Some California hospitals are at capacity as COVID, flu and RS virus collide

At a press conference, California Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Mark Garry said people should exercise caution when gathering for Thanksgiving and do their part to reduce the strain on the hospital system. I warned you there is.

He said wastewater monitoring is showing an increase in COVID infections in communities across the state.

“The model isn’t as concerned as it used to be, but we’re dealing with three threats at once,” Ghaly said. “So together they add up.”

Ghaly encouraged Californians to get their COVID and flu vaccines, access treatment early, and avoid going to the emergency room with mild symptoms.

Last week at a hospital in San Diego I started using an overflow tent To treat patients outside after an increase in flu cases.

Ghaly said it could be done at other local hospitals in the future. “Certainly, if it hasn’t happened yet, it could happen soon, with the increased pressure expected in the coming weeks,” he said.

Public health officials and experts who are examining wastewater for clues to the virus say the Sacramento area is poised to experience another COVID-19 surge as influenza and RSV season. I started moving earlyWhat is less clear is what will happen when the COVID surge crosses over with other viruses, as people rarely wear masks or gather in large groups indoors without restrictions. about it.

Dr. Olivia Cacilie, Sacramento County Public Health Officer, said of the rise in COVID, “I don’t know how much it will spike right now, but it’s definitely going up.”

For the past few years, public health professionals have been able to monitor COVID case rates by checking into and reporting from testing centers. But now these centers are all but a thing of the past. With home testing kits readily available, people are inconsistent in reporting COVID-positive cases to authorities.Health insurance coverage 8 COVID-19 tests per person per month.

Since the pandemic began, a wastewater treatment plant operated by RegionalSan has collected water samples in West Sacramento and Sacramento County for epidemiological purposes. Over the past year, they have regularly sent samples to Stanford University for analysis. Sewer Coronavirus Alert Network (SCAN).

“Levels of COVID in wastewater are rising, and although not to the same extent as previous spikes, they are trending upward,” said Christophe Dobson, General Manager of RegionalSan.

The Sacramento County Department of Public Health has also received reports from SCAN and has confirmed that the trend is consistent with what has been seen in the positive test rates reported by health care providers.

Kasirye said he doesn’t expect SCPH to be as high as last winter, when the highly infectious Omicron variant was infested, but that it’s a “concern” for a number of reasons.

Kasirye said there have been restrictions on public gatherings and mandatory masking so far. In addition to the repeal of these public health measures, the upcoming holiday season has many worried about the “triple plague”. COVID, flu and RSV intersect, the latter two of which are already straining local hospitals.

according to California Department of Public Health COVID-19 DataSacramento sees a positive test rate of 7.7%, up from 5.7% at the start of the month. Hospitalization and ICU patient numbers are still down, but are known to lag behind case numbers. .

As far as what needs to be done to stop the spread, Cassirie says the first thing to do is stay up to date on COVID and the flu vaccine, which she says is very effective. In addition, in crowded places and on public transport, continue standard disease prevention efforts, such as washing your hands and wearing masks, she says. Most of all, “if you’re sick, stay home and stay away from other people so you don’t spread the disease to others,” she said.

Copyright 2022 CapRadio