After a recent lifting of restrictions, the number of COVID-19 infections in Santa Clara County is rising.
County Public Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said schools and workplaces are reporting upticks in infection, and that the county is starting to see early signs that could signal a future increase in hospitalizations due to the virus. While the county reported 193 new COVID infections on April 3, that number jumped to 589 on May 3.
“The variants circulating now spread much more easily than those earlier in the pandemic,” Cody said. “If you got omicron, you can still get COVID again.”
Cody recommends residents get up to date on COVID vaccinations and take precautionary measures.
“Keep your mask handy and wear it when you’re indoors, especially if it’s crowded and not well-ventilated,” she said, noting there are no plans to bring back the county’s mask mandate.
Cody’s statements follow a lifting of the county’s indoor mask mandate in March. Santa Clara County has had some of the most stringent rules in the Bay Area when it comes to preventing the spread of COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic. While some local agencies have lifted their mask mandates as well, San Jose recently implemented a temporary masking order for workers in all city facilities.
Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, professor of global health and infectious diseases at Stanford University School of Medicine, told San José Spotlight there is an uptick of COVID cases in the Bay Area. She said in the last two weeks, Stanford has seen an increase in SARS-CoV2 in wastewater, and she recommends people get vaccinated and boosted to prevent serious illness.
“The risk calculation is very different if you’re over 50 and have underlying conditions,” she said. “I would be concerned, especially for economic productivity if people are out sick.”
There have been 324,687 total infections countywide since early 2020. Almost 86% of residents of all ages and 91% of those ages 5+ are fully vaccinated. About 70% have received at least one booster dose. Only 15% of county residents ages 50-64 have received a second booster shot. For residents ages 65+, almost 29% have received a second booster.
Maldonado said she’s seen a small rise in hospitalizations. The prevalent COVID strain, the sub-variant BA.2, is more transmissible than omicron. It’s a risk for people with underlying conditions and those who are immunocompromised. She said these people should consider taking Paxlovid or other treatments which can quickly reduce symptoms.
“It’s very clear that our antibodies do start to wane after four to five months… If you’re 50 or older we know the risk of serious illness is higher,” she said.
In a statement, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said during the last surge, those who were boosted were 21 times less likely to die from COVID compared to those who were unvaccinated, and seven times less likely to be hospitalized. The CDC recommends everyone age 5 and older be up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.
On March 29, the CDC recommended additional boosters for immunocompromised individuals and those age 50 or older who received an initial booster dose at least four months ago to increase their protection against COVID. People ages 12 years and older who are immunocompromised and those ages 18 years and older who received both a primary dose and a booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least four months ago are also eligible.
Although the state previously announced plans to require the COVID-19 vaccine for children to attend school, the California Department of Public Health requirements won’t take effect before July 1, 2023 or later.
Vaccination appointments in Santa Clara County can be made online at www.sccfreevax.com.
Contact Lorraine Gabbert at [email protected]
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I don’t care how many “infections” of covid were reported. The question should be how many hospitalizations…. A “small rise” doesn’t mean much.
“Maldonado said she’s seen a small rise in hospitalizations. The prevalent COVID strain, the sub-variant BA.2, is more transmissible than omicron. It’s a risk for people with underlying conditions and those who are immunocompromised. She said these people should consider taking Paxlovid or other treatments which can quickly reduce symptoms.”
It’s misleading to simply say that there’s been a small rise in hospitalizations because data for hospitalizations includes everyone admitted and subsequently tested for COVID-19, regardless if they were admitted for COVID or admitted for a totally unrelated reason.
BA.2 IS omicron, so saying that BA.2 is more transmissible that omicron is also misleading.
Paxlovid is a new Pfizer antiviral being pushed by big pharma and politicians that invest in big pharma. It is extremely expensive and unproven against the omicron variants (it was tested with delta, not omicron). Add to it that it’s new and the side-effects (especially long-term) are unknown. It’s HIGHLY suspect that Paxlovid is being pushed now. I’m not sure we should be believing Pfizer when it stands to make a killing (pun intended?) on this pandemic.
Bob, Spot on, not that the general public needs to know or cares, but the lazy way these so-called public health officials throw around terms, variants, sub-variants, sub-lineages does not add to their credibility – add in the “May cause, could be, it is possible and maybe” to their predictions and they really are the covid weather forecaster (better known as weather-guesser).
The new variant that is spreading is really BA.2.12.1 – but it is still Omicron.
