COVID Cases Up 200%; Omicron Mutant Detected In LA County
LOS ANGELES, CA — Coronavirus cases doubled across Los Angeles County over the last month. pulling the region back into the familiar cycle of cases plunging and spiking again as restrictions ebb and flow.
The spike in cases comes a the county confirmed its first case of the new Omicron subvariant BA.4, which is tied to a surge in cases in South Africa along with the subvariant BA.5. The new variant is known to cause reinfections among people who recovered from the original Omicron variant.
BA.4 and BA.5 have "mutations in the lineages that allow the virus to evade immunity,” Tulio de Oliveira, head of the institutes at the universities of KwaZulu-Natal and Stellenbosch, told Bloomberg. “We expect that it can cause reinfections and it can break through some vaccines, because that’s the only way something can grow in South Africa, where we estimate that more than 90% of the population has a level of immune protection.”
Los Angeles County's public health director Barbara Ferrer said Wednesday that local health officials are monitoring the spread of the BA.4. She urged residents to take precautions such as wearing masks in crowds even if it isn't mandatory.
Ferrer said she sympathizes with people weary of calls for mask-wearing and caution against COVID-19 spread, but with case numbers still rising and new variants emerging, she said it would be a "mistake" to drop all precautions.
"I do know that most everyone is tired of the pandemic, tired of wearing masks and exhausted trying to deal with the uncertainty and the ever- changing guidance," Barbara Ferrer told reporters during an online briefing Wednesday. "And it's very tempting to minimize the impact of the virus to support our desire to return to our pre-pandemic lives.
"Unfortunately, I think that would be a mistake that would make it harder for us to embrace strategies that extend protections while minimizing disruptions. There continue to be sensible steps we can take to reduce risk and prevent serious illness and death for those most vulnerable."
She also again pushed for people to get vaccinated and receive booster shots, and to stay home if they are feeling sick.
Ferrer reported another 2,484 COVID cases on Wednesday, reiterating that the average daily number of new infections in the county has increased by 200% over the past month. The new cases brought the county's cumulative total from throughout the pandemic to 2,882,279.
The recent jump in cases has not yet translated into increases in hospitalizations and deaths. According to state figures, there were 248 COVID- positive patients in county hospitals as of Wednesday, up slightly from 236 on Tuesday. Of those patients, 27 were being treated in intensive care, up from 22 a day earlier.
Ferrer reported five more COVID deaths on Wednesday, lifting the virus- related death toll to 31,982.
As of Wednesday, the average daily rate of people testing positive for the virus was 2.2%, up slightly from previous days but still low overall. The seven-day average daily rate of new cases in the county was 21 per 100,000 residents, up from 17 per 100,000 a week ago.
She noted that the BA.2 variant of COVID-19 and its offshoots now represent 96% of all local COVID infections that underwent special testing to identify variants. BA.2 is a subvariant of the Omicron strain of the virus that caused a sharp surge in cases during the winter months. The county, however, is already seeing rising numbers of cases identified as BA.2.12.1, which is an offshoot of BA.2. That offshoot now represents 8% of cases tested in the county, she said.
Ferrer offered a reminder that while indoor mask mandates have been lifted in most settings, face coverings are still required in health care facilities, homeless shelters, skilled nursing facilities, aboard transit vehicles and in transportation hubs like airports.
She conceded that enforcement of the masking rule at airports is a challenge, although she noted that inspectors who recently visited Los Angeles International Airport found that most employees were adhering to the rule.
"I think it's harder for the disembarking passengers to understand the rules in L.A. County," she said. "I have a lot of confidence that as the messaging continues, people will get more comfortable with the fact that they need to put their masks on once they get into the terminal areas."
City News Service
COVID Cases Up 200%; Omicron Mutant Detected In LA County originally appeared on the Los Angeles Patch
