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According to the El Dorado County release, the last reported human cases of plague in California were in 2015, when two people were exposed to infected rodents or fleas in Yosemite National Park. After treatment, they both recovered. These were the first reported human cases since 2006. 

“Human cases of plague are extremely rare but can be very serious," El Dorado County Public Health Officer Dr. Nancy Williams said in the release, adding that plague is naturally present in many parts of California, including the higher elevation areas of El Dorado County.

RELATED: China Issues an Alert About Bubonic Plague—Here's What You Need to Know About This Deadly Disease

Of course, COVID-19 is the disease on everybody’s radar right now. But with the news of the California case and other cases of plague recently diagnosed in China and Mongolia, many people are wondering whether there are similarities between COVID-19 and the plague. Here’s how the symptoms, treatments, and outcomes of both serious infectious diseases compare. 

The skin condition causes redness and flushing, as well as sometimes pimple-like bumps or thickened skin. While it usually manifests on the face, rosacea can actually affect any part of the body. In more severe cases, rosacea can even lead to some eye problems. There’s no cure for rosacea; for most people, it is a long-term condition that can be managed with the right treatment.

Rosacea is sometimes mixed up with other conditions like allergies or acne, but there are actually different types of rosacea itself, which can make a diagnosis tricky. “An individual may exhibit just one type or, more often, a combination of any of the four types,” board-certified dermatologist Susan Bard, MD, tells Health.

Experts don’t fully understand what causes rosacea, but it is known that it runs in families. Managing rosacea is centered around avoiding flare-ups. And to avoid flare-ups, it’s important to know your triggers. Here are five things that can exacerbate rosacea—and how you can avoid them.

RELATED: The 4 Types of Rosacea–and How to Treat Them

Some people with rosacea have visible blood vessels under their reddened skin, and it’s thought that UV exposure from the sun might contribute to this, Dr. Bard says. “That heat may lead to further dilation of these vessels.”

She recommends avoiding direct sun exposure. “Wearing sun-protective clothing like hats and consistent sunscreen use is vital for those that can't avoid being outdoors,” she says. (Reminder: Look for an SPF of at least 30 and reapply regularly.) “I prefer mineral rather than chemical sunscreen for rosacea patients, as their skin is often sensitive and can be irritated by chemical sunscreens,” Dr. Bard adds.

Spicy foods, hot beverages, and alcohol are on a lengthy list of diet-related items that might exacerbate rosacea symptoms, Dr. Bard explains.

While your morning Joe would certainly fall into the hot beverage category, 2018 research found that coffee-drinkers were actually less likely to suffer from rosacea. “Coffee is known to decrease vasodilation and have immunosuppressant effects, which may potentially decrease the risk of rosacea,” the study authors wrote in their paper. “However the heat from coffee may be a trigger for rosacea flares.”

If you have rosacea, consider keeping track of the foods you eat—and which ones appear to cause flare-ups—to figure out what to stay away from.

RELATED: How Coffee Could Help Calm Your Rosacea

Emotional stress is one of the leading triggers of rosacea flare-ups, according to the National Rosacea Society (NRS). While it’s almost impossible to do away with stress entirely, you don't have to constantly live with it. Meditating or participating in other relaxing activities like yoga may help you keep stress levels in check. Getting enough sleep and maintaining a strong support network of friends and family can also help you feel less stressed.

Exercise is an integral part of staying healthy, of course. However, for many people with rosacea, exercise commonly triggers flare-ups. The key is to avoid strenuous and high-impact exercises like jogging and running. “Stick with lower-impact exercise such as yoga or swimming,” Dr. Bard says. “Make sure to exercise in a cool room so you don't overheat, and bring a spray bottle of cool water.”

Certain ingredients found in skin and hair products are too harsh for sensitive skin and can aggravate rosacea symptoms. Avoid products with ingredients like alcohol, fragrance, sodium lauryl sulfate, menthol, and lactic acid, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Witch hazel, peppermint oil, and eucalyptus oil may also trigger rosacea, according to the NRS. “Rosacea-prone skin is sensitive skin, so use gentle products,” Dr. Bard says.

Stick to fragrance-free and hypoallergenic products, and always patch-test any new skin or hair product you want to incorporate into your regimen.

RELATED: The Best Anti-Aging Products for People With Rosacea (That Won't Irritate Skin)

Vasodilator drugs, used to treat high blood pressure and other conditions, open up the blood vessels, which can trigger rosacea flare-ups. Go over the list of any medications you're taking with your dermatologist to figure out if they are compatible with your rosacea or to see if there are suitable alternatives. Topical steroids may also aggravate rosacea symptoms, according to the NRS.

