peter chin-hong from ucsf. dr. peter, that's been a really big question and really frustrating for a lot of people who keep saying, i'm suffering from this, but we really haven't had the proof to validate or figure out what they do from now, right? >> exactly. you're talking about 15 million americans here with long covid, and many of these definitions require diagnosis of covid. and if you remember early in the pandemic, we didn't have enough diagnostic tests, so a lot of people got exposed, had symptoms, but couldn't really prove that they had long covid. and now, of course, with the study, we have key differences between the people who have symptoms, people who have recovered, people who have new symptoms and then have never had covid. >> can you tell me what the markers are in the blood that has now shown the researchers exactly that there is a difference? what did they find? >> yes. so there were three key findings. the first was that there is difference in the immune fingerprinting in t cells and v cells. the

peter chin-hong. hey, whenever i want to be deacon fuzed. dr. chin-hong, i call you?, definitely. >> super confusing area. >> i know. okay. so first, tell people what is phenylephrine and how does it work as a decongestant? >> yeah. so phenylephrine is marketed as a decongestant, and what it does is it constricts blood vessels, so it's actually used for other conditions as well. when people have eye problems, sometimes phenylephrine is used. it's used in what we most commonly know in a liquid form, but it's also it can be administered in a nasal spray as well. and each of these have different levels of efficacy, but there are different other medicines that constrict vessels as well. and when you constrict the vessel, you, you know, get some of the fluid, you redistribute some of the fluid, and that's how you get decongest it. >> got it. okay. so i know it's been around since the 1970s. right? but it really didn't get super popular until i guess they decided to put the old sudafed pseudoephedrine behind the counter in 2006. explain to people how that happened and what

peter chin-hong, appreciate your time and expertise. have a good evening. >> bye, raj. >>> up next, new information about that that mysterious group trying to build a brand-new city in solano county. they've been conducting a survey. we'll show you what it reveals. >>> also, is this the last year for dreamforce in san francisco? marc benioff's comments that marc benioff's comments that caught the attention of a lot of wendy's new breakfast 2 for $3 is so good, the crew is giving every combination codenames. i got that sauc-bis and some tay-tays. egg man and saucy boy. two hot coffees. no matter what you call it, wendy's breakfast is that breakfast. choose wendy's new 2 for $3 biggie bundles. >>> this story that we continue to follow is fascinating. we have new information about that mysterious group planning to build a whole new city in the bay area. last month we broke the news of a survey going out to residents of solano county, hinting at this idea. since then, we've learned not only is the plan real, it's also backed by some of sili

so after the break, we're going to speak with doctor peter chin. hong, infectious disease specialist about what we need to know about these new covid vaccines that have just been released. and we have another warm day in store for the next couple days. and then we're going to cool down this weekend. we >> the cdc is fast tracking the moderna and pfizer covid vaccines to make them available for everyone. 6 months and older starting now, many clinics will have these updated vaccines by the end of the week. the new shots target omicron subvariant that's very closely related to a majority of the current cases. cdc experts are recommending that everyone get this updated vaccine and they're watching closely. as to seeing who will actually take that advice because a recent study found that back in the spring, just 21% of adults and 43% of seniors across the nation got an updated booster. so we'll talk about these new shots that are now available with our infectious disease specialist doctor peter chin, hong from ucsf. thank you for joining us to check covid ag

peter chin-hong, thanks again for walking us through both of those big developments today. appreciate your time. thanks so much, heather. up next on the for today, demand is rising at bay area food banks on this giving day. we'll talk about how you can help those ( ♪ ♪ ) welcome to big tobacco's fantasyland. a new, healthier world without cigarettes. as long as you don't count the 6 trillion sold worldwide every year. and vaping won't lead to smoking, if you ignore the research that says otherwise. in big tobacco's fantasyland, the deadliest industry is your friend. shh... a city budget out of balance. mayor matt mehan spoke out ahead of this afternoon's council meeting. he said the council will now have to reopen the budget to find $3.9 million in savings due to the union pay hikes. the mayor says the city manager is recommending cutting crossing guards some traffic safety programs, staffing for it and some park programs. i've been very clear about the raises . i think we should we should give, which are above our historical average and are pretty aggressive. i refuse to s

