Email: kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KellieHwang. Rong-Gong Lin II is a Metro reporter based in San Francisco who specializes in covering statewide earthquake safety issues and the COVID-19 pandemic. California genetically sequences a sample of positive COVID-19 tests to determine their variant. And we are all safer if people in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas and elsewhere get vaccinated. However, if you were in a situation where people were outside, masked and distanced, the risk of infection is much lower. In Los Angeles County, coronavirus cases remain high but have been declining since early December after a Thanksgiving-fueled wave. As the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic nears an end, the coronavirus continues to evolve and prove that it has more tricks up its sleeve. XBB.1.5 is a descendant of XBB, which is a recombinant of descendants of the Omicron subvariant BA.2. Again, these are studies in test tubes that have not been peer reviewed, scientists caution. Before returning to the Bay Area, she held roles as transportation reporter and trending news reporter at the IndyStar in Indianapolis. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. At the end of the day, its survival of the fittest.. In. Topol said in a commentary published Sunday in the Washington Post that the emergence of XBB.1.5 shows the coronavirus still isnt done with us. It does have immune escape and the more this virus circulates, the more opportunities it will have to change.. Some are believed, or have been stated, to be of particular importance due to their potential for increased transmissibility, [1] increased virulence, or reduced effectiveness of vaccines against them. Japan last week announced its first case, from a woman who arrived from Peru on July 20. Almost three quarters of eligible Mainers are fully vaccinated now, but that is still below herd immunity. Experts emphasize that while the vaccines may not be as effective at preventing infections, they still hold up well against serious illness and death. Sequencing can only be done at specialized labs. We are concerned about its growth advantage, in particular in some countries in Europe and in North America, particularly the Northeast part of the United States where XBB.1.5 has rapidly replaced other circulating variants, she said during a news conference last week. Yes, COVID-19 vaccines continue to provide good protection against the BA.5 variant. If you know you had contact with an infected person, particularly in a higher-risk situation (such as an indoor space for a longer period with others who werent masked), testing is advised. At least 1,311 sequenced lambda cases have been reported in at least 40 states since the start of the pandemic, with 18 cases identified in the past four weeks, according to the public virus genetic sequence database GISAID. The omicron subvariant of COVID-19, BA.5, has become one of the dominant strains of the virus in the U.S. People have tested positive for COVID-19 with this new variant in 12 counties so far, including Los Angeles, Riverside, San Francisco, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, Humboldt, Lake, Mono, Monterey, San Luis Obisbo, and also San Clara County, where its been linked to outbreaks. What! Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified one variant of the virus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a variant of concern: Omicron. 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. (In MyUCDavisHealth, click on Visits > Schedule Appointment > COVID Vaccination. 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. Starting COVID-19 treatments right away can make a big difference. If Im vaccinated and dont have symptoms, but think I was exposed to COVID-19, should I get tested? Here's what to know. COVID-19 treatments are free, widely available, and reduce the risk of serious illness. Yes. This is a carousel. Not all viruses from positive COVID-19 tests are sequenced. Still, the European CDC noted Tuesday that U.S. health officials had scaled back the estimated nationwide proportion of XBB.1.5 from 40% to the current 27.6%, leading to significant uncertainty about the subvariants prospects. Knowing what variants are circulating in California informs public health and clinical action. Nearly all hospitalizations and deaths in California and nationwide have occurred in unvaccinated people. 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. Will it happen in California too? A new COVID-19 variant named lambda has arrived in California. The Delta variant of the coronavirus is beginning to spread in California, offering a preview of how the battle of the pandemic is going to change as officials move to protect a shrinking. COVIDNet gives us the ability to detect variants early. The mutation on the spike protein, known as F486P, allows it to better adhere to ACE2 receptors the entry point into nose, throat and lung cells, according to Scientific American. It is still unclear whether the variant will become dominant in the U.S. in the coming few weeks, the agency said. Swartzberg said the rise in cases will more likely be from people not taking COVID precautions, rather than the XBB.1.5 subvariant itself. FEATURED PARTNER. Six of the people had a documented previous COVID-19 infection. It is, however, a fraction of the highest from last winter, when 513 deaths were recorded the week that ended Feb. 9. Viruses mutate into new strains or variants over time. Well, you might find yourself out of luck because across the country, critical care beds are being filled by COVID patients. LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio (SCPR), a member-supported public media network. Just one-tenth of 1 percent of the cases that are genetically sequenced involve lambda, according to GISAID. All commercial uses must be approved and may be subject to a license. The. The emerging lambda variant has been popping up in the news as it spreads rapidly throughout South America. Scientists are raising concerns over a new coronavirus variant that has been identified in California. Knowing what variants are circulating in California informs public health and clinical action. 