This year’s severe flu is hitting the country hard, causing local medical experts to warn people to take extra care to prevent the spread of the virus.
California’s Department of Public Health said in a statement last week that there’s an “accelerated increase in flu activity” and it’s not too late to get vaccinated. Read More
Concerns about radiological contamination at Treasure Island reverberated Tuesday at City Hall amid worries from residents and advocates over possible health concerns on the man-made island owned by the U.S. Navy.
That Navy’s Aug. 6 release of a study identifying nine new sites of possible contamination, and recent reports of tension between state regulatory agencies and the military, prompted the Board of Supervisors to hold a special hearing Tuesday. Read More
While new cases of HIV have continued to decline, other documented instances of sexually transmitted diseases are on a continuous multi-year rise in San Francisco and across California.
Some local clinics are attempting to combat the spike with additional testing methods for syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia that involve checks of the throat and rectum — steps not currently endorsed as essential by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Read More
It began with a cough. And then the coughing wouldn’t stop.
“We would cough, cough, cough for like five minutes straight,” said Emily Tobita, 18, of the Richmond district. “At the end of really bad fits, we’d end up throwing up.” Read More
San Francisco was once was a leader in its anti-smoking policies, but it is now home to one of the highest percentages of smokers compared to other large cities in California.Roughly 13 percent of residents in The City are smokers, according to a new report released by the California Department of Public Health on Monday. By comparison, about 10 percent of the population of Los Angeles and 11 percent of San Diego smokes. Read More
