restricting the use of Doxy PEP for the prevention of syphilis only, with a focus on men who have sex with men who have a history of syphilis infection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001388\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001388\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-14-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-14-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-14-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-14-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-14-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tyler Toler in Santa Rosa on June 29, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Both groups decided against recommending it to prevent gonorrhea or chlamydia because they deemed the benefits did not outweigh the risks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I would argue that for gay men, there is no population-level benefit for getting chlamydia rates down,” said\u003ca href=\"https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/vincent-cornelisse\"> Dr. Vincent Cornelisse\u003c/a>, a sexual health physician and professor at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The consequences of syphilis can be dire: blindness, hearing loss, brain damage. Chlamydia, on the other hand, is more of a nuisance for men, Cornelisse said, uncomfortable, but not dangerous.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Australian committee decided prescribing Doxy PEP to prevent it was an excessive use of antibiotics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think we need to be a bit tempered in recommending strategies to reduce chlamydia amongst gay men when the strategies themselves might have adverse outcomes,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the Strut clinic in the San Francisco Castro neighborhood, nearly half the prescriptions the pharmacy fills are for Doxy PEP. Clinicians offer it to everyone who comes into the clinic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001386\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001386\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-08-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-08-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-08-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-08-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-08-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Hyman Scott (left), medical director at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, speaks with office manager Cantwell Muckenfuss at Strut in the Castro neighborhood in San Francisco on June 29, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Medical director,\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfaf.org/collections/author/hyman-scott-md-mph/\"> Dr. Hyman Scott\u003c/a>, who also does research in the city’s public health department, is firm in his defense of a broad, open policy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the early 2010s, San Francisco made serious missteps with\u003ca href=\"http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hiv-aids/hiv-aids-topics/hiv-prevention/3848-truvada-prep-demonstration-project-debuts-in-san-francisco\"> the rollout of PrEP\u003c/a>, pre-exposure prophylaxis for the prevention of HIV, Scott said, placing a lot of restrictions on who should get it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The guidelines were so confusing and the medication so hard to access, he added, only a quarter of people who actually needed it were taking it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are a lot of things now we’re trying to undo as a result of the way we did it originally,” Scott said. “We cannot make the same mistakes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health officials learned that they have one shot to make a first impression, positive or negative, and that’s the message that will spread through the community, Scott said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So they decided to make their message about Doxy PEP simple and straightforward: everyone is eligible, just talk to your doctor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001389\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001389\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-19-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-19-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-19-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-19-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260629-DOXYPEP-19-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Annie Luetkemeyer, an infectious disease physician, sits in an exam room at Pride Hall on the campus of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital in San Francisco on June 29, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The science about Doxy PEP moves freely on social media, and by word of mouth, so many San Franciscans who take it are aware of the risk for antimicrobial resistance, both for themselves and the broader population.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was very conflicted about it when I started it,” Toler said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But when he talked to his older friends who lived through the AIDS epidemic, his feelings shifted. Gay activists fought hard for the research and innovation that made PreP and Doxy PEP possible, Toler said, and they want the younger generations to have the sex lives that they couldn’t.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to take advantage of the science that we have right now,” he said, “for the people that weren’t able to take advantage of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
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"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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"radiolab": {
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"reveal": {
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},
"rightnowish": {
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"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
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"info": "Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.",
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"snap-judgment": {
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