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. The world is still getting used to COVID-19 upturning peoples' lives. This California farm kingdom holds a key, Im afraid for her life: Riverside CC womens coach harassed after Title IX suit, Six people, including mother and baby, killed in Tulare County; drug cartel suspected, New Bay Area maps show hidden flood risk from sea level rise and groundwater, These are the 101 best restaurants in Los Angeles, Who would execute a baby? Protect those you love. You should also quarantine, watch for COVID-19 symptoms, stay away from others in your home, and wear a mask. 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. How long before I had symptoms was I possibly contagious with omicron? You can also reach out to our experts using UC Davis Healths convenient Telehealth Express Carefor urgent needs or extended-hours video visits. Learn more about the difference between quarantine and isolation. If you have a medical emergency, call 911 and notify them of your COVID-19 symptoms. According to the World Health Organization,. Vaccines administered updated January 12, 2023 at 9:37 AM with data from January 11, 2023. (In MyUCDavisHealth, click on Visits > Schedule Appointment > COVID Vaccination. XBB.1.5 is a sibling of the XBB variant, which is a recombinant from multiple BA.2 omicron subvariants meaning that multiple variants combined to form a new one, which can happen in hosts that are co-infected with more than one version of the virus, explained Abraar Karan, an infectious disease doctor at Stanford. This includes an increased risk for: Read more: 9 things we've learned about long COVID so far. People infected with flu typically develop symptoms 1-4 days after infection. Every once in a while a virus mutates in a way that helps it survive and reproduce. 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. But they dont yet know how lambdas different genetic profile will affect community transmission, severity of symptoms or vaccine resistance around the world. Lambda sparked headlines this summer after the WHO noted its rapid spread in South American countries, including Peru, Ecuador, Argentina and Brazil. When researchers in South Africa spotted a highly mutated strain of coronavirus driving the country's second wave in late 2020, they called it variant 501Y.V2. CDC is working with state and local public health officials to monitor the spread of all variants. Nationwide only about 15 of every 1,000 cases are sequenced. Thats not idle speculation. He added that XBBs surges in India and Singapore produced manageable hospitalizations. 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. That compared to 27.6% across the U.S. as a whole, and 7.6% of cases in the Western region, which includes California. 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. Are COVID-19 vaccines effective in protecting against omicron BA.5? If you have serious symptoms of illness, contact your primary care provider. We need to go deeper and look at the reasons for the increases in hospitalization and determine what is happening.. The omicron cases come as California continues to see a rise in cases of the still-dominant and highly contagious delta variant that has caused massive outbreaks around the world this year. At-home COVID tests, also known as rapid antigen tests, are useful because they provide quick results. The newest Omicron subvariant of concern is XBB.1.5. What do these omicron variants tell us about future COVID-19 strains? Viruses mutate into new strains or variants over time. The new mutation is different from the highly contagious strain first discovered in the United Kingdom, which also has public health officials worried. Learn more about when you should get tested. Yes and yes. Authorities in L.A. County attribute the trend to a variety of tools that werent available previously: an updated COVID-19 booster shot thats a pretty good match to this winters circulating strains; anti-COVID-19 pills such as Paxlovid and molnupiravir that reduce the risk of death; and increased use of masks, particularly in crowded or indoor settings. A pharmacist prepares to administer COVID-19 vaccine booster shots during an event hosted by the Chicago Department of Public Health at the Southwest Senior Center on Sept. 09, 2022 in Chicago. It is more easily spread than other strains because it evades immunity from past COVID-19 infection and vaccination. Here are the biggest impacts. The delta variant dominating U.S. COVID-19 cases is considered a variant of concern by both WHO and CDC, in part because its much more infectious than the original virus. Unfortunately, omicron is so easily spread that even those who are fully vaccinated and boosted may get the illness. But there is no evidence, at least so far, that its as infectious as the delta variant that now dominates California. Five of those 14 boosted cases however had received the additional dose less than two weeks before they developed symptoms. 