COVID in L.A.

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the UCSF Medical Center. 

Topics today include: 

• L.A. County residents over 50 can start receiving second boosters Wednesday. 

  • How to get the new booster if you’re 50 or older. 
• C.D.C. report: Pfizer and Moderna boosters help protect Americans who received the J&J shot. 
• WHO: COVID deaths jump by 40%, but cases are falling globally. 
• AP and NORC poll: Americans taking fewer precautions two years into the pandemic. 
• California lawmakers don’t advance proposal to require all workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. 

 

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. 

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Kimberly Shriner, director of Infectious Disease and Prevention at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena. 

Topics today include: 

• F.D.A. authorizes second booster shots for adults age 50 and older. 
• Omicron “stealth” COVID variant BA.2 now dominant globally. 
• Coronavirus deaths in the U.S. fall to their lowest number since summer. 
• Funding runs out for free COVID tests and treatment for the uninsured. 
• F.D.A.’s budget proposal includes money to prepare for another pandemic. 
• How COVID brain fog may overlap with “chemo brain” and Alzheimer’s. 

 

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. 

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the UCSF Medical Center. 

Topics today include: 

• Only 30% of L.A. County kids are vaccinated, months after COVID shots became available. 
• Why it’s so difficult to assess pandemic risks right now. 
• California sends millions of COVID-19 tests to schools for the return from spring break.  
• Studies link COVID-19 infection with increased risk of new diabetes diagnosis. 
• Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J face shareholder pressure to broaden vaccine access. 
• Shanghai to put 25 million in a staggered COVID lockdown. 

 

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. 

 

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Dean Blumberg, professor of medicine and chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital. 

Topics today include: 

• Experts worry how U.S. will see the next COVID surge coming. 
• Airlines for an end to the mask mandate for travel. 
• We know about long COVID. Should there be a medium COVID? 
• Evidence grows that vaccines lower the risk of getting long COVID. 

 

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. 

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, professor of epidemiology and community health sciences at UCLA. 

Topics today include: 

• Moderna will seek emergency use authorization for children ages 6 months to 6 years old. 

• One in three U.S. COVID-19 cases now caused by BA.2 Omicron subvariant. 

  • Dr. Anthony Fauci doubtful BA.2 will cause new surge. 

• LAUSD dropped mask mandates for students on Wednesday. 
• Should airlines continue with mask mandates?
• WHO warns European countries lifted restrictions too soon.
• Scientists look for method to test for efficacy of COVID-19 antibodies. 
• How effective should a pediatric vaccine be?  

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. 

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Dean Blumberg, professor of medicine and chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital. 

Topics today include: 

• Dr. Anthony Fauci: uptick in cases likely due to BA.2 subvariant of Omicron. 

  • New study sheds light on BA.2’s recent success. 
• L.A. Times: Omicron surge hit SoCal harder than the rest of the state. 
• The unclear future of additional booster shots. 
• Could the BAFTA weekend have caused an uptick in COVID-19 cases in the entertainment industry? 
• As mask requirements ease, teens find themselves anxious on whether to continue masking. 

 

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.  

 

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Tara Vijayan, associate professor of infectious diseases and medical director of antimicrobial stewardship at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. 

Topics today include: 

• Moderna asks the F.D.A. to authorize a second booster for all adults. 

• Europe’s rising caseloads could foreshadow a second Omicron surge in the U.S. 

  • Overwhelmed by Omicron, Hong Kong runs out of space to bury its dead. 
  • This key indicator could determine how bad a BA.2 wave could be in the U.S. 
  • Study reveals likely reason for the “stealth” variant’s recent success. 
• More than 30 companies to start making generic versions of Pfizer’s COVID-19 pill. 
• Ivermectin did not reduce COVID-19 hospitalizations in largest trial to date. 
• The goal: Vaccinate 70% of the world against COVID. Scientists are proposing a reboot. 

 

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. 

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Paul Adamson, infectious diseases physician and assistant clinical professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. 

Topics today include: 

• Scientists fear U.K. is easing coronavirus testing and monitoring too soon. 
• WHO: New COVID deaths fell 17% last week, but cases are rising. 
• Israeli study: Second COVID booster shot does little to stop Omicron. 
• French study: Pfizer’s COVID vaccine is safe in people with prior myocarditis. 
• The goal: Vaccinate 70% of the world against COVID. Scientists are proposing a reboot. 
• Does COVID-19 cause diabetes? 

 

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. 

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Sam Torbati, co-chair of the department of emergency medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. 

Topics today include: 

• Coronavirus cases are rising in Europe. Is it a warning for California? 

  • U.S. sewer data warns of new bump in COVID cases after lull. 
• Coronavirus positive test rate in California is 1.5%, lowest since before summer’s Delta surge. 
• As data mounts, the J&J vaccine holds its own. 

 

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. 

 

 

In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Kimberly Shriner, director of Infectious Disease and Prevention at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena. 

Topics today include: 

• Pfizer’s CEO says a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine will be needed. Pfizer is working on a shot to handle all variants. 

  • Pfizer and BioNTech seeking approval for a second COVID-19 booster shot for those 65 and over. 
• Merck’s COVID-19 pill heavily used so far despite concerns.  
• The latest surge in Asia and Europe. 
• White House says funding is running out for COVID-19 vaccination, testing, and treatment programs.

 

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.