The summer COVID-19 surge may be dipping — just like life expectancy

A woman in a blue shirt, wearing a mask, administers a shot on the upper arm of a patient

By Ryan FonsecaStaff Writer

Sept. 10, 2024 6:30 AM PT

Good morning. It’s Tuesday, Sept. 10. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.

The COVID-19 surge is (maybe) dipping
How to watch the Trump-Harris presidential debate tonight.
Big Ten fans are flocking to Pasadena after many years away.
And here’s today’s e-newspaper

Early signs California’s COVID-19 surge is peaking

As we approach the end of summer (someone please tell that to this heat wave), let’s check back on the state of COVID-19 in the Golden State.

After months of rising cases, hospitalizations and wastewater levels, there are some early signs the coronavirus surge has peaked and is starting to recede.

“Although it’ll take a few more weeks of measurement to confirm the trajectory, health officials hope the release of updated vaccines will help further dent the wave,” Times reporter Rong-Gong Lin II wrote this week.

Many Californians can now get the new 2024-25 COVID vaccine at retail pharmacies, Kaiser Permanente and other health facilities. Health officials are advising people to get their shot soon so it reaches peak protection in time for late fall through early winter, when infections tend to ramp up again.

A man in a white coat gives woman seated in a chair a shot in the arm

What does the data show?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention categorized viral activity in California’s wastewater as “high” for the last week of August, down from the “very high” status held since July. CDC officials note that the virus is “likely declining” in the state.

But Lin noted that “not all metrics are moving in the rosy direction.”

For example, 13% of statewide coronavirus tests with an officially recorded result came back positive last week (ending Sept. 2), which exceeds the peaks set last winter and summer.

COVID-19 deaths have also increased in the state and nation — up from earlier this summer, though not as sharply as 2023’s midyear peak.

And health officials are weary that the Labor Day holiday distorted reporting data and may spark a rebound. It’s unclear how many people actually have COVID-19 since many are not bothering to test anymore (because people simply don’t care like they used to).

COVID’s lasting effects are continuing to be studied.

While the chance of contracting long COVID has decreased slightly since the introduction of vaccines, it still poses a significant risk.

The CDC’s list of symptoms ranges from respiratory issues to digestive troubles to neurological effects, including:

significant fatigue in daily life
brain fog
heart palpitations
trouble sleeping
difficulty breathing
depression
anxiety
headaches
diarrhea
changes in smell and/or taste

COVID-19 has also reduced life expectancy in California and across much of the nation. Babies born in the state in 2021 are expected to live 78.3 years on average, according to CDC data. That’s down two years and six months from Californians’ life expectancy in 2019.

The decline was sharper for men than women. CDC researchers put the average female life expectancy in California at 81.4 years, while males get 75.3 years.

Compare that to the respective averages in 2019: 83.3 for females and 78.4 for males.

The reason for the decline is “mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and increases in unintentional injuries (mainly drug overdose deaths),” according to the CDC.

Still, people in the Golden State live longer on average than the majority of U.S. residents, ranking 10th last year out of the 50 states plus Washington, D.C. And preliminary data for 2022 show the national average life expectancy increased from 2021.

The CDC also calculated remaining life expectancy by state for those who were 65 in 2021. For Californians, the overall average is 19.3 years, with 17.8 years for males and 20.7 for females. California ranked 8th overall by that metric.

Today’s top stories

A photo of a woman with brown hair, in dark clothes, left, and one of a man with blond hair, in dark jacket and red tie

Harris and Trump will face off tonight at a high-stakes debate in Philadelphia

The live debate, which begins 6 p.m. PT and will be hosted by ABC News, comes as Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump are neck and neck in the 2024 presidential contest.
Harris’ foreign policy has yet to be revealed, but some aspects could become clearer during tonight’s debate.
Columnist Doyle McManus provides questions the debate’s moderators should have on their list.
Meanwhile, former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican who voted to impeach Trump, said he would be open to serving in Harris’ Cabinet.

Firefighting crews in Southern California continued to battle out-of-control wildfires

Two fires — the Line fire in San Bernardino County and the Bridge fire in L.A. County — have scorched thousands of acres and forced residents to flee their homes amid record-breaking heat.
Meanwhile, a fast-moving brush fire erupted in Orange County on Monday afternoon, injuring three people and prompting evacuations in Trabuco Canyon.
In Northern California and Nevada, two wildfires that ignited over the weekend have damaged scores of structures and forced thousands of residents to flee.

The Dodgers have been hit especially hard by a pitching injury epidemic in MLB

The Dodgers have had 98 injured list stints for pitchers since 2021 — the most in Major League Baseball.
Among the culprits behind the crisis is the rapid escalations in pitching velocity that increase the risk of injuries, medical experts say.

More big stories

UC Berkeley will launch one of the nation’s few Palestinian-Arab studies programs amid demand.
A baby’s risk for SIDS could one day be predicted by a blood screening.
A California death row inmate who received support from Oprah lost an effort to overturn his conviction.
Apple’s newest generation of iPhones will include artificial intelligence tools that can help users write emails and find old photos, among other things.
Univision news anchor Jorge Ramos will exit the network at the end of the year.

Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here.

Commentary and opinions

Here is the problem with former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney’s endorsement of Harris, columnist Jonah Goldberg writes.
A debate tip for the candidates — there’s a correct answer on weapons to Israel, writes Sarah Yager, the Washington director at Human Rights Watch, in a guest opinion.
Here’s how L.A. can finally fix its terrible, dangerous sidewalks, writes Donald Shoup, a distinguished research professor in urban planning at UCLA.
And Susan McWilliams Barndt, a politics professor at Pomona College, asks, Do you remember what politics were like without Donald Trump? My students don’t.

Today’s great reads

A photo illustration of a city with tall buildings, freeways and palm trees

Hotter, drier and all-around different: How climate change will alter your life in L.A. Will we be living in a fiery landscape with sizzling sidewalks, or will our penchant for innovation be our salvation?

Other great reads

Children are stuck inside, glued to screens. Are “forest schools” the antidote?
For these California kids, the fight against climate change is personal.
Given the crush of bad news on our changing climate, choosing a “green” career just might be a matter of survival.

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.

For your downtime

Going out

🥾 This under-the-radar city is the hiking trails capital of California.
🏈 Big Ten fans are flocking to Pasadena after many years away.
🤝🏽 This new L.A. hub offers a creative space for Indigenous people of all ages to connect with their culture.

Staying in

🌹 “The Golden Bachelorette” hopes Joan Vassos, a 61-year-old grandmother, will help restore luster to Bachelor Nation.
🍌 Here’s a look at what happened to one of the stars of “Chimp Crazy” after the finale of the HBO series.
🧑‍🍳 Here’s a recipe for sparkling chile lemonade.
✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.

And finally ... a great photo

Show us your favorite place in California! We’re running low on submissions. Send us photos that scream California and we may feature them in an edition of Essential California.

Today’s great photo is from Robin Mayer of Vallejo: a “spectacular tide pool” at Point Reyes.

Robin writes: “Tidepooling is a lifelong favorite activity to explore (carefully!) the life that thrives with changing tides. My favorite creature is the anemone. Having your finger tugged by a hungry anemone is one of the most primal experiences of the sea.”

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Ryan Fonseca, reporter
Defne Karabatur, fellow
Andrew Campa, Sunday reporter
Hunter Clauss, multiplatform editor
Christian Orozco, assistant editor
Stephanie Chavez, deputy metro editor
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.