|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The worst of the omicron surge in Alameda County may be over, the county health officer said Tuesday at a meeting of the Board of Supervisors.
Case rates and hospitalizations are still high but falling, health officer Dr. Nicholas Moss said. Case rates are falling more slowly than they went up.
The daily case rate is 170 per 100,000 residents and 416 people are in the hospital with COVID-19, Moss said. Seventy-four people are in intensive care with the coronavirus.
“We seem to be past the peak,” Moss said. Adding that, “We’re not quite out of the woods yet.”
The peak daily case rate was 266.7 on Jan. 10 and the peak number of hospitalizations was 450 on Jan. 27. Intensive care cases peaked at 79 on Jan. 29, the county’s data dashboard shows.
Moss said hospitalizations should continue to decrease. The spread of the omicron subvariant BA.2 is not expected to change that prediction, Moss said.
BA.2 appears to spread more easily than its parent, but the severity appears to be similar. Moss said the COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots appear to be effective against BA.2.
After the omicron surge subsides, the COVID risk will continue and people will see more surges, Moss said. Vaccination and testing will continue to be public health priorities, he said.
He said residents can expect to see easing of emergency requirements such as indoor masking, but masks will continue to be important. Even if they are not required, Moss said, they will be a good thing for people to use when they are sick.
In terms of preventing illness due to COVID, vaccination is the tool, Moss said.
Alameda County is one of the most highly vaccinated areas in the nation, Moss said. With 81.4% of the population fully vaccinated, the county is sixth or seventh among all California counties, he said.
Alameda County has “not seen the same type of overwhelm” of its health care system as places with lower vaccination rates, Moss said.
“It’s great than we’re in the low 80s,” said Board Vice Chair Nate Miley, sitting in for Board Chair Keith Carson, who was excused.
Miley asked Moss about herd immunity, whether COVID-19 would become endemic and when life would return to normal.
Moss said herd immunity and endemic don’t really apply right now, and that life won’t ever return to the way things were in 2019, he said.
“It’s more like we’re getting closer and closer to the new normal,” Moss said.
Why exactly does Nicholas Moss state so confidently that we will never return to normal. Because he intends to maintain all the mandates built around Covid? It is time to start lifting all the mandates and returning our lives to pre-pandemic hysteria. The vaccines are safe and effective and the virus is waning in strength. Time to move on.
Barbara: Herd immunity worked for insanely deadly pandemics like the spanish flu, but somehow don’t work for the much less deadly per capita coronavirus. Good on you for questioning an authority figure – we need more of that.
I agree about questioning authority, so I question the accuracy of Dr. Moss’ figures, just a bit. According to today’s data from the https://covid19.ca.gov/state-dashboard/#location-alameda,
(Alameda County Data platform), as of Feb 4, 2022, the daily case rate is 117, per 100,000, not the 170, per 100,000 that Dr. Moss states, and there are 375 covid-19 hospitalized patients in Alameda county, not the 416 that Dr. Moss states. OF course his data is from “Feb 1, 2022, 11:54 pm” and my data is from today, around 10:00 this morning. So if we both are correct, based on different day’s data, we are seeing RAPIDLY declining infection and hospitalization rates. So, yes, lets get rid of masks, especially the cloth ones that the CDC are marginally (38%) effective, and let those wo do want to wear ANY sort of mask, do their thing. But let the rest of us, get rid of them. Right?
Consistent use of a face mask or respirator in indoor public settings was associated with lower odds of a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result (adjusted odds ratio = 0.44). Use of respirators with higher filtration capacity was associated with the most protection, compared with no mask use.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7106e1.htm?s_cid=mm7106e1_w
In addition to being up to date with recommended COVID-19 vaccinations, consistently wearing a comfortable, well-fitting face mask or respirator in indoor public settings protects against acquisition of SARS-CoV-2 infection; a respirator offers the best protection.
Immoral Law or illegitimate Law?
“If the state requires what the bible forbids, or forbids what the bible requires, Christians must disobey. But Christians may not disobey an evil state merely on the grounds that it is evil.” – Biblical Theory Summarized:
Imagine living on the border between Idaho “(one of the most conservative states) and Washington (one of the most liberal states). It is two different countries with different values and contrary world views.”
Ding ding ding!
BobB spreading misinformation (as he likes to say all the time) again. Check your sources Bobby. None of the protections-masks, lockdowns and social distancing have had much effect. Further, the experimental drugging of our population has failed. The good news is that the virus is nothing more than a cold. Get back to leaving.
BobB please read the latest John Hopkins study on the effectiveness of lockdowns and masks. Please stop calling people names just because they do not agree with your Biden lockstep rhetoric.
“Consistent use of a face mask or respirator in indoor public settings was associated with lower odds of a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result (adjusted odds ratio = 0.44).”
A “test result” is meaningless if the overwhelming majority of people (especially children) require no additional care and recover with no ill effects. Provide care/treatment for those most at risk (elderly, those with preexisting conditions, etc.) and let others resume a normal life. People should not be fired from their jobs and kids kept from in person instruction in schools for not being masked/vaccinated. The political left is dragging this issue on (with the help of so called “journalists”) as long as they possibly can for permanent government control/political power.
@MichaelB,
1200 pediatric deaths from COVID in the last 2 years. Compare that to any of the worst 2 years of pediatric flu deaths in the last 100 years. Then talk about hospitalizations and serious illness. We can hope for the best, but no one knows what the next variant will bring.
BobB. About 3000 to 4000 children die Annually from motor vehicle accidents.
A few days ago Biden gave a speech where he said all government purchase are required to be Made In The USA. Great idea. I received my free covid test kits mailed by the US Government and they clearly state that the test kits were made in China. WTF.