COVID spike in California as hospitalizations rise

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are rising across California, with the statewide test positivity rate climbing to 11.6% early this month, up from around 5.7% in late July. Wastewater surveillance has detected high levels of the virus in regions including Los Angeles, the Bay Area and Sacramento.

“Stratus” variant spreads: The increase in transmission is linked to the XFG subvariant of Omicron, labeled “Stratus,” which is now the most commonly detected strain in the state. Hospitals in San Diego, Orange and Alameda counties have reported a week-over-week increase in COVID-19 admissions, with most new patients either unvaccinated or over age 70 with underlying health conditions. Emergency department visits have also risen sharply among children and adolescents under 18, which public health officials associate with the reopening of schools.
Officials urge precautions: Local health departments are monitoring the variant’s spread through daily lab-confirmed case counts and wastewater analysis. Health officials have urged residents to resume masking in crowded indoor settings, isolate when symptomatic and consult health care providers about antiviral medications such as Paxlovid if at high risk for complications.
Vaccination emphasizde: Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County’s public health officer, emphasized that vaccination remains the most effective protection against severe illness and death. “High vaccination rates translate to lower mortality at the community level, and for an individual, it’s the same,” he said. Willis also criticized Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for promoting vaccine skepticism, saying such views at the highest levels of government undermine public confidence in science-based health measures.

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