Month: February 2021

The County Health and Human Services Agency is marking another sad milestone in the COVID-19 pandemic, reporting the first local pediatric death. The deceased was a 10-year-old boy with underlying medical conditions. “Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of this child,” said Wilma J. Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer. “This boy’s death is a somber reminder that this pandemic impacts everyone in our community, regardless of their age, and we must do everything we can to protect each other and slow the spread of the virus.” Wooten continues to urge San Diegans to do the following: Wash your hands Watch your distance around others Wear a mask When sick, stay home and get tested Get vaccinated when it is your turn South Bay Vaccination Clinic ...

Human-caused climate change "may have played a key role" in the coronavirus pandemic. That's the conclusion of a new study which examined how changes in climate have transformed the forests of Southeast Asia, resulting in an explosion of bat species in the region. The researchers found that, due to changes in vegetation over the past 100 years, an additional 40 species of bat have moved into the region, carrying with them 100 more types of bat-borne coronaviruses. Bats are known carriers of coronaviruses, with various species carrying thousands of different types. Many scientists believe the virus that started the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic originated in bats in southern China's Yunnan province or neighboring areas before it crossed paths with humans. These findings have scientist...

We're making this important information available without a subscription as a public service. But we depend on reader support to do this work. Please consider supporting independent journalism in Alaska, at just $1.99 for the first month of your subscription. The latest count follows over a month of declining cases. Alaska saw a surge of infections in November and early December that strained hospital capacity. For the first time since September, daily case counts fell into the double digits twice last week. Hospitalizations have fallen along with cases, and are now less than a third of where they were during the peak in November and December. By Friday, there were 40 people with COVID-19 in hospitals throughout the state. Another three p...

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