There are some encouraging indicators that California’s summer time COVID wave is likely to be leveling off.
That’s to not say the seasonal spike is within the rearview mirror simply but, nonetheless. Coronavirus ranges in California’s wastewater stay “very excessive,” based on the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, as they’re in a lot of the nation.
However whereas some COVID indicators are rising within the Golden State, others are beginning to fall — a touch that the summer time wave might quickly begin to decline.
Statewide, the speed at which coronavirus lab exams are coming again constructive was 11.72% for the week that ended Sept. 6, the best to this point this season, and up from 10.8% the prior week. Nonetheless, viral ranges in wastewater are considerably decrease than throughout final summer time’s peak.
The most recent COVID hospital admission charge was 3.9 hospitalizations for each 100,000 residents. That’s a slight decline from 4.14 the prior week. Total, COVID hospitalizations stay low statewide, significantly in contrast with earlier surges.
The variety of newly admitted COVID hospital sufferers has declined barely in Los Angeles County and Santa Clara County, however ticked up barely up in Orange County. In San Francisco, some medical doctors consider the summer time COVID wave is cresting.
“There are a number of extra folks within the hospitals, however I feel it’s lower than final summer time,” mentioned Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a UC San Francisco infectious ailments professional. “I really feel like we’re at a plateau.”
Those that are being hospitalized are usually older individuals who didn’t get immunized in opposition to COVID throughout the final yr, Chin-Hong mentioned, and a few have a secondary an infection often called superimposed bacterial pneumonia.
Los Angeles County
In L.A. County, there are hints that COVID exercise is both peaking or beginning to decline. Viral ranges in native wastewater are nonetheless rising, however the check positivity charge is declining.
For the week that ended Sept. 6, 12.2% of lab specimens examined for COVID within the county had been constructive, down from 15.9% the prior week.
“Many indicators of COVID-19 exercise in L.A. County declined on this week’s information,” the L.A. County Division of Public Well being informed The Occasions on Friday. “Whereas it’s too early to know if we have now handed the summer time peak of COVID-19 exercise this season, this means neighborhood transmission is slowing.”
Orange County
In Orange County, “we seem like in the midst of a wave proper now,” mentioned Dr. Christopher Zimmerman, deputy medical director of the county’s Communicable Illness Management Division.
The check positivity charge has plateaued in current weeks — it was 15.3% for the week that ended Sept. 6, up from 12.9% the prior week, however down from 17.9% the week earlier than that.
COVID continues to be prompting folks to hunt pressing medical care, nonetheless. Countywide, 2.9% of emergency room visits had been for COVID-like sickness for the week that ended Sept. 6, the best stage this yr, and up from 2.6% for the week that ended Aug. 30.
San Diego County
For the week that ended Sept. 6, 14.1% of coronavirus lab exams in San Diego County had been constructive for an infection. That’s down from a check positivity charge of 15.5% the prior week, and a charge of 16.1% for the week that ended Aug. 23.
Ventura County
COVID can also be nonetheless sending folks to the emergency room in Ventura County. Countywide, 1.73% of ER sufferers for the week that ended Sept. 12 had been there to hunt remedy for COVID, up from 1.46% the prior week.
San Francisco
In San Francisco, the check positivity charge was 7.5% for the week that ended Sept. 7, down from 8.4% for the week that ended Aug. 31.
“COVID-19 exercise in San Francisco stays elevated, however not as excessive because the earlier summer time’s peaks,” the native Division of Public Well being mentioned.
Silicon Valley
In Santa Clara County, the coronavirus stays at a “excessive” stage within the sewershed of San José and Palo Alto.
Roughly 1.3% of ER visits for the week that ended Sunday had been attributed to COVID in Santa Clara County, down from the prior week’s determine of two%.
