Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss
A change of plan: Liberal bankrupted California ends COVID isolation rule for asymptomatic cases as winter infections climb
0 views
Skip to first unread message
Zoo Animals Uncaged
Jan 22, 2024, 5:35:03 PM1/22/24
to
In article <uoh5n9$3psl9$1...@dont-email.me>
Triox <bigtr...@protonmail.com>
Californians infected with COVID-19 may go about their lives without
isolating or testing negative as long as their symptoms are
improving, according to new and significantly loosened guidelines
from the California Department of Public Health.
California’s top public health official, Dr. Tomás Aragón, last week
quietly rescinded the state’s previous order, which encouraged
people infected with COVID-19 to isolate for five days.
The new health order allows Californians with COVID-19 to return to
work or school as long as their symptoms are improving and they are
fever-free for 24 hours without medication. Asymptomatic individuals
who test positive are not considered infectious and do not need to
isolate, according to the order.
“Instead of staying home for a minimum of five days, individuals may
return to work or school when they start to feel better,” state
public health officials said in an unsigned statement.
The guidelines came down as California tipped over the edge of a
major respiratory illness surge fueled by COVID-19, seasonal
influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV. Flu
and COVID-19 hospitalizations both peaked during the first week of
January and have been trending downward since, according to state
data.
Masking requirements have not changed, and people with COVID-19
should wear masks for 10 days whether or not they have symptoms. The
new guidelines do not apply to employees at high-risk health care
settings like hospitals and nursing homes, which may also have
different policies for visitors.
It is unclear whether employers can require workers to return to
work if they wish to isolate until they test negative. Cal/OSHA, the
agency that enforces state workplace safety laws, did not respond to
a request for clarification on the rule by deadline.
Some experts say the new guidelines represent a major shift in
California’s COVID-19 strategy, but they are not necessarily an
unexpected change.
“I think it’s reasonable, mainly for the amount of population
immunity that we have including in kids, and for the fact that we
have a menu of options to prevent and treat COVID,” said Dr. Peter
Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert with UCSF Health. “It does
come with responsibility…we still have to wear masks and be cautious
around people who are older or immunocompromised.”
A national study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
in June estimated about 96% of people 16 and older had acquired
COVID-19 immunity either through vaccination, previous infection or
both. State data shows that while relatively few Californians are
fully vaccinated with updated boosters — only about 12% — at least
82.5% of the population has gotten at least one COVID-19 shot.
The state’s move also signals a shift toward treating COVID-19 like
all other endemic respiratory infections.
“Many people may be infected with COVID-19 or other respiratory
infections and do not test or know what infection they may have.
Updating our public health approach and recommendations incorporates
our recommendations into a broader, multi-pronged approach to
multiple respiratory viruses,” department officials said in a
statement.
Dr. Noha Aboelata, chief executive of Roots Community Health Center
in Oakland, is one of many community doctors who have expressed
disappointment in the state’s new direction. COVID-19 does not
necessarily behave like other respiratory viruses — hospitalizations
and deaths have never dropped to zero the way flu does outside of
the winter months — and it is still unpredictable, Aboelata said.
“We still believe that if there’s enough to detect (on a test),
there’s enough to infect,” Aboelata said. “So I would recommend
people test negative before going around others.”
California schools adjust to new COVID-19 rules
The state’s new strategy also seeks to minimize disruptions in
school where long periods of quarantine and virtual instruction
adversely impacted student learning and led to widespread mental
health challenges for young people.
Some California school districts adopted the new guidelines
immediately, while others said they were waiting for direction from
their local public health agencies.
Oakland Unified was among those that notified parents of its new
policy not long after the state released the guidelines. In an email
to families, the district said students and staff can come to school
if they test positive for COVID-19, as long as they’re asymptomatic,
wear masks and avoid people who are at high risk of sickness, such
as those who are immunocompromised.
In line with the state guidelines, those with COVID-19 symptoms
should stay home but can return to school once the symptoms improve.
The district said it will continue to stock masks and COVID-19 tests
and keep air purifiers in classrooms.
Los Angeles Unified, the largest school district in the state, said
it was waiting for direction from the county public health agency.
In a note to families, Fresno Unified recommended that students and
staff who test positive for COVID-19 stay home, regardless of their
symptoms.
The mixed response mirrored schools’ earlier reactions to COVID-19
in 2020. While most districts closed in March that year, some
started bringing back special education students as soon as late
spring while others — mainly larger districts — didn’t reopen for
in-person instruction until fall 2021.
Teachers and parents on board with COVID rules
For many districts, re-opening decisions hinged on negotiations with
teacher unions. Last week, California’s largest teacher union was
generally supportive of the state’s update to COVID-19 guidelines,
saying that schools have adopted enough safety measures to keep
staff, students and families safe.
