COVID-19 circumstances are presently reducing throughout San Diego County, however County well being officers proceed to induce folks to get the first vaccine sequence and the bivalent boosters. The SARS-CoV-2 virus remains to be widespread locally, and vaccinations defend in opposition to severe sickness, and even demise.
New research proceed to report the bivalent COVID-19 boosters add safety in opposition to new COVID-19 variants that now make up about 40% of latest circumstances within the U.S. and defend in opposition to COVID-19 inflicting hospitalizations and deaths.
Each COVID-19 vaccinations and therapy stay extensively accessible all through San Diego County. COVID-19 major sequence vaccines, bivalent boosters, and flu vaccines can be found at native pharmacies, medical suppliers’ places of work, and County vaccination websites. Individuals can test on-line for the times and hours websites are open.
“It’s encouraging that COVID-19 circumstances seem like declining, but it surely stays vital that individuals proceed to guard themselves by getting vaccinated in the event that they haven’t already completed so,” mentioned County Public Well being Officer Wilma J. Wooten, M.D., M.P.H. “Circumstances, hospitalizations, and deaths are nonetheless occurring in San Diego County. Research present COVID-19 vaccines and bivalent boosters can defend you, your loved ones and mates from getting significantly ailing. So please, get vaccinated and boosted should you haven’t.”
The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) and California Division of Public Well being (CDPH) suggest a bivalent booster for everybody six months of age and older. Earlier CDC research have reported that individuals who haven’t been vaccinated run a lot larger dangers of dying from COVID-19 than those that have been vaccinated.
COVID-19 Therapy
County public well being officers notified medical suppliers final week that Evusheld, a COVID-19 therapy drug, is not accessible for emergency use. That was as a result of the Federal Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) mentioned it was not efficient in opposition to new COVID-19 variants. Nonetheless, Paxlovid, which is efficient, remains to be extensively accessible. Details about therapy could be discovered on the County’s COVID-19 therapy webpage.
Preventive Measures
Along with vaccination and staying house when ailing, San Diegans can take different precautions to guard themselves in opposition to COVID-19, in addition to seasonal sicknesses just like the flu. These measures embrace:
- Cleansing palms totally and infrequently.
- Staying away from sick folks.
- Sporting a facial masking, particularly in crowded indoor settings.
- Commonly cleansing generally touched surfaces.
- Conducting house testing when uncovered or when ailing. The federal authorities is offering free at-home COVID-19 assessments accessible once more by way of the winter for a restricted time. Households can order one pack of 4 free assessments by way of the U.S. Postal Service. For extra details about testing, go to the County’s COVID-19 testing webpage.
COVID-19 Vaccination Progress
- Greater than 2.69 million or 80.6% of San Diegans have acquired the first sequence of one of many permitted COVID-19 vaccines.
- Bivalent boosters administered: 563,047 or 22.5% of two,498,936 eligible San Diegans.
- Extra vaccination info could be discovered at coronavirus-sd.com/vaccine.
The County Well being and Human Companies Company now publishes the Respiratory Virus Surveillance Report weekly. The report is printed every Thursday and tracks key respiratory sickness indicators.
COVID-19 Knowledge
For the week ending Jan. 28, 2023, the report reveals:
- 1,816 COVID-19 circumstances have been reported to the County prior to now seven days. The area’s whole is now 976,826.
- The 1,816 circumstances reported prior to now week have been decrease in comparison with the 1,922 infections recognized the earlier week.
- Twelve further deaths have been reported within the week ending Jan. 28, 2023. The area’s whole is 5,728.
- Ten of the individuals who died have been 65 or older.
- Seven of the folks had been vaccinated and 5 have been unvaccinated or had not accomplished the first vaccine sequence.
- Eleven had underlying medical situations. One willpower of underlying medical situations is pending.
Influenza Knowledge
For the week ending Jan. 28, 2023, the report reveals the next:
- No further flu deaths have been reported; the season’s whole is 39.
- Emergency division visits for influenza-like sickness: 3% of all visits (in contrast with 3% the earlier week).
- Lab-confirmed influenza circumstances for the week: 88 (in comparison with 89 the earlier week).
- Complete lab-confirmed circumstances so far: 20,726 (in comparison with 1,490 on the similar time final season and a 6,617 prior 5-year common throughout the identical week).
Extra Data
Knowledge updates to the County’s coronavirus-sd.com web site will likely be printed Thursdays round 5 p.m., excluding holidays. Extra details about the flu is obtainable on the County’s influenza web site.
