Learn more from our experts about omicron BA.5 and how you can protect yourself. Some variants emerge and then disappear. COVIDNet gives us the ability to detect variants early. Consider upgrading your face masks to N95s or KN95s if you want more protection. So far, XBB.1.5 does not appear to cause more severe illness, though research is not yet conclusive, experts say. The latest Omicron subvariant perhaps the most infectious yet has gained a foothold in California, a potentially problematic development given the possibility of a post-holiday spike. MOUNTAIN VIEW (KPIX) -- As the Delta variant of the coronavirus fuels an ongoing COVID wave, Bay Area health experts are keeping a close eye on yet another variant: Delta Plus. Users of this data file provided by the Office of the Patient Advocate (OPA) shall not have the right to alter, enhance, or otherwise modify the data. The bivalent booster vaccine is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It shows only those that are or were considered variants of concern. A group of college students in masks talk to each other in a hallway. The CDC has reported a doubling time of nine days for XBB.1.5, referring to the number of days it takes for cases, hospitalizations and deaths related to a virus variant to double. At-home COVID tests, also known as rapid antigen tests, are useful because they provide quick results. $5 million for each longtime Black resident? Chris Sununu rolls up sleeve for Booster Blitz. This is a public-private partnership that provides California with genomic sequencing to help understand and control the spread of COVID-19. 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. read more, https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/COVID-Variants.aspx, COVID-19 Response Data, Informatics, Surveillance, Clinical and Outbreaks (DISCO) Team. Numerous variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 are being tracked in the United States and globally during this pandemic. What are the differences between flu symptoms and omicron symptoms? According to the CDC COVID tracker, BA.5 is the predominant strain of COVID-19. It does have immune escape and the more this virus circulates, the more opportunities it will have to change.. Yes. Where were the biggest dips? However, in individuals who are older and unboosted, or immunocompromised with weakened or absent immune experience, it will potentially cause serious disease and deaths.. We're racing against the clock. A new COVID-19 variant named lambda has arrived in California. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) works to protect the public's health in the Golden State and helps shape positive health outcomes for individuals, families and Efficacy reduction against symptomatic disease, Lineage B.1 in the PANGO Lineages nomenclature system; includes, BQ.1 and BQ.1.1: BA.5 + S:R346T, S:K444T, S:N460K, BA.2.75: BA.2 + S:K147E, S:W152R, S:F157L, S:I210V, S:G257S, S:D339H, S:G446S, S:N460K, S:Q493R reversion, Recombinant of BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75 sublineages, i.e. Scientists are raising concerns over a new coronavirus variant that has been identified in California. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is identifying the prevalence of circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants by analyzing CDPH Genomic Surveillance Data and CalREDIE, CDPH's communicable disease reporting and surveillance system. If you test positive, then you should isolate. is back on but the price keeps rising, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). Sometimes new variants emerge and disappear. Those with COVID-19 typically develop symptoms 3-4 days after being infected. However, theres no need to panic, Chin-Hong said. UC Davis Health patients can use the MyUCDavisHealth symptom tracker to evaluate whether to seek help. What can I do to protect myself and my family from omicron BA.5? Learn more about which masks are best to protect against omicron BA.5. The recently authorized booster vaccine protects against the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and the more recent omicron variants, BA.4 and BA.5. That span is the rough incubation period for the coronavirus the time between when someone is exposed and when they might be contagious, even if they dont develop symptoms. The two COVID-19 vaccines on the market, made by Pfizer and Moderna, train the bodys immune system to attack the spike protein. If you've been exposed to someone with the virus or have COVID-19 symptoms and are waiting for a test or your results, stay home and isolate from others. All of the variants, including omicron BA.5, cause similar COVID-19 symptoms: Even people who have partial immunity from a previous infection or vaccination can still have a breakthrough infection. While data hasn't been released on XBB.1.5 specifically, I would anticipate the same trends to hold, he said. More recently, two highly publicized laboratory studies from Japan and Chile both in preprint and not yet peer-reviewed have suggested that lambda may be more infectious and less susceptible to current vaccines than the original coronavirus. Its possible the temporary decrease in reported deaths resulted from data delays over the winter holidays. Dear reader, we're asking you to help us keep local news available for all. If you test positive, contact your doctor for an appointment. Also, New York University researchers tested lambda against the vaccines authorized in the United States and found that the Johnson and Johnson one-dose vaccine was less effective against it and the delta variant compared to the Pfizer and Moderna two-dose vaccines. Statewide, the seven-day case rate was 78.4 per 100,000 on Nov. 26, and 117 on December 9. To help limit spread of COVID-19, we have policies for visits to our hospital and outpatient clinics. Breakthrough infections are in people who have been vaccinated or previously had COVID. But there is no evidence, at least so far, that its as infectious as the delta variant that now dominates California. Executive director Laurie Thomas then sent out an email Friday morning to her own employees after hearing about this new variant. Now, Omicron! Yes and yes. You need to know whether to isolate so you can reduce your chances of infecting others, especially those who are more vulnerable to severe COVID-19. Rain finally came to California. Karan urges more people to get the updated bivalent booster, particularly those over 60 and people with severe comorbidities. 