Omicron (B.1.1.529 – alias BA) is still COVID-19. And there are over 50 sub-lineages of Omicron named and tracked. Virus Mutation is normal and occurs continuously. B.1.1.529.1 – alias BA.1 (the original Omicron Variant of Concern) B.1.1.529.1.1 – alias BA.1.1 B.1.1.529.2 – alias BA.2 etc, for BA.3, BA.4 and BA.5
Omicron accounts for 100% of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. At the end of April 30, the CDC estimated: – make up of the omicron subvariants: BA.2 accounts for 61.9% of U.S. COVID-19 cases, while BA.2.12.1 accounts for 36.5% and BA.1.1 accounts for 1.3 %. Other omicron subvariants make up the rest.
and “BA.2’s prevalence in US falls for 3rd week” (E Carbajal, May 10th, 2022)
“The omicron subvariant BA.2 accounts for a fewer proportion of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. as the prevalence of another omicron sublineage – BA.2.12.1 – grows, according to the CDC’s latest variant proportion estimates. ”
At the end of May 7th, the CDC estimated: BA.2 accounted for 56% of new cases BA.2.12.1 is rising, accounting for nearly 43% of new cases
BA.2.12.1 is estimated to have a 25% growth advantage over BA.2, which is already more transmissible than the original omicron strain. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, said there HAVE NOT been Indications it’s TIED to More Severe Disease.
“Epidemiologically, it doesn’t appear as if we’re seeing more severe disease in places that are having more cases,” she said during an April 26 news conference. “So we are not anticipating more severe disease from some of these subvariants, but we are actively studying it.”
The important thing they do not tell us is that while re-infection is possible, previous Omicron infections provide STRONG PROTECTION against reinfection from the omicron sub-variants, and there is NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE in disease SEVERITY among the Omicron variants.
The current strain of Omicron (and variants) is less severe than the original strains of covid. The estimate is that over 60% of persons in the U.S. already have had the covid virus, which has provided increased (Natural) immunity across the entire population, for children the natural immunity is over 75% due to the asymptomatic nature of the majority of Omicron cases. CDC data shows that 60% of adults and 75% of children have antibodies indicating that they’ve been infected with Covid-19. and Previous BA. 1 “provides strong protection against reinfection with BA.2″ and is the same for the other Omicron sub-variants.
Fundamentally, the public has lost confidence in the public health establishment. From Dr. F saying “no need to wear masks,” then admitting that he lied about that, then suggesting double masks, to “just two weeks to flatten the curve,” to the vaccines will “stop” the virus, to candidate Biden and President Biden claiming he was going to wipe out the virus, and dozens more missteps and misleading advice. And, of course, doing everything that they could to ignore the source of the virus. Assigning some blame to the guilty party would have provided some comfort to people — at least they could have gotten that right.
Commander Cody (nod to the Lost Planet Airmen) simply does not have the gravitas to lead. And that goes for most of the public health officials who have failed in handling this pandemic.
Of course the virus will peak again, off course there will be new variants. And most important of all, there is nothing these “public health officials” can do about it except stand at a lectern and lecture people. The data is in: states and other countries that did not lock people down, keep kids from school, or mandate masks had the same or often better outcomes than we did.
I am surprised that she stayed in the job. Before the pandemic, most of the “public health officials” spent much of their time swanning about the terra patting themselves on the back whilst they awarded each other high honors for obscure papers about picking fly poop out of the pepper.
It was so nice not to see her picture with the doom and gloom bs for the last few week now she can go back to her room. She has done enough damage
I appreciate Cody saying there’s no plans to bring back mask mandates. Finally a glimpse of hope. Let’s hope they stick to their word as cases continue to go up and down for the foreseeable future.
Jared, There is no reason for Mask Mandates to prevent Omicron – unless they are going to start mandating Masks for the Flu and the Common Cold (which is also a coronavirus).
“Dennis Cunningham, the system medical director of infection control & prevention at Henry Ford Health in Detroit, told NBC News that the symptoms from the omicron subvariants “have been pretty consistent. There’s less incidence of people losing their sense of taste and smell. In a lot of ways, it’s a bad cold, a lot of respiratory symptoms, stuffy nose, coughing, body aches, and fatigue.”
Cody said. “If you got omicron, you can still get COVID again.”
Provide your evidence or immediately retract your lies Cody. Also please demonstrate to us that even if your idea I was true, why should anyone care?
