Monkeypox

San Francisco
Santa Skivvies sends underwear-clad runners to circle the Castro with some holiday spirit
“We are exhibitionists,” said one runner. “Would we be here if we weren’t?” By Sam Whiting
Health
San Francisco will end its state of emergency for monkeypox this month
The change comes nearly three months after the emergency declaration was first announced, at a time where case counts have slowed to fewer than one per day, officials said. By Annie Vainshtein
Health
Breakthrough COVID research. Vital health care for locals. And now it risks closure
The Mission District COVID clinic was a uniquely San Francisco response to the pandemic: a “living laboratory” that produced critical research with global reach. Now its future is uncertain. By Erin Allday
California
Congenital syphilis rates soar across California as public health funding dwindles
The number of congenital syphilis cases has ballooned to rates not seen in two decades. Public health workers say the increase coincides with a decline in funding for public health and a drop in the rate of women accessing prenatal care. By Kristen Hwang
Health
It’s an epidemic the health care industry is still trying to cure — its own racism
1 in 3 Black Californians experienced racism while seeking medical care, study finds. By Shwanika Narayan
Bay Area
How San Francisco became a ‘shining star’ in facing down monkeypox
Though the threat of monkeypox hasn’t disappeared, progress in fending it off so far counts as a public health success in the Bay Area. The picture isn’t quite as positive nationally. By Aidin Vaziri
Bay Area
Here’s what San Franciscans could get out of Mayor Breed’s visit to D.C. - and what they paid for it
Mayor London Breed jetted off Wednesday to Washington D.C., where she’ll push for federal help with a range of San Francisco’s priorities, including the drug crisis, housing, transportation and public health. By Mallory Moench
Bay Area
Folsom Street Fair is back, bringing kink to San Francisco
About 100,000 people turned out for the famous leather gathering, which hadn’t been the same since COVID. By Sam Whiting
Health
COVID is in a lull, again. Experts say it’s still a time of ‘trade-offs’
As the summer surge winds down it’s tempting to believe that COVID has finally been beaten in the Bay Area. But health experts warn claiming victory is premature. Much uncertainty remains — including the potential for another winter outbreak. By Erin Allday
San Francisco
‘Rain and leather do not go together’: Rain cancels the LeatherWalk in LGBTQ cultural district
Several streets were closed and some Muni routes were rerouted Sunday as revelers prepared to kick off the annual LeatherWalk from San Francisco City Hall to Eagle Plaza amid rainy weather. By Jessica Flores and Sam Whiting
Health
California announces first confirmed monkeypox death in U.S.
A Los Angeles County resident who was “severely immunocompromised” has died from monkeypox, local health officials announced Monday. It is believed to be the first confirmed U.S. death due to the virus in the current outbreak. By Aidin Vaziri
Health
California’s first potential monkeypox death investigated in L.A.
Los Angeles County health officials said a person diagnosed with monkeypox has died in what may be the first known fatality from the virus in California and second in the U.S. By Aidin Vaziri
Bay Area
Critics denounce California bill punishing doctors who spread COVID misinformation
Gov. Gavin Newsom has until the end of the month to sign or veto a bill that would make California the first state to let regulators discipline doctors who give patients false information about COVID-19 — but which critics say would be a... By Nanette Asimov
Health
San Francisco to start giving second doses of Jynneos monkeypox vaccine
San Francisco will begin administering second doses of the monkeypox vaccine and expand vaccine eligibility starting Tuesday, the San Francisco Department of Public Health said Wednesday. By Catherine Ho
Politics
California will pour money into fight against monkeypox outbreak
State legislative leaders and Gov. Gavin Newsom have agreed to a $41 million plan to ramp up California’s efforts to fight the spread of the monkeypox virus, an influx of resources that could make it easier for patients to access testing and... By Dustin Gardiner
Bay Area
Spending on monkeypox is latest pricey California effort to cut through misinformation
Over the past few years, California officials have spent hundreds of millions on public education campaigns and efforts to combat misinformation, focusing on topics including COVID-19 vaccines, the 2020 census, elections and drought resilience. By Camryn Pak
Health
‘This is what equity looks like’: Roving teams deliver COVID vaccines around S.F.’s Tenderloin
For more than a year, teams of medical professionals and volunteers have been roaming the Tenderloin giving COVID shots to homeless and other underserved people. The fall will probably make the teams even busier. By Kevin Fagan
Health
Why San Francisco is ‘cautiously optimistic’ the monkeypox outbreak is slowing
San Francisco may be turning a corner on monkeypox, with early data showing the local epidemic slowing down in recent weeks. By Catherine Ho
