UCSF Expert: 'Right Now, Delta Is The Game In Town'; Cases, Hospitalizations Will Continue To Grow
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- UC San Francisco is seeing eight times more COVID hospitalizations than it did at the state's reopening in June with experts warning that number will grow during the spread of the delta variant cases among vaccinated and non-vaccinated local residents.
UCSF infectious disease expert Dr. Peter Chin Hong told KPIX 5 that people are generally getting sicker sooner after exposure to the delta variant.
"Right now, Delta is the game in town, Delta is the variant that is the most dominant -- more than 90% of the cases now -- the most infectious," said Chin-Hong.
He said the viral load in the Delta variant is 1,000 times higher than the original variant.
Chin-Hong is less concerned about the newer variants appearing in other parts of the world.
"With Delta Plus, I put it in the category as Delta, it hasn't really taken over," he said. "I feel the same way about Lambda as well, much more in South America, very regional."
Chin-Hong said even if you're vaccinated, being in an uncontrolled environment indoors is risky.
"What I wouldn't do is go to a bar that has a lot of visitors or even a regular bar, and a lot of people walking around, or even leaving my mask off. That's the riskiest place you can be," he said. "Even if you go to a movie theater, decent ventilation, you know if you're spaced apart from someone, probably skip the popcorn."
He said outdoor gatherings as well as indoor dining are relatively safe for vaccinated people.
Maribel Padilla says she's remained ultra cautious throughout the pandemic. She mostly tries to order takeout with her family, including her young daughter.
"I'm still wearing it because I'm pregnant so I'm still careful," she said of her mask. "Because you never know. I'm vaccinated she's not."
Vaccinated incoming college freshman said they are sticking to lowkey activities.
"Just avoiding the big crowds, going to concerts, raves, big parties, and stuff like that. I'm avoiding all that just for now," said Gwyneth Kingman of Southern California.
"We mostly stick around people we know too like these are my two best friends," said Jade Hermosillo of Southern California.
Chin-Hong added that Delta symptoms include headache, runny nose, sore throat, loss of smell and sneezing. He said a lot of vaccinated people thought they just had allergies or a cold, and turned out to be breakthrough cases.