STAR ANNOUNCER
An admissions specialist works with samples to test for COVID-19 at Daniel K. Inouye Airport in August 2022. About 155 million more people, virtually a portion of the U. S. population, live in spaces with “very high” levels of coronavirus in wastewater. This includes Hawaii.
LOS ANGELES >> Coronavirus levels in California’s wastewater are surpassing last summer’s peak, an indication of the arrival of the new super-contagious FLiRT strains.
California has “very high” levels of coronavirus in its wastewater, one of 21 states in that category, up from seven last week, according to estimates released Friday through the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. .
That means about 155 million people, nearly a portion of the U. S. population, live in spaces with “very high” levels of coronavirus in wastewater. In addition to California, other states with “very high” levels include Alaska, Colorado and Connecticut. , Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming. Washington, D. C. , also falls into this category.
Degrees of coronavirus in wastewater are also surging in Los Angeles County, and the pace of accumulation is accelerating. This month, the county also saw a notable increase in newly demonstrated infections, positive coronavirus hospitalizations, and the percentage of emergency room visits attributable to COVID-19.
Nationally, overall viral levels in wastewater are “high” for the second week in a row, the CDC said. Estimates are subject to being replaced as new knowledge becomes available.
Most Americans probably know a family member, friend, co-worker, or acquaintance who recently contracted COVID-19, perhaps while traveling or at a social gathering.
“If you call, I don’t know, 20 or 30 friends, chances are you’ll find out that several of them actually have COVID, or have had COVID recently, or are starting to show symptoms,” said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly. , COVID expert and chief of studies and progression at St. John’s Veterans Affairs Health System, Louis, Missouri.
One notable recent case is President Biden, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday while traveling to Las Vegas. Biden returned to Delaware to recover. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass tested positive a few weeks ago, and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) said Tuesday that she was celebrating her birthday while she recovered from COVID.
“Our fight against COVID is over!” Lee said on social media.
Across the country, the shadow of COVID-19 has become more pronounced in recent times, with the same seasonal surge and socialization generating a new wave of infections. Many cases are relatively benign, although disturbing, and force the cancellation of trips or plans. canceled.
Some recently swollen people have described painful COVID symptoms, such as a throat that feels like it’s peppered with razor blades. However, overall, there is no evidence that the FLiRT subvariants are associated with an increase in disease severity that would cause a truly extensive increase in hospitalizations.
The CDC estimates that COVID-19 infections are expanding or most likely accumulating in 41 states, including California. There are no states where the coronavirus is declining or likely to decline.
The resurgence of COVID comes as the growing FLiRT family increases its dominance across the country. For the two-week era that ended Saturday, the CDC estimates that about 80% of the nation’s coronavirus samples belong to the FLiRT subvariants, compared with about 65% for the same era a month earlier.
Across California, the rate of positive effects from COVID controls is also increasing. For the week ending July 15, 12. 8% of tests were positive. This represents an increase from 5. 9% the previous month and close to last summer’s peak of 13. 1%. for August and early September.
For the 10-day period ending July 6, the recent high for which data is available, coronavirus levels in Los Angeles County’s wastewater ranged from 36% of last winter’s peak, to 27% for the 10-day period ending June 29.
It was recently shown that COVID cases are spreading faster. During the week ending July 14, there were an average of 359 new cases per day in Los Angeles County, up from 307 last week. A month earlier, there were 154 cases per day.
The official COVID-19 case count is almost an underestimate, as those numbers only come with tests done at medical facilities, not at home, and they also don’t take into account that fewer people get tested when they feel sick. . But overall trends are still useful in determining the path of the summer wave.
COVID-related hospitalizations are also rising, remaining below last summer’s peak. During the week ending July 13, there were an average of 287 COVID-positive people per day in Los Angeles County hospitals, compared to 139 during the same period. within a month before. Last summer’s peak was the week ending Sept. 9, when an average of 620 COVID-positive patients were in the region’s hospitals each day.
During the week ending July 14, Los Angeles County reported that 2. 8% of all emergency room visits were COVID-related, up from 1. 8% at the comparable time the previous month, but down from last summer’s peak of 5. 1%.
Coronavirus levels are also high in wastewater in Santa Clara County, the most populous area of the San Francisco Bay Area and home to Silicon Valley. On Friday, coronavirus levels were “high” in all of its sewer basins: San Jose, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale and Gilroy.
Doctors say it’s vital to get tested if you have COVID symptoms, such as fever, body aches, sore throat, chills, fatigue, cough, runny nose or headaches, as well as less common situations like vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal discomfort.
Most fitness insurance plans in California, at least those regulated by the state, must reimburse those covered for 8 at-home test kits per month, if an in-network provider is used.
Additionally, “if you have insurance, your health insurance should cover the full cost of the check if a doctor orders it. If you want to have symptoms to request a checkup,” according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
Eligible Americans can also search for free testing locations through the CDC website, testinglocator. cdc. gov. Those who have insurance will probably want to provide insurance information.
People who don’t have fitness insurance in Los Angeles County can also get free COVID checks at the county’s Public Health Center’s nurse-only clinics and multi-service vaccination sites. People over the age of 65 who live in Los Angeles County, as well as citizens leaving their homes can also request to have two loose check kits mailed to them by filling out an online form. Los Angeles County libraries, as well as food banks and senior centers, are also likely offering loose COVID check kits.
Health officials also recommended other people ask medical providers for antiviral treatments, such as Paxlovid, to help combat active COVID disease. Antiviral medications can be used to treat other people with mild to moderate illnesses who are at risk of getting worse.
“It’s not about waiting until symptoms get worse,” says the California Department of Public Health.
Health officials have said in the past that antiviral medications are underused and implored physical care providers to prescribe them when indicated.
In an advisory, the California Department of Public Health said: “Most adults and some youth with symptomatic COVID-19 are eligible for treatment. …Providers have a low threshold for prescribing COVID-19 treatments.
The state of California used to make virtual COVID doctor visits free for residents, but that program ended in March. The contractor that provided the service, sesamecare. com/covid, now provides those medical visits for a fee, but with a reduction for California residents. .
Use of the updated COVID-19 vaccine, which became available in September, has been low. Since then, 36. 7% of people over 65 in California have received at least one dose of the updated vaccine. , as well as 18. 5% of older adults aged 50 to 64 and 10% of younger adults, up to 49 years old.
For people who haven’t received an updated COVID vaccine in the past year, “they’re considering getting one, especially if they’re older and immunocompromised,” said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at UC San Francisco. Those most at risk of dying from COVID are those who are older or have weakened immune systems and have not been recently vaccinated.
Getting the 2023-24 vaccine now will still allow you to receive the updated COVID vaccine you’re expected to receive this fall. The CDC will propose that anyone 6 months of age and older receive the updated 2024 vaccine. -25th edition of the vaccine.
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