COVID-19 hospitalizations rising in parts of California, a potentially ominous sign

[TheProle]

Source: Los Angeles Times

COVID-19 hospitalizations have risen significantly in the Inland Empire and Central Valley, bringing new concerns about whether the shift represents a precursor to a wider spike in COVID-19 in California as the winter holidays approach.

Across the state, both cases and hospitalizations hit a plateau after months of decline. Hospitalizations have remained fairly flat in some areas with relatively high vaccination rates, including the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles County.

But in some areas with lower vaccination rates, such as Riverside, San Bernardino and Fresno counties, conditions are deteriorating, with hospitalizations up by more than 20% in recent weeks. And even some places with relatively high vaccination rates are seeing COVID-19 hospitalizations tick upward; in Orange County, COVID-19 hospitalizations are up by 16% since Halloween.

Health officials have been warning about a potential new rise in COVID-19 in California as seniors who got their shots last winter — and haven't received a booster shot — may start to see their immunity wane, leaving them exposed to greater risk for infection and hospitalization, and as people gather indoors more as the weather cools and the holidays approach.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/covid-19-hospitalizations-rising-in-parts-of-california-a-potentially-ominous-sign/ar-AAQuNrG

[at140]

1. Here in coastal NE Florida....

almost no one is wearing masks in stores and restaurants.
And hospitals now have more ICU units open. Covid surge from a few months ago seems to have dissipated.

[madville]

4. California's rate is now double that of Florida

The general theory is that Delta burned through Florida faster and now has less hosts to infect. Whereas California delayed their spike but in return now people that were vaccinated when first available have waning immunity. In California only 27% of those eligible have gotten a booster for instance.

Florida is like 60% vaccinated and CA is 62% but CA got more people vaccinated earlier so they may be more vulnerable now due to waning immunity.

Either way, Desantis is gonna say Florida is a success story while pointing to California’s spiking numbers.

[Mr.Bill]

9. California is a very big state

with a wide variety of political beliefs. Some areas in California pretty much completely ignored mask mandates and have low vaccination rates. I live in in a county where our Sheriff said immediately after the Health Dept. put out mask mandates that he had no intention of enforcing them. For about the first year, we had near 100% compliance with masks, although I know enough people in retail to know that most retail managers told them that under no circumstances were they to ask anyone to leave the store if they were not wearing a mask.

Right now mask compliance is about 50/50 at best. Without going into detail, I can guarantee you that the case and death rate went up when mask compliance went down.

[at140]

21. Size does not matter LOL it is "rate" we are talking about /nt

[Mr.Bill]

24. I know. I was just saying

that compliance with health dept. recomendations varies widely in our large state. People who have never been here sometimes think the entire state is San Francisco and Los Angeles. The size of our state means there is a lot of diversity in just about everything. For instance, I live in an area where we can live comfortably on less than 50K a year, whereas in other areas that income would make us homeless.

[at140]

25. You are right about diversity

I lived in Yuba City for some time. It is as far removed from LA & SF as you can get.
But the best India restaurant food anywhere!

[Captain Zero]

16. Florida may be lower but remember DeSsntis has

always disparaged the stats and actively tried to cook the stats there. If he is still cooking the stats, and why would he stop, then that would be a contributing factor in lower incidence reports.

[Steelrolled]

17. I don't know - the claims of cooking the stats

are never mentioned when Florida has very high infection rates.

[at140]

22. LOL good point!

Must always show both sides of coin.

[at140]

23. You made very salient points

in your post.

[homegirl]

2. Too many

Trumpers and Evangelicals. Well, obviously they are prepared to meet their maker!

[Auggie]

3. Add in the misinformed, afraid, peer pressured, and those in hiding

Not all follow TFG or faith.

[IronLionZion]

5. Got my 5G booster this morning

unvaccinated conservatives are welcome to achieve natural immunity the old fashioned way if they want.

[wnylib]

10. As of today I am eligible for my booster.

Will get it soon in order to be prepared for the holiday spike. My community spiked to over 500 a week after Labor Day. Currently we are averaging between 200 and 300 per week, but it is guaranteed to go up after Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year. We already had a spike last week after Halloween. It's a rural county with two small cities and several villages, hamlets, and farms full of deep red anti vaxxers.

[IronLionZion]

11. Yup, I would expect another winter spike

as people get together indoors everywhere. We'll see if it's regional in largely unvaccinated conservative areas like the summer.

[Strelnikov_]

19. I am expecting one also here in the upper midwest

As the experts have been saying, with Delta, everyone is going to be exposed at some point. Winter, crowds indoors, what can go wrong?

[wnylib]

20. Holidays will be the spreader points.

Holiday gatherings will bring a mix of people together - vaxxed, unvaxxed, children, parents, grandparents, and friends.

Grandparents who are vaxxed will feel free to interact with grandchildren, even the youngest ones who still can't get the vax. They will hug and kiss. They will not have masks on because they will be eating. They will pass presents from one to another, leaving viral particles on the surface if they are infected but not showing symptoms yet.

There will be breakthrough infections. There will be unvaccinated viral spread. On Christmas Eve, people will attend parties and then go to candlelight church services or midnight mass. If exposed at the party, they will infect people at church, who will infect their families at home dinners.

Couples will go out on New Year's Eve to private parties or large club gatherings. No masks because they will be drinking and snacking and because masks would mess up the look of their New Year's outfits.

So many opportunities for the virus to do its thing.

By mid January, the infection rates will be double the pre holiday numbers.

[SouthBayDem]

6. Inland Empire and Central Valley

Two of the more conservative, pro Trump, anti Newsom parts of California. No surprise there.

[pecosbob]

8. Yes, this reflects the higher rate of Covid infection in red constituencies

[SunSeeker]

12. Inland Empire and Central Valley are very REPUBLICAN areas, with low vaxx and mask wearing.

But even in Los Angeles County, I see a lot less mask wearing.

[roamer65]

13. The virus is endemic now.

It’s gonna keep circulating.

[Delphinus]

14. I fear

you are correct.

[LisaL]

15. Get your boosters, people.

As soon as eligible!