“We’re always concerned about individuals who are high-risk, and
we’ll continue monitoring the situation and re-open (contracts) if
necessary,” said Rachel Warino, a spokesman for the California
Teachers Association. “But we’re confident that negotiations that
happened at the height of the pandemic — over air filtration,
testing, masks, reasonable accommodations — will be sufficient for
now.”
Some parents were relieved at the new guidelines because they
encourage students to be in school. Thousands of students statewide
are still struggling to catch up academically after remote learning,
and many suffered mental health challenges during quarantine.
Scott Davison, who’s part of a parent group in Carlsbad Unified near
San Diego, said parents have been sending asymptomatic students to
school for a year or more, regardless of state or local guidelines.
“This changes nothing for most parents,” Davison said. “We could
have had these guidelines two years ago and the result would be the
same. … we all know kids belong in school.”
Concern for vulnerable Californians
Disability and equity advocates are particularly critical of the new
guidelines. They contend the change could increase risk of infection
for vulnerable Californians.
“This policy is not based in science, equity or public health. It
devalues the lives of immunocompromised and disabled people, and
completely ignores the risk of long COVID,” said Lisa McCorkell,
co-founder of the Patient-Led Research Collaborative, which studies
the impacts of long COVID.
There is no treatment for long COVID, which can leave some patients
debilitated for years, and increased transmission will
disproportionately harm poor communities, McCorkell said.
California officials have made other significant changes to the
state’s COVID-19 response strategy in recent months, including
returning the majority of the state’s Paxlovid stockpile to the
federal government in December, effectively ending California’s free
antiviral program.
The free COVID-19 hotline where residents could get Paxlovid
prescriptions and vaccine appointments will also shut down at the
end of February, state public health officials told CalMatters in a
statement. The state has spent $2.3 million on the hotline since
July 2022.
These changes, too, are worrisome for equity advocates.
“Not everybody has a primary care doctor. If you don’t have a
primary care provider or good access to a primary care provider
that’s knowledgeable about treating, then you’re going to have a
difficult time accessing it,” Aboelata said.
State-regulated health insurance plans are required to permanently
cover in-network COVID-19 testing, vaccination and treatment free of
charge, although about 6 million Californians are enrolled in
federally regulated plans that are only required to cover vaccines.
You can ask your employer what kind of coverage you have.
https://www.bakersfield.com/news/a-change-of-plan-california-ends-
covid-isolation-rule-for-asymptomatic-cases-as-winter-
infections/article_7d4c35a2-b7d9-11ee-aa70-07d7c561737c.html
Triox <bigtr...@protonmail.com>
Californians infected with COVID-19 may go about their lives without
isolating or testing negative as long as their symptoms are
improving, according to new and significantly loosened guidelines
from the California Department of Public Health.
California’s top public health official, Dr. Tomás Aragón, last week
quietly rescinded the state’s previous order, which encouraged
people infected with COVID-19 to isolate for five days.
The new health order allows Californians with COVID-19 to return to
work or school as long as their symptoms are improving and they are
fever-free for 24 hours without medication. Asymptomatic individuals
who test positive are not considered infectious and do not need to
isolate, according to the order.
“Instead of staying home for a minimum of five days, individuals may
return to work or school when they start to feel better,” state
public health officials said in an unsigned statement.
The guidelines came down as California tipped over the edge of a
major respiratory illness surge fueled by COVID-19, seasonal
influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV. Flu
and COVID-19 hospitalizations both peaked during the first week of
January and have been trending downward since, according to state
data.
Masking requirements have not changed, and people with COVID-19
should wear masks for 10 days whether or not they have symptoms. The
new guidelines do not apply to employees at high-risk health care
settings like hospitals and nursing homes, which may also have
different policies for visitors.
It is unclear whether employers can require workers to return to
work if they wish to isolate until they test negative. Cal/OSHA, the
agency that enforces state workplace safety laws, did not respond to
a request for clarification on the rule by deadline.
Some experts say the new guidelines represent a major shift in
California’s COVID-19 strategy, but they are not necessarily an
unexpected change.
“I think it’s reasonable, mainly for the amount of population
immunity that we have including in kids, and for the fact that we
have a menu of options to prevent and treat COVID,” said Dr. Peter
Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert with UCSF Health. “It does
come with responsibility…we still have to wear masks and be cautious
around people who are older or immunocompromised.”
A national study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
in June estimated about 96% of people 16 and older had acquired
COVID-19 immunity either through vaccination, previous infection or
both. State data shows that while relatively few Californians are
fully vaccinated with updated boosters — only about 12% — at least
82.5% of the population has gotten at least one COVID-19 shot.
The state’s move also signals a shift toward treating COVID-19 like
all other endemic respiratory infections.
