Los Angeles County's COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations rise amid summer surge in infections

Los Angeles County's COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to rise. New variants of coronavirus Further progress across the state.

In the seven days ending Sunday, Los Angeles County averaged 121 new cases per day, up from an average of 106 per day the previous week, according to the most recent data available.

Reported case numbers are certainly an undercount because they measure only laboratory-confirmed infections, typically those performed in health care facilities, and not those who test at home or don't test at all (and fewer people are currently being tested).

Scientists say the trend is a sign of an expected summer surge: A series of new COVID-19 variants, known collectively as FLiRT, are gradually overtaking last winter's dominant strain.

of New FLiRT variantThese viruses, officially known as KP.3, KP.2 and KP.1.1, are thought to be about 20% more transmissible than the parent virus. JN.1It's a subvariant that is dominant in the winter, according to Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at the University of California, San Francisco.

In the two weeks leading up to June 8, 55% of presumptive COVID samples in the U.S. FLiRT variants Up 28.6% from the previous month.

The peak average number of new daily cases in Los Angeles County last summer was 571 in the week ending Aug. 30. The peak last winter was 621 in the week ending Dec. 27.

COVID-positive hospitalized patients Upward trendIn the week ending June 8, hospitals were seeing an average of 126 COVID patients per day, up from 102 the week before.

Still, the number of infections and hospitalizations remains relatively low. Compared to last winterwhich was relatively mild: The peak number of daily COVID hospitalizations last summer was 620; last winter it was 825.

Los Angeles County's rise in cases and hospitalizations likely reflects an earlier-than-usual start to the COVID wave that has occurred every summer since the pandemic began. Previously, the county's mid-year increases in COVID cases and hospitalizations have started in early July in 2021 and 2023, but in early May in 2022.

“This increase is not unexpected as we saw an increase in COVID-19 cases recently over the summer. We are not currently seeing an increase in COVID-related deaths,” the Los Angeles County Department of Health said in a statement to The Times.

LA County is averaging one COVID death per day.

COVID-19 concentrations in wastewater in Los Angeles County were 13% of their peak during the winter of 2022-23 during the week ending June 1, remaining roughly steady compared to the previous week.

But statewide, California was one of six states with high levels of COVID-19 in wastewater, according to the US Centers for Disease Control.

Three states recorded even higher levels, with Florida, Hawaii and Montana designated as having very high COVID-19 sewage levels. Besides California, the other five states with high levels were Alaska, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland and New Mexico.

The percentage of positive COVID-19 tests continues to rise. In the week that ended Monday, 6.4% of COVID-19 tests in California came back positive, up from 2.4% the month before and from a peak of 13.1% last summer.

Experts offer the following advice on what to do if you feel sick or test positive for COVID-19:

Stay home and avoid contact with others if you are sick

CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) To tell Once your respiratory symptoms have improved and you no longer have a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medications), you should avoid contact with others for at least 24 hours. Previously, the CDC recommended that people with COVID infection isolate themselves for at least five days and take additional precautions for several more days.

The most important thing to know when your symptoms are improving is “your overall ability to feel better and resume activities,” the CDC says. To tellAccording to the CDC, a persistent cough may continue even after the person is no longer contagious.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health also Testing is recommended They will need to take a rapid test and receive a negative result before being released from isolation.

Test early and often

An early cough or sore throat may not just be a cold — it could be COVID-19, so be sure to get tested, says Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional director of infectious diseases for Kaiser Permanente Southern California.

It's also possible for your first COVID test to be negative because your body hasn't yet produced enough copies of the virus for the test to pick up, which is why Hudson recommends testing once a day for three to five days if your initial result is negative.

Doing so will help them take measures to isolate and limit the spread of the disease.

Take additional precautions even after recovery

People who have recovered from COVID-19 may still be contagious several days after recovery. The CDC recommends taking additional precautions for an additional 5 days. These include:

• Wear a mask that fits snugly
• Keep testing, because if you test positive, you are more likely to spread it to others.
• Keep your distance from others
• Open windows to improve air circulation, turn on air purifiers, and meet outside if you have to meet in person.
• Follow enhanced hygiene practices: wash and sanitize your hands frequently, clean commonly touched surfaces, and cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing.

10 day mask

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has announced that people infected with COVID-19 Must be worn To reduce the chance of infecting others, wear a tight-fitting mask for 10 days after you start feeling unwell, even if your symptoms are improving.

Officials say people can remove their masks earlier if they receive two consecutive negative test results, spaced at least a day apart. To tell.

Beware of COVID resurgence

COVID-19 Rebound Even if your symptoms improve, you may start to feel unwell after 2 to 8 days, and some people may test positive again. This rebound COVID-19 infection may make you contagious again and potentially infect others.

Rebound may occur regardless of whether or not the drug is taken. Paxrovid.

Officials urge people to continue following instructions to maintain distance from others if they become unwell again after recovering from COVID-19, just as they would in the early stages of the illness.

What to do if you test positive but have no symptoms

The CDC says if you have no symptoms but test positive: Additional precautions Over the next five days, please take care of your health by wearing a mask, getting tested, improving air circulation, maintaining distance, and washing your hands frequently.

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Recommendation You should wear a tight-fitting mask for 10 days after testing positive for COVID-19. You can remove the mask sooner if you receive two consecutive negative tests, at least one day apart.

Los Angeles County Health Department Recommendation to Close contacts of people with COVID-19 are encouraged to wear a tight-fitting mask when in the presence of others for 10 days after their last contact and are encouraged to get tested 3-5 days after their last contact.

Protecting the elderly and immunocompromised

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is urging infected people to avoid contact with older people and those with compromised immune systems for at least 10 days after they start feeling sick, or after their first positive test if they are asymptomatic.

If an infected person tests negative on two consecutive rapid tests taken one day apart, the risk of them transmitting COVID-19 to others is greatly reduced.

But staying safe, especially around high-risk people, requires masks and quarantine. [by the infected person] Taking the full 10 days off is the safest way to further reduce that risk,” officials said.