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The Bay Area has become an ’emerging hotspot’ as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations increase across the region and state, driven by the highly contagious delta variant.
Meanwhile, the lambda version of the coronavirus has gained attention in the United States since the World Health Organization called it a “variant of interest” in June. While its progress in the United States has been slow and experts say it currently poses no threat to the delta anywhere, studies are underway to find out more.
Here is the latest information on the variants and their role in the ongoing coronavirus wave in the Bay Area, California and across the country.
How extensive is the delta variant?
The delta variant, first detected in India in December 2020, now accounts for the largest share of coronavirus cases in California and around the world, according to health officials. In the United States, it is responsible for 83% of cases, up from 50% on July 3, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The reason for the delta’s rapid rise is simple, experts say: It is the most infectious strain of coronavirus to date, up to 60% more contagious than the alpha variant originating in the UK, which was two times more infectious than the original coronavirus strain first detected in Wuhan, China.
Vaccinations against the coronavirus have been shown to be very effective in preventing serious illness and death from the delta variant. In the United States, 97% of COVID hospitalizations and 99% of deaths are now in unvaccinated people, according to the CDC.
An as yet unpaired peer-reviewed study published online this week suggested that those who received the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine may need a booster to protect against delta – although studies conducted by the manufacturer of drugs revealed that one dose was effective.
Commuters wear masks when exiting a Vallejo ferry at the San Francisco ferry terminal.
Jessica Christian / The ChronicleWhat is the lambda variant and should i be concerned?
The lambda variant first appeared in Peru in August 2020 and has spread across Latin America. In the United States, it represents only about 730 cases so far, or less than 1% of samples sequenced, according to the GISAID data repository.
The California Department of Public Health’s online tracker did not include lambda among the known variants present in the state when it was last updated, dated July 14. The department did not immediately return a request for additional information.
Lambda has been labeled a “variant of interest” by the WHO, which means that it is a newly emerging variant whose medical and public health significance is still unknown. Variants considered to be more contagious or likely to cause more disease or serious cases – or which may affect treatment or vaccine response – are labeled “variants of concern”. Delta falls into this category.
Many questions remain about lambda, but preliminary lab studies suggest the Pfizer, Moderna and CoronaVac vaccines should still work against it, The New York Times reported.
Bay Area experts say they are currently less concerned about variants like lambda or beta, which were first detected in South Africa but have spread to Europe.
So far, these variants are not considered as transmissible as the delta. UCSF’s Dr Peter Chin-Hong compared the lambda to the California variant – which hasn’t spread as far as experts initially thought. Although lambda is spreading rapidly across South America, experts believe its transmissibility may be linked to its relative success in evading vaccines used there, including the less effective Chinese vaccine Sinopharm.
Has the delta variant resulted in any changes to California coronavirus rules?
California dropped most of its coronavirus restrictions on June 15, including capacity limits on businesses and other facilities, as well as social distancing. The state has also ended its mandate to mask people who are fully vaccinated. Unvaccinated people are still required to wear a face covering in indoor public places.
The state has not changed its rules since June 15. Counties can make their own recommendations or rules that are stricter – but not more flexible – than those of the state.
Which counties in the Bay Area have recommended interior masking for all?
Eight of the Bay Area’s nine counties – Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Sonoma – now recommend that all residents, regardless of immunization status, wear blankets. faces in indoor public spaces to prevent the spread of the delta variant.
Neighboring counties of Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito, Yolo and Sacramento have also announced similar recommendations.
Solano, which has the lowest vaccination rates in the Bay Area, is the only county in the region that has not recommended that all residents wear a mask indoors.
In California, only Los Angeles County has required everyone, regardless of their immunization status, to wear masks again in indoor public places.
How much have cases and hospitalizations increased in the Bay Area and California?
California recorded a seven-day positive test rate of 4.5% on Wednesday with an average of 8.1 cases per 100,000 people, according to state public health data. The rate of positive tests has not been so high since February.
Cases are also increasing in the Bay Area. Here are the most recent seven-day case rates for Bay Area counties per 100,000 population, according to the California Department of Public Health’s statewide coronavirus dashboard:
Alameda County: 12.1 on July 18; 4.7 July 1
Contra Costa County: 12.0 on July 18; 5.3 July 1
Marin County: 5.5 on July 18; 3.0 July 1
Napa County: 6.4 on July 18; 4.3 July 1
San Francisco: 10.0 on July 18; 3.6 July 1
San Mateo County: 7.0 on July 18; 3.4 July 1
Santa Clara County: 5.1 July 16; 2.2 July 1
Solano County: 11.2 on July 18; 6.1 July 1
Sonoma County: 6.8 on July 18; 6.3 July 1
California and the Bay Area are also reporting hospitalizations at levels not seen since early April, according to state data. California topped 2,000 hospitalizations on Monday and the Bay Area topped 300.
Who is most affected by the increase?
In an analysis of data from the San Francisco Department of Public Health, The Chronicle’s data team found that new cases were on the rise in predominantly black and Latino neighborhoods in San Francisco, which have been disproportionately affected since. the start of the pandemic.
Unvaccinated people bear the brunt of new cases, accounting for more than 99% of deaths and hospitalizations, state officials say. Health officials have warned the state could see up to two-thirds the size of the wave of infections last summer.
Jessica Flores and Annie Vainshtein are the editors of the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected], [email protected]
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