In its COVID epidemiological update last week, the WHO said the mu variant has been detected in at least 39 countries, including the U.S. 'Best thing you can do': NH Gov. Our news is free on LAist. 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Email: kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KellieHwang. You should also quarantine, watch for COVID-19 symptoms, stay away from others in your home, and wear a mask. How Variants Work Faced with the possibility of another COVID-19 surge stemming from parties and travel over the winter holiday season, Los Angeles County health officials are urging workers and students to wear masks in indoor public settings for at least 10 days once they return to work and school. Statewide and county cases, deaths, hospitalizations, and tests, including by vaccination status, gender, and age, State and county data about vaccination, including by race and ethnicity and age, How COVID-19 has affected different communities across the state, In-depth models, dashboards, databases, and information about Californias COVID-19 data reporting, Official California State Government Website, how California genetically sequences positive COVID-19 tests, Data is updated on Fridays. The World Health Organization is concerned about the risk to life in China amid the coronavirus explosive spread and the lack of outbreak data from the Chinese government. More cases of the omicron variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 continued to surface around the state, from the Central Valley to Southern California, health officials reported. COVID-19 treatments are free, widely available, and reduce the risk of serious illness. That may have happened with a new variant of the coronavirus popping up in California. The lambda variant also known as C.37 was first reported in Peru a year ago and its now spreading across South America, according to the World Health Organization. Ron McAllister is a sociologist and writer who lives in York. XBB.1.5 is a sibling of the XBB variant, which is a recombinant from multiple BA.2 omicron subvariants meaning that multiple variants combined to form a new one, which can happen in hosts that are co-infected with more than one version of the virus, explained Abraar Karan, an infectious disease doctor at Stanford. A majority of residents of Wyoming, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana all "red" states have not been fully vaccinated for the virus, according to Johns Hopkins Universitys Coronavirus Resource Center. In November 2022, 10% of 169,971 cases in California were sequenced, and this percent is expected to increase in coming weeks as more sequence data becomes available. If that happens, hospitals could be overwhelmed by a rapid rise in new COVID-19 cases. Yes, there are breakthrough cases people who have been vaccinated and still gotten COVID but when they occur, vaccinated patients generally experience milder symptoms. Telehealth video visits and Express Care are also available. Several factors, including increased transmission stemming from travel and gatherings over the winter holidays, are likely at play. Nearly 50% of all new coronavirus cases in southern California in January alone are traced to the new variant, CAL.20C, one of the pathologists to identify the strain told Sky News. The CDC has a new plan to get a jump on new coronavirus variants asking LAX passengers arriving from overseas to swab their noses for the sake of science. 2023UC Regents. Your previous immunity does not protect you from the latest strain. Being careful translates to doing the things that we know work, which includes staying up to date on vaccines, wearing a good, well-fitted mask in indoor public spaces, and steering clear of others if you get sick. cov-lineages/pango-designation", "Deltacron: what scientists know so far about this new hybrid coronavirus", "More Data Point to Lambda Variant's Potential Lethality", "SARS-CoV-2 Lambda variant exhibits higher infectivity and immune resistance", "What Mutations of SARS-CoV-2 are Causing Concern? We wont likely see a major spike in COVID cases, but a modest increase in cases in the community, Chin-Hong said. Commercial and government laboratories test for variants by sequencing the genome of the coronavirus that caused a particular COVID-19 case and looking for mutations and changes in the virus characteristic spike protein. Heres what is known so far about the XBB.1.5 variant, including its prospects for spreading further in California. If Im vaccinated and dont have symptoms, but think I was exposed to COVID-19, should I get tested? The California COVID Tracker, a joint effort between Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, CZ Biohub, and the State of California has provided free whole-genome sequencing and analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to all California Departments of Public Health and local health jurisdictions since July 2020, enabling officials to better map the virus. 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Viruses mutate into new strains or variants over time. The recently authorized booster vaccine protects against the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and the more recent omicron variants, BA.4 and BA.5. Following the COVID health measures recommended throughout the pandemic continues to be the best course against XBB.1.5, experts said. The majority of breakthrough infections (people who have been vaccinated or previously had COVID) are not resulting in severe illness. At least 1,311 sequenced lambda cases have been reported in at least 40 states since the start of the pandemic, with 18 cases identified in the past four weeks, according to the public virus genetic sequence database GISAID. In Los Angeles County, coronavirus cases remain high but have been declining since early December after a Thanksgiving-fueled wave. We're racing against the clock. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Ron McAllister: Don't wait for an Omega COVID variant to do your part, NH Gov. UC Davis Health is offering bivalent boosters for anyone at any of ourCOVID-19 vaccine clinic locations. We track COVID-19 variants in California to fight the spread of the disease. Unfortunately, omicron is so easily spread that even those who are fully vaccinated and boosted may get the illness. We are concerned about its growth advantage, in particular in some countries in Europe and in North America, particularly the Northeast part of the United States where XBB.1.5 has rapidly replaced other circulating variants, she said during a news conference last week. Here's what to know. That figure includes those hospitalized with COVID-19 and a larger segment of patients who test positive after seeking care for some other reason. 