Risk level for COVID-19 is now high in Stanislaus, nearby counties, according to CDC
The risk of catching COVID-19 is at the highest level in Stanislaus County as the state continues to deal with the omicron strain subvariants.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracks the spread of COVID-19 illness and measures the risk level as low, medium or high.
Stanislaus County is currently assigned to the “high” level based on a seven-day rate of 235 cases per 100,000 population. The rate of COVID hospital admissions is 10.3 per 100,000, and 6.3% of staffed hospital beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients.
As of Monday, the county had 88 hospitalized patients infected with COVID-19, including six in intensive care units. Test positivity is 14.28% and BA.2 is the most dominant omicron subvariant in the county.
A county spokeswoman said the hospitalizatons have stayed relatively low compared to previous surges. It’s hard to predict how long community levels will remain high, the spokeswoman said.
County public health expects to report three additional deaths when an online dashboard is updated Tuesday.
“Our goal remains the same: to prevent deaths and save lives,” county spokeswoman Kamlesh Kaur said in an email. She advised people to wear a mask, stay in well-ventilated areas, and practice good hygiene by washing hands and covering coughs.
“We ask our community members to get vaccinated or boosted if eligible,” Kaur said. “Vaccines work, and that has worked to prevent severe illness and hospitalizations for many. We also have treatments available for those who test positive and are at high risk. As we have been phasing out of this pandemic, we also remind our community members to please stay home if you are sick or tested positive. Staying home prevents the spread of the disease to vulnerable community members.”
The omicron subvariants are highly contagious but are considered to cause less severe illness than previous forms of COVID-19.
To calculate the risk level in counties, the CDC looks at new cases in the last seven days, along with hospital admissions.
The infection risk also is high in San Joaquin, Merced, Tuolumne and 21 other counties in the state.
California is averaging 13,855 cases per day, and 3,126 people are hospitalized statewide, with 325 people in ICUs.
In high-risk counties, the CDC recommends that people wear masks in public and on public transportation. Those with symptoms are advised to get tested. Infected people who are medically vulnerable to severe illness may consider antiviral medications taken within days of coming down with symptoms.
The OptumServe test sites in Salida and Turlock are test-to-treat locations, where eligible people can be tested for COVID and possibly receive antiviral medication from a health provider.
More information about COVID-19 is available at www.schsa.org.