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. We need to go deeper and look at the reasons for the increases in hospitalization and determine what is happening.. 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. Chris Sununu rolls up sleeve for Booster Blitz, The rate of disease is markedly lower for those who received their booster shot, more than 90% of those with COVID who are on ventilators, almost 30 times more likely to be hospitalized, 373 COVID patients were in Maine hospitals, Up to 75 more Maine National Guard members to support hospitals amid COVID surge, Ron McAllister: Don't wait for an Omega COVID variant to do your part. What we know about XBB.1.5, Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area. 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? You can also reach out to our experts using UC Davis Healths convenient Telehealth Express Carefor urgent needs or extended-hours video visits. He likened it to a bulldog that wont let go.. New York where the XBB.1.5 variant was first detected, and the U.S. bellwether for its growth still shows signs of increasing hospitalizations, particularly for those age 70+, Dr. Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla, wrote on Twitter Friday. The BQ.1.1 and BQ.1 variants continue to make up a majority of the coronavirus cases in the Golden State. These percentages are based on a 7-day average with a 14-day lag. He previously was a reporter and assistant city editor for the Daily Pilot, a Times Community News publication in Orange County, and before that wrote for the Santa Clarita Valley Signal. 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. 87,315,550 total. FEATURED PARTNER. Knowing what variants are circulating in California informs public health and clinical action. This chart shows the sample of sequenced positive tests where the variant was identified. We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. Does omicron BA.5 cause more severe illness than other strains of COVID-19? Not all positive COVID-19 tests are genetically sequenced. The Chilean researchers tested lambda against antibodies from health care workers who received the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine, finding that the vaccine failed to work as well as it did with the original virus. But given the subvariants growth advantage, officials say the trend warrants a close examination. Learn how to schedule your COVID-19 vaccine at UC Davis Health. L.A. County reported 160 COVID-19 deaths for the week that ended Tuesday. Whether we know it or not, weve all been living with a string of COVID variants Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta, at least. Access, update your COVID-19 vaccine record, three key differences, according to the CDC, Vaccines are especially good in preventing severe disease, studies show that bivalent vaccines result in a stronger immune response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Note: There is a natural reporting lag in these data due to the time commitment to complete whole genome sequencing; therefore, a 14 day lag is applied to these datasets to allow for data completeness. These actions reduce the spread and continuing evolution of the virus. Mask guidance continues to change, depending on rates of spread within communities, as well as the levels of vaccination and immunity people have from both vaccination and infection. "We believe. The largest cluster of omicron cases has been the six reported so far in Alameda County that included vaccinated workers at Kaiser Oakland Medical Center who also had booster shots and tested positive after attending a wedding in Wisconsin. As of Monday, 4,159 coronavirus-positive patients were hospitalized in California a 6% decrease from two weeks ago. Nationwide only about 15 of every 1,000 cases are sequenced. But they dont yet know how lambdas different genetic profile will affect community transmission, severity of symptoms or vaccine resistance around the world. The latest case rate represents a 12% decrease from the prior week. It was notorious for being one of the most immune resistant and evasive variants around, but wasnt quite as good at holding on to and infecting cells, he said, which is probably the reason that it never really took off around the world., What makes XBB.1.5 stand out is that it retains the immune slipperiness of XBB, but also adds a mutation that makes it easier to infect cells, Chin-Hong said. Luckily, it seems that it's mutated in a way that the current vaccine still protects from this new variant, Michels said. What about the bivalent booster? There is a also a lag before sequencing data is fully available, so it is likely already more common than the CDC data suggests in the Bay Area., Because of an inadequate amount of PCR testing and insufficient genomic sequencing of positive tests, Swartzberg said, we have a very myopic vision as to how this virus is evolving.. Pregnant people and their infants are among those considered vulnerable, and a new study suggests the risks of COVID-19 infection in these populations can, in fact, be severe. The virus that causes COVID-19 is constantly changing, and new variants of the virus are expected to occur. Office chairs and a blue bird statue: Heres everything you can bid on She failed to save her daughter from fentanyls grip. Left: FILE PHOTO: People wait in line for a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test at a back-to-school clinic in South Gate, Los Angeles, California, U.S., August 12, 2021. A CDC report Friday indicated that of 43 reported from Dec. 1-8, 34 involved people who were fully vaccinated at least 14 days before they felt sick or tested positive, including 14 who also had received a booster dose. The XBB.1.5 variant is taking over on the East Coast. As a result, last week 373 COVID patients were in Maine hospitals, with 118 of them in critical care and 60 on ventilators. 