COVID-19 cases are continuing to climb in Los Angeles County, as are the number of people hospitalized with infections, as the typical summer surge in the illness creeps up. Among those recently testing positive for the coronavirus was Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, whose office disclosed the result Friday morning, shortly before she spoke at a press conference virtually, through Zoom. The mayor first tested positive for the virus in June 2023. The rise of COVID in California comes as levels of coronavirus in the state’s wastewater remain high, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Doctors have noted an earlier-than-normal rise for this time of year, beginning in May in L.A. County. The midyear rise in county COVID cases and hospitalizations didn’t begin until early July in 2021 and 2023, though in 2022 it started in early May. For the week ending June 23, the most current data available, reported cases averaged 215 per day, up from 154 the prior week. A month before that — for the week that ended May 26 — an average of 83 cases a day were reported. The official tally is an undercount, as it includes only tests done at medical facilities. The tally does not reflect positive at-home tests or take into account that far fewer people are tested once they’re sick. But the tallies are still helpful in detecting trends, such as when COVID is on the upswing.
The latest count shows the most new coronavirus cases per day since February’s tally, as the virus’ winter peak was trending down. The peak rate in the winter was 621 cases a day; last summer, it was 571 cases a day. The rate at which COVID tests are coming back with positive results is swinging up across California. For the week that ended June 24, 9% of tests showed positive results; a month earlier, the positive rate was 3.4%. Last summer’s peak rate was 13.1%. New subvariants of the coronavirus, labeled FLiRT, are increasingly edging out the previous dominant strain of the virus.
The new FLiRT subvariants, officially known as KP.3, KP.2 and KP.1.1, are believed to be roughly 20% more transmissible than their parent, JN.1, the winter’s dominant subvariant, Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious-disease expert at UC San Francisco, has said. For the two-week period that ended June 22, the most recent information available, 62.9% of estimated COVID specimens in the U.S. were of the FLiRT variants — up from 45.3% a month earlier. Despite their increased transmissibility, the new mutations do not appear to result in more severe disease.
Coronavirus-positive hospitalizations also are ticking upward. For the week that ended June 22, there were an average of 153 patients in L.A. County hospitals per day, up from 138 the prior week. Last summer’s peak was an average of 620 patients per day, and the winter’s was 825. The share of emergency room visits related to the coronavirus is also up. For the week ending June 23, 2.1% of ER visits in L.A. County were coronavirus-related; a month before that, the number was 1.2%. Last summer, that share peaked at 5.1% toward the end of August. Despite those upticks, coronavirus levels in L.A. County wastewater have remained largely stable of late. For the week that ended June 15, the most recent data available, coronavirus levels in sewage were at 17% of the 2022-23 winter peak. That’s slightly up from the 15% the previous week, which was an increase from 13% the week before. But the week before that, the level was 16%.
Last summer saw coronavirus levels in L.A. County wastewater reach a high of 38% of the peak from the winter of 2022-23. A number of places in California have seen rising coronavirus levels in wastewater. Santa Clara County, Northern California’s most populous, continues to report high coronavirus levels in a swath of Silicon Valley, from San Jose to Palo Alto. Fourteen states, including California, are showing high or very high coronavirus levels in their wastewater. California is among nine states with high levels, along with Arkansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. The five states with very high levels of coronavirus in sewage are Florida, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. COVID death rates have remained stable in L.A. County. For the week that ended June 4, the most recent information available, the county’s average was fewer than one COVID death a day.
Summer surges in the virus typically coincide with an increase in travel and group gatherings. And with the majority of the population having long ditched their masks, the chances for infection are higher. Further increasing the likelihood of infection is the fact that most people who have been vaccinated are far removed from their last COVID-19 booster shot. Across California, 36.2% of seniors have received at least one dose of the updated COVID vaccine since September, when it was introduced. Just 18.3% of adults ages 50 to 64 received an updated vaccine in that time; among younger adults, up to age 49, only 9.7% have done so. The CDC says everyone ages 6 months and older should have gotten at least one updated shot since September, or two shots for seniors 65 and older who are four months out from their first updated dose.
