California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. Early Black Friday sales were seen in stores and in advertisements like 2021. The Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is part of the COVID-19 headlines. On the other hand, headlines for the COVID-19 winter surge were minimal; although, I suspect many people aren't reporting their positive results. I received my omicron booster.
Mon Oct 3. The Norwegian Cruise Line ended all COVID-19 testing, masking, and vaccination requirements starting on Tue Oct 4. However, passengers must follow local government COVID-19 protocols in each country.
The Center For Disease Control (CDC) no longer maintained travel advisories outside the United States related to COVID-19. The reason is fewer countries are testing or reporting COVID-19 cases. Less information makes accurate assessments difficult. The CDC releases a notice if a country experiences a COVID-19 variant. International travelers should update their vaccinations and minimize the chances of infection.
Wed Oct 5. I assisted my dad's friend hauling junk.
Fri Oct 7. I shopped at Safeway and Costco first thing in the morning. The crowds were bigger than I expected at both stores.
Sun Oct 9. Another omicron subvariant was discovered in CA. The BA.2.75.2 was detected at Stanford University and in Los Angeles County. The subvariant is immune to current vaccines which means a higher chance of getting infected. The BF.7 is another subvariant which caused a surge in Europe.
FL Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo recommended males age 18-39 don't receive the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. Ladapo said there is an increase risk of cardiac-related death.
Mon Oct 10. More cities in China were locked down. Travel restrictions imposed. The daily COVID-19 cases tripled. People were discouraged from leaving their cities and provinces. Hohhot prohibited vehicles and passengers from the outside starting on Tue Oct 11.
Small businesses employing between 1 and 25 workers in Alameda County were eligible for grant money for losses or increase costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Grants up to $5,000 for home-based businesses or up to $10,000 for brick & mortar businesses. The American Rescue Plan funded the grant money.
Tue Oct 11. The White House announced there are not enough COVID-19 tests for the upcoming winter season. White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said there are enough personal protective equipment for doctors and nurses. There is more money spent on vaccine dosages. There is less money spent on tests. Congress didn't pass legislation allocating more money to combat COVID-19. The CDC said 35% of eligible people received the booster.
The US daily average of deaths was 400.
Wed Oct 12. The Food And Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the updated COVID-19 booster shots or bivalent shots for children. The Pfizer is authorized for children ages 5-11. The Modern is authorized for children ages 6-11. The bivalent consists of 50% targeting the original strain and 50% targeting the omicron BA.4 and BA.5. 75% of Americans 12 and older are eligible for the bivalent because they received the initial vaccinations. 13 million Americans received the bivalent. 33% of American children ages 5-11 received the initial vaccinations.
Thur Oct 13. The US COVID-19 public health emergency continues through Jan 11, 2023. The emergency is renewed every 90 days. The first declaration was Jan 2020. The declaration gives COVID-19 vaccines, testing, and treatments for free. Medicaid coverage is expanded. Medicare recipients can access their doctors using telehealth. There is a 60 day notice before the public health emergency ends.
Fri Oct 14. The COVID-19 variants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 are derived from the BA.5. 10% of US cases were BQ.1 and BQ.1.1. These immune-evasive variants are emerging from other parts of the world.
Mon Oct 17. CA Governor Gavin Newsom announced the state coronavirus emergency ends on Feb 28, 2023. The health care system remains in an emergency state for a possible winter surge. Newsom declared the emergency on Mar 4, 2020. 95,000 people died in the state. All of Newsom's pandemic executive orders end on Feb 28, 2023. Public health orders are not affected.
Wed Oct 19. The FDA authorized the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine as a third dose or booster for adults ages 18 or older. Novavax can be mixed with either Pfizer or Moderna. The vaccine protects against the omicron BA.5. The Novavax vaccine is administered six months after the two primary vaccines.
Stanford University lifts the mask requirements in classrooms and on campus on Mon Oct 24. Instructors can require masks in their classrooms.
67.9% of cases were the BA.5 in the US. The other cases were BA.4.6, BQ.1, BQ.1.1 and BF.7. BA.4.6 was increasing. The BQ and the BF were spreading in Europe.
The CDC authorized the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine booster for adults ages 18 or older.
Thur Oct 20. I received my bivalent shot. Waiting 15 minutes afterwards was optional. There were no lines. I shopped at Costco Business Center afterwards.
The CDC added the COVID-19 vaccine to the recommended immunization schedule in 2023 for children and adults. The recommendation didn't mean the COVID-19 vaccine is mandatory. The recommendation didn't mean the COVID-19 vaccine is required for school admission.
Fri Oct 21. Shopped at Grocery Outlet and Costco. Costco was busy at the 10am hour. Muffins are $10.
Sat Oct 22. CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky tested positive for COVID-19. She is up-to-date on her vaccinations. Mild symptoms.
Mon Oct 24. The CDC changed quarantine and isolation guidelines in Aug 2022. A review. If a person is exposed or experiencing symptoms, then he or she take multiple in-home COVID-19 tests for two days afterwards. Wear a mask. Isolate for five days if tested positive or feel sick. Day 0 is the first day of symptoms. A health care provider can prescribe treatments within five days. End isolation after five days without a fever, no medications taken, and no symptoms; however, wear a mask for ten days. Continue isolation after five days if no improvements or as long as it takes to recover.
The COVID-19 pandemic is blamed for declining fourth grade and eighth grade reading and math scores nationwide. Reading scores dropped to 1992 levels. 4 in 10 eighth graders failed basic math. The tests were administered by the National Assessment Of Educational Progress.
75% of pediatric hospital beds in the US were full according to the Department Of Health & Human Services. The reason is RSV. RSV can be life threatening to infants and young children with health underlying conditions.
Tue Oct 25. A 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck at 11:42am centered in the East San Jose area.
The omicron variant XBB detected in Singapore is an international concern.
President Joe Biden received his updated booster shot.
British Medical Journal's Heart published a study people with COVID-19 are 2.7 times more likely to develop blood clots. People hospitalized with COVID-19 are 28 times more likely to suffer heart failure and 17 times more likely to get a stroke.
Wed Oct 26. Shanghai in China administered an inhalable COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine is a mist sucked in through the mouth. There is no vaccine mandates in China.
Dr. Jha said a "tripledemic" threatens the US the upcoming winter consisting of COVID-19, the flu, and RSV.
Fri Oct 28. Shopped at Safeway and Lucky first thing in the morning. One checkout lane was opened in both stores. All of the customers' shopping carts were full in the checkout lane.
All 1.3 residents in the Shanghai district Yangpu in China were being tested. There was a lockdown.
The CDC released a percentage breakdown of the COVID-19 scrabble variants in the US: BA.5 49.6%, BQ.1 14%, BQ.1.1 13%, BA.4.6 10%, and BF.7 7.5%.
Mon Oct 31. CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky tested positive for COVID-19 again. Walensky tested positive for the first time on Sat Oct 22, 2022.
The Disney Resort in Shanghai in China is closed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Customers can reschedule up to six months later or receive a refund. Shanghai has 97 cases in the last 28 days. Guests must test negative up to 72 hours before entering the resort.
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