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New: Regional health officers debunk common COVID myths

Ask the Experts Part 1- Shasta County Doctors Answer Community Questions About COVID-19

Ask the Experts Part 2 - Shasta County Doctors Answer Community Questions About COVID-19

In Part 1 of Ask the Experts, Shasta County doctors discuss many topics, including natural immunity versus immunity from the vaccine. They address vaccine side effects and ideas about whether the vaccine alters DNA. The doctors explain who’s most at risk from the virus, answer questions about vaccine ingredients, safety, and how mRNA vaccines work. Lastly, they discuss whether it’s better to catch the virus or to get the vaccine to prevent it.

In Part 2, Shasta County doctors explain treatments after contracting COVID-19. They discuss the importance of vaccination during pregnancy to protect both mom and baby and to prevent severe maternal illness and adverse outcomes such as stillbirth. The doctors explain which masks protect best, and how to protect children from “long-haul” COVID-19 and Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C).The questions posed were submitted by Shasta County residents, and collected by Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency.

October 1, 2021

Published October 1, 2021

COVID-19 DAILY UPDATE: Oct. 1, 2021
Statistics from Sept. 30, 2021

New cases: 82

By age group:
Children 0-12: 6
Children 13-19: 6
Adults 20-29: 16
Adults 30-39: 9
Adults 40-49: 9
Adults 50-59: 9
Adults 60-69: 16
Adults 70-79: 6
Adults 80-89: 4
Adults 90+: 1
Total 82

• Active cases: 601
• Hospitalized: 95
• People in ICU: 21

For more information, visit the Data and Statistics page at ShastaReady.org

Current Situation:

We are sorry to report 4 deaths today. They are a man in his 60s, a man and a woman in their 80s, and a man in his 90s.

Flu and COVID-19 share similar symptoms (e.g., fever, cough, fatigue, difficulty breathing, headaches, muscle pain, etc.). The only way to tell flu and COVID-19 apart is with testing, which makes preventing flu that much more important. In addition, a bad flu season, combined with high numbers of COVID-19 cases, will put additional strain on our health care system. The good news is that the CDC updated its guidance from last year and approved getting a flu shot and COVID-19 vaccine or booster at the same time.
The COVID-19 testing site at the Boggs Building at 2420 Breslauer Way will be closed Monday, Oct. 11, for Columbus Day.

If you’ve been exposed: Follow the isolation/quarantine instructions until you can be tested and receive test results.

If you need to be tested: Find options on the Get Tested page. Please note: Appointments are required at most places due to high demand.

If you need a vaccine: Find options at ShastaReady.org.

View more news posts

How does a death become a COVID-19 death?
There are a lot of steps that go into determining a COVID death. Our Shasta County HHSA epidemiology team is here to tell you all about it:

Shasta County is participating in CalScope - California's COVID-19 Antibody Study.
Did you get an invitation in the to join the CalScope antibody study? Your household could earn up to $80. To learn more, review the FAQs or watch the video below of a local family participating the study.

Did you get a text from 233-93? It is from California Connected, our state’s COVID-19 contract tracing program.
When you see this text, it could mean you’ve been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Help slow the spread of COVID-19 by clicking the survey link in the message and following the prompts.

COVID-19 Updates

In response to the rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, video updates will be shared with the community on a regular basis and can be viewed on the Shasta HHSA YouTube channel (closed captioning available).

Latest video:

Past videos:

Daily Incident Updates and Press Releases

COVID-19 Incident Updates were posted every weekday through June 15, when the Blueprint for a Safer Economy ended.

Expand the section below to see previous press releases.

April 2020

March 2020

Media Briefings

Dr. Karen Ramstrom, Shasta County Health Officer, discusses the COVID-19 delta variant: June 29, 2021

Weekly media briefings were conducted until the Blueprint for a Safer Economy was lifted on June 15. You can find recordings here.

From the Health Officer or Board of Supervisors

Rural Association of Northern California Health Officers (RANCHO)

The Rural Association of Northern California Health Officers (RANCHO) is a regional network of county health officers in northern California. RANCHO was formed in the spring of 2020 in response to COVID-19. Other parts of the state have longstanding regional health official associations. These networks address current and emerging health issues by leveraging expertise and resources of local health departments to advance regional public health and promote communication and collaboration among neighboring counties.

COVID-19 vaccine myths debunked by health officers: July 14, 2021

COVID-19: A North State Wildfire by Another Name: Dec. 18, 2020

Statement of support of universal influenza vaccination for healthcare and educational setting personnel: Oct. 2, 2020

School guidance: Sept. 29, 2020

Statement in support of restaurant indoor dining: Aug. 1, 2020

Local essential workers also need our help to ensure they can continue to protect and serve:

Our local healthcare leaders are asking for our help to protect the strength and safety of the healthcare system by stopping the spread.

COVID-19

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Ask the Experts Part 1- Shasta County Doctors Answer Community Questions About COVID-19