COVID-19 cases rise in Florida as new omicron subvariants increase

As new COVID-19 variants continue to gain traction nationwide, Florida is seeing a slight uptick in COVID-19 cases and positivity.

There were 23,157 new coronavirus cases recorded over the last two weeks among Florida residents, bringing the cumulative total to 7,172,457. With 365 more fatalities on record, 82,541 Florida residents have died.

The death total over the last two weeks reflects a decrease from the 515 reported in the two weeks prior, but deaths can take several days or weeks to be reported. Many newly reported deaths are of people who died before the last two weeks.

The number of cases over the last two weeks increased compared to the 20,055 reported in the two weeks prior. Positivity increased from 7.1% to 7.8%. That’s for new cases only and excludes anyone who previously tested positive.

Wastewater samples from the Altamonte Springs sewer service area — which covers parts of Orange and Seminole counties — suggest an overall downward trend in COVID-19 over the last few months.

As of Oct. 13, there’s an 89% lower virus concentration than on July 4, when BA.5 was first becoming dominant, according to data provided by Altamonte Springs City Manager Frank Martz. The BA.5 subvariant mutation was detected in 100% of the genomes.

Meanwhile, two COVID-19 subvariants in the omicron family, BQ.1 and closely related BQ.1.1, are rapidly changing the COVID-19 landscape just as respiratory diseases and influenza are spiking and sending people to hospitals nationwide.

On Friday, BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 accounted for about 35% of coronavirus cases in the U.S., the Center for Disease Control and Prevention data suggests. Just two weeks ago, they accounted for only about 16% of new cases.

Whenever new subvariants begin to spread, health experts try to figure out how they compare to the variants that came before them, and if current treatments hold up.

Early research suggests BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 appear to be more infectious but not more severe than the more than 300 other “sister variants” of omicron circulating globally, according to an update from the European CDC.

Experts believe the new bivalent COVID-19 booster will provide protection against these variants because it targets two variants that are similar to them, BA.4 and BA.5.

“It isn’t that different from BA.5 that it would completely escape the protection that you would get from vaccine,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, who directs the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to CNN.

Pfizer’s Paxlovid oral antiviral therapy may also continue to provide protection, Becker’s Hospital Review reported Friday.

The Food and Drug Administration notes that mutations in BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 suggest Eli Lilly and Co.’s bebtelovimab may not be effective. This was a post-exposure monoclonal antibody drug thought to work against the omicron variant, according to the FDA.

A full course of vaccination including boosters is now even more important, health experts have said.

Across the state, 1,220 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 from Oct. 26 to Nov. 1, according to the latest White House report. In comparison, 1,253 were hospitalized two weeks ago. Four weeks ago, it was 1,581.

Statewide, 16,065,065 residents, or 72% of people age 6 months and up, have received at least one vaccination shot, including 7,782,018 who have completed their shot regimens but not received an additional dose through Nov. 3. Meanwhile, 56,546 received an additional dose this week, bringing the total to 6,076,919.

Central Florida added 4,565 resident infections over the last two weeks, based on the actual date the state opened the case, for a total of 1,408,652: 1,116 more in Orange for 455,425; 400 more in Osceola for 137,500; 1,048 more in Polk for 247,205; 349 more in Lake for 103,657; 160 more in Sumter for 28,156; 480 more in Volusia for 143,361; 583 more in Brevard for 166,925; and 429 more in Seminole for 126,423.

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