People who are immunocompromised can get an additional updated shot two months after the last recommended dose, and can speak with their healthcare providers about whether further doses are needed. A new updated formula for the COVID vaccine is expected in the fall. On Thursday, the CDC recommended that after the vaccine comes out, perhaps starting in September, everyone 6 months and older should get the updated 2024-25 version of the vaccine. “Our top recommendation for protecting yourself and your loved ones from respiratory illness is to get vaccinated,” CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said in a statement. “Make a plan now for you and your family to get both updated flu and COVID vaccines this fall, ahead of the respiratory virus season.”
The number of COVID-19-positive patients in Los Angeles County hospitals rose above 500 on Wednesday, June 1, continuing an upward trend on the heels of a weeks-long spike in infections. According to state figures, there were 502 COVID-positive patients hospitalized in the county as of Wednesday, up from 479 a day earlier. It’s the highest hospitalization number since mid-March. The number of those patients being treated in intensive care was 53 on Wednesday, down from 54 on Tuesday. Health officials have noted that most people with COVID in county hospitals were actually admitted for a reason other than the virus, with many not realizing they were infected until they were tested upon admission. But county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said last week that even if patients were admitted for another reason, their COVID infections mean hospitals must take more intensive protective measures while they are being treated.
Although COVID infection numbers across the county have been rising for weeks, the impact on hospitals has been relatively minimal when compared to the winter surge of cases that led to nearly 4,800 people being hospitalized. Health officials have attributed the reduced impact on hospitals to high vaccination coverage and the availability of therapeutic drugs that can control infections if administered quickly after exposure. The county reported another 4,454 COVID infections on Wednesday, raising the cumulative case total from throughout the pandemic to 2,980,708. Another five virus-related deaths were also reported, giving the county an overall total of 32,136.
With school year coming to a close and cases still increasing, health officials on Wednesday urged families to test frequently to combat virus spread and ensure students can safely attend end-of-year gatherings. “Testing before gathering indoors with others is one such strategy,” Ferrer said in a statement Wednesday. “Over-the-counter tests are being distributed through many county schools, and we encourage families to take advantage of these free tests, especially if there are unvaccinated or high-risk family members. Let’s celebrate the accomplishments of our students without jeopardizing the health of those most vulnerable.” The average daily rate of people testing positive for the virus in the county was 4.7% as of Wednesday, up from 4% a day earlier.
Los Angeles County remains in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “medium” category of virus activity. Under CDC guidelines, counties in the “medium” category will move to “high” if the rate of new virus-related hospital admissions reaches 10 per 100,000 residents, or if 10% of the county’s staffed hospital beds are occupied by COVID-positive patients.
Health officials are urging people to exercise caution during upcoming holiday celebrations, with coronavirus transmission once again on the rise across Los Angeles County. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health this week reported a daily average of 495 cases of the coronavirus, an 80% increase from the daily average of recorded COVID-19 cases about a month ago on Nov. 22. The department said those numbers represent an undercount due to the number of home-test results not reported. The county has also seen a significant rise in SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in wastewater concentrations, which is considered an indication that the rate of transmission is likely to continue rising in the near future. This week, the health department reported wastewater concentrations that are 39% of last year’s winter peak and triple the levels reported one month ago.
The number of people in Los Angeles County dying from COVID complications is also rising, with daily average deaths at 3.6 as of Dec. 20, up from 1.6 a month ago. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-10 is also on the upswing. There were 632 COVID-positive patients at LA County hospitals in the latest data provided by the state health department as of Dec. 16. That’s up from 259 on Nov. 1, but lower than at this time last year, when the number was over 1,200. Orange County’s total was 114 at latest count, after dropping as low as 56 in early November. Statewide, there are 1,905 COVID-positive patients in the hospital, up from 1,155 on Nov. 1, but down from over 4,600 at the end of last year. Some of those patients were admitted for other reasons and discovered they had COVID after being tested at the hospitals.
