With COVID-19 Cases on the Rise, County of Santa Clara Health Officials Remind the Public: The Pandemic is Not Over FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 10, 2022 Latest and more infectious subvariants of Omicron are driving community transmission levels back to those seen in February SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. – COVID-19 cases are anticipated to significantly rise locally and nationally in the coming weeks. County of Santa Clara health officials urge residents and visitors to be mindful that the virus is spreading at an increasing rate, and that risk to health from the pandemic continues. Strong vaccination rates in Santa Clara County have helped keep COVID-19 hospitalizations flat, but the 7-day rolling average of reported ... May 13, 2022 COVID19, Public Health Pandemic, Santa Clara County, SCC 0 0 Comment Read More »
Mental Health–Related Emergency Department Visits Among Children Aged <18 Years During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, January 1–October 17, 2020 Rebecca T. Leeb, PhD1; Rebecca H. Bitsko, PhD1; Lakshmi Radhakrishnan, MPH2; Pedro Martinez, MPH3; Rashid Njai, PhD4; Kristin M. Holland, PhD5 Published reports suggest that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a negative effect on children’s mental health (1,2). Emergency departments (EDs) are often the first point of care for children experiencing mental health emergencies, particularly when other services are inaccessible or unavailable (3). During March 29–April 25, 2020, when widespread shelter-in-place orders were in effect, ED visits for persons of all ages declined 42% compared with the ... August 17, 2021 COVID19, Mental Health Children, COVID-19, Mental Health, Pandemic 0 0 Comment Read More »
The Pandemic of Loneliness In this extraordinary era of pandemic isolation, social distancing, and masking, it makes perfect sense that loneliness and its impact on mental and physical health would garner literary attention. Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA, the US surgeon general, released a book early in the pandemic saying America is experiencing a loneliness epidemic. Murthy reported that chronic loneliness works this way: Persistent stress increases inflammation that damages tissues and blood vessels, increasing risk of cardiovascular illness and death. It can interfere with the function of the immune system and make high blood ... August 12, 2021 Mental Health COVID-19, Isolation, Loneliness, Pandemic 0 0 Comment Read More »
Success in Vaccinating County Residents and Low COVID-19 Rates Allow New, More Focused Local Order Today, County Health Officer, Dr. Sara Cody, issued a new, more focused local Health Order related to COVID-19. County officials announced that Santa Clara County has made excellent progress in the fight against COVID-19. Case rates have declined to some of their lowest levels at any point in the pandemic, and test positivity rates have hit an all-time low. The county’s vaccination rates are also among the very highest in the nation, as more than 75% of county residents 16 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. On ... May 18, 2021 COVID19, Public Health COVID-19, Pandemic, Vaccine 0 0 Comment Read More »