Bay Area
California issues its first monkeypox isolation guidance
People recovering from monkeypox should wait at least 48 hours after symptoms subside before resuming activities outside the home, and wear condoms during sex for 12 weeks after infection, California health officials said in new recommendations... By Catherine Ho
Bay Area
Bay Area begins new monkeypox vaccination method for 5-fold increase in shots
Bay Area health care providers have begun administering the monkeypox vaccine to residents using a newly approved injection method that allows them to inoculate up to five times more people than the earlier method did. By Catherine Ho
Bay Area
S.F. says if monkeypox sufferers reveal contacts, officials will reach out to them
In an effort to clarify their stance on contact tracing for monkeypox, San Francisco health officials sought to reassure residents Wednesday that they are still reaching out to contacts of patients who are willing to reveal those associates --... By Nanette Asimov
Bay Area
Stanford monkeypox case raises questions about transmission beyond sexual networks
A man who recently sought care for monkeypox at Stanford did not report sexual contact or lesions on the anus or genitals — an unusual case that highlights the need to better understand how the virus may be spreading beyond sexual networks. By Catherine Ho
Health
Do I need a polio vaccine? How to know if you were vaccinated, and how long protection lasts
After a case of polio recently surfaced in New York, experts say it’s unlikely you’re at risk of from the disease in the Bay Area if you’re vaccinated. But how long does protection from polio vaccines last? And what if you’re uncertain about your... By Kellie Hwang
Health
Inmate is 1st in San Francisco jail confirmed with monkeypox
A person in custody at San Francisco County jails is the first inmate with a confirmed case of monkeypox, Sheriff’s Office officials said Monday. By Aidin Vaziri
Bay Area
S.F. jail inmate with suspected case of monkeypox tests negative
As of Wednesday, authorities said there are no suspected or confirmed cases of monkeypox within the jail population. By Shwanika Narayan
Health
Bay Area eyes major new shift in monkeypox vaccination: ‘There’s no other choice’
With sky-high demand for the nation’s limited supply of monkeypox vaccine, U.S. officials approved a new injection method to stretch out doses, but that does not mean the pressure for shots in places like San Francisco will ease right away. By Aidin Vaziri
Health
Can monkeypox spread through the air or on surfaces? Here's what to know
While monkeypox isn’t a new illness, some confusion during the current outbreak revolves around how the virus spreads and ways that people can become infected. Here’s what you need to know about transmission. By Kellie Hwang
Politics
‘Absolutely ridiculous’: LGBT leaders vent frustration over lack of access to monkeypox antiviral...
The state Senate’s Select Committee on Monkeypox held its first oversight hearing about the public-health response to the outbreak Tuesday. By Dustin Gardiner
Health
Sewage helped chart Bay Area COVID spread. Can it do the same for monkeypox and polio?
With wastewater surveillance already proving to be a vital tool in tracking coronavirus levels in the Bay Area, scientists are now looking to sewage to help them detect monkeypox and other diseases. By Aidin Vaziri
Bay Area
S.F. all but gives up on contact tracing for monkeypox
San Francisco has demanded more vaccines and treatment options for its soaring cases of monkeypox — but the city has all but abandoned a time-honored method of containing outbreaks: contact tracing. By Nanette Asimov
Bay Area
‘Your body is being taken over by this thing you don’t understand’: One man’s monkeypox ordeal
As the number of monkeypox cases explodes nationwide. and the public health system struggles to spread the word, here’s one person’s tale of a painful illness and his struggle to find care. By Jackie Fortiér
Bay Area
S.F. jail inmate with suspected case of monkeypox in isolation
“This individual, and any other incarcerated person with a suspected or confirmed case of monkeypox, will be housed in isolation according to the Department of Public Health quarantine recommendations,” San Francisco Sheriff’s Office spokesperson... By Megan Cassidy
Bay Area
Bay Area’s summer COVID surge has passed its peak. Is the worst past?
Coronavirus case rates and test positivity are steadily declining in California and the Bay Area, signaling that the region is finally on the downside of this summer’s record-long COVID-19 surge driven by successive waves of omicron subvariants. By Aidin Vaziri
Bay Area
U.S. declares monkeypox a national public health emergency
The declaration from U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra is meant to free up additional resources and hasten other measures to combat the virus, which has surged to more than 7,100 cases nationwide. By Catherine Ho
Monkeypox in California: Track cases in San Francisco Bay Area and across state
Track the number of monkeypox cases in California and the San Francisco Bay Area reported since May 2022.