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. As long as we have large numbers of unvaccinated people in the population, everyones risk is raised. Our concern is how transmissible it is, Van Kerkhove said. The U.S. federal government has warned that the British variant could become the dominant strain in this country by March. Sign up for How To LA, delivered weekday mornings. However, the majority of breakthrough infections are not causing severe illness, as compared to early in the pandemic when no one had immunity. Vaccines Administered. The California Department of Public Health works with many partners to achieve a goal of sequencing at least 10% of all positive tests. 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.. Protect neighbors you may not even know. Who is going to win, us or the virus?, New COVID-19 Strain Confirmed In LA County; Cases Top 1 Million. ", "Why Virus Variants Have Such Weird Names", "Covid-19: The E484K mutation and the risks it poses", "Brief report: New Variant Strain of SARS-CoV-2 Identified in Travelers from Brazil", "Comprehensive mapping of mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain that affect recognition by polyclonal human plasma antibodies", "New mutations raise specter of 'immune escape', "UK coronavirus variant develops vaccine-evading mutation In a handful of instances, the U.K. coronavirus variant has developed a mutation called E484K, which may impact vaccine effectiveness", "Worrisome coronavirus mutation seen in U.K. variant and in some U.S. samples", "The Lambda variant: is it more infectious, and can it escape vaccines? The latest case rate represents a 12% decrease from the prior week. Influenza (flu) and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, and they have similar symptoms. To date . CDC data so far suggests that the new bivalent boosters are more effective than previous vaccines in preventing symptomatic disease and hospitalizations, Karan said. Still, hospitalizations are increasing across the country, particularly in the Northeast, and more people are dying compared with a month ago, Swartzberg said. Numerous variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 are being tracked in the United States and globally during this pandemic. Its more contagious and more resistant to existing immunity than any of it coronavirus predecessors. 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. $5 million for each longtime Black resident? It will likely not cause more severe illness than our more recent omicron variants given the waves of infection, as well as uptake of vaccinations and boosters in the U.S. as a whole, Chin-Hong said. According to the agency, mu's prevalence among. 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. What about the bivalent booster? Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (CSMC) in Los Angeles analyzed COVID-19 strains before and after the surge in cases in southern California in October 2020. 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. Omicron BA.5 is more likely to cause less severe illness compared to other variants. Testing before big gatherings can also help prevent spread. 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. What can I do to protect myself and my family from omicron BA.5? Weekly reported COVID-19 deaths which lag case rate trends also are increasing again after a brief dip between Christmas and New Years Day. COVID-19 will no doubt still be a major topic of discussion, but I believe and hope that with the right efforts this will be the year the public health emergency officially ends, he said. Most transmissible COVID variant yet is spreading in California. The XBB variant caused small surges in Singapore and India last fall, said UCSF infectious disease expert Peter Chin-Hong. But if the virus remains unchecked, it will mutate faster, she said, potentially in a way that the current vaccines can't protect against. 2023 Southern California Public Radio - All Rights Reserved, LA Opens Dodger Stadium To Help Vaccinate Half A Million Health Workers, Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. Bay Area businesses are gearing up for the new COVID variant, Omicron. We track COVID-19 variants in California to fight the spread of the disease. What older Americans need to know about taking Paxlovid That figure includes those hospitalized with COVID-19 and a larger segment of patients who test positive after seeking care for some other reason. UC Davis Health patients can use the MyUCDavisHealth symptom tracker to evaluate whether to seek help. To help limit spread of COVID-19, we have policies for visits to our hospital and outpatient clinics. The emerging lambda variant has been popping up in the news as it spreads rapidly throughout South America. Amy Osborne, Freelance / Special to The Chronicle, 17 cars broken into on a single night in this San Francisco neighborhood. It's late 2025. Previously, Kellie covered dining news and trends, visual arts, events and nightlife for the Arizona Republic, and freelanced for the former Contra Costa Times. (Chava Sanchez/LAist). A smaller proportion of these will convert into hospitalizations compared with previous years in the Bay Area.. Those emergent strains, while disruptive, did not come close to spawning the same sort of devastation seen in earlier waves. New variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, are expected to occur. COVID XBB.1.5 variant spreads in California. It is up to us to use them., Kellie Hwang is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Stay vigilant and get