Scientists in San Francisco have made significant discoveries in recent months about the impacts of COVID-19 as well as prevention and treatment of the disease. For one thing, they’ve discovered how SARS-CoV-2 — scientific shorthand for the coronavirus that’s causing the pandemic — slashes through muscle fibers in the heart. In another advance, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco have developed a nasal spray with the potential to prevent infected people from developing full-blown cases of the disease. One major driver of the advances has been an unprecedented level of collaboration.
Author Archives: Laura Impellizzeri
Laura Impellizzeri is a freelance writer and editor. A former Associated Press business and tech editor, she has been based for most of her journalism career in the Bay Area, where she has led coverage of courts, law, education, immigration, race, equity and LGBT affairs.
Posted inCalifornia, Coronavirus, Government & Politics, Law & Justice
California Courts Vote to Rescind Moratorium on Evictions, Foreclosures
The Judicial Council of California, the rulemaking body for the nation’s largest court system, voted Thursday to end a temporary reprieve for California residents in danger of losing their homes. The move would lift the protections in less than three weeks, at midnight on Sept. 1, opening the door to evictions and foreclosures.
Posted inCoronavirus, Labor
Weekly Unemployment Payouts in State Skyrocket to Record $4.4 Billion
California doled out a record $4.4 billion in jobless benefits last week, more than triple the amount it paid out the previous week, data from the state’s Employment Development Department shows. In the week ending April 25, the state disbursed $1.4 billion in benefit payments.
Posted inCoronavirus, Government & Politics, Health
Medical Exams Canceled for Federal Disability Claims
The federal agency that administers disability benefits instructed state officials nationwide on Tuesday to cancel all medical appointments they manage for people claiming disability benefits. The change may delay benefits for some but open an opportunity to improve processing.
Posted inBay Area, Housing, Neighborhoods, News
Cities ponder tighter rent controls
A city councilmember in San Jose has said he may propose strengthening his city’s loose rent controls to keep at least some housing there affordable. But rents in Oakland continued to soar after it made the same move last summer. Few other solutions to the Bay Area’s housing crisis have emerged, and even San Francisco’s stringent controls haven’t kept a lid on evictions or rent increases.