Marinscope
New COVID-19 sub variants that can infect people who are fully vaccinated and boosted are cropping up in California at an alarming rate. The news comes after big July Fourth celebrations brought people together for parades and festivities for the first time in two years.
“California’s seven-day COVID-19 test positivity rate hit 15% on July 4, according to the state Department of Public Health — a rate approaching the record-high 22.5% logged in January during the height of the omicron surge,” CalMatters.org reported. “Although hospitalizations have remained fairly stable and low — as have death rates — experts are raising concerns about the ultra-contagious omicron sub variants BA.4 and BA.5, which have become the dominant COVID strains nationwide and are infecting people who are fully vaccinated and boosted and those who previously tested positive.”
The entire Bay Area, Marin officials said, is now at the high community risk level for COVID-19 at which federal regulators recommend everyone wear face masks indoors as newer and more immunity-evasive versions of the omicron variant continue to spread across the country.
Dr. Bob Wachter, chair of UC San Francisco’s Department of Medicine, tweeted: “Although vaccinations and boosters are still ‘hugely valuable’ in protecting against hospitalization and death, one of the biggest implications of BA.5: a prior infection — including an Omicron infection as recent as last month — no longer provides robust protection from reinfection.
And, Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County’s public health officer, said “People are just wanting the pandemic to be over and acting accordingly. What I want to say as a motivator: You’re not protected from long COVID. And I don’t know about you, but if I can do my best to prevent something that will give me brain fog, that’s why I wear my KN95 face mask.
In Main, the latest update from the county health department showed that many children – ages 6 months to 4-years-old – are getting vaccinated. Since the vaccinations were approved, 1,221 Marin County children have received their first dose. In most pediatric vaccination locations, both the Pfizer (3 dose regimen) and the Moderna (2 dose regimen) products are being offered.
“So far, parents are choosing the Moderna products slightly more frequently (63 percent),” county health officials reported. Many parents choosing this product prefer the convenience of the two-dose regimen that can be completed in one month. Pediatric practices across Marin are continuing to make vaccine appointments available to families.
Also, local health gurus reported that COVID-19 transmission rates continue to be high in Marin County and across the region.
“Local data shows that the second booster significantly reduces risk of COVID-19 infection, hospitalization and mortality. Still, 34 percent of Marin residents age 65 or older have not received a second booster dose. The most important risk factor for hospitalization or death from COVID-19 and Marin is older age. Residents are encouraged to take advantage of the many locations across the county offering second boosters, to limit the risk of preventable illness as the virus continues to circulate widely.”
“The pattern we’re seeing in our data does make me think a sustained surge is possible,” Dr. Cody said. “Previous patterns were we went up and then down, but we went up and now we’re staying at a high plateau.”
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