The daily number of Covid cases in Los Angeles County continued its recent upward trend on Wednesday, with the region counting 1,662 new Covid cases in the past 24 hours. This is the highest number of days since September 7. Additionally, 7-day test positivity is now 5.9%, up 51% from 3.9% just before Halloween.
Last week, Barbara Ferrer, the county’s director of public health, noted that “with recent unusually high levels of influenza and other respiratory illnesses, there are signs that the county could be on the verge of a Covid-free outbreak this fall and winter.” Golf.” This week, these signs have become clearer across the board, with not only cases and test positivity soaring, but hospitalizations — often touted as a lagging indicator — to follow.
Covid-related hospitalizations hit a new low of 368 on October 25. In less than two weeks, that number rose to 492 people today. That’s a 33% increase in just under two weeks, and given that hospitalizations are increasing by about two weeks, there could be even more. In fact, this “more” may be greater than the current number of cases indicates. Even the daily Covid-related deaths have gone from about 7 recently to 10 today.
The daily number of cases released by the county is certainly an undercount of actual infections because many residents rely on home tests and don’t report the results to county health officials, according to the Los Angeles County Health Department.
And it’s not just Covid that is a factor. While masking suppressed other respiratory infections early in the pandemic, county health officials warned of an earlier-than-normal flu season, which is also increasing at a stronger rate than in previous years and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections. There are fears that a “triple mia” could hit the local hospital system from three sides this winter.
In Michigan, for example, where the colder weather is having a greater impact on the population, pediatric intensive care unit beds are now at 89% occupancy, according to the Detroit Free Press, citing data from the Michigan Health and Hospital Association and the state Department of Health. Many of them are used to care for children with RSV, which can cause serious illness and, in rare cases, death in people under the age of 18. Covid is also increasing in the state.
To that end, the Los Angeles City Council voted today to extend the local Covid emergency declaration.
Writer: Tom Tick
Source: Deadline