peter chin-hong on what to expect this fall. and feel the beat. how last night's bhangra and beats night market drew thousands into san francisco. we'll be right back ♪ always in that state of mind ♪ ♪ living on a high vibration ♪ ♪ so hot gonna make it melt ♪ ♪ and i'm lovin' what i'm tastin' ♪ ♪ que bonito lugar lleno de tanto sabor ♪ ♪ so much flavor ♪ ♪ un future brillante se acerca ♪ ♪ ahhhhhhh ♪ ♪ nos gusta mezclar ♪ ♪ como malteada ♪ ♪ aqui hay lugar ♪ ♪ yeah we livin' in the golden state ♪ ♪ dame mas, fres-co y real ♪ ♪ (wooh) dale gas ♪ ♪ vive en el estado dorado ♪ directv sports central gives you access to every game. but terry doesn't have directv. come on. come on. work for dad- here... now, you can find the game easy. my barbecue is saved! access nfl sunday ticket on us, get a $400 reward card. my barbecue is ruined. in the mood for breakfast? at denny's, the super slam is now only $9.99. come get the biggest, crispiest, fluffiest, sweetest deal in breakfast for only $9.99. and for a limited time, try our new pumpkin pecan pancake bre

you know, encountering. >> doctor peter chin. hongconfident that the booster is going to become easier to get in the coming weeks. >> in the south bay, the city of santa clara has highlighted the city's accomplishments and provided what a look at what's to come during the state of the city address that was held last night. this year's theme was strength in diversity, pride in community and santa clara mayor. lisa, go more. talk with how the city is preparing for the 2026 year. that's when we're going to have the super bowl and the world cup. >> last time we had a super bowl in santa clara super bowl 50. most of the events were in san francisco and some in downtown san jose. and we really didn't have a lot santa clara. so this time we've learned from that, we want to make sure that we have and benefit from having the super bowl and the world cup here and and that it's helped our businesses. >> yeah, the 60th super bowl is set for february 8th of 2026 and the world cup will be in the summer of that very year. >> in the north bay after b

peter chin-hong on who should get the vaccine this time around.eople who should really get it as soon as it's available are those who are older and 65 and those who are immune compromised of any age, particularly if you haven't gotten a vaccine or got infected in the last six months. the reason why is that there's cased immunity wanes the fastest in that population, said dr. peter chin-hong goes on to say, for everyone else, he really does recommend getting the shot sometime before the end of october, although he also emphasized that severe disease hospitalization and deaths from covid are all still lower compared to 1 to 2 years ago tomorrow, santa clara county will start allocating millions of dollars in settlement money to respond to the fentanyl crisis the county is expected to receive as much as $45 million from the national opioid settlements during the next 18 years. supervisor cindy chavez said the board will vote on a series of investments tomorrow, including a fentanyl awareness campaign and funding to make the overdose reversal drug nar

peter chin-hong, infectious disease expert at ucsf. doctor, it's always good to see you. think at this moment, a lot of us are kind of living in this post-pandemic reality. maybe maybe folks who are watching haven't gotten a covid booster shot in quite some time . what do you think now with this updated covid booster vaccine? do you think people are going to run out and get this? i think more people are going to run out and get it. certainly more than 20% that we saw with the uptick in the general population for the last booster. and the reason why is because it's aligned and timed with the flu shot. and i think people can kind of prepare the house, prepare the roof for the winter year by going out once a year to get an updated vaccine. you can get both at the same time. flu and covid. it's like yin and yang, oil and vinegar. um, you know, i think we can do this to prepare for probably what is going to be a larger number of cases for the winter. all right. so with this updated vaccine, how closely does it match the current subvariants that are circulating right now? well

ucsf, infectious disease expert pete doctor peter chin. hong explains why hasn't been that easy to roll out this shot. >> well, this is because there's a shift in vaccine distribution from the government to the private sector. and because we have a patchwork of health care delivery in this country. that's what people are. you know, encountering. >> doctor peter chin-hong is confident, though, that the bush is going to become more available and accessible in the coming weeks. so if you try your local pharmacy, just wait a few days and try again. it is 7.11, and still ahead on the kron, 4 morning news and nanny accused of child in the east bay appears in court. >> we'll talk to a investigators and he'll say what tipped them off about this case. and just as students are having to go back to paying off their student loans. officials are warning about scammers will tell you what to watch out for. plus, we have another warm day in store, but a cooldown and some rain in the forecast for your weekend. >> we have your extended 4 forecast after the break