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 2.4% the week leading up to Christmas, CDC data show. 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. However, the share of cases attributed to it has seemingly risen in recent weeks. It's late 2025. It usually occurs several days or more after a test is identified as positive for COVID-19. Its since been detected in 29 countries, according to the WHO, including Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio (SCPR), a member-supported public media network. We blew our chance to use it, Drake-backed fried chicken chain opens first Oakland restaurant this week. The study, published Wednesday on JAMA Network Open, shows a team of researchers found that those with the sleep disorder are 31 percent more likely to be hospitalized and 31 percent more likely to. It is up to us to use them., Kellie Hwang is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. How long before I had symptoms was I possibly contagious with omicron? Every time COVID-19 infects someone, theres a chance for more mutations, which can allow the virus to keep spreading. Meteorologist Gerry Daz explains what this storm is slated to bring to the Bay Area and if drier air will limit its impacts. Monitoring for the presence of the variant in California through the California SARS-CoV-2 Whole Genome Sequencing Initiative, known as COVIDNet. ", "COVID-19 | A.P. Telehealth video visits and Express Care are also available. Since early October, about 36,000 COVID-19 deaths have been reported nationally, compared with an estimated 14,000 from the flu. Starting COVID-19 treatments right away can make a big difference. Naming schemes developed by other . People who havelong COVID-19 symptomscan experience health problems for four or more weeks after first being infected,according to the CDC. As of last Thursday, the CDC is requiring travelers to the US from China, Hong Kong and Macao to take a Covid-19 test no more than two days before travel and provide a negative result before boarding a flight. These include: Each reinfection also carries with it the risk of long COVID or ongoing COVID symptoms that can last for weeks or months after infection. Who is going to win, us or the virus?, New COVID-19 Strain Confirmed In LA County; Cases Top 1 Million. 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The L.A. County Department of Public Health is urging people returning to work or school from winter break to mask up in indoor public settings for at least 10 days. Cloth masks reduce the risk of infection by about 50%. Our concern is how transmissible it is, Van Kerkhove said. A rate of 100 or more is considered high. Knowing what variants are circulating in California informs public health and clinical action. Final atmospheric river storm will slam the Bay Area today. If that happens, hospitals could be overwhelmed by a rapid rise in new COVID-19 cases. It is more easily spread than other strains because it evades immunity from past COVID-19 infection and vaccination. Several studies, including one from UC Davis, indicate how effective masks can be in protecting yourself and others. At the same time, the director of the U.S. CDC, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, reported: The rate of disease is markedly lower for those who received their booster shot. She and her colleague, the unfairly maligned Dr. Fauci, noted that most of the hospitalizations and deaths now occurring in the country are among unvaccinated people. The variant contains mutations in the spike protein, which the viruses use to attack cell walls, Michels said. What do these omicron variants tell us about future COVID-19 strains? Do I really need to know if I had COVID-19 if its not causing serious illness? Nationwide, BQ.1.1 also still maintains a slight edge, at 34.4%. The Japanese researchers suggested that WHOs current variant of interest designation for lambda may underplay its potential threat. We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. Stay vigilant and get vaccinated if you havent already. These tests are pretty reliable, but they're not perfect. The FDA recently said that it does not anticipate that the drug Evusheld will neutralize XBB.1.5. I wonder what the WHO will do after scientists have exhausted the Greek alphabet with the discovery of an Omega variant. Ron McAllister is a sociologist and writer who lives in York. California Sequencing As of January 4, 2023, there have been 815,653 samples sequenced in California. The 160 deaths are a new peak for L.A. County this autumn and winter. This subvariant will be hard to avoid unless one is being careful, Swartzberg said. Unfortunately, omicron is so easily spread that even those who are fully vaccinated and boosted may get the illness. 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? Given how infectious BA.5 is, its important for everyone to take all precautions, including getting vaccinated and wearing a well-fitted face mask (N95 or KN95, if possible). One site topped 7 inches, Seal Beach police shoot, kill armed man in neighborhood, authorities say, Baja officials urged cremation to family of OC public defender who died in Rosarito Beach, Disneyland resumes sales of Magic Key annual passes but you better act fast, Capistrano Seaside Inn goes from red-tagged to anticipated treasure, OC man arrested in LA street takeover that killed nursing student on Christmas Day. Get the booster. 