Santa Cruz County COVID-19 Digest

The recent upsurge in at-home deaths started in the first year of the pandemic, and the rate has continued to climb, outlasting the lockdowns that might help explain the initial shift.

A wave of respiratory illness that has been afflicting Santa Cruz County since late last year appears to be subsiding, according to local wastewater data.

According to the state's vaccine dashboard, less than a third of eligible Santa Cruz County residents have received the bivalent COVID-19 booster shot.

The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board voted to end the rule in part because it has become harder to enforce. Only people who caught the virus on the job are eligible to keep getting paid, but it is so widespread that it's hard to tell where someone got sick.

There has been a troubling spike in coronavirus-positive hospital admissions among seniors in California, rising to levels not seen since the summer omicron surge.

Brain aging seen in study of Bay Area kids likened to that in children who suffered violence or neglect.

Just 67 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds and and 38 percent of 5- to 11-year-olds have had the primary two-shot COVID-19 vaccine series.

Stanford launches the nation’s first study of an antiviral strategy for long COVID.

With COVID-19 restrictions over, Santa Cruz County’s restaurants are at a crossroads: Should they keep outdoor dining spaces, even though that would require more permanent setups? It’s a question of dollars and cents—punctuated by the changing faces of the county’s downtowns.

Worried about Long COVID? A new study bolsters the case for treatment with Paxlovid.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control decided to list COVID-19 among the vaccines it recommends for children, but each state decides whether to adopt those guidelines. It's unclear what California will do.

2020 carbon emissions fell because of the COVID-19 pandemic–but now emissions are on the rise again.

As the number of COVID-19 infection surged during the pandemic, deaths from heart attacks rose sharply as well, with adults ages 25-44 experiencing the most significant increases, according to new research from scientists at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

“We are anticipating another winter surge,” said Santa Cruz County Deputy Health Officer Cal Gordon in a prepared statement. “The approval of the updated COVID booster for those as young as 5 is a critical tool in protecting some of the youngest members of our community.”

“It's a cloak-and-dagger, spy-versus-spy game. … These variants that are bubbling up now are trying to get past some of our immunity."

Data from the California Department of Public Health show that as of last week just 5% of Golden State residents have sought out the new booster shots. A map shows the rates in each county.

After more than two-and-a-half years, California is retiring its COVID-19 emergency proclamation. Governor Gavin Newsom will lift the state of emergency declaration on Feb. 28.

Although COVID-19 cases in California have started to plateau, some may face another infection as new variants spread. UC Davis infectious disease specialist Dr. Natascha Tuznik talks about reinfection, and if repeated bouts can worsen health risks.

Omicron’s emergence has brought more surges and reconsideration of mask mandates. But can a traditional vaccine and a booster that targets Omicron help end the variant’s reign?

The California Department of Public Health released updated COVID-19 guidance for the coming K-12 school year. Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Faris Sabbah says that, in many ways, it is a continuation of efforts already in effect.

New lineages of the omicron variant have mutations that increase rates of vaccine breakthrough and reinfection, according to an analysis by Trevor Bedford, a virologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency use authorization to the first COVID-19 test that detects chemicals associated with the coronavirus in breath. The InspectIR COVID-19 Breathalyzer gives results in less than three minutes.

California is delaying a coronavirus vaccine mandate for schoolchildren until at least the summer of 2023. The state was the first to announce a mandate, but it will not take effect until federal regulators give final approval to the vaccine for children.

On March 29, the FDA authorized a second booster shot for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna coronavirus vaccines, due to waning immunity in older Americans as a new omicron variant gains a toehold in the U.S.

Parents have bombarded schools with “threatening messages,” angry emails and even in-person exchanges with teachers and office staff, says Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Faris Sabbah.

On Feb. 16, California officials said that the state’s long-range plan for COVID-19 will focus on flexible responses to future variants and shift from an emergency mindset into one that assumes coexistence with the virus.

Receiving a positive COVID-19 test is only the first problem faced by UC Santa Cruz residents. First-year student Sharon Liu told the campus newspaper about her quarantine stay in the Four Points hotel in Scotts Valley.

As the omicron COVID-19 variant continues to spread through California, many are using over-the-counter testing kits. If you test positive, what do you do with your result?

U.S. health officials have lowered isolation restrictions from 10 to five days for patients with coronavirus. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said the guidance reflects evidence that people are most infectious two days before and three days after symptoms develop.

Due to the growing number of COVID cases caused by the Omicron variant, UC Santa Cruz has announced the first two weeks of its winter term will be conducted remotely.

Capitola's outdoor dining program has been extended until May of 2022. It allows businesses to set up tables in former parking and walkway areas.

Under state and federal law, COVID-19 tests must be covered by insurance, and results can take between three and five days. For those who need faster results, the most convenient tests can cost up to $225.