peter chin-hong, an infectious disease expert at ucsf. thanks for being with us.easure, garcia. thanks for having me on. of course, i jumped online this morning. i ordered those four tests for my little family. many insurances won't pay for those tests. and look, i have a husband and two sons. we can burn through four tests in a day if people are faced with paying for those tests. i imagine many will decide not to do it. exactly. and testing is really the gateway to a lot of interventions like paxlovid and of course, from keeping others safe around you. if you know what you have, if the sniffles or that sore throat is covid, you might want to keep away from your aunt or uncle who's more immune compromised. so i think that is kind of where we are. government is spending $600 million. and i agree it's really a good move right now. yeah. is it a good enough move? i think i hope that we would have been able to have more tests than that. of course, like you said, you're going to burn through four during the season. i hope that they reset it again for the winter time. i

that's infectious disease expert doctor peter chin-hong says. he says the best time to get the flu shot is any time before halloween that anybody's will peak around peak flu season. thanks. a lot of sense. let's talk about the weather right now. getting live seeing san francisco and there it is. the sales force tower just kind of sticking up through the clouds there. lawrence karnow joining us to talk about this beautiful weather we're having about that. yes, some are coming to a close here pretty quickly. but still some summer fog out there right now beginning to move back on shore. just kind of beautiful. >> as a kind of meanders in between some of the buildings, you get that low cloud deck. moving on shore right now. that's what we're seeing outside. you can see over san francisco right now. still some blue skies out there, but the clouds, well, they'll march well on shore overnight tonight and fill in the bay and maybe some of the valleys overnight as well. so temperatures out the door, though. we still got a nice evening around the bay area

that's according to infectious disease expert doctor peter chin. hong. >> lou and covid. it's like in in the eye and they go together with lots of people have done it. i did it last year. date are on that. i think when you get the flu shot any time before halloween, the reason why we say that date is you know that you can peek bodies in time for thick of the flu season. and and that's probably when we expect covid to rise even more than what it is right now. >> so doctor chin-hong when i talk to him during kron, 4 news at 2 o'clock today, he says if you're in one of the high risk groups that you should get that rsv shot or you're 6 years old or older. you can get that right away and not you don't have to do it alongside all the other shots. basically just they want to get them all. also the antibodies in the vaccine last for 2 years or more. so getting earlier isn't an issue. so they're aiming to for you to get that flu shot before halloween. >> but the new covid updated boosters available now. and thus, they say the sooner you got it, the better they say that in yet. lot

peter chin-hong joins us with the latest covid news and other health headlines.us for those stories and more at 530 on abc7 bay area streaming tv. ama. all right. thank you, karina. and you can download the abc seven app or head to abc7 news.com and join karina in two minutes. >> and if you're watching us on tv, world news tonight with david muir is up next for sandy patel and all of us here at abc seven news. thanks for joining us. i'm julian glover. >> and i'm ahmed daetz. we'll see you again at six the prawns are delicious. oh, i have a shellfish allergy. one prawn. very good. did i say chicken wrong? tired of people not listening to what you want? it's truffle season! ah that's okay... never enough truffles. how much are they? it's a lot. oh okay - i'm good, that - it's like a priceless piece of art. enjoy. or when they sell you what they want? yeah. the more we understand you, the better we can help you. that's what u.s. bank is for. huge relief. yeah... ♪ with chevy silverado and silverado hd, you can take on the mountains. or you can move them. with the po

infectious disease specialist peter chin-hong says he expects the vaccine likely approved to be the fda this week will help reduce covid hospitalizations and deaths even further. >> my recommendation is definitely to embrace it. particularly if you're older and 5, or you are immune compromised of any age. and the way i think about the timing is if you're going to get your flu shot, get both at the same time. that's what i do. and you'd want to get it before halloween. >> reporter: he says that will allow your body time to develop strong immunity before the anticipated peak of the winter wave of covid cases. >> i would get the new vaccine just because of my experience before the vaccine and then my experience after vaccine. my covid symptoms were very minimal after the vaccine. >> reporter: dr. chin-hong says he is seeing an increase of covid cases in the bay area right now and more are expected. in santa clara county, the levels of covid in waste water are high in both palo alto and san jose. similar surges are being seen in other bay area counties. >> so the waste water being high real