87,315,550 total. You can schedule your bivalent vaccine through, (non-patients without a login will have to create an account) or by calling, . Numerous variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 are being tracked in the United States and globally during this pandemic. The states transmission rates have gone back up to the CDCs red high level from the orange substantial level before Thanksgiving, and Bay Area counties that were in the yellow moderate level are back to orange. Japan last week announced its first case, from a woman who arrived from Peru on July 20. But only one patient who was vaccinated was hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported to date. Not all viruses from positive COVID-19 tests are sequenced. Vaccination rates at the state level show a wide disparity. New research finds that with each repeat COVID infection even asymptomatic infection your risk for complications increases. Lambda sparked headlines this summer after the WHO noted its rapid spread in South American countries, including Peru, Ecuador, Argentina and Brazil. Even if masking is not required, consider wearing a mask in public indoor spaces if you or people you live with are at high risk for severe disease. What! Breakthrough infections are in people who have been vaccinated or previously had COVID. When researchers in South Africa spotted a highly mutated strain of coronavirus driving the country's second wave in late 2020, they called it variant 501Y.V2. Those infected with COVID-19 sometimes experience change in or loss of taste and smell, which is less common with the flu. I was just getting over the jitters from the Delta variant when along comes Omicron. See which COVID-19 symptoms you should watch for, At-home COVID test instructions, accuracy, and where to find one, Learn more about omicron BA.5 and how you can protect yourself. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. There is no reason to think we will run out. You might be COVID-lucky, but your luck can still run out. At-home COVID tests, also known as rapid antigen tests, are useful because they provide quick results. We blew our chance to use it, Drake-backed fried chicken chain opens first Oakland restaurant this week. On Twitter, Karan described how he contracted the coronavirus in January, likely with the first Omicron variant, BA.1, but then got infected again in May, likely with BA.2.12.1. Almost three quarters of eligible Mainers are fully vaccinated now, but that is still below herd immunity. The California Department of Public Health works with many partners to achieve a goal of sequencing at least 10% of all positive tests. Karan also doesnt expect the same level of hospitalizations and deaths seen in 2022. Hospitalizations statewide have stabilized after an autumn rise. ), Read more about bivalent boosters from the FDA, View the California Department of Public Health's statement on bivalent vaccines. In the region that includes California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii and the Pacific island territories, an estimated 7.6% of coronavirus cases over the last week were thought to be XBB.1.5, up from 2. . The new BN.1 omicron offshoot, which the CDC designated a subvariant of concern last weekend, has already taken off. So do Californians need to worry about this new variant? San Diego County reported its second case late Friday. Starting COVID-19 treatments right away can make a big difference. Those projected proportions often change as more data become available sometimes drastically so. A virologist explains", COG-UK update on SARS-CoV-2 Spike mutations of special interest: Report 1, "Researchers Discover New Variant of COVID-19 Virus in Columbus, Ohio", "N501S B.1.617.2 () ", "Coronavirus: Are mutations making it more infectious? California rents fall 4 straight months. Scientists are raising concerns over a new coronavirus variant that has been identified in California. That compared to 27.6% across the U.S. as a whole, and 7.6% of cases in the Western region, which includes California. The California Department of Public Health late Friday reported a total of 18 cases statewide as of Thursday, even as San Diego County health officials reported their second case of the variant whose rapid spread in South Africa last month led the World Health Organization to declare it a variant of concern. These actions reduce the spread and continuing evolution of the virus. Doing so could blunt the severity of any potential wave this month, officials said. The newest Omicron subvariant of concern is XBB.1.5. Its rise had been most rapid in the Northeast, where XBB.1.5 made up 71.6% of sequenced coronavirus cases in the seven-day period ending Jan. 7, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you think you've been exposed to COVID-19, please see current testing information. A smaller proportion of these will convert into hospitalizations compared with previous years in the Bay Area.. America is fractured, with a county-by-county scoring system in practice, which . Knowing what variants are circulating in California informs public health and clinical action. People check-in at a COVID-19 community testing and vaccination clinic in the Mission District. CalMatters COVID-19 coverage, translation and distribution is supported by generous grants from the Blue Shield of California Foundation, the Penner Family Foundation and the California Health Care Foundation. Related Articles What can I do to protect myself and my family from omicron BA.5? 72.5% of population vaccinated (with primary series) These viruses are pretty clever, and they are known to mutate, said Karin Michels, chair of epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Its an mRNA vaccine that targets the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and another component found in both the omicron BA.4 and BA.5 strains. Thats why it is so important to vaccinate people as quickly as possible, Michels said. To help limit spread of COVID-19, we have policies for visits to our hospital and outpatient clinics. Some variants emerge and then disappear. Since the bivalent boosters, known as the "updated boosters" are so new, there is no effectiveness data available yet. The omicron subvariant of COVID-19, BA.5, has become one of the dominant strains of the virus in the U.S. A group of college students in masks talk to each other in a hallway. UC Davis Health is offering bivalent boosters for anyone at any of our, . Some early clues are emerging. Researchers are trying to determine if the new variant is more infectious than the current dominant strain. California genetically sequences a sample of positive COVID-19 tests to determine their variant. Tests can be purchased without a prescription and are available at pharmacies and stores. Not all positive COVID-19 tests are genetically sequenced. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported cases in 25 states including California. Because of those new genetic markers, the WHO in mid-June declared lambda a variant of interest. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not yet done the same, in part because so few cases have been reported nationwide. Not just yet, infectious disease specialists say. Rong-Gong Lin II is a Metro reporter based in San Francisco who specializes in covering statewide earthquake safety issues and the COVID-19 pandemic. Tool ranks 25 cities based on An iconic moment: In Warriors return to White House, Biden takes a knee, S.F. This creates a confident projection of variant distribution in California. In California, at least 152 cases have been reported, the first as early as September 2020, according to state public health officials. Still, COVID-19 remains a leading cause of death in the U.S. How long before I had symptoms was I possibly contagious with omicron? Amy Osborne, Freelance / Special to The Chronicle, 17 cars broken into on a single night in this San Francisco neighborhood. 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