vaccinated if you havent already. The XBB.1.5 variant is taking over on the East Coast. Statewide and county cases, deaths, hospitalizations, and tests, including by vaccination status, gender, and age, State and county data about vaccination, including by race and ethnicity and age, How COVID-19 has affected different communities across the state, In-depth models, dashboards, databases, and information about Californias COVID-19 data reporting, Official California State Government Website, how California genetically sequences positive COVID-19 tests, Data is updated on Fridays. He likened it to a bulldog that wont let go.. Learn more about the COVID-19 bivalent booster and how you can schedule your bivalent booster at UC Davis Health. The more people who are infected, the more likely we are to see new variants. In fact, for many people, supplements like omega-3 fatty acids and probiotics, and even echinacea help improve immune function by fighting viruses and reducing inflammation. According to the agency, These projections can be uncertain or fluctuate within a wide predictive interval when a variant is just beginning to spread.. The new BN.1 omicron offshoot, which the CDC designated a subvariant of concern last weekend, has already taken off. Lets suppose that as a resolutely unvaccinated person, you manage to avoid the virus and its symptoms. The California Department of Public Health noted that more than two thirds of the states residents are fully vaccinated. But last week, the World Health Organization called the XBB.1.5 omicron descendant the most transmissible variant yet, and at a briefing Tuesday urged travelers to wear masks on international flights to help slow its spread. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. Karan urges more people to get the updated bivalent booster, particularly those over 60 and people with severe comorbidities. So do Californians need to worry about this new variant? UC Davis Health is offering bivalent boosters for anyone at any of ourCOVID-19 vaccine clinic locations. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is the interconnection of all the worlds people and nations. sign up to get four free COVID test kits that are mailed to you from the federal government, upgrading your face masks to N95s or KN95s, California Department of Public Health: COVID-19, Centers for Disease Control: Coronavirus (COVID-2019), World Health Organization: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, Johns Hopkins real-time dashboard for COVID-2019 cases, long-term cognitive impairment, including dementia. The bivalent vaccines also broaden the immune response, which is expected to improve protection against future variants and extend the strength of protection. The FDA recently said that it does not anticipate that the drug Evusheld will neutralize XBB.1.5. Chris Sununu rolls up sleeve for Booster Blitz. Vaccines administered updated January 12, 2023 at 9:37 AM with data from January 11, 2023, Cases, deaths, and tests updated January 12, 2023 at 9:37 AM with data from January 10, 2023, Details about this data are available in the, Visit My Turn to schedule your vaccination, Official California State Government Website. strain at least 15 times more virulent", "N440k Covid Variant: Mutant N440K 10 times more infectious than parent strain | Hyderabad News", " SARS-CoV-2 13", "Mutations in spike putatively linked to outbreak at Danish mink farms", "Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (formerly known as Wuhan coronavirus and 2019-nCoV) what we can find out on a structural bioinformatics level", "Serine 477 plays a crucial role in the interaction of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with the human receptor ACE2", "BioNTech: We aspire to individualize cancer medicine", "People Are Talking About A 'Double Mutant' Variant In India. Some of them will be coming to a country near you a country very near and very dear to you. In late July, Houston Methodist Hospital reported its first lambda case. While most people who become infected will have a mild illness, Chin-Hong said, he is most worried about those who are over 65 and unboosted. And state health officials said one each has been reported in San Francisco the first U.S. omicron case reported Dec. 1 and the counties of Long Beach, El Dorado, Yolo, Ventura and Santa Clara, which announced its case Friday. That may have happened with a new variant of the coronavirus popping up in California. I wonder what the WHO will do after scientists have exhausted the Greek alphabet with the discovery of an Omega variant. Kellie Hwang is the engagement reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle. This is due in part to the large number of Americans who remain unvaccinated as many as 60 million. It usually occurs several days or more after a test is identified as positive for COVID-19. 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. A slew of alphanumerically designated coronavirus subvariants, each more easily spread than the last, surfaced last year. Several factors, including increased transmission stemming from travel and gatherings over the winter holidays, are likely at play. The Omicron variant continues to spread throughout communities and can infect people who have been vaccinated or have previously had COVID-19. The CDC reported in August that unvaccinated people are almost 30 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than those who are fully vaccinated. I was just getting over the jitters from the Delta variant when along comes Omicron. 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