peter chin-hong. hey, dr. chin-hong, nice of you to join us. >> thanks for having me on. kristen. >> hey, are the cases up after labor day? >> cases are up. we're at the sixth consecutive week of increased cases in all metrics. so wastewater visits, test positivity, hospitalizations. they're all up. >> okay, so as such, like people are starting to think, hey, should i take a test? right. and many stores are running out of those home antigen tests of course, some of us still have those boxes left over from when we used to get them for free through usps or our insurance. and the fda just extended some expiration dates. we're going to pull that up. and you explain to us how this is working and how they're able to extend the dates for those kits. >> yeah. so when you first buy a test kit, maybe people bought them last year and they're in a closet and you basically go to the fda site. first of all, you check the expiration date, but don't throw it away yet. go to that site. you click on the test that you have. there's a link with a lot number. the lot number is next to the exp

ucsf doctor peter chin. hong explains why it hasn't been as easy to get the shot at your local pharmacy. i think all of this is because there's a shift in vaccine distribution. >> from the government sector to the private sector. and because we have a patchwork of health care delivery in this country. that's what people are. you know, encountering doctor chin-hong says he's confident the boosters will become more accessible in the coming weeks, but he worries any hurdle could deter people from getting the vaccine before cases surge this holiday season. >> he advises everyone not to give up. >> if you told one thing this week, please try again next week because this is a rapidly evolving situation. health experts suggest people get both the booster and the flu shot at the same time and to do so before halloween. you know, it's strong. it's right after you get it, but even infection for those older. >> new compromise. i probably advise people to get it i soon as they can, but not to panic. >> don't panic. he's okay

peter chin-hong is an infectious disease expert at ucsf. >> he and other physicians are advising those most at risk to strongly consider getting the shot as soon as possible. everyone, five and older will become eligible once the cdc signs off. and doctors say even healthy kids and adults should consider getting one. if you're around older people like your parents or your grandparents, i think it's up to you whether you want to do things to reduce the risk you might bring along of transmitting the virus to them. dr. mike wasserman was a part of the california vaccine advisory committee. he says in recent weeks, both cases of covid 19 and hospitalizations have been rising, thanks to a new variant . dr. wasserman says vaccination remains the best tool to fight against severe disease. >> this virus can still be deadly and it can still really knock you for a loop. >> covid is just one virus worrying health officials ahead of the winter months, though cases of flu as well as rsv are expected to pick up in the months ahead, creating a possible tripledemic even though you'll have to get separ

peter chin-hong is an infectious disease expert at ucsf. >> he and other physicians are advising thoset at risk to strongly consider getting the shot as soon as possible. everyone, five and older will become eligible once the cdc signs off. and doctors say even healthy kids and adults should consider getting one. if you're around older people like your parents or your grandparents, i think it's up to you whether you want to do things to reduce the risk you might bring along of transmitting the virus to them. dr. mike wasserman was a part of the california vaccine advisory committee. he says in recent weeks, both cases of covid 19 and hospitalizations have been rising, thanks to a new variant . dr. wasserman says vaccination remains the best tool to fight against severe disease. >> this virus can still be deadly and it can still really knock you for a loop. >> covid is just one virus worrying health officials ahead of the winter months, though cases of flu as well as rsv are expected to pick up in the months ahead, creating a possible tripledemic even though you'll have to get separate

ucsf doctor peter chin. hong explains why it hasn't been as easy to get the shot at your local pharmacy. i think all of this is because there's a shift in vaccine distribution. >> from the government to the private sector. and because we have a patchwork of health care delivery in this country. that's what people are. you know, encountering doctor chin-hong says he's confident the boosters will become more accessible in the coming weeks, but he worries any hurdle could deter people from getting the vaccine before cases surge this holiday season. >> he advises everyone not to give up. >> i think any barrier would this incentive to get such an important intervention. if you told one thing this week, please try again next week because this is a rapidly evolving situation. health experts suggest people get both the booster and the flu shot at the same time and to do so before halloween. >> it will give you best. i tell every against a winter because, you know, it's strong. it's right after you get it, but even infect

