Hospitalizations increased nearly 81% in the past month, rising from an average of 186 to 336 per day, according to the state. Department of Health data Published on Friday. The state’s positive test rate also rose to 13.2% from 6.3% in July. Wastewater sample Surveys from Bay Area sewerage plants show that concentrations of the SARS-CoV-2 virus have more than doubled over the same period, indicating a steady upward trajectory.
Role of new variants
Several new novel coronavirus variants that have recently emerged may be partly responsible for the current increase.
Subvariant EG.5 is currently Largest share of genomic samples Nationwide, it accounts for 20.6% of infections in the last two weeks, followed by FL.1.5.1 with 13.3%. In California, EG.5 was sequenced in 22.8% of cases and XBB.1.9.2 was detected in 19%. latest data about variations.
“As with all variants that have arisen to date, there is some degree of extra immune evasion due to subtle genotypic differences,” Scott Roberts, an infectious disease expert at Yale Medicine, said in the paper. Ta. recent information session.
Although only a handful of cases have been recorded worldwide, health officials are also closely monitoring highly mutated cases. BA.2.86 Especially since the coronavirus variant is thought to have 35 mutations in the spike protein.
“We’re actually seeing a pretty insane amount of change all at once,” said epidemiologist Caitlin Jetelina, who consults with the CDC. told NPR. “This is an evolution as big as the Wuhan strain to micron evolution.”
a risk assessment report A document issued by the CDC acknowledges that BA.2.86 can cause infection in vaccinated individuals. The severity of the disease it causes and the efficacy of new boosters to combat it remain unknown.
Note about boosters
Despite these rising numbers, officials at the Centers for Disease Control have suggested waiting for boosters. The latest vaccine, tailored to combat new variants of the virus currently circulating, is due to be released next month.
“Getting the current COVID-19 vaccine now, or in early September, could delay getting the latest vaccine available in mid-September,” said CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen. . said on friday.
The agency’s guidance recommends waiting at least two months between Covid-19 boosters to manage the risk of rare side effects and boost immune responses.
CDC advisers will discuss deployment of a redesigned COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the XBB.1.5 variant that predominated earlier this year at a meeting scheduled for Sept. 12 I plan to.
So far, vaccine makers Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax have said their latest vaccines are effective in reducing the chances of contracting or becoming severely ill from the new strain that will predominate in 2023.
“This fall’s new booster won’t be the last,” said Roberts. “Covid-19 will probably be more like the flu. Strains mutate slightly each year, and vaccines are needed before we know exactly which variant will be epidemic in the months to come.” is developed, which is always an educated guess based on the circumstances at the time.”
Hospitalizations and deaths soar nationwide
Regional indicators match the broader national surge. COVID hospitalization The latest data show an 87% increase in cases in the month to August 18, with more than 2,152 hospitalizations per day. CDC.Number of deaths due to COVID-19 70% increase compared to the previous month.
Children are particularly affected, emergency room visit Across the U.S., COVID-19 infection rates among children aged 11 and under rose to 3.24% by Aug. 25, and among adolescents ages 12 to 15 reached 2.94%, higher than all other age groups. .
“The spike in COVID-19 cases this summer has been over the last three years, probably due to more people traveling,” Roberts said.
The CDC expects the surge in hospitalizations due to COVID-19 to continue through the fall. More than 10 million Americans now live in areas classified as medium risk for COVID-19, requiring the most vulnerable to wear masks and other precautions. .
Mitigation unlikely
These numbers remain significantly lower than their previous peaks, but their rapid acceleration has caused some familiar disruptions.
Several hospitals, including Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Medical Center in the Bay Area, and schools across the country, especially in the South, have reinstated mask-wearing requirements and other measures to curb the transmission of new infections.
However, it is highly unlikely that this resurgence will lead to widespread mask mandates or other government-imposed restrictions. Public health officials are now calling on individuals to assess their own risks as COVID-19 becomes an endemic virus.
“It’s impossible to eradicate,” Lina Wen, a professor of public health at George Washington University, told The Associated Press. “Therefore, even measures aimed at the societal level will not be feasible for containment and will not achieve the objectives originally thought possible in early 2020,” she said.
Please contact Aidin Vaziri: avasiri@sfchronicle.com
