Today on AirTalk, we look ahead to see what reopening California might look like. Also on the show, we look at nursing home liability during the pandemic; the surge in wildlife activity in L.A.; and more.
COVID-19: State Continues Push For Expanded Testing As Hospitalizations From Coronavirus Stabilize
In Gov. Gavin Newsom's daily update on California's response to the coronavirus, he provided updates on the six factors the state is looking at as it decides when to start easing stay-at-home restrictions, particularly around testing and tracing.
He also said President Donald Trump had just directly promised him significant numbers of swabs over the next few weeks. The governor said he can't give a specific date for lifting restrictions, but that the state could provide updates on the six indicators being monitored. Testing and tracing are "foundational" in being able to reopen public recreation, Newsom said. More than 465,000 Californians have been tested so far, but that number is inadequate to modify stay-at-home orders, the governor said. The state is currently at 16,000 tests per day, up from 2,000/day at the end of March, with a goal to get to 25,000 tests per day by the end of this month. The state's medium-term goal is to get to at least 60,000 tests per day. It wants to be able to provide 25,000 tests per day for essential workers, with at least another 35,000 per day for others, California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said. Eventually the state hopes to get far beyond the 60,000 tests per day figure. There are currently more than 600 testing sites, with 251 core testing sites, Newsom said. About half the sites said they need more swabs, while others need what's used to send the swabs in for testing. The diagnostic side of testing is less stressed, according to Newsom.
The state's current coronavirus numbers, particularly hospitalizations and the number in ICU beds, are showing stability, Newsom said. Yesterday, 86 Californians died from coronavirus, Newsom said — a 6.8% increase over the previous day. But he added that there's been a modest decrease in hospitalizations, down 0.2%, while ICU numbers went down 1.8%.
In other virus-related news, the findings of a new study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association show those who have become sickest due to COVID-19 are those with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure or obesity. Many doctors have noted this anecdotally, but the data from study of 5,700 hospitalized COVID-19 patients in New York City seem to back up those anecdotes. The study was not designed to explain the reason those particular conditions are common in the most sick patients.
For more of our coverage of COVID-19, check out the LAist daily briefing.
With files from LAist
Guest:
Dean Blumberg, M.D., professor and chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital
A Number Of Coronavirus Studies Are Now Being Released. How Do We Gauge Their Validity?
Research amid the global coronavirus is on the fast track as scientists and medical professionals race to better understand the contagious virus. According to the New York Times, research and the submission of studies for review is being compressed, and it’s resulting in a lot of information being released to the public.
But experts say we should take the studies, even peer-reviewed ones, with a grain of salt. The answers aren’t so simple and many studies are later walked back. And the added haste amid the pandemic only adds to the risk of mistakes. Currently, a recently released Stanford study estimating infection rates in Santa Clara County has sparked backlash and outcry about proper methodology. The information that often turns out to be misinformation is quickly disseminated to the public. So what should we know about these studies and how should we consider their validity moving forward, especially at a time when we’re in dire need of accurate information? Also, what could current events mean for the future of scientific research and publications? Larry sits down with an expert to discuss. Do you have questions? Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Ivan Oransky, M.D., co-creator of the blog Retraction Watch which focuses on retractions of studies in science journals, he’s also vice president of editorial at Medscape and teaches medical journalism at New York University’s Science, Health, and Environmental Reporting Program; he tweets
How A California Pension Fund’s Decision To Sell Out Of 3 Major Hedges Could Impact Employees
The California Public Employees’ Retirement System, also known as CalPERS, is making headlines after it made the decision to exit three hedges last year.
The investments into the three funds were an effort to receive big payoffs when and if the market slides, according to a recent piece in the Wall Street Journal. And it did, big time, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.
Some estimate the decision resulted in the company losing out on a more than $1 billion payout. And there’s also controversy because some CalPERS board members say they were never told about the adjusted strategy and that they should have been. But the pension fund’s chief investment officer has argued the same decision would have been made knowing what they know now and that they have decided on a better strategy moving forward.
Today on AirTalk, a reporter joins us to discuss the latest with the controversy and what it could mean for employees who pay into the fund. Do you have questions? Call 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Cezary Podkul, senior reporter for The Wall Street Journal's financial investigations and projects team; he tweets
Dan Bienvenue, CalPERS Deputy Chief Investment Officer
COVID-19: What Risks And Safety Measures Are You Willing To Accept To Reopen For Business?