peter chin-hong, who says we could continue to see late summer covid waves in the future. >> or it may we are going to see this pattern for the next few years of a small bump in the summer and a bigger bump in the winter. and that's because, particularly since climate change is causing a lot of people to go indoors during hot periods in the summer, it's kind of like a reverse winter. >> cdc officials are urging the public to stay up to date on covid vaccines and get tested when they feel sick. a new covid 19 booster is expected in the coming weeks. well, the point reyes national seashore held its first public meeting on thursday on its proposal to remove a controversial fence. the removal would allow its largest tule elk herd to roam fre this comes after two large die offs the herd experienced during droughts at the tomales point elk preserve. the proposal is supported by environmental groups and activists, many of which filed litigation in federal court against the park service, alleging neglect in response to the die offs. well, iphone lovers will find out about a new change next wee

ucsf infectious disease specialist peter chin. hong explains why it hasn't been easy time getting the shot and nearby pharmacies. >> well, this is because there's a shift in vaccine distribution from the government sector to the private sector. and because we have a patchwork of health care delivery in this country. that's what people are. you know, encountering. >> doctor chin-hong is confident the booster will become more accessible in the coming weeks. a woman who fired a shotgun at santa clara county sheriff's deputies during a 2019 wild west crime spree pleads guilty to attempted murder of a peace officer. you're looking at a helicopter video part of that incident. joanna macy rogers went on a law was crime spree with martha ross king who was shot and killed by police. they're caught the attention of police leading to a chase which macy rogers fired a shot gun from an suv. the pair carjacked ups truck gunpoint and enforce that driver to drive them away. rosicky tries escape the ups truck. but officers shot murawski with a rifle ki

peter chin-hong earlier tonight on the floor, and he says the ingredient is not harmful. but prescription decongestants are more effective. it's included in things like theraflu and mucinex and all of these nyquil, a lot of these combination meds instead going over, you know, behind the counter, using a license to get pseudoephedrine. also known as sudafed. that has actually been shown to decrease congestion in individuals and advisers to the fda, voted unanimously that medicines containing that drug are ineffective at easing congestion . new at six, the city of san francisco gave final approval to a major settlements by walgreens and two pharmacy companies for their role in the opioid crisis . walgreens will pay nearly $230 million over 15 years. teva pharmaceutical will pay more than $24 million and allergan agreed to pay more than $12 million. the city filed the federal lawsuit back in 2018. the court found the companies falsely and misleadingly marketed opioids as safer than they actually were. all righty. slow moving. hurricane lee behind me. it's made a lot of news

ucsf doctor peter chin. hong explains why it hasn't been as easy to get the shot at your local pharmacy. i think all of this is because there's a shift in vaccine distribution. >> from the government sector to the private sector. and because we have a patchwork of health care delivery in this country. that's what people are. you know, encountering doctor chin-hong says he's confident the boosters will become more accessible in the coming weeks, but he worries any hurdle could deter people from getting the vaccine before cases surge this holiday season. >> he advises everyone not to give up. >> if you told one thing this week, please try again next week because this is a rapidly evolving situation. health experts suggest people get both the booster and the flu shot at the same time and to do so before halloween. you know, it's strong. it's right after you get it, but even infection for those older. >> any new compromise? i probably advise people to get it i soon as they can, but not to panic. >> again, there's a g

an infectious disease expert doctor peter chin. hong says you can even get a covid booster at the same time as your flu shot. he says the best time to get the flu shot is any time before halloween. that way. your antibodies will be ready around peak flu season. county announced they're going to be receiving covid vaccines starting next week. this comes as sees a surge of covid hospitalizations. now the fda and cdc, they've given the green light for the vaccines to be given to those 6 months and older. the updated vaccine is slated to be eligible to marin county residents as early as next week. alameda police arrested a man following a barricaded situation lasting more than 7 hours. police say they first responded to start places. wes, them are in street around 8.30, yesterday for trespassing incident. the same man was barricaded inside of a car in holding another person inside against their will. police department called it a critical incident response team to help resolve that incident after more than 7 hours, officers arrested that ma

ucsf infectious disease specialist doctor peter chin-hong explains why it hasn't been as easy to get a shot pharmacies. >> well, this is because there's a shift in vaccine distribution from the government sector to the private sector. and because we have a patchwork of health care delivery in this country. that's what people are. you know, encountering. >> okay. depend on where you go. a doctor chin. hong is confident that the booster is going to become more available in the coming weeks. it's extent. still ahead on the kron, 4 morning news, a nanny in the bay area accused of child appears in court. >> what investigators say to the law? and as student loan payments, get ready to resume. officials are warning borrowers about scammers. we'll tell you what to be on the lookout for. and come this weekend. you could face a major flying problems and delays at the airport. but this time. >> you can't blame it on mechanical or weather problems. i'll explain why coming up in a live report. >> plus, we have a seasonable averages today, a very pleasant thursday, but we have trend coming up this

