Three weeks post-Thanksgiving, Los Angeles County health officials are bracing for a spike in COVID-19, with daily cases on the uptick and wastewater measurements indicating a surge in the virus's spread. The Department of Public Health is calling for residents to wear masks and keep vaccines up-to-date.
New virus strains are also making the need for the latest vaccine even more pressing. According to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health's recent announcement, cases have increased from an average of 380 to 430 per day. However, real figures could be higher due to unreported results from home tests. Additionally, COVID-positive hospitalizations climbed from 462 to 524 this past week.
Wastewater analysis, a reliable indicator of community transmission, shows concentrations of the coronavirus at 38 percent of what was seen during last year's peak, a significant jump from just 28 percent reported the previous week, which was 12 percent a month ago.
While both natural immunity and vaccine-induced protections are known to fade, the updated 2023–24 COVID-19 vaccine, recommended for everyone from 6 months and up, could be a lifesaver, as the CDC has advised. The ever-changing virus has shifted blame to new strains like Omicron XBB, now constituting 95 percent of specimens in LA, with HV.1 accounting for the highest proportion at 27 percent, followed by EG.5 at 18 percent.
A recent U.S. Census Bureau survey in collaboration with the National Center for Health Statistics found that over one-fifth of Californians with COVID-19 end up with long-term COVID symptoms. However, vaccinations can help fend off prolonged suffering.
Vaccinations for the flu and RSV can be administered alongside the COVID-19 jab. For those with questions or in need of a vaccine appointment, the Public Health Call Center is on standby.
