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Los Angeles County scientists estimate that one in three residents of the county has been infected with Covid-19 at some point since the start of the pandemic, reflecting the severity of the virus which has overtaken the most populous region of California.
The new estimate from county scientists would mean more than 3 million of the county’s 10 million people have been infected with coronavirus. As of Thursday, Los Angeles County had more than 975,000 total reported cases, with 17,323 new cases in the past 24 hours. During the pandemic, 13,234 people have died in LA County from Covid-19, which is almost half of the total number of deaths in California.
An average of ten people have tested positive for Covid-19 in LA County every minute, Barbara Ferrer, county public health director, said this week. The county has a 20.5% positivity rate, which means that for every five county residents who are tested, one is positive. A projection in early January estimated that one in 17 people in Los Angeles County currently has Covid.
Since the outbreak began in November, Los Angeles County has seen a staggering 898% increase in cases, Ferrer said. There had been an 884% increase in Covid-19-related hospitalizations and a 1,125% increase in deaths, with the virus killing someone every eight minutes. She predicted even more of an increase in cases after the New Year’s holidays.
“The damaging impact of this surge on our families and our local hospitals is the worst disaster our county has seen in decades,” Ferrer said.
Southern California is one of the hardest-hit areas in the state, along with the agricultural valley of San Joaquin. Southern California’s 15 counties make up the majority of the state’s population, including many low-income residents who may live in crowded areas or have jobs that place them in close contact with clients or clients. other employees, increasing their risk of infection. In particular, the virus has disproportionately destroyed Latin American communities in these regions.
Hospitalizations due to Covid-19 have exploded across California, with many hospitals in the state no longer having regular intensive care beds for the sickest Covid-19 patients.
Southern California is at full capacity for intensive care unit beds, with some hospitals being forced to squeeze gurneys into chapels and hallways. In county hospitals, more than half of all patients and 75% of those in ICUs have the virus, said Dr Christina Ghaly, Los Angeles County director of health services. “Just like in all hospitals, we still have patients who are accommodated in emergency departments and our clinical care teams are always looking after more patients than they would under normal circumstances,” said Ghaly.
Health officials have expressed optimism now that vaccine distribution has begun, but the California process has been frustratingly slow and confusing. The state has received more than 3.4 million doses – about 12% of the total US doses – but administered just over a quarter of its supply. Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, has pledged to vaccinate an additional 1 million residents by the weekend.
On Wednesday, following a federal directive, the state expanded the eligibility parameters for a vaccine to Californians aged 65 or older. The first group eligible for the vaccine – around 3.3 million healthcare workers and long-term care residents – were all supposed to have received their first dose in early February. It is not known how the 6.6 million Californians aged 65 or older will affect schedules.
Southern California has opened mass vaccination sites in places like Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and Disneyland in Anaheim in hopes of speeding up the process.
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