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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.

January 6, 2022

Published January 6, 2022

Statistics from January 5, 2022

New cases: 45

By age group:
Children 0-12: 1
Children 13-19: 1
Adults 20-29: 10
Adults 30-39: 12
Adults 40-49: 6
Adults 50-59: 6
Adults 60-69: 4
Adults 70-79: 2
Adults 80-89: 2
Adults 90+: 0
Unknown: 1

Total 45

• Active cases: 300
• Hospitalized: 48
• People in ICU: 14
• Deaths reported: 0

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

Current Situation:

Some very young children have gotten very sick with COVID-19 in recent weeks, including some who have been hospitalized. Children under age 5 can’t yet be vaccinated for COVID-19, and babies under 6 months can’t be vaccinated for flu. If you have children or have close contact with them, please take extra precautions to protect them from contagious diseases. This includes getting vaccinated, wearing masks in public, keeping your distance from others, staying home when you’re sick, practicing excellent hygiene and getting tested if you have symptoms or if you’ve had contact with someone who has COVID-19.
Plan to test kids for COVID-19 before school resumes. Even vaccinated family members can be infected without showing symptoms, so testing students just before they rejoin their classmates and teachers helps minimize spread at school and community wide. If you can’t find an at-home test, visit Lab 24 for a free test or find other testing resources at ShastaReady.com. Visit the state’s Public Health site for more on testing students before returning to school.
Take a deep breath and … keep your mask on. Today, the California Department of Public Health extended the universal masking requirement through Feb. 15 due to a recent increase in cases. This means people, regardless of vaccine status, must wear a mask in indoor public spaces and workplaces. Find more guidance and how to get the most out of masking on the CDPH website.

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.

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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