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: 

• L.A. County COVID hospitalizations near 2,000 mark as surge rages on. 
  
  • New coronavirus cases nearly double in Riverside County, hitting 11,639 in past week. 
  • Why so many vaccinated people are getting infected. 
  • OC’s COVID-19 cases up, hospitals busy – but we’re in better shape than earlier surges, experts say. 
• L.A. Unified orders COVID testing before school resumes amid high Omicron anxiety. 
• U.S. sets COVID global daily record of over 1 million new cases on Monday. 
• The unique, ambitious study that the California Public Health Department hopes will beef up its antibody database. 
• Starbucks imposes COVID-19 vaccination, testing requirements for U.S. workers. 
• Omicron evades immunity better than Delta, per Danish study. 
• The Atlantic: “Stop wasting COVID tests, people”. 

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