Infectious disease expert: 'Right now BA.5 is not the only game in town'
SAN FRANCISCO -- Over the next two weeks, hundreds of thousands of San Francisco Bay Area residents will travel or gather with families or friends in record numbers over the Thanksgiving holiday.
And once again a spike in new COVID cases is a concern.
UCSF Infectious disease specialist Dr. Peter Chin-Hong says there hasn't been a major spike yet, but there is a slight uptick in new cases.
"They (COVID cases) are creeping up slowly, I think that feels invisible to a lot of people but in the hospital I've been seeing COVID cases," he told KPIX. "It's creeping up to about 18 (new cases a day). We have 2 people in the ICU. With the test positivities increasing, the waste water epidemiology showing that COVID levels increasing, so it's a real trend that we are seeing."
This winter as COVID fatigue has set in as the pandemic enters its 3rd year and mandatory precautions have been dropped, the virus is joining together with the flu and RSV to form a dangerous triple threat.
Health experts say a busy flu season is not unexpected. The nation saw two mild seasons during the pandemic, and experts have worried that flu might come back strong as a COVID-weary public has moved away from masks and other measures that tamp the spread of respiratory viruses.
"We are seeing more cases than we would expect at this time," the CDC's Dr. José Romero said of the flu.
The CDC says reports of flu are already high in 17 states, and the hospitalization rate hasn't been this high this early since the 2009 swine flu pandemic. So far, there have been an estimated 730 flu deaths, including at least two children.
Dr. Chin-Hong says there is also the new COVID variants that are presenting a threat.
"So right now BA.5 is not the only game in town," he told KPIX. "In fact, BA.5 went from about 90 percent cases, now to about maybe 30 percent of the cases. We have the children of BA.5 coming on board with weird letters and numbers like BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 and then we've heard of this new one called BN.1. All of them are like Omicron grand children and they are kind of feistier."
"They are not going to make you die more if you don't get a booster but they may be a little more resistant."
Dr. Chin-Hong says that if you have symptoms of COVID, don't stop with just one negative at-home test. Take the tests over several days because it takes variants longer to infect the nasal passages.
"The at-home test is still effective but you can't stop at one negative, particularly if you have symptoms," he told KPIX. "You have to keep on doing them over and over again. 3 tests over the course of 2-3 days, if you have symptoms."
As for remaining health during the holidays, Dr. Chin-Hong says to remember the ABCs of COVID.
"A is for the air. So think about ventilation," he said. "Think about wearing a mask, particularly if you are indoors with vulnerable people."
"B is for the booster shot. Get it with you flu shot as quick as possible."
"C is for COVID testing."