Health

Water Advisory in Effect for Dog Beach and San Diego River Outlet

April 24, 2023 by Source

A water advisory is still in effect for Dog Beach and the San Diego River outlet to 300 feet south. Bacteria levels exceed health standards, and people (and dogs) are advised to avoid water contact in the advisory area.

The advisory was issued by the San Diego County

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Rock Church Refuses Entry to T-Mobile Crews After Parents Raise Concerns about Health Effects of New 5G Cellphone Antennas on School

April 18, 2023 by Source

From today’s San Diego Union-Tribune:

Activation of nine newly installed 5G cellphone antennas in Point Loma has stalled following an outcry from parents concerned about the possible health effects on nearby schoolchildren.

Parents of students at the Rock Academy, a private Christian school at Liberty Station that has more than 500 students in preschool through high school, say they believe the equipment may pose a threat because of the wireless radiation in 5G technology.

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Covid in San Diego Killed Local Republicans at Higher Rates Than Democrats After the Vaccine

January 30, 2023 by Source

After the Vaccine, Republicans Became Far More Likely to Die with Covid-19 Than Democrats

A Voice of San Diego analysis of death certificates and public voter files reveals that partisan affiliation was a predictor of one’s likelihood to perish during year two of the pandemic. Those who decline to identify with a party also saw a higher rate of death.

by Will Huntsberry and Jesse Marx / Voice of San Diego / January 30, 2023

America’s partisan divide isn’t only bitter. It’s deadly.

During the first year of the pandemic, Democrats died at higher rates than Republicans. But during the second year, as Covid vaccines became widely available, Republicans in San Diego County began dying at significantly higher rates than Democrats,

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‘Organic’ Food Label Rules Tightened as USDA Closes Loopholes

January 20, 2023 by Source

By Laura Reiley / The Washington Post – Reader Supported News / Jan. 20, 2023

The Agriculture Department announced new guidelines for products labeled “organic,” a term that has been increasingly abused as shoppers have sought healthier, environmentally friendly food.

The USDA has a strict definition of “certified organic,” allowing the label to be used only for products that meet certain standards for soil quality, animal-raising practices, pest and weed control, and use of additives.

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Thousands of Stoned California Elders Are Heading to Emergency Rooms

January 13, 2023 by Staff

According to researchers at UCSD, 12,167 California elders — people over the of 65 — made trips to emergency rooms in 2019 for cannabis-related issues.

Reporter Eric Page at 7SanDiego cited the study conducted by the University of California San Diego School of Medicine that “just 366 Californians over the age of 65 visited ERs in 2005 for cannabis-related concerns. By 2019, that figure had skyrocketed nearly 3200%, when 12,167 seniors made trips to emergency rooms for that reason.”

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Rain Advisory in Effect for San Diego County’s Coastal Waters

January 3, 2023 by Source

General Rain Advisory in Effect

The Department of Environmental Health and Quality has issued a GENERAL RAIN ADVISORY for the coastal waters of San Diego County due to contamination by urban runoff following rain.

Swimmers, surfers, and other ocean users are warned that levels of bacteria can rise significantly in ocean waters, especially near storm drains, creeks, rivers, and lagoon outlets that discharge urban runoff. Activities such as swimming, surfing and diving should be avoided for 72 hours following rain.

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Where COVID Was in San Diego County One Year Ago

December 29, 2022 by Staff

Take a long look at these charts inside. This was San Diego County exactly one year ago, Dec. 28, 2021.

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Water Advisory Still In Effect at Ocean Beach and Other San Diego Beaches and Bays

December 29, 2022 by Staff

A water advisory issued by San Diego County health officials on Wednesday to avoid contact with ocean water due to recent rain that could have carried bacteria into the ocean and bays is still in effect.

The San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality issued an advisory that warns surfers, swimmers and other water users that “rain brings urban runoff which can cause bacteria levels to rise significantly in ocean and bay waters, especially near storm drains, creeks, rivers and lagoon outlets. Swimming, surfing and diving should be avoided during rain and for 72 hours following the rain event.”

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Masked-Up OBcean on Front Cover of the ‘San Diego Reader’

December 9, 2022 by Frank Gormlie

If you get a chance to pick up the Dec. 7 edition of the San Diego Reader, you’ll find OBcean Deanna Polk, all masked up giving the peace sign, on the front cover.

The paper’s frontcover article by Siobhan Braun is all about “How Covid tore San Diego friends and neighbors apart.” Polk is interviewed and spouts a lot of good common sense, but another person interviewed Amy Reichert, a co-founder of the very controversial group ReOpen San Diego, doesn’t. Polk and Reichert are diametrically opposed.

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Post-Thanksgiving COVID Spike in California Seniors

December 5, 2022 by Source

Today’s San Diego Union-Tribune reports that there is a “troubling spike in coronavirus-positive hospital admissions among seniors in California, rising to levels not seen since the summer Omicron surge.

Hospitalizations have roughly tripled for Californians of most age groups since the autumn low. But the jump in seniors in need of hospital care has been particularly dramatic. Still, there is optimism that any winter surge will not be as bad as those of the last two years.