peter chin-hong.says we could continue to see late summer covid waves in the future. >> it may be that we are going to see this pattern for the next few years of a small bump in the summer and a bigger bump in the winter. and that's because, particularly since climate change is causing a lot of people to go indoors during hot periods in the summer, it's kind of like a reverse winter. >> cdc officials are urging the public to stay up to date on covid vaccines and, of course, get tested when they feel sick. a new covid 19 booster is expected in the coming weeks, pending fda approval. well, speaking of vaccinations, hundreds of schools across the state are being audited right now for high on vaccination rates. new this morning, as many as 500 are reporting over 10% of their students are not fully vaccinated. this includes more than half of oakland's elementary schools and eight of their middle schools, the highest rate of vaccinated children is a kindergarten class of 11 in humboldt, with 90% needing at

peter chin-hong says people most at risk should strongly consider getting that shot. as soon as possible. >> groups that i would really hope would get it would be those who are older and 65 and those who are immune compromised of any age. >> medical experts say vaccination is still the best tool to fight against severe disease. >> 509 this morning. we'll take you outside a live look at our walnut creek camera. we have a bit of fog out there this morning. be aware of that. that's one of the bigger changes compared to yesterday. yesterday, we had clear skies, but there are some areas of dense fog in the east bay and along the coast this morning, pollen count, it's back up tree pollen at medium levels. your main offenders are elm and pine trees right now. weed, pollen, mold spores are low. your uv index is running high today. here's a live doppler seven along with satellite. we have zonal flow underway. that's a very tranquil weather pattern to be under. and what it means is going to be little change through the day to day forecast. maybe some ebbs and flows by a few deg

peter chin-hong.e says we could continue to see late summer covid waves in the future. >> it may be that we are going to see this pattern for the next few years of a small bump in the summer and a bigger bump in the winter. and that's because, particularly since climate change is causing a lot of people to go indoors during hot periods in the summer, it's kind of like a reverse winter. >> cdc officials are urging the public to stay up to date on covid vaccines and get tested when they feel sick. a new covid 19 booster is expected in the coming weeks. new this morning, hundreds of schools across the state are being audited right now for high un vaccination rates. as many as 500 are reporting over 10% of their students are not fully vaccinated. this includes more than half of oakland's elementary schools and eight of their middle schools. the highest rate of vaccinated children is a kindergarten class of 11 in humboldt, with 90% needing at least one vaccine. san francisco is getting ready to host an est

but doctor peter chin-hong at ucsf says there are some other options. if you are feeling congested, it's included in things like theraflu and mucinex and all of these nyquil , a lot of these combination meds instead going over, you know, behind the counter or using a license to get pseudo ephedrine, also known as sudafed . that has actually been shown to decrease congestion in individuals. according to the data from the fda products with phenylephrine generated. nearly $1.8 billion in sales. that's just last year. the products are still on the shelves right now. but if the fda follows through on these recommendations, companies could be required to remove them from shelves or reformulate them. now, the fda says that some studies seem to show that it does work in nasal spray form. so if you are getting the nasal spray, that is different and then they also say that it is still safe to take. so that's why it is still on the shelves. so they weren't really talking about the safety. they were just talking about whether it actually works for what it's suppose

peter chin-hong at ucsf says there are some other options.ike theraflu and mucinex and all of these nyquil , a lot of these combination meds instead going over, you know, behind the counter, using a license to get pseudoephedrine. also known as sudafed. that has actually been shown to decrease congestion in individuals. according to data from the fda products with phenylephrine generated nearly $1.8 billion in sales just last year. the products are still on shelves right now, but if the fda follows through on these recommendations, companies could be required to either remove them from the shelves or reformulate them. now, a couple of things that you should note. they say studies seem to show that phenylephrine is still effective if you use it in the nasal spray. so if you use that, that is different and it is still safe. so they weren't questioning that they were really just questioning whether it actually works at what it says. it's supposed to do, which is to help relieve that congestion, live in walnut creek, amanda quintana ktvu fox two