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. Get the latest on how to schedule your COVID-19 vaccine, boosters and third doses, and more. The state Department of Public Health estimates it accounts for about 7.8% of cases the fourth-most-common subvariant circulating in the Golden State. To protect against omicron BA.5, health experts recommend the following: Most people who test positive with any variant of COVID-19 typically experience some symptoms for a couple weeks. What are omicron BA.5 symptoms? Its not yet clear whether XBB.1.5 is fueling a hospital rise. Please note that more recent data should be used with caution. Researchers say its unique new gene deletions and mutations signal that lambda may be more infectious than the original wild type coronavirus and may be potentially resistant to current vaccines, although more studies are needed. These percentages are based on a sampling of positive COVID-19 tests. People have tested positive for COVID-19 with this new variant in 12 counties so far, including Los Angeles . The new mutation is different from the highly contagious strain first discovered in the United Kingdom, which also has public health officials worried. We do expect further waves of infection around the world, but that doesnt have to translate into further waves of death because our countermeasures continue to work, Van Kerkhove said. The lambda COVID variant is in California: 5, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), The lambda COVID variant is in California: 5 things to know, More than two years of long COVID research hasnt yielded many answers: scientific review, What older Americans need to know about taking Paxlovid, Pfizer bivalent COVID vaccine investigated for possible link to strokes, Coronavirus: Orange County reported 2,246 more cases and 36 more deaths in the past week, Required vaccine coverage among kindergartners drops again, USC will name its track and field home Allyson Felix Field to honor superstar, Snoop, Sade and Estefan join the Songwriters Hall, Shooter stood over mom holding baby, killed both and 4 others in central California, noted its rapid spread in South American countries, OC public defender died in unfortunate accident, Mexican authorities say, Where in Orange County did most rain fall this weekend? This is compared to surgical masks that reduce the rate of infection by about 60-70%, and greater than 80% for N95s. Most transmissible COVID variant yet is spreading in California. But if the virus remains unchecked, it will mutate faster, she said, potentially in a way that the current vaccines can't protect against. A new SARS-CoV-2 variant, CAL.20C, has been detected in southern California amid a surge in local infections and is spreading through and beyond the United States, according to a research letter published yesterday in JAMA.. Last month, physicians at UCSF were told to stop prescribing Evusheld and another monoclonal antibody treatment, bebtelovimab, because they are no longer effective against aggressive virus strains. Some refer to it as the Kraken subvariant, coined by a professor in Ontario, equating its strength to the enormous mythical sea monster, Swartzberg said. Knowing what variants are circulating in California informs public health and clinical action. ", "New COVID-19 boosters could contain bits of the omicron variant", "SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant of Concern: Everything You Wanted to Know about Omicron but Were Afraid to Ask", "Structural and Functional Analysis of the D614G SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Variant", "Circulating SARS-CoV-2 spike N439K variants maintain fitness while evading antibody-mediated immunity", "Britain to help other countries track down coronavirus variants", "UK to help sequence mutations of Covid around world to find dangerous new variants", "SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance data can predict hospitalizations and ICU admissions", "Variant abundance estimation for SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater using RNA-Seq quantification", "Droplet Digital RT-PCR to detect SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in wastewater", "U.K. variant puts spotlight on immunocompromised patients' role in the COVID-19 pandemic", "COVID Variants May Arise in People with Compromised Immune Systems", "Recurrent deletions in the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein drive antibody escape", "Covid-19 and evolutionary pressure can we predict which genetic dangers lurk beyond the horizon? And San Francisco, where the variant first was reported, has yet to confirm another case. So, get your shots. The omicron subvariant of COVID-19, BA.5, has become one of the dominant strains of the virus in the U.S. Still, COVID-19 remains a leading cause of death in the U.S. While this is associated with the emergence of XBB.1.5, we do not know if this subvariant is a sufficient cause, he said. To date . ), Read more about bivalent boosters from the FDA, View the California Department of Public Health's statement on bivalent vaccines. CDC data so far suggests that the new bivalent boosters are more effective than previous vaccines in preventing symptomatic disease and hospitalizations, Karan said. It is far higher than previously believed. For more information, please see: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/COVID-Variants.aspx. Which Bay Area city is best for you? This is a shame as this treatment was very important in protecting many immunocompromised individuals, Swartzberg said. Its important to remember that you may be asymptomatic and not know you are infected but still able to spread COVID-19. Learn more about the flu and how to get your flu shot from UC Davis Health. Those emergent strains, while disruptive, did not come close to spawning the same sort of devastation seen in earlier waves. See the data file for data source and disclaimer information. Officials expect more than 2 billion trips to be made in China during the weeklong holiday, the most important time for visiting family and friends. Contact the Office of the Patient Advocate for more information. The XBB variant caused small surges in Singapore and India last fall, said UCSF infectious disease expert Peter Chin-Hong. Out an email Friday morning to her own employees after hearing about this new.... 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