7 minute read
COVID: Two Deaths, Omicron Forecasts & Denmark Reports
COMMUNITY NEWS
Two Deaths, Omicron Forecasts & Denmark Reports
Advertisement
By Jondi Gumz
The death toll from Covid-19 in Santa Cruz County rose to 227 before the impact from the South African Omicron variant could be seen.
Omicron, which is spread much more easily than the Delta variant, prompted Gov. Newsom to order health care workers to get a booster shot by Feb. 1 and University of California campuses, including UC Santa Cruz, to order classes to shift online for the first two weeks of January.
South Africa, where Omicron was first seen, reported thousands more cases per day, but only 1.7 percent of those Omicron cases were hospitalized, compared to 19 percent of the Delta cases, according to data shared by health minister Joe Phaahla.
Covid cases appear to have peaked and are falling in South Africa, hospitalizations declining and ICU admissions less than a quarter of the Delta peak despite the high number of Covid cases. A wastewater analysis found a smaller percentage of viral particles for two weeks in a row.
In Denmark, a study by Statnes Serum Institute, looked at 143,000 cases between Nov. 22 and Dec. 15. The finding: People who contracted Omicron were nearly two-thirds less likely to wind up in a hospital. Only 0.5% of Omicron patients were treated at a hospital, compared to 1.4% of patients with other variants.
The United Kingdom Health Security Agency reports people with Omicron are 50% to 70% less likely to need hospital care compared to those with previous variants. However, because Omicron spreads so faster than other variants, concern remains that a mild virus could put pressure on hospitals.
Omicron arrived in California after 11 Kaiser hospital employees in Oakland attended a wedding in Milwaukee, Wis. They were vaccinated, with boosters, and took off their masks while eating and drinking. They reported mild symptoms, and recovered at home.
The fast-spreading nature of Omicron and modeling predicting a surge in January led to UCSC’s announcement on Dec. 21 of online classes in January.
Local Omicron
Santa Cruz County Public Health reported two COVID-19 samples collected on Dec. 16 and 17 were identified as known as the Omicron variant. Both are North County residents in their mid-20s.
“While we must remain vigilant against COVID-19 and Omicron, this new variant is not a cause for panic,” said Dr. Cal Gordon, Santa Cruz County deputy health officer.
He said individuals should get vaccinated and boosted, wear a mask indoors and in crowded settings, get tested if symptomatic or exposed; and stay home if sick. Everyone 5 years and older is eligible for a vaccine and everyone 16 years and older is eligible for a booster.
A Danish study published Dec. 22 and not yet peer reviewed reports a third dose of either Pfizer-BioNTech’s or Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine offers a “significant” increase in protection against the Omicron variant for people age 60 and up.
Contract Tracing Texts
In the meantime, Santa Cruz County health officials advise people to get tested before visiting or traveling, upon return, and again 3-5 days later. They recommend keeping group gatherings small, preferably outside or in a well-ventilated space.
A new contact tracing system is being used — the state’s Contact Tracing Virtual Assistant may send you a text message from 23393, the California COVID-19 Response Team. Health officials ask for cooperation to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Some testing sites are on holiday schedules, resuming regular hours on Jan. 3.
For local information on COVID-19 including on where to get vaccinated or tested go to www.santacruzhealth.org/ coronavirusor call (831) 454-4242 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
California health officials say people with two shots aren’t protected from the new Omicron variant, so they recommend a second booster.
The two people in Santa Cruz County who recently died with Covid had underlying conditions.
On Dec. 13, with California Covid cases up 47 percent and hospitalizations up 14 percent, the state Department of Public Health ordered masks be worn indoors to prevent this new highly transmissible variant from spreading. Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel had already ordered masks to be worn indoors as of Nov. 22, including at home with guests.
On Dec. 15, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported Omicron infections are likely in people who are fully vaccinated.
A U.S. study, not yet peer-reviewed, found all three U.S. Covid vaccines appear to be significantly less protective against the Omicron variant in lab testing, but a booster dose appears to restore protection.
Pfizer reported three shots neutralized Omicron in the lab. Moderna and Johnson & Johnson have not released data. Santa Cruz County reports 596 active cases as of Dec. 20, down from 612 active cases a week ago, 21,798 cases since the pandemic began, 633 hospitalizations, and 231,300 negative test results. Statistics are updated on Mondays and Thursdays.
A total of 16 people are hospitalized in the county, split between Dominican Hospital and Watsonville Community Hospital, which filed Dec. 5 for bankruptcy protection to pave the way for a sale. Three are in intensive care.
The CDC tracker hasn’t updated test positivity in Santa Cruz County; it was 2.37 percent three weeks ago; the statewide rate is up to 4.2 percent.
Four Student Cases
The Santa Cruz County Office of Education reports all positive cases of student and staff regardless of the source of transmission. See santacruzcoe.org/ coviddashboards.
Currently there are 47 active cases connected to schools.
Soquel Union Elementary School District reports 4 active student cases and zero staff cases in December.
Three were at New Brighton Middle School, and one at Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary.
With Inspire Diagnostics, the Santa Cruz County Office of Education has conducted 133,800 PCR surveillance tests for COVID at no charge to those tested, and reports a 14-day positivity rate of .44 percent, down from .5 percent a week ago.
Testing for the school community is open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 27-29, then the regular schedule resumes Jan. 3.
Regular testing hours are: Cabrillo’s parking lot K, 2-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday; the PVUSD District Office parking lot, open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays, and the county Office of Education, 400 Encinal St., Santa Cruz.
Students and their families, and staff and their families can get tested free; fill out the registration once at http://sccoe. link/inspiresc and go to any site --no appointment is needed.
Boosters & Mandates
Following authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine are available at the three local clinics for 16-17 year-olds who got their second dose at least six months ago.
Booster doses of all three vaccine types are available for all school staff.
Appointments are required at https:// santacruzcoe.org/boosters/
Booster shots are available for school staff who got their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least six months ago, or who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least 2 months ago.
Deaths are still rising — 813,000 in the United States, 75,000 in California, 227 in Santa Cruz County — and part of President Biden’s strategy is to mandate vaccines or weekly tests for employers with 100 more employees (part time as well as fulltime — independent contractors are not counted). The deadline to comply is Jan. 4.
Due to legal challenges, the future of the mandate is not known.
Four judicial rulings put a hold on mandates, finding the administration’s orders mandating vaccines exceeded the power Congress had given the executive branch. The rulings:
Nov. 12: BST Holdings v. Occupational
Safety and Health Administration, a unanimous three-judge panel of the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth
Circuit, opinion written by Kurt D.
Engelhardt.
Nov. 30: Louisiana v. Becerra, Judge
Terry A. Doughty stayed the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services order.
Nov 30: Kentucky v. Biden, Judge
Gregory F. Van Tatenhove stayed the executive order on federal contractors in three states.
Dec. 7: Georgia vs. Biden, Judge R.
Stan Baker made the stay national in scope.
In Florida v. Department of Health and Human Services, a Florida district court upheld the CMS mandate. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit affirmed it on Dec. 6.
A CDC analysis published Nov. 18 in the American Journal of Infection Control found 30 percent of healthcare workers in more than 2,000 U.S. hospitals were unvaccinated against COVID-19 as of Sept. 15.
The Biden administration backed off on penalties this year for federal workers and military personnel not fully vaccinated (or requested a religious or medical exemption) by Nov. 22.
Enforcement will begin in 2022, when the unvaccinated may get a letter of reprimand. About 92 percent of federal employees are vaccinated.
