Covid Reinfections Boost Cases, By Jondi Gumz

COMMUNITY NEWS

Covid Reinfections Boost Cases

By Jondi Gumz

It’s hard to believe yet another Covid-19 Omicron subvariant could be more contagious than BA.4 and BA.5 but a new subvariant, BA.2.75 has been spotted in India, where it appears to be spreading faster than others, with two cases on the West Coast.

One factor driving up case counts is “reinfections.” About 12% of cases in the United Kingdom are people getting Covid for a second or even a third time as the coronavirus evolves.

A study published in June by Beth Israel Deaconess researchers in the New England Journal of Medicine comparing 27 vaccinated and boosted people with 27 unvaccinated people who had the BA.1 or BA.2 variant found the antibody protection for both groups was high against the original variant and much less against the current subvariants.

However, the unvaccinated with a prior infection had more antibody protection than the vaccinated.

This is a small study, yet it explains second (or third) cases, such as U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, who tested positive for a third time.

One more Santa Cruz County resident has died, bringing the total to 267. The last five deaths were people who were vaccinated, according to the county dashboard, all 65 and older with medical conditions.

Cases

It’s possible reinfections are pushing up active case numbers in California and locally.

Santa Cruz County cases are on a rollercoaster, 1,715 on May 23, then 1,472 on May 26 and 1,705 on June 13, then 2,000 on June 27, and 1,871 on June 30, then 2,040 on July 11.

Cases jumped after Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day and Fourth of July but the high of 180 on July 5 is low compared to 1,312 on Jan. 20.

Santa Cruz County updates the numbers on Mondays and Thursdays.

On Tuesday, the state reported 16 people hospitalized with Covid in Santa Cruz County, down from 27 last month, and none are in intensive care.

With 57,000+ county cases, natural immunity may be a factor.

California reports 79.4% of the population have had at least one shot.

On the CDC Covid tracker, Santa Cruz County reports 91.4% of residents age 5 and up have at least one shot and 83.3% fully vaccinated.

Fully vaccinated means having two shots (Pfizer or Moderna) or one Johnson & Johnson shot. All were developed for the initial Wuhan Covid-19 strain, which is no longer circulating.

Santa Cruz County is rated “medium” transmission by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on its COVID tracking map. Hotspots are Monterey County, Santa Clara County, much of California and Montana, parts of Arizona and New Mexico, and Florida all rated high risk.

Subvariants of omicron (and waning immunity from vaccines) are behind the latest wave of cases.

The CDC said BA.4 comprises 36.6% of new cases and BA.5 15.7%. These subvariants have boosted cases — snaring people who were vaccinated.

Among them: Actress Mayim Bialik, entertainer Weird Al Yankovic, and Bill Gates. Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, actor Hugh Jackman and Broadway star Sutton Foster, all shared they got a second case.

California hospitalizations from Omicron peaked in January, then plummeted and have been rising slowly but steadily.

The state reports 4,200+ people hospitalized and the Department of Public Health explains about half are due to Covid, with the other half coming to the hospital for another reason and testing positive.

The state reports test positivity, 23% in January, fell to 1.7% before rising to 16.1% and hospitalizations — 20,000 in January — dropped to 950 before rising.

Workplace rules in California require unvaccinated and vaccinated workers to be treated the same; no mask mandate for the unvaccinated. Employees testing positive can return to work masked five days later.

$3.2 Billion Deal

On June 30, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration told Covid vaccinemakers that any changes to booster shots for fall must target Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, which account for 52% of new virus cases in the U.S.

The FDA announcement came a day after the Biden administration said it had a $3.2 billion deal to buy 105 million doses of Pfizer’s Covid vaccine for adults and children for fall. Some of the adult shots will come in one dose instead of two. Deliveries are expected in “early fall.”

On July 4, citizen journalist Bernadette Pajer and her husband took the opportunity of a hometown parade to enter a truck with signs to spread the word about Children’s Health Defense, which sees no evidence of a need to vaccinate children. She hosts a radio show, “Informed Life Radio,” 3-5 p.m. Fridays on KKNW 1150 AM.

“Courage is contagious,” Pajer said. “Find a buddy.”

On July 5, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff struck down the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Covid-19 student vaccine mandate. He found that only the state — not a school board — can require students to be vaccinated to attend in-person school.

Beckloff sided with the father of a 12-year-old who sued.

Attorney Arie Spangler, representing the father, said the ruling “confirms that individual school districts do not have the authority to impose vaccination requirements in excess of statewide requirements.”

Spangler said parents can connect with Let Them Breathe, a 501c3 nonprofit founded by Sharon McKeeman, a California mother of four, to educate families on their rights and ensuring students have access to meaningful education during uncertain times.

California Parents United, a 501c4 nonprofit parents rights group, plans a fundraiser at Aug 27 at Armitage Winery on Canham Road in Scotts Valley.

In Santa Cruz County, students will go back to school in mid-August – Aug.15 for Pajaro Valley Unified School District.

In California’s school guidance for 2022-23, masks and vaccination are not required but are recommended.

“COVID Update” page 10

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