The highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has arrived in the Bay Area. Case numbers are surging in parts of the country with low vaccination rates, and, while San Francisco’s case numbers are slightly on the rise, most residents are vaccinated. Dr. Susan Philip, San Francisco’s Health Officer, talked with “Civic” about the details of the current mask rules, the delta variant and the importance of vaccines.
Category: Health
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Coronavirus, Health
Patient, Doctor Describe Living With ‘Long COVID’
Bruce Wheeler was diagnosed with COVID-19 last spring, but has never fully recovered, suffering a variety of symptoms of what has become known as “long COVID.” He’s not alone — according to a UC Davis overview of a handful of recent studies, more than one in four COVID-19 patients develop symptoms lasting for months, even […]
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Coronavirus, Economy & Business, Health
Ventilation Won’t Make Offices as Safe as Pre-Pandemic, Expert Says
Engineers are fielding questions about whether upgrades to heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems will make their buildings as safe as they were prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Steve Taylor told “Civic” that’s not possible, but if workers wear masks, existing systems that meet ventilation standards we already have should be enough to bring the risk of infection to acceptable levels.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Coronavirus, Health
With California Reopened, Should We Keep Social Distancing?
Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, a professor of pediatrics – infectious diseases and of health research and policy at Stanford University, and Dr. Lee Riley, professor of infectious diseases at the School of Public Health in the division of infectious diseases and vaccinology at the University of California, Berkeley talked with “Civic” about the relative benefit of social distancing in concert with other prevention measures and under what circumstances distancing still makes sense.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Community, Health, Homelessness, Public Safety
SF Team of Specialists Responds to People in Crisis on the Street
Members of San Francisco’s Street Crisis Response Team show up to situations when someone is experiencing a mental health or substance-related crisis, as an alternative to police response, which can escalate such situations.
Posted inCoronavirus, Government & Politics, Health, Homelessness
City’s Popular Portable Toilets Frequently Moved or Closed
While the number of 24-hour Pit Stop public bathrooms increased 16-fold at the beginning of the pandemic, keeping them in place has proven to be a challenge. Many high-traffic Pit Stops — some used more than 1,000 times per month — are being relocated, and Supervisor Mat Haney wants to know why.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Climate Change, Environment, Health, Land use, Parks & Open Space
SF Ranks High on Parks Access, but Communities of Color Have Less Space
According to a ranking from the nonprofit Trust for Public Land, all San Francisco residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, but residents of neighborhoods where most people identify as people of color have access to 56% less park space per capita than residents in neighborhoods that are predominantly white.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Coronavirus, Essential Workers, Health, Labor
Frontline Dispatch: SF Paramedic Reflects on Pandemic
Before coronavirus cases were confirmed in San Francisco, paramedic Alfredo Banuelos and his colleagues were watching case numbers in other cities, still at a distance. Then he got his first patient. When the virus arrived in San Francisco and the city locked down and everything changed, procedures on the ambulance changed too. He reflects on […]
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Arts & Culture, Economy & Business, Health, Social Services
Documentary ‘Sky Blossom’ Highlights Young Caregivers
Millions of Americans have stepped in as caregivers for loved ones with illnesses or injuries that mean they need help with daily living. The work is generally unpaid and often invisible to the world outside the family. Some of these caregivers are children. A new documentary, “Sky Blossom: Diaries of the Next Greatest Generation,” highlights […]
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Coronavirus, Health
SF Relaxes Outdoor Mask Rules
Under a new health order, San Franciscans no longer need to wear a mask while doing outdoor activities like walking or biking alone or with members of their households. Unvaccinated people should wear a mask if social distancing can’t be maintained. Fully vaccinated people can almost entirely forgo masks outdoors, with certain exceptions. Dr. Susan […]