“It is possible that at least part of the local increase in transmission is driven by new COVID-19 strains gaining dominance in Los Angeles County, including JN.1, a newly emerging strain descended from BA.2.86, an Omicron lineage,” the department said. “For specimens collected during the two-week period ending Nov. 25, the most recent data currently available, JN.1 accounted for 10 percent of sequenced specimens, a rapid increase from late October when the strain was first detected in Los Angeles County and accounted for only 1 percent of sequenced specimens.” JN.1 does not, however, appear to be resulting in more severe cases of COVID-19, officials said.
To protect against COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses circulating this holiday season, health experts recommend common-sense precautions: Wash hands often or use hand sanitizer, especially before eating, after sneezing or coughing, or when in public places. Consider wearing a well-fitted, high-quality mask in crowded indoor spaces, travel hubs or poorly ventilated spaces. Stay home if you have any symptoms of illness, including coughing, sneezing, a fever or sore throat, and consider talking with friends and family so they know to be cautious about gathering if they show signs of infection.
COVID-19 hospitalization numbers continued an unsettling upward climb in Los Angeles County on Monday, July 26, with state figures showing more than 800 people now being treated for the virus, more than double the number from just two weeks ago. According to the state, there were 825 people hospitalized due to COVID in the county, up from 745 the day prior. On July 12, there were only 372 people hospitalized in the county. There were 182 people in intensive care, up from 161 on Sunday, according to the state. The numbers, while increasing, are still well below the more than 8,000 people hospitalized during the winter surge.
The county also reported another 1,966 COVID cases on Monday, a day on which numbers are traditionally lower due to reporting lags from the weekend. The new cases lifted the cumulative county total from throughout the pandemic to 1,285,771. Another four deaths due to COVID were also reported, raising the county’s death toll to 24,631. Health officials have repeatedly blamed the recent surge in cases on the highly infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus. The variant was first discovered in India and is blamed for rampant infections in that country, along with outbreaks in the United Kingdom. It is now spreading across the United States, contributing to rising case numbers and hospitalizations.
The average daily rate of people testing positive for COVID-19 in the county was 5.2% as of Monday, up from 4.8% reported on Sunday. County health officials said last week unvaccinated people are five times more likely to be infected by COVID-19 as vaccinated people. On Monday, state officials said the average daily infection rate among unvaccinated people was nearly seven times higher than that of vaccinated people. Although some fully vaccinated people have still been infected with COVID-19, they are highly unlikely to become seriously ill or require hospitalization, health officials said.
“As we continue to experience significant community transmission fueled by the Delta variant, every effort to reduce spread is important,” county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. “This includes the additional layer of masking and testing protections the state health officer order requires at health care and high-risk congregate living facilities. Every worksite in L.A. County also has an opportunity to reduce virus transmission by adhering to the requirement that all employees and customers wear their masks indoors. We need the additional protection while more individuals get vaccinated if we want to get back to low rates of transmission.”
Figures provided by the county Thursday showed that 5.3 million of the county’s roughly 10.3 million residents are fully vaccinated, a rate of roughly 52%. About 1.3 million county residents are ineligible for shots because they are under age 12. Young Black and Latino residents continue to have the lowest rates of vaccination in the county. Black residents also had the highest rate of new infections over the last month, at 181 per 100,000 residents, according to the county. Latino/a residents have traditionally had one of the highest infection rates throughout the pandemic, but over the past month, white residents accrued a higher rate, at 83 per 100,000 residents. Latinos had an infection rate of 62 per 100,000 residents. Black residents also had the highest rate of hospitalizations over the month, followed by Latinos and whites.
In hopes of encouraging more people to get vaccinated, the county is continuing to offer incentives. Through Thursday, anyone who gets vaccinated at sites operated by the county, the city of Los Angeles or St. John’s Well Child and Family Center will be entered for a chance to win one of seven three-concert ticket packages at AEG venues, for a variety of acts.
Source: Various sources
