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Los Angeles County recorded more than 3,000 new cases of the coronavirus in three days, amid a worrying increase in cases as viral transmission increases among unvaccinated people.
It was the first time since early March that the county has reported three consecutive days in which more than 1,000 new cases of coronavirus have been reported each of those days.
The numbers highlight growing concerns about how the highly contagious Delta variant is spreading among unvaccinated people. Authorities have said those who have been vaccinated have an excellent chance of being protected.
Of 4.67 million LA County residents who were fully vaccinated, only 0.06% subsequently tested positive for the coronavirus, 0.004% were hospitalized for COVID-19, and 0.0004% died .
UK data cited last week by Dr Anthony Fauci, the US government’s top infectious disease expert, indicates that the two-dose treatment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 96% effective in preventing hospitalizations from COVID-19 , 88% effective in preventing symptomatic infections and 79% effective in preventing laboratory-confirmed infections. Experts believe the Moderna vaccine – because it is based on the same technology as Pfizer’s – is just as effective.
Fauci also expressed confidence in the effectiveness of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine uses technology similar to that used in the AstraZeneca vaccine, which, according to studies in Britain, is 92% effective against hospitalization and 60% effective against symptomatic illnesses or confirmed infections in laboratory.
New data shows that vaccines are just as effective in protecting people against the Delta variant as other strains. About 89% of people who tested positive for the Delta variant in LA County in June were unvaccinated or partially vaccinated; this percentage is roughly the same for the Alpha and Gamma variants and all other strains combined.
About 59% of LA County residents are at least partially vaccinated at this point, but that leaves millions of people at risk, officials said.
“We’re a big county, so the numbers are staggering in terms of who is at risk of getting infected,” Los Angeles County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer said last week.
As of Friday, 1,044 cases were reported and an additional 1,111 cases were reported on Saturday, according to a Los Angeles Times case tally. The LA County Public Health Department announced 1,113 new cases on Sunday.
For the seven-day period that ended on Saturday, LA County reported an average of 756 new cases per day. This is three times more than the average number of cases for the seven-day period that ended on June 26, when 244 cases were reported per day.
Hospitalizations are also increasing. Hospitalizations for COVID-19 rose to 373 – the highest number since early May – on Friday – and up about 76% from the lowest set on June 12, when hospitalizations fell to 212. Saturday , LA County reported 372 hospitalizations.
The daily number of reported COVID-19 deaths remains low, averaging seven per day.
Authorities have said it is young, unvaccinated residents who transmit the virus the most. Of the new cases reported on Saturday, 70% of them were adults between the ages of 18 and 49.
“Due to the increased mixing and summer social activities and the traffic of more variants … there is an increased risk of COVID-19 infection for people who are not fully vaccinated,” said the LA County Public Health Department in a statement.
California’s average daily coronavirus cases are also on the rise. As of Saturday night, California was reporting an average of more than 2,000 new cases a day over the past week, a figure that has not been seen since April. Statewide hospitalizations soared to 1,414 on Saturday, a number that has not been seen since mid-May.
“Our current trends in hospitalization and the increase in the Delta variant… infecting our unvaccinated are cause for concern,” said California State epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan. Tweeter.
LA County continues to recommend that even fully vaccinated people wear masks in indoor public spaces, fearing that a very small number of vaccinated people could spread the virus to others.
State and federal authorities have said it is not necessary for fully vaccinated people to wear masks indoors, given the high level of efficacy of the vaccines.
The delta is now the most identified variant in California, accounting for 42.9% of cases analyzed in June, according to figures released Thursday by the State Department of Public Health.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also estimates that the Delta variant, which is believed to be twice as transmissible as conventional coronavirus strains, now accounts for 51.7% of cases nationwide.
Despite the dangers posed by Delta, officials stress that the available vaccines hold up well – offering high levels of protection both against infection and the more serious health effects of COVID-19.
This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
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