KPCC CDC Panel Recommendations Concerns About Winter Surge and More Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 03 January 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles KPCC CDC Panel Recommendations Concerns About Winter Surge and More The steep increase in COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County reflects the omicron variant's high transmissibility, said Cedars-Sinai infectious disease expert Catherine Le, MD. Photo by Getty Images. Sick woman lying in bed and blowing nose KPCC's AirTalk With Larry Mantle recently spoke with Cedars-Sinai infectious disease specialist Catherine Le, MD, co-director of the Cedars-Sinai COVID-19 Recovery Program, for AirTalk's daily update on COVID-19 developments. The day's topics included cancellation of a UCLA Bruins basketball game and performances of "A Christmas Carol" at the Ahmanson Theatre after players and cast members tested positive for the virus. Los Angeles County also tightened health requirements at large events in anticipation of a possible surge driven by the omicron variant. "Cases are really starting to double every single day, which really reflects this new variant's high transmissibility," Le told Mantle. "The county is really trying to stay ahead of it." Le supported the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's embrace of policies that allow close contacts of students infected with COVID-19 to remain in attendance at school if they test negative for the virus, calling education a public health concern as well. Le also fielded listener questions about long COVID-19, which causes patients to experience symptoms weeks or months after their initial infection is cleared. She told Mantle there isn't data to back up anecdotal evidence that vaccination or boosting cures the condition. Still, "I'll take any ammunition I can get to get my patients to get vaccinated," she said. She urged families planning holiday gatherings to consider everyone's vaccination status, overall health and travel plans, as well as the size of the gathering, and to take safety precautions such as masking and celebrating outdoors where possible. Click here to listen to the complete interview from KPCC. Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries October 07, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles HealthDay recently interviewed Rebecca J. Schneyer, MD, a resident in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program at Cedars-Sinai, about a study she led that found Black and Hispanic women were less likely than white women to receive minimally … Read more KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot October 06, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles KCRW program Press Play recently featured Rita Shane, PharmD, vice president and chief pharmacy officer at Cedars-Sinai, discussing who qualifies for the updated COVID-19 booster and how long patients must wait before getting the shot.The Centers … Read more ABC 7 Spider-Man Swings by 4-Year-Old Leukemia Patient s Birthday Party at Cedars-Sinai September 30, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles ABC 7 recently profiled Cedars-Sinai patient Jabari Henley, who celebrated his fourth birthday with a special superhero at Guerin Children's newly opened inpatient facility.The Lifedriven Foundation helped throw Henley a surprise party in the Guerin … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Share this release KPCC CDC Panel Recommendations Concerns About Winter Surge and More Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home