California Governor Gavin Newsom gave an update on the six factors the state is considering as they decide when to start easing stay-at-home restrictions on Wednesday.
But again Newsom said that he could not provide a specific date for reopening: "I wish I could prescribe a specific date to say, 'Well, we can turn up the light switch and go back to normalcy.' We have tried to make it crystal clear that there is no light switch." Newsom also said this week that local governments can't make changes to restrictions that would conflict with the state's stay-at-home orders.
Across the country, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp took a different approach, announcing that gyms, hair salons, tattoo parlors and bowling alleys would be allowed to reopen with some restrictions this Friday. Restaurants in Georgia can resume dine-in service on Monday, if social distancing is maintained and employees are screened for symptoms. However, many Georgia businesses say they're not yet ready to reopen and public health experts said the easing of restrictions is coming too soon.
Governor Newsom has said that when schools and businesses do begin to reopen in California, there will very likely be new safety measures in place, like reduced seating at restaurants, temperature monitoring, and staggered school schedules.But until there is a vaccine for COVID-19 or some effective treatments, any easing of current restrictions will involve some risk.
We'd like to hear from you: what risks or safety measures are you willing to accept as stay-at-home restrictions begin to change? Call us at 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Stephen Fowler, political reporter at Georgia Public Broadcasting; tweets at
Andrew Noymer, associate professor of public health at the University of California Irvine; He’s also an expert on the 1918 influenza pandemic; tweets
Should Nursing Homes Be Protected From Responsibility Of COVID-19 Deaths?
As the coronavirus crisis continues, the healthcare industry is lobbying Governor Gavin Newsom to sign an order that would protect doctors, hospitals, nursing homes and senior care facilities from lawsuits.
The Los Angeles Times reports that other governors across the U.S. have signed similar orders and that Newsom likely will issue some sort of liability protection for the healthcare industry. However, families whose loved ones who have died from COVID-19 in nursing homes and advocates for nursing home reform are opposed.
Nursing homes and long-term care facilities have come under increased scrutiny since the coronavirus outbreak began. In L.A. County, more than a third of the people who’ve died of COVID-19 (38% as of Tuesday) had been living in institutional facilities, which include nursing homes, treatment centers and jails. “The majority of [victims] resided in our skilled nursing facilities,” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said. While advocates for seniors say many of those deaths were due to poor preparation and decision-making on the part of nursing homes, others say outbreaks are simply more likely to occur at a facility where there are older people with compromised immune systems living in close proximity to one another.
As hospitals and nursing homes begin to deal with more coronavirus cases, and have to make some difficult decisions about how to administer care with limited resources, should they receive legal immunity?
We requested interviews with the California Assisted Living Association, the California Association for Health Facilities and the California Medical Association, but they declined to participate. The presidents of those organizations all signed an April 9th letter to Governor Gavin Newsom, asking him to sign an order that would protect the healthcare provider industry from lawsuits and prosecutions.
We also requested interviews with the California Hospital Association and the advocacy organization LeadingAge, who also signed the letter, but didn’t hear back before air time.
Guests:
Maura Dolan, legal affairs writer for the Los Angeles Times based in San Francisco whose latest story looks at this issue; she tweets
Harry Nelson, founder and managing partner of Nelson Hardiman, the largest healthcare specialty law firm in Los Angeles, he’s the author of “From ObamaCare To TrumpCare: Why You Should Care,” (RX4 Group, 2017) and “The United States of Opioids A Prescription For Liberating A Nation in Pain,” (Advantage Media Group, 2019)
In The Quiet Of Sheltering In Place, Have You Encountered Wildlife Differently?
As the quarantine continues, residents surrounding Griffith Park have shared that they’re noticing more wildlife activity - hawk nests, deer in the hills, opossums on the roads.
According to the Los Angeles Times, some wildlife biologists are saying what’s changed isn’t animal behavior but our own. We finally have the time and the patience to notice the wildlife around us.
So, what have you noticed? Have you had any interesting wildlife interactions since the shut-down began? Have you observed something about your animal neighbors that you haven’t noted before? Call us at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Niamh Quinn, human-wildlife interactions advisor with the University of California’s Cooperative Extension, a branch of the UC system which researches local issues; she tweets