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LA COVID Cases Rising Ahead Of Holidays
A 10-year-old child receives the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine for 5- to 11-year-old kids at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Conn. on Nov. 2, 2021.
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Joseph Presioso/AFP via Getty Images
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As the year-end holidays approach, COVID-19 is sending more Angelenos to the emergency room and hospital.
Three weeks after the travel-heavy Thanksgiving holiday, area hospitals reported a daily average of 524 people in their care due to COVID, up from 462 last week, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
Deaths increased to an average of two per day in the county, from 1.6 at the end of November. COVID now accounts for 3% of all deaths in the county, up from around 1% in late November.
Wastewater surveillance shows coronavirus levels rising three times higher in the last month to a level not seen since late September, when cases were declining after the late summer surge.
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This week, the county reported wastewater concentrations that were 38% of those seen last year at the peak of the winter surge. This is up from 28% reported last week and 12% reported one month ago.
Nationally, the West Coast is experiencing lower COVID-19 metrics than the rest of the country, but that’s unlikely to continue for long based on previous winter seasons.
Last winter, hospitalizations tripled and deaths quadrupled between Nov. 1 and Jan. 1.
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LA COVID Cases Rising Ahead Of Holidays
Public health officials are urging vigilance instead of alarm this season.
Mandy Cohen, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, released a video last week, saying the agency hasn’t seen anything new this fall in terms of viruses or sickness. But Cohen recommended a handful of precautions, such as getting the updated COVID-19 vaccine, this season’s influenza vaccine and the RSV vaccine for those over the age of 60 or who are pregnant.
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She urged people to order free at-home COVID tests, especially in advance of the year-end holidays, and to consider other preventative measures, including regular hand washing, staying away from people who are sick, opening windows for ventilation and wearing a mask.
Here’s How To Get Help Preventing and Treating COVID
- Finding a mask that works can be bewildering. Here is a list from the CDC of tested N-95 masks by manufacturer that have passed stringent testing.
- The federal government is allocating each household an additional four free COVID-19 home tests. Information on where to find tests, including a link to order free tests by mail, is available here.
- Paxlovid, the antiviral medication to treat COVID-19, is provided free to residents through the Public Health Call Center at (833)540-0473, open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
“If you do get sick, I know it’s hard, but stay home so you don’t spread germs to others,” Cohen says in the video. “And get tested so you know what you have and you can get treatment. Getting tested and treated early can prevent you from getting severely ill, getting hospitalized and potentially save your life.”
Research shows that vaccination also helps to prevent long COVID or ongoing health problems that continue or emerge after a bout of COVID-19. A recent survey of Californians found that one in five people who have had COVID-19 now have long COVID, defined by the study as symptoms lasting three months or longer.
Here’s How To Get Help Preventing and Treating COVID
- Finding a mask that works can be bewildering. Here is a list from the CDC of tested N-95 masks by manufacturer that have passed stringent testing.
- The federal government is allocating each household an additional four free COVID-19 home tests. Information on where to find tests, including a link to order free tests by mail, is available here.
- Paxlovid, the antiviral medication to treat COVID-19, is provided free to residents through the Public Health Call Center at (833)540-0473, open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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