An explosion of new coronavirus cases fueled by the rapidly spreading Omicron variant has resulted in a sharp rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations across California, prompting new warnings and calls for caution from the public. of public health authorities.
During the week ending Sunday, California recorded an average of 11,914 new coronavirus cases a day, a 73% increase from two weeks ago, according to data compiled by The Times.
And that influx of infections is starting to take a toll on hospitals. There were 4,001 positive patients hospitalized statewide on Sunday, an increase of nearly 14% in one week. Hospitalizations for COVID-19 had not been this high since early October.
The latest data “makes it very clear that we are headed for very difficult times over the winter break,” said Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.
“Although many will be protected against the more serious illness of Omicron because they are fully vaccinated and boosted, a very high number of cases can easily cause significant strain on the health system if even a small percentage of those infected require hospital care.” he said in a recent statement.
Increase in cases
In Los Angeles County, new coronavirus cases rose sharply in the run-up to Christmas.
On Tuesday, 3,052 new cases were registered; on Wednesday, 6,509; on Thursday, 8,633; on Friday, 9,988; on Saturday, 11,930; and on Sunday, 8,891. And officials warned that those garish weekend counts are actually an undercount due to reporting delays during the holidays.
At its height during last winter’s surge, Los Angeles County recorded an average of 16,000 new coronavirus cases a day. But the latest wave could easily top that number, Ferrer said.
“If the number of cases continues to increase at a rapid rate over the next week, we could reach a number of cases never seen before: more than 20,000 cases a day by the end of this year,” he said on Wednesday.
The percentage of coronavirus tests in Los Angeles County that have come back positive has increased dramatically. In the seven-day period ending Sunday, 10.8% of coronavirus tests came back positive. By comparison, in the seven-day span ending December 20, 3.4% of tests came back positive.
According to data released Thursday by the California Department of Public Health, at least three health systems in the state have reported that Omicron appears to be responsible for 50% to 70% of new cases.
Hospitalizations
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 in Los Angeles County have also increased significantly since December 1, going from 569 to 904 on Christmas Day, an increase of 59%. Hospitalizations rose even more on Sunday, to 966.
But the latest figure is well below that of a year ago, when vaccines had only just been introduced and were severely limited. On Christmas Day 2020, there were 6,815 people with COVID-19 in Los Angeles County hospitals, up from 2,572 on December 1, 2020. At its peak on January 5, Los Angeles County recorded 8,098 hospitalizations for COVID-19, a moment that coincided with overflowing hospitals and morgues.
Currently, hospitalizations for COVID-19 in Southern California are increasing faster than those in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Since Dec. 1, the hospitalization rate in Southern California has increased about 41%, from 7.7 people hospitalized per 100,000 residents to 10.8.
In contrast, the San Francisco Bay Area has seen its rate increase by 26%, from 3.8 to 4.8. Experts say it’s cause for concern when the rate is 5 or higher.
The Inland Empire has one of the highest COVID-19 hospitalization rates in Southern California; San Bernardino County’s rate is 20, and Riverside County’s rate is 15. San Diego County’s rate is 11; that of the counties of Los Angeles and Ventura, of 9; and Orange County, 8.
Some experts express hope that areas with high vaccination rates and still wearing masks will not be devastated by a surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations.
Dr. Robert Wachter, chairman of the UC San Francisco Department of Medicine, wrote Friday that although coronavirus case rates are rising sharply in San Francisco, hospitalization numbers remain low.
The bad news, according to Wachter, is that Omicron is spreading rapidly in San Francisco. The good news is that Omicron appears to cause milder illness, especially in vaccinated populations, Wachter wrote on Twitter.
Dr. Anthony Fauci told ABC on Sunday that recent data from Britain shows that, in its wave of Omicron, a smaller percentage of newly infected people are needing to be hospitalized.
“Interestingly, the length of hospital stay was shorter and the need for oxygen was shorter,” Fauci said on ABC’s “This Week” show. Still, because Omicron is causing such a high volume of new infections, the variant could find many more people who have not been vaccinated and cause hospitals to be overwhelmed.
Unvaccinated people “are the most vulnerable when you have a virus that is extraordinarily effective at getting to them and infecting them the way Omicron does,” Fauci said in the televised interview. Ómicron “could continue to cause many hospitalizations in the United States.”
geographical differences
Wachter said he is much less optimistic about areas with lower vaccination rates. San Francisco has one of the highest inoculation rates in California, with 88% of the population having received at least one dose. But other areas of the state have lower rates; Los Angeles County’s is 76%; Orange County, 75%; that of Ventura County, 74%; Fresno County, 65%; Riverside County’s, 64%; that of San Bernardino County, 60%; and that of Kern County, 56%.
“I would be… a lot more scared if I wasn’t vaccinated. The uninoculated are taking a lot of risk,” Wachter wrote.
In San Francisco, Wachter said he expects an increase in hospitalizations, but “it seems unlikely that it will be overwhelming.”
In Los Angeles County, authorities have expressed concern about the rising number of cases.
Ferrer said last week that Los Angeles County can handle the surge in cases without overwhelming the hospital system if more people get vaccinated and boostered, wear masks indoors and in public places. crowded outdoor areas, and avoid large indoor gatherings.
Expanding the tests
Amid the ongoing surge, Los Angeles County officials announced they would be taking steps to expand testing, beginning Friday — such as expanding hours of operation at testing sites across the county, “additional dates of the week and the weekend”, as well as more mobile testing units sent to “heavily affected areas”.
The county health department is also relaunching an at-home test collection program where residents can order a nasal test swab kit and have it delivered via FedEx within two days.
County health officials said the demand for testing has increased as residents prepare for the holiday celebrations.
“Los Angeles County residents are doing the right thing by getting tested as a precaution before gathering, if they have been exposed, and at the first sign of symptoms,” said Dr. Christina Ghaly, director of the county’s Department of Health Services. , in a press release. “We will continue to closely monitor testing needs and adjust capacity as needed in the coming weeks.”
California is also preparing to provide rapid testing for students in K-12 public schools and expand hours at screening sites.
“After our kids have enjoyed the holidays … we want to make sure they come back as fit as they left, which means making sure kids are tested and prepared to come back,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. In the past week.
Newsom stressed California’s commitment to keeping schools open for in-person instruction — a promise reiterated in a joint statement from his office released Wednesday morning from education-related organizations, including the Parent Teacher Association. of the State of California, the California Teachers Association, SEIU California, the state charter school association, and the California School Boards Association.
Here is more information about testing in specific areas:
Other measures
Seven UC campuses have delayed the return of in-person classes, and all UC and Cal State campuses will require backups for eligible students.
The state also announced that healthcare workers will be required to receive COVID-19 vaccine boosters in hopes of protecting both the medical community and the vulnerable populations they serve.
USC announced Friday that classes will be taught remotely for the first week of the upcoming term and that students and staff will be required to show proof of COVID-19 booster shots as soon as they are eligible. USC residence halls will remain open, but all students will need to test negative for COVID before moving into campus housing and before in-person instruction resumes. USC is also going to delay its spring convocation for new students for about two weeks. It was originally scheduled for January 7.
The university said it would announce the timelines for requiring COVID boosters for students, faculty and staff. University of California students are also required to get braces. Likewise, California State University has issued a COVID booster mandate for students.
Some cities are taking their own preventive measures. Oakland has joined Los Angeles, San Francisco, West Hollywood and Berkeley in requiring proof of vaccination to go to closed restaurants and gyms. And in San Jose, the mayor has said he wants to require all city employees to give themselves a booster dose as a condition of employment and anyone who enters city-owned facilities to do the same.
To read this note in English Click here