Politics
Newsom declares statewide monkeypox emergency in California
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a public health state of emergency in California on Monday in response to the rapid spread of the monkeypox virus, a move that will make it easier for the state to distribute vaccines quickly. By Dustin Gardiner
Chronicle Podcasts
San Francisco declares a monkeypox emergency. Is it enough?
Fifth & Mission podcast: While San Francisco declared a state of emergency, members of the LGBTQ community are furious at limited vaccine access — and fearful of discrimination. By fifth & mission
Bay Area
Want a whipping at S.F.’s kink and fetish fest? Get a monkeypox vaccination first
San Francisco’s Up Your Alley fair was back Sunday in all its kink and leather, and monkeypox precautions were in place along with the required COVID vaccination. By Sam Whiting
Health
Monkeypox vaccine is scarce in San Francisco. Who’s to blame for that?
The monkeypox outbreak across the country has prompted a state of emergency in San Francisco, as the city’s LGBTQ residents wait in hours-long lines to get a vaccination, sometimes to be told there aren’t any left. But a vaccine for the disease... By Danielle Echeverria
Bay Area
Monkeypox antiviral drug TPOXX promises treatment — if you can find it
Federal regulators last week loosened stringent rules around prescribing TPOXX, the only antiviral available to treat monkeypox. But the drug remains scarce, even in San Francisco, whose health care infrastructure is better equipped than most to... By Catherine Ho
San Francisco
Timing of S.F.’s kink festival Dore Alley sparks worry amid monkeypox emergency
San Francisco’s annual Up Your Alley leather and fetish fair is expected to go on this weekend despite widespread concerns about the spread of monkeypox. By Annie Vainshtein
Health
S.F. clinic reserves 30% of monkeypox vaccines for these men who are the hardest hit
San Francisco General’s vaccine clinic is prioritizing monkeypox vaccines for gay and bisexual Latino men, who account for a disproportionately high number of cases in the city. By Catherine Ho
Politics
Monkeypox outbreak: California releases first data report, revealing disproportionate toll on...
As monkeypox cases quickly spread across California, the virus is taking an uneven toll on gay and bisexual men and transgender people, according to new data released Friday by the state Department of Public Health. By Dustin Gardiner, Yoohyun Jung
Bay Area
How bad could monkeypox get in the Bay Area? Experts weigh trajectories
More than two months after the first case was detected in the United States, the monkeypox outbreak is continuing to spread quickly nationwide and in the Bay Area, mostly among gay and bisexual men, and is showing no signs of slowing down. By Catherine Ho
Health
Frustration, anger in S.F.’s LGBTQ community over government response to monkeypox outbreak
As the city of San Francisco declared a state of emergency Thursday in response to rising cases of monkeypox, members of San Francisco’s LGBTQ community expressed frustration and anger over the government’s response. By Tony Bravo and Annie Vainshtein
Health
San Francisco declares state of emergency over monkeypox
San Francisco officials declared a state of emergency in response to the intensifying monkeypox outbreak in the city, which appears to be one of two hotbeds for the disease in California. By Rachel Swan
Bay Area
S.F. says clinic is out of monkeypox vaccine, will be closed Tuesday
The monkeypox vaccine clinic at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, one of the main public vaccination sites in the city, got only 7,800 doses after requesting 35,000, the San Francisco Public Health Department said Monday. By Catherine Ho
Bay Area
S.F. to prioritize first doses of monkeypox vaccine, likely meaning delays for second doses
San Francisco is prioritizing first doses of the monkeypox vaccine until nationwide vaccine supply improves — which will give more people a chance to obtain partial protection from one dose, but likely delay second doses for those who’ve already... By Catherine Ho
Health
S.F. mayor, state officials demand more vaccine as monkeypox cases surge
San Francisco Mayor London Breed and public health authorities in Sacramento are imploring federal health officials to ramp up monkeypox vaccine distribution as the city sees a sharp spike in cases. By Aidin Vaziri
Chronicle Podcasts
Why LGBTQ protestors say monkeypox is a "public health failure"
Fifth & Mission podcast: On Monday, advocates protested outside the U.S. Health and Human Services office in San Francisco to call out the slow federal response to the monkeypox outbreak and the low supply of monkeypox vaccines. By fifth & mission
Health
Monkeypox in San Francisco: Protesters blast federal government for response to ‘avoidable’ outbreak
Several San Francisco LGBTQ advocacy organizations descended on the U.S. Health and Human Services’ regional office Monday to protest what they said was the federal government’s anemic response to the growing monkeypox outbreak and the dearth of... By Melissa Newcomb