Rising hospitalization rates are a reason health officials are urging people, especially seniors, to get the updated COVID-19 booster shot and, if they test positive and are eligible, to access therapeutic drugs that probably will reduce the severity of any illness.

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San Diego’s Susan G. Komen Walk: ‘3 Days. 60 Miles. Not As Hard As Breast Cancer’

November 21, 2022 by Source

By Colleen O’Connor

Need more proof than the 2022 election to comprehend the strength, dedication and power of women.

You must have seen them.  Over 1700 women (and men) in all sorts of pink outfits walking, singing, smiling and some dancing, all devoted to eradicating breast cancer.  It was the 18th annual Susan G. Komen 3-Day 60-mile walk to promote awareness and raise funds to save lives. Each participant walked 20 miles a day, raised funds, and camped outdoors overnight.

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Pt. Loma Nazarene Students Contend With Mold in the Dorms

November 18, 2022 by Source

By Sofie Fransen / Lomabeat.com / Nov. 16, 2022

It is November, the time of year when cold weather and cold symptoms prey on students.

Some students, like third-year organizational communications major Bree Brandon, may not be so quick to peg the long-lasting cough as a cold.

Last October, Brandon got a cold that quickly turned into a two-month-long cough, stopping only when she went home to Colorado for Thanksgiving. Her roommate in Finch experienced the same thing. As soon as they returned to Point Loma Nazarene University’s campus, they got sick again. She then realized that her cold symptoms must be attributed to her living conditions.

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Ocean Water Advisory Issued for Ocean Beach

October 28, 2022 by Source

The San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality issued an ocean water advisory Thursday, Oct. 27, for Ocean Beach, from the OB Pier north 600 yards.

They are advising people to avoid water contact as bacterial levels may exceed health  standards.

From the County Department:

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OB’s Dog Beach Closed — Once Again

October 25, 2022 by Staff

According to the County’s Department of Environmental Health and Quality, Dog Beach is closed and a “no water contact” advisory has been issued for both humans and dogs. The closure is due to bacterial levels possibly exceeding health standards.

The closure is from the San Diego River outlet to 300 yards south. It has been in affect since Monday, Oct. 24.

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Dog Beach Back Open

September 5, 2022 by Staff

The water at Ocean Beach’s Dog Beach reopened to the public after being closed since Thursday due to a sewage spill, according to the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality.

The spill occurred upstream in the San Diego River and raised bacteria levels to an amount that exceeded state health standards.

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Stay Out of the Water at Dog Beach – Possible Contamination Due to Sewage Spill Upstream

August 31, 2022 by Frank Gormlie

Swimmers, surfers and other beachgoers at Dog Beach in OB are advised to stay out of the ocean and nearby San Diego River due to a sewage spill upriver.

A precautionary advisory has been issued for Dog Beach at the San Diego River Outlet in Ocean Beach, due to a sewage spill that happened earlier Tuesday, Aug. 30, upstream.

The advisory is expected to be in place for 72 hours until tests confirm the water is safe to swim in.

From Beach & Bay Water Quality Program:

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San Diego’s Social Equity Plan for Cannabis Retail Moves Forward

August 30, 2022 by Source

By Terrie Best

With both the county and the city making moves to ease restrictions on where cannabis retail outlets can exist through a cannabis social equity plan, we should look at high density areas.

Many urban neighborhoods have been left out of retail access mostly due to arbitrary “drug prevention” notions. These drug prevention tactics are not rooted in evidence, have the effect of personalizing the drug war to you in your home and to arbitrate how you make your medical choices.

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Mama Called the Doctor and the Doctor Wasn’t There

August 19, 2022 by Source

Part 1 in an intermittent series on the Growing Problem with Physician Burnout

By Joni Halpern

Drive along any major freeway in San Diego County, and you will come upon towering structures of glass and steel advertised as being among the nation’s best medical facilities, each one part of a different health care system whose doctors, nurses and other health care workers are portrayed as happily delivering optimum medical care to all of us.

But what if the public could peer through the reflective glass of these health care temples and see what has really happened over the past several years to doctors and other health care workers who toil on our behalf?  What if we discovered that our doctors were exhausted by growing workloads, inadequate support, and a losing battle with work-life balance? 

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Keeping the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Open Is a Dangerous Waste of Effort and Money

August 17, 2022 by Source

By Michael Hiltzik / Los Angeles Times / Aug. 16, 2022

The Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant lies on the coast near San Luis Obispo within 20 miles of four active earthquake faults.

The faults were apparently unknown to the plant’s owner, Pacific Gas & Electric, which certified during the construction period that no such faults existed within that distance. Unit 2 was built in accordance with flawed blueprints.

There have been efforts to close the plant for years, gaining intensity as PG&E’s atrocious safety record came to light.

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Recall of Banana Boat Sunscreen in California

August 4, 2022 by Source

California residents and visitors spraying on sunscreen to protect themselves from the sun’s rays should check which product they’re using because of a recent recall.