589 ??? Cases. 2 million people plus in this county 80 percent vaccinated give it a rest Cody … people over it the victims of crimes out of hand breaking ins theft assaults a week in the county and sam Jose doubles that number start doing something about that write about that ! Like ya did last week ….. unreal ya won’t let up with the covid…. It’s going to be fine .. fix San Jose .unreal
Dr. Cody said today the pandemic is still with us. According to Dr. Fauci, the pandemic is over. And according to President Biden, masks are no longer needed indoors. So who do you believe? Is Fauci the expert? Is Biden the expert? Is Cody the expert? Personally, I don’t think any of them know what they are talking about.
Dr. Cody never did provide an adequate answer when asked about masks, which was very disappointing. She ignored the question the first time and danced around the answer the second time. I think she would love to re-institute a mask mandate, but she knows the outrage which will occur if the mask mandate is re-issued. And I also think she knows the political implications which will most likely follow. People are tired of the lies and governmental control.
Get rid of masks, stop pushing vaccines, start re-living the lives you once lived. If you are afraid, wear a mask and get vaccinated over and over again. Better yet, lock yourself in your house and never come out. Leave the rest of us alone and stop pushing the nonsense. Everyone is capable of making their own decisions without repeated governmental direction.
I am not an anti-vaxxer, and I have been vaccinated and boosted. But that was a decision I made for myself. You need to make your own decisions, just don’t expect society to have to have to wear masks for the rest of their lives to support a decision you decided not to make.
City of San Jose leaders who lack any medical or science training are clearly the experts. That’s why they knew that they needed to order everyone in the city to wear masks despite no one else requiring it. Or it could just be all politics… That would make more sense, right? No one believes that a surgical mask designed to stop large water droplets from falling out of your mouth onto others you’re leaning over really stops aerosol transmission of anything. That would be a completely asinine belief.
Father Fauci said, “Masks don’t work (unless they are N95), but they make us feel good.”
Data does not lie. But liars do data. This data is garbage. It’s dirty. Manipulated and useless. This is garbage journalism about a con artist spreading fear. It’s like watching season two of Blacklist. This is just clowns in office pretending they are in Hollywood.
Lies ..so nice not to see Cody enough is enough .spotlight ! . The victims of crimes a day committed in San Jose alone in day are a are a h..l of alot worse times worse then COVID cases !! Unreal ya just don’t quit the power grab again ? Enough damage was done people are over it
Before Covid, Sara Cody was an obscure bureaucrat. Hardly anyone in SC County had ever heard of her. Since then she has become a well known public figure, at least in the Bay Area, and a petty dictator who has become addicted to the limelight. Now she can’t live without it. As the variants become less virulent, she focuses on transmissibility alone, in order to keep herself in the limelight. We will all be better off if she returns to the obscurity from which she came.
BretSwoh, I completely agree. There’s no reason for mask mandates. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean Cody won’t institute one. I hope she sticks to her word and doesn’t try it.
Yes – it may happen – look at the idiocy of San Jose leaders making city workers wear masks again.
For the May 2022 cases MTD is 6,065. in comparison to May 2021, which was PRE-DELTA AND PRE-OMICRON, MTD was 515 which means we are 11.7 times of the May cases when we had a supposedly safe level. Our current daily average is 581 and In March 2022, we had 170 cases per day, we are 3.6 times that of that month.
For the month of May MTD we have tested 111,130 and in May of the same sample MTD we tested 113,763 which means our sample size is 97.7% of May. But yet we have INCREASED POSITIVITY. The positivity rate is 7.02% but the May MTD Average was .53% meaning we are about 13.25 TIMES higher than May 2021. In March we had 1.55% and we are 4.5 times that today
We are currently reporting only 82 ICU beds available (61 adult and 21 child) which is only 13.3% available beds in the county. Our averages regarding hospitalizations though We are at a 7 day average of 96 positive cases and 14 suspected cased at total of 110. And we are back to the level of hospitalizations of 90 that we were in December 2021, but in July 2021 we were at 32 patients, and in May 2020 we were at 51 patients.
That does mean we are not in very good shape, are we?
Also according to the CDC CA 7 day average of cases currently is 8.700 but the total on May 10 was 33,206. At the same time our regional hospitlization is way above the safe period we were in April 15 with .39 per 100,000, we are now at .56 a 43% increase in hospitlizations, and that is not expected to stop increasing Yesterday we had 106 people die in CA. with a 7 day avereage of 37. If that stays the same we will have at least 1,170 people die this month. Last month 9 people in Santa Clara county died, 9 people too many.
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