COVID cases and hospitalizations in Los Angeles County continue to rise as a new subvariant of the coronavirus further advances across the state.
For the seven-day period that ended Sunday, there were an average of 121 new cases per day in LA County, compared to 106 per day the week before, according to the most recent data available.
Reported cases are almost certainly an underestimate, as they generally only measure laboratory-confirmed infections for which testing is done in medical facilities and not those who test at home or don’t do it at all (and less so). fewer people are doing it now).
Scientists say these trends are an indication of an expected summer surge. A series of new COVID-19 subvariants, collectively dubbed FLiRT, are increasingly outperforming last winter’s dominant strain.
The new FLiRT subvariants, officially known as KP.3, KP.2 and KP.1.1, are believed to be about 20% more transmissible than their parent, JN.1, the dominant winter subvariant, according to Dr. Peter Chin-Hong. , an infectious disease expert at UC San Francisco.
For the two-week period ending June 8, 55% of estimated COVID samples in the United States were from FLiRT variants – compared to 28.6% a month earlier.
Last summer’s peak in average daily new cases in LA County was 571, for the week ended August 30. Last winter’s peak was 621, for the week ended December 27.
COVID-positive hospitalizations are also trending upward. There were an average of 126 COVID patients in the hospital each day during the week ended June 8, compared to 102 the week before.
Still, the number of cases and hospitalizations is relatively low, even compared to the previous winter, which had been relatively mild. The peak of daily COVID-related hospitalizations last summer was 620, and last winter, 825.
The rise in cases and hospitalizations in Los Angeles County likely represents an earlier-than-normal start to the COVID surge, which has occurred every summer since the pandemic began. Previously, the county’s mid-year increase in COVID cases and hospitalizations began in early July – in 2021 and 2023 – but in early May 2022.
“This increase is not unexpected as we have seen an increase in COVID-19 transmission over the past few summers. We are not currently seeing an increase in COVID-associated deaths,” the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in a statement to the Times.
LA County is averaging about one COVID death per day.
COVID levels in LA County wastewater were 13% of the 2022-2023 winter peak for the week ending June 1, roughly flat with the previous week.
But statewide, California was one of six states with high levels of COVID in its wastewater, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Three states have even higher levels: Florida, Hawaii and Montana were designated as having very high COVID sewage levels. Besides California, the other five states with high levels were Alaska, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland and New Mexico.
The rate at which COVID tests are coming back with positive results continues to increase. For the week ending Monday, 6.4% of COVID tests in California came back positive, up from 2.4% the month before. Last summer’s peak was 13.1%.
Experts have given the following advice on what to do if you feel sick or test positive for COVID-19:
Stay home and away from others when you are sick
The CDC says people should stay away from others until at least 24 hours after their respiratory symptoms improve and they have not had a fever (and are not using anti-respiratory medications). fever). Previously, the CDC suggested people with COVID isolate themselves for at least five days and take extra precautions for a few more days.
When deciding when symptoms improve, what matters most is “the overall sense of feeling better and the ability to return to activities,” says the CDC. A persistent cough may persist beyond the time a person is contagious, the CDC said.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health also recommends taking a rapid test and getting a negative result before leaving isolation.
Test early and often
An early cough or sore throat may not just be a cold; it could be COVID. So be sure to get tested, said Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional infectious disease chief at Kaiser Permanente Southern California.
And the first COVID test might be negative because the body hasn’t yet produced enough copies of the virus to show up on a test. Hudson therefore suggests testing once a day for three to five days if the first results are negative.
This can help a person take steps to isolate and limit the spread of illness.
Take extra precautions after you recover
People who have recovered from COVID-19 may still be contagious for a few days after recovery. The CDC suggests taking extra precautions for five more days. They understand:
- Wear a well-fitted mask
- Keep testing. If it’s positive, it’s likely you’re more likely to infect others
- Keep your distance from others
- Increase air circulation by opening windows, turn on air purifiers, and gather outside if you meet people.
- Follow enhanced hygiene: wash and sanitize hands often, clean frequently touched surfaces, and cover coughs and sneezes.
Mask for 10 days
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health says people with COVID-19 should wear a well-fitted mask for 10 days after they start feeling sick — even if signs of illness improve — so to reduce the risk of other people becoming infected.
Masks can be removed early if you get two consecutive negative test results at least one day apart, the agency says.
Be aware of the COVID rebound
The COVID rebound can occur when people feel better, but then start to feel sick two to eight days later. Some people may also test positive again. Rebounding COVID can cause a person to become contagious again and capable of infecting others.
Rebound may occur whether or not you take Paxlovid.
Officials say if you feel sick again after recovering from COVID, start following the same instructions for staying away from others as you would during the first phase of the illness.
What to do if you test positive but have no symptoms
The CDC says if you’ve never had symptoms, but test positive, take extra precautions for the next five days, such as wearing a mask, testing, increasing air circulation, keeping your distance and wash your hands often.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health recommends wearing a well-fitted mask for 10 days after testing positive for COVID-19. You can remove your mask early if you have two consecutive negative tests at least one day apart.
LA County health officials recommend that close contacts of people with COVID-19 wear a well-fitted mask when around others for 10 days after their last exposure. And they suggest testing three to five days after their last exposure.
Protecting the elderly and immunocompromised
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health urges infected people to avoid contact with elderly and immunocompromised people for at least 10 days after they start feeling sick or, if asymptomatic, after their first test positive.
If infected people test negative on two consecutive rapid tests, taken one day apart, the risk of transmitting COVID to other infected people is significantly reduced.
But to be especially safe around high-risk people, “masking or isolation (by the infected person) for a full 10 days would be the most protective way to further reduce this risk,” the agency said.