“This is an area many women want to target,” says trainer Susanna Kalnes, who teaches fitness classes at Studiomix in San Francisco. “I get asked by many of my students how to flatten this area of the body.”

Below, Kalnes and trainer pal Kristi Williams, who teaches fitness classes at XSport Fitness in Chicago, share their picks for the best lower ab exercises to add to your spring shape-up routine.

The eight bodyweight moves require no equipment (which means no excuses). And rather than counting your reps and sets, Kalnes recommends timing your workout. "I like to do these [moves]–and teach them–in time intervals," she explains. Do as many of each exercise as you can with good form for 45 seconds. Rest for 15 seconds, then move on to the next one.

Get ready to feel the burn.

Lie on your back with your hands behind your head, your elbows wide, and your knees raised in a 90-degree angle with your feet off the floor. Lower one leg down, maintaining the bend in the knee, and tap your heel on the floor. Return to starting position, then repeat with the opposite leg. Continue to alternate legs.

Lie on your back with the soles of your feet touching and your knees bent out to the sides. Lift into a sit-up while reaching your arms beyond your feet to tap the floor. Lower down one vertabra at a time to protect your spine. Repeat.

Lie on your back with legs straight and shoulder blades lifted. Draw one leg up to the ceiling as the other hovers an inch or two off the ground. Alternate legs, switching like two scissor blades. Use your arms to support your thighs if you need a little assistance.

Post-sex pain is more common than you'd think. "One in three women have pain during or after intercourse,” Michael Ingber, MD, director of urogynecology for Saint Clare’s Health System in New Jersey and clinical assistant professor of urology at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York tells Health. Ob-gyns say it's one of the top issues they help patients deal with, and there are many possible causes—as well as treatments that can help.

The first thing to do is get an idea of what might be behind the pain you feel, then talk to your doctor about it. Here are the most likely (and a few rare, but possible) explanations.

One in five women experiences a urinary tract infection at some point in life, according to the National Kidney Foundation. Pain in and around your pubic area is one of the most common symptoms. What's going on? Inflammation from the infection "can cause spasms in the muscles surrounding the pelvic organs,” explains Dr. Ingber.

When you have penetrative sex, and your partner's penis makes repeated contact with the vaginal wall, these spasms can be exacerbated and really hurt. "Picture somebody punching you firmly, over and over, in the same spot in your shoulder,” says Dr. Ingber. “The muscles may become sore, and a natural response may be spasms of the muscles. The same thing happens in the pelvis, and the muscles surrounding the vagina and pelvic organs.”

What to do about it: If you have other UTI symptoms, such as foul-smelling pee or pain while urinating, let your doctor know. Relief can be just an antibiotic prescription away.

RELATED: The Surprising Health Benefits of Period Sex

Here's a time when size does matter. “Anatomy plays an important role in pain after sex,” explains Dr. Ingber. If your partner is on the well-endowed side, the muscle group surrounding your vagina and other pelvic organs can cramp up and stay that way after the bumping and grinding is over. “The average female vagina is no longer than five inches or so, therefore, the ‘average’ male, who may be six inches long, may still cause significant trauma to the pelvic floor that can cause post-sex cramping,” he says.

What to do about it: If your significant other is particularly lengthy and after sex your vagina feels raw (even though you were super aroused and used plenty of lube), experiment with positions that make an XXL penis fit better, like spooning or woman on top.

Most benign ovarian cysts are fluid-filled structures on your ovaries; they tend to resolve themselves in two to three months without you even knowing you had one.

But sometimes ovarian cysts trigger achy pain, typically in the lower right or lower left side of the pelvis where your ovaries are. "If they’re large enough, ovarian cysts can cause abdominal pain and cramping during and after sex,” Kecia Gaither, MD, ob-gyn, maternal-fetal medicine doctor, and the director of perinatal services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, tells Health.

What to do about it: Most cysts stay under 4 inches, but some can grow much larger, and “these large cysts additionally can torse, or twist, which can be exceedingly painful,” she says. Your ob-gyn would have to do an ultrasound to see if you actually have a cyst, and then treatment would likely be watchful waiting. If she confirms that you do have one and the pain gets to be too much, you may have to have surgery to remove it.

You have endometriosis

You have pelvic inflammatory disease