Bay Area
California’s public health tax ballot initiative is dead for the year
A ballot initiative that would have raised taxes on California millionaires and billionaires to fund public health programs and pandemic prevention is dead — at least for this year. By Angela Hart
Bay Area
S.F. to get more than 4,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine next week
Federal health officials on Friday said thousands more doses of monkeypox vaccine will be delivered across the country in the coming weeks, and priority will be given to states and jurisdictions with the most cases — which could put California and... By Catherine Ho
Health
Bay Area wastewater surveys suggest COVID surge could be biggest yet
Wastewater data from San Francisco suggests that the current coronavirus surge in the city may be the worst so far — even bigger than omicron. But case counts paint a very different picture. By Erin Allday
Health
S.F. running out of monkeypox vaccine as demand surges
San Francisco’s monkeypox vaccine supply is running critically low, city health officials said Wednesday in an effort to urge action from the Biden administration. By Aidin Vaziri
Bay Area
Highly vulnerable to monkeypox, San Francisco is ‘literally begging’ feds for vaccine
San Francisco’s LGBTQ community is calling on the federal government to greatly step up distribution of vaccines against monkeypox, which is now spreading mostly through male-to-male sex. By Nanette Asimov
Health
Bay Area health officials scramble to contain monkeypox outbreak
As monkeypox cases continue to climb and some parts of California report signs the disease is spreading in the community, Bay Area experts weigh in on where this outbreak may be headed. By Erin Allday
Health
Feds ramp up monkeypox response with more vaccine doses for people at risk
The United States will immediately deliver 56,000 additional doses of monkeypox vaccine to states, plus 240,000 more in the coming weeks, as federal health officials ramp up efforts to control the rapidly growing national outbreak. By Erin Allday
Health
Bay Area can’t seem to move past COVID surge: ‘It’s like a slow burn’
COVID-19 cases remain stubbornly high across California despite some indicators earlier this week that the state had moved past the peak of its spring surge, with the Bay Area continuing to outpace other regions with its rate of infections. By Aidin Vaziri
Health
Monkeypox surging in the Bay Area: Here’s what you need to know
Officials are advising Bay Area residents and their health care providers to look out for symptoms of monkeypox ahead of summer travel and other festivities, given that most of the cases identified so far are associated with possible sexual... By Aidin Vaziri
Health
San Francisco, Alameda counties report four more probable monkeypox cases
San Francisco and Alameda counties reported new probable monkeypox cases on Thursday, bringing the Bay Area total to five infections. By Erin Allday
Bay Area
Monkeypox symptoms and rash: What to look out for as cases crop up around world
As the still-rare monkeypox crops up around the world, including a San Francisco case now among five in California, people on the alert for the symptoms may not always see the traditionally known pus blisters. By Kellie Hwang
Bay Area
Probable case of monkeypox found in San Francisco resident
Federal health officials have identified 20 cases of monkeypox in 11 states, the Centers for Disease Control said Friday. The probable case in San Francisco was not among those. By Catherine Ho and Lauren Hernandez
Health
Second suspected monkeypox case discovered in Northern California
Sacramento County public health officials said Friday they have identified a second suspected case of monkeypox in the county through public tracing. By Annie Vainshtein
Chronicle Podcasts
Listen: What you need to know about monkeypox
Fifth & Mission podcast: With a likely case detected near Sacramento, is it time to worry about this virus in the smallpox family? Health reporter Erin Allday joins host Cecilia Lei to talk about monkeypox, and about why the CDC is advising... By fifth & mission
Health
California’s first monkeypox case ‘likely’ found in Sacramento
Public health officials in Sacramento County said Tuesday they were investigating a “likely” case of the monkeypox virus related to travel in Europe. By Jessica Flores
Health
Monkeypox outbreak and Pride events: CDC advises precautions for gay and bisexual men
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising men who have sex with men look out for symptoms of monkeypox ahead of upcoming Pride festivities. By Erin Allday
Bay Area
There’s a monkeypox outbreak. What is it and should Bay Area residents be worried?
Cases of the viral infection known as monkeypox have been reported worldwide, including in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. Is this the next scary disease? By Kellie Hwang