San Diego man tests positive for UK variant of COVID-19 | New

A man from San Diego who has not traveled outside the county has tested positive for the COVID-19 variant first identified in the UK, the County Health and Human Services Agency announced today.

The man was tested on December 29 after two days of symptoms and the results showed a characteristic pattern indicating that he could be the new British strain. The specimen was immediately sent to Scripps Research and whole genome sequencing determined on December 30 that it was the British variant, also known as B.1.1.7.

The patient is not hospitalized and is currently in isolation. The county’s case investigation has identified family contacts who are being quarantined and tested for the new coronavirus. The man had little interaction with people outside his home despite being potentially contagious.

“The B.1.1.7 strain is here, and the San Diegans can protect themselves against it by doing the same things they’ve been asked to do since the start of the pandemic,” said Eric McDonald, MD, MPH, County Medical Director of Epidemiology. and Directorate of Immunization Services. “Everyone should stay at home and avoid all gatherings during the New Year’s holidays. The best way to celebrate is to make sure everyone stays healthy in 2021.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the British strain is one of several variants of COVID-19 that have been identified around the world.

There is some evidence that the new strains spread more easily, but these variants are not believed to cause more serious disease or increase the risk of death.

Currently, it is also believed that currently available vaccines will provide protection against newer variants emerging. Scientists continue to study new strains of the novel coronavirus to determine their potential impact.

Since the new strain has a higher rate of transmission, this could lead to an increase in cases in the area. With New Years Eve tomorrow, county health officials are telling San Diegans to do the following more than ever:

• wash your hands
• Wear a mask
• Keep your distance from others and only leave your home for essential activities
• If you are sick, get tested, then stay home and isolate yourself

ICU capacity and order of stay at home:

• The current availability of intensive care unit (ICU) beds for the Southern California area is now 0.0% and will be updated daily by the state.
• The regional stay-at-home ordinance is in effect and prohibits gatherings of any size with people from other households and adds restrictions for several areas.
• The order will last until the region’s ICU availability reaches or exceeds 15%.

Community-based epidemics:

• 11 new community outbreaks were confirmed on December 29: four in commercial settings, four in daycares / preschools / daycares, one in a TK-12 school, one in a food / beverage processing facility and one in a hotel / resort / spa setting.
• In the past seven days (December 23 to December 29), 55 community outbreaks have been confirmed.
• The number of community outbreaks remains above the trigger by seven or more in seven days.
• A community-based outbreak is defined as three or more cases of COVID-19 in one setting and in people from different households in the past 14 days.

Test:

• 23,957 tests were reported to the county on Dec. 29, and the percentage of new laboratory-confirmed cases was 10%.
• The 14-day moving average percentage of positive cases is 10.8%. The target is less than 8.0%.
• The daily 7-day test average is 21,645.
• People at higher risk for COVID-19 who may or may not have symptoms should be tested. People with symptoms should get tested. Healthcare workers and essential workers should also be tested, as well as people who have had close contact with a positive case or who live in highly affected communities. Those who have recently returned from travel or attended holiday gatherings are also advised to get tested.

Case:

• 2,448 new cases were reported to the county on December 29. The region’s total is now 152,512.
• 5,826 or 3.8% of all cases required hospitalization.
• 1,213 or 0.8% of all cases and 20.8% of hospitalized cases required admission to an intensive care unit.

Death:

• 37 new deaths from COVID-19 were reported to the county on December 29. The region’s total is now 1,472.
• 21 men and 16 women died between December 17 and December 28, and their ages ranged from their mid-50s to early 100s.
• 30 had underlying medical conditions and seven have a pending medical history.

More information:

More detailed data summaries found on the county’s coronavirus-sd.com website are updated around 5 p.m. daily.