LOS ANGELES >> Concentrations of coronavirus in California’s wastewater have surpassed last summer’s peak, indicating the new, highly contagious FLiRT strain is spreading rapidly.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated Friday that California has “very high” concentrations of the coronavirus in its wastewater, making it one of 21 states in that category, up from seven states the previous week.
This means that about 155 million people, or almost half the U.S. population, live in areas with “very high” levels of coronavirus in their sewage. Besides California, other states with “very high” levels are Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Washington, DC, also falls into this category.
Los Angeles County has also seen a sharp increase in coronavirus concentrations in wastewater, with the rate of increase accelerating, and the county has also seen significant increases this month in newly confirmed cases, hospitalizations of coronavirus-positive patients, and emergency room visits due to COVID-19.
Nationwide, levels of the virus in wastewater are considered “elevated” for the second week in a row, according to the CDC, an estimate that is subject to change as more data becomes available.
Most Americans know a family member, friend, coworker, or acquaintance who has recently contracted COVID-19, perhaps through exposure while traveling or in a social setting.
“If you call 20 or 30 friends, it’s very likely that you’ll find that a significant number of them actually have COVID, have had it recently or are starting to show symptoms,” said Dr. Ziyad Al-Ali, director of research and development for the Missouri Department of Veterans Affairs St. Louis Healthcare System and a COVID expert.
One recent notable case is President Biden, who tested positive for COVID-19 while traveling in Las Vegas on Wednesday. Biden has returned to Delaware to recover. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass tested positive a few weeks ago, and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) said Tuesday she was celebrating her birthday while recovering from COVID.
“The fight against COVID is not over yet!” Lee said on social media.
Across the country, the shadow of COVID-19 has become more visible recently, with a seasonal increase in travel and social activity causing a surge in new infections. While many cases are relatively mild, they are still disruptive and forcing people to cancel trips and plans.
Some people who have been recently infected have reported COVID symptoms, such as a razor-blade-like pain in the throat, but overall there is no indication that the FLiRT variants are associated with increased severity of the disease that would cause a significant increase in hospitalizations.
The CDC estimates that 41 states, including California, are experiencing or may experience an increase in COVID-19 infections. No state is experiencing or may experience a decrease in coronavirus cases.
The resurgence of COVID-19 comes as the widespread FLiRT family of viruses is gaining dominance in the country: The CDC estimates that about 80% of coronavirus samples nationwide were FLiRT variants in the two weeks ending Saturday, up from about 65% during the same period a month ago.
Across California, the percentage of coronavirus tests coming back positive is also on the rise: 12.8% of tests were positive in the week ending July 15. That’s up from 5.9% a month earlier and close to last summer’s peak of 13.1% recorded in late August and early September.
In the 10 days ending July 6, the most recent for which data is available, coronavirus concentrations in Los Angeles County’s wastewater were 36% of their peak level last winter, up from 27% in the 10 days ending June 29.
New coronavirus cases are also surging: In the week ending July 14, Los Angeles County reported an average of 359 new cases per day, up from 307 the previous week. A month ago, the average was 154 cases per day.
The official COVID-19 counts are clearly undercounts because they only include tests done in health care facilities, not those taken at home, and don’t take into account the fact that fewer people are getting tested when they’re sick. But the overall trends can still help predict the trajectory of infections over the summer.
COVID-19 hospitalizations are also on the rise, but remain lower than the peak of last summer. During the week ending July 13, an average of 287 COVID-19 patients were admitted to Los Angeles County hospitals per day, up from 139 during the same period a month earlier. During last summer’s peak, which occurred in the week ending September 9, area hospitals saw an average of 620 COVID-19 patients admitted per day.
Los Angeles County reported that 2.8% of all emergency room visits were COVID-related in the week ending July 14. That’s up from 1.8% during the same period a month earlier but below last summer’s peak of 5.1%.
High levels of coronavirus are also found in wastewater from Santa Clara County, the San Francisco Bay Area’s most populous county and home to Silicon Valley. As of Friday, San Jose, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale and Gilroy all had “high” coronavirus levels in their wastewater basins.
Doctors say it’s important to get tested if you have any of the COVID symptoms, including fever, aches, sore throat, chills, fatigue, cough, runny nose, headache, as well as less common symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Most health insurance plans in California (at least those that are state-regulated) are required to reimburse enrollees for up to eight home testing kits per month if in-network providers are used.
Additionally, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, “If you have insurance, your health insurance company is required to cover the full cost of a test if your doctor orders one. You do not need to have symptoms to request a test.”
Eligible individuals can also find free testing locations through the CDC website. testlocator.cdc.govIf you have insurance, you may be required to provide your insurance information.
People without health insurance in Los Angeles County can also get free COVID testing at the county’s public health center’s nurse clinics and multi-purpose vaccination sites. Los Angeles County residents age 65 and older and homebound can also fill out an online form to have two free test kits mailed to them. Free COVID test kits may also be available at Los Angeles County libraries, food banks, and senior centers.
Health officials are also urging people to consider asking their healthcare provider for antiviral medications, such as Paxlovir, to combat COVID-19. Antiviral medications can be used to treat people with mild to moderate illness who are at risk of developing symptoms.
“Waiting for symptoms to worsen is not recommended,” the California Department of Public Health said.
Health authorities have previously said antiviral drugs are underused and urged medical workers to prescribe them appropriately when indicated.
“Most adults and some children with symptoms of COVID-19 are eligible for treatment. … Health care providers should set a low bar for prescribing COVID-19 medications,” the California Department of Public Health said in an advisory.
California once offered free virtual COVID medical visits to residents, but that program ended in March. The contractor that provided the service, sesamecare.com/covid, now offers the services for a fee, with a discount for California residents.
Uptake has been relatively low for the improved COVID-19 vaccine that became available in September. Since then, 36.7% of Californians age 65 and older have received at least one dose of the improved vaccine, as have 18.5% of adults ages 50-64 and 10% of younger adults up to age 49.
Anyone who hasn’t received the most recent COVID vaccine within the past year “should consider getting it, especially if they’re older and have a weakened immune system,” said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at the University of California, San Francisco. Those at highest risk of dying from COVID are older people and those with weakened immune systems who haven’t been vaccinated recently.
If you get the 2023-24 vaccine now, you will be eligible to receive the updated COVID vaccine when it becomes available this fall. The CDC will recommend everyone 6 months of age or older get the updated 2024-25 vaccine.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