“Many people may be infected with COVID-19 or other respiratory
infections and do not test or know what infection they may have.
Updating our public health approach and recommendations incorporates
our recommendations into a broader, multi-pronged approach to
multiple respiratory viruses,” department officials said in a
statement.
Dr. Noha Aboelata, chief executive of Roots Community Health Center
in Oakland, is one of many community doctors who have expressed
disappointment in the state’s new direction. COVID-19 does not
necessarily behave like other respiratory viruses — hospitalizations
and deaths have never dropped to zero the way flu does outside of
the winter months — and it is still unpredictable, Aboelata said.
“We still believe that if there’s enough to detect (on a test),
there’s enough to infect,” Aboelata said. “So I would recommend
people test negative before going around others.”
California schools adjust to new COVID-19 rules
The state’s new strategy also seeks to minimize disruptions in
school where long periods of quarantine and virtual instruction
adversely impacted student learning and led to widespread mental
health challenges for young people.
Some California school districts adopted the new guidelines
immediately, while others said they were waiting for direction from
their local public health agencies.
Oakland Unified was among those that notified parents of its new
policy not long after the state released the guidelines. In an email
to families, the district said students and staff can come to school
if they test positive for COVID-19, as long as they’re asymptomatic,
wear masks and avoid people who are at high risk of sickness, such
as those who are immunocompromised.
In line with the state guidelines, those with COVID-19 symptoms
should stay home but can return to school once the symptoms improve.
The district said it will continue to stock masks and COVID-19 tests
and keep air purifiers in classrooms.
Los Angeles Unified, the largest school district in the state, said
it was waiting for direction from the county public health agency.
In a note to families, Fresno Unified recommended that students and
staff who test positive for COVID-19 stay home, regardless of their
symptoms.
The mixed response mirrored schools’ earlier reactions to COVID-19
in 2020. While most districts closed in March that year, some
started bringing back special education students as soon as late
spring while others — mainly larger districts — didn’t reopen for
in-person instruction until fall 2021.
Teachers and parents on board with COVID rules
For many districts, re-opening decisions hinged on negotiations with
teacher unions. Last week, California’s largest teacher union was
generally supportive of the state’s update to COVID-19 guidelines,
saying that schools have adopted enough safety measures to keep
staff, students and families safe.
“We’re always concerned about individuals who are high-risk, and
we’ll continue monitoring the situation and re-open (contracts) if
necessary,” said Rachel Warino, a spokesman for the California
Teachers Association. “But we’re confident that negotiations that
happened at the height of the pandemic — over air filtration,
testing, masks, reasonable accommodations — will be sufficient for
now.”
Some parents were relieved at the new guidelines because they
encourage students to be in school. Thousands of students statewide
are still struggling to catch up academically after remote learning,
and many suffered mental health challenges during quarantine.
Scott Davison, who’s part of a parent group in Carlsbad Unified near
San Diego, said parents have been sending asymptomatic students to
school for a year or more, regardless of state or local guidelines.
“This changes nothing for most parents,” Davison said. “We could
have had these guidelines two years ago and the result would be the
same. … we all know kids belong in school.”
Concern for vulnerable Californians
Disability and equity advocates are particularly critical of the new
guidelines. They contend the change could increase risk of infection
for vulnerable Californians.
“This policy is not based in science, equity or public health. It
devalues the lives of immunocompromised and disabled people, and
completely ignores the risk of long COVID,” said Lisa McCorkell,
co-founder of the Patient-Led Research Collaborative, which studies
the impacts of long COVID.
There is no treatment for long COVID, which can leave some patients
debilitated for years, and increased transmission will
disproportionately harm poor communities, McCorkell said.
California officials have made other significant changes to the
state’s COVID-19 response strategy in recent months, including
returning the majority of the state’s Paxlovid stockpile to the
federal government in December, effectively ending California’s free
antiviral program.
The free COVID-19 hotline where residents could get Paxlovid
prescriptions and vaccine appointments will also shut down at the
end of February, state public health officials told CalMatters in a
statement. The state has spent $2.3 million on the hotline since
July 2022.
These changes, too, are worrisome for equity advocates.
“Not everybody has a primary care doctor. If you don’t have a
primary care provider or good access to a primary care provider
that’s knowledgeable about treating, then you’re going to have a
difficult time accessing it,” Aboelata said.
State-regulated health insurance plans are required to permanently
cover in-network COVID-19 testing, vaccination and treatment free of
charge, although about 6 million Californians are enrolled in
federally regulated plans that are only required to cover vaccines.
You can ask your employer what kind of coverage you have.
https://www.bakersfield.com/news/a-change-of-plan-california-ends-
covid-isolation-rule-for-asymptomatic-cases-as-winter-
infections/article_7d4c35a2-b7d9-11ee-aa70-07d7c561737c.html
0 new messages