The parent company of Banana Boat sunscreen products has issued a voluntary recall of several batches of the brand’s hair and scalp sunscreen spray because it may contain a cancer-causing chemical known as benzene. The recall impacts the following products:

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COVID Hits the OB Rag

July 19, 2022 by Staff

COVID-19 has hit the staff of the OB Rag.

Patty is recovering from falling ill last week, and editordude spent most of Monday in bed.

Rag readers need to prepare themselves for slim-downed issues the entire week.

Comments will be open, as usual, but the moderation process may take longer.

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Official Statement: ‘High Risk for COVID-19 in San Diego County’

July 15, 2022 by Source

From County News Center, County of San Diego Communications Office, July 14, 2022 | 3:59 PM

The continued increase in local coronavirus cases has prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to move San Diego County to its high-risk level for COVID-19.

The CDC tracks community levels of the virus based on geographic regions to determine the impact of COVID-19 in communities, and to allow individual jurisdictions to implement preventive strategies based on the latest local data.

San Diego had been in the medium-risk category since the end of May, but recent spikes in hospitalizations and new cases have led the CDC to increase the risk level for the region.

Actions You Can Take

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It’s Baaaaacccckkkk! San Diego County Enters Code Orange – Highest Level for COVID

July 15, 2022 by Source


Coronavirus activity appears to be on the rise again post Fourth of July

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT – thanks to :

By Paul Sisson / San Diego Union-Tribune / July 14, 2022 7:48 PM

Ten days after the Fourth of July, coronavirus activity appears to be on the upswing, according to San Diego County’s latest case and hospitalization numbers, pushing the region into the most severe level of the nationwide COVID-19 activity map maintained by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Communities with 10 or more recent coronavirus-related hospitalizations per 100,000 residents are listed in the highest tier, which is color coded orange. San Diego County, said to have 384 total new COVID hospitalizations in a seven-day span ending July 12, reached 11.5 per 100,000.

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You’re Not Allowed to Have the Best Sunscreens in the World

July 6, 2022 by Source

Newer, better UV-blocking agents have been in use in other countries for years. Why can’t we have them here?

By Amanda Mull / The Atlantic / July 2022

At 36, I am just old enough to remember when sunscreen wasn’t a big deal. My mom, despite being among the palest people alive, does not remember bringing it on our earliest vacations, or hearing any mention of sun protection by our pediatrician. …

The preponderance of babies in rashguards and bucket hats that you now see at the beach shows how much has changed, and how quickly.

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San Diego COVID Experts: ‘Here We Go Again’

June 7, 2022 by Source

by Jake Harper/ inewsource / June 6, 2022

A surge in COVID cases hitting San Diego County has public health experts worried that a rise in hospitalizations and deaths could be on the way.

The Omicron variants BA.2 and BA.2.12.1, which are even more contagious than the variant that caused a winter surge in the U.S., are responsible for the recent increase in cases across the county — rivaling numbers seen in the Delta wave late last summer. For example, confirmed cases surpassed 1,500 per day for three days straight in late May.

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New COVID Numbers for San Diego County Don’t Lie

May 20, 2022 by Source

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A Warning to Meat Eaters: Recall of Ground Beef

April 28, 2022 by Judi Curry

By Judi Curry

This is nothing more than a hopeful help to those of you, like me, that have purchased Grass Fed Ground Beef packaged by Lakeside Refrigerated Services and sold under the names of NATURALLY BETTER, NATURE’S RESERVE AND THOMAS FARMS.

Many of these products have been recalled because of E.Coli. I looked in my freezer and found that I had 5 packages, all purchased locally.

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Slight COVID Uptick Seen in Wastewater Testing at Point Loma Plant

March 22, 2022 by Source

Public Service Announcement:

After weeks of decline, experts who track coronavirus levels in San Diego’s wastewater at the Point Loma plant say they are starting to see a slight uptick in viral load, which could be an indication that the new wave of the pandemic that has hit foreign countries has now reached Southern California. The last data analyzed from Point Loma on March 13 and March 14 show an uptick.

“This slight uptick is not something to be alarmed about, but something we’re watching with caution,” Dr. Christopher Longhurt, Chief Medical Officer at UC San Diego Health,

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Charts Show San Diego County COVID Numbers Falling

February 17, 2022 by Source

Here are some heart-warming charts from the San Diego County Department of Health and Human Services that clearly show falling numbers of COVID here.

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NFL Awards UCSD Funds for Cannabis Pain Research

February 7, 2022 by Source

By Jacob Aere / KPBS / February 2, 2022

The National Football League has awarded $1 million to two medical research teams — including one at UC San Diego — to research the impact of cannabis and CBD on pain management and recovery from sports- related injuries, it was announced Tuesday.

UCSD and the University of Regina in Canada were selected among 106 submissions for research proposals executed by the NFL-NFLPA Joint Pain Management Committee, with UCSD’s team to assess the therapeutic potential for cannabis for “relief of post-competition soft-tissue injury pain in elite athletes.”

The study will be done on professional rugby players.

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