Omicron sub-variant BA.5 responsible for nearly 2 out of 3 infections nationwide
Concerning new COVID-19 numbers have been fueled by a new and contagious sub-variant of the coronavirus, with officials in Los Angeles preparing to take preventative steps to keep cases down and keep hospitals from getting overwhelmed.
According to state figures, LA County has 1,252 people in hospitals due to COVID-19, a spike of nearly 30 on Friday. Orange County has 281 COVID-19 related hospitalizations and Riverside County 214.
COVID's comeback has caught many people off guard, with the surge getting a boost from the omicron sub-variant BA.5, the strain now responsible for almost two out of three new infections nationwide.
"A lot of people close to me who haven't gotten it these last two years have gotten positive in the last couple of weeks," recent COVID patient Andy Helgessen said.
In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking about 110,000 new COVID cases a day, but health experts said the actual number of cases is far higher because many who take home tests do not self-report. Hospitalizations are also rising.
"We have to hold patients in the emergency room for 12 to 24 hours, until we have bed available," Dr. Thomas Yadegar, ICU director at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana, said. "If we continue at this pace, you know, we may have to go back to those days where we were rationing care.
Scientists say that BA.5 is so contagious that not even vaccines or recent COVID infections offer full protection. Though, they do say that vaccines will help prevent serious illness or death. Doctor continue to urge Americans to get vaccinated and, for some, not to wait for this fall's updated shot.
"This is not like an iPhone 11, where you want to upgrade it to iPhone 13 or 14. This is a completely different situation," Dr. Hashim Zaibak said. "This is...for some people, it can be the difference between life or death."
In LA County, the transmission rate has been so high that health officials are expected to reinstate indoor masking in less than two weeks.
