The Los Angeles Post

As Halloween Kicks Off the Holiday Season, Public Health Offers Simple Tips to Keep Children Healthy and Safe

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As families prepare for upcoming events and celebrations, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) encourages simple precautions to keep children protected and healthy throughout the season, allowing families to focus on fun.

Halloween festivities will kick off the holiday season this weekend and with more opportunities to gather, there can be increased risk for spreading illness. While hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 are currently low, November marks the time when respiratory virus transmission typically begins to increase and now is the time to get the updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines, and for some, RSV immunizations are also recommended.

When children have respiratory virus symptoms, such as coughing, sore throat and/or fever, they should test for COVID-19 and, if feeling ill, stay home from school and activities to reduce spreading illness to others.  Wearing a well-fitting mask indoors when around others also offers protection against spread of respiratory viruses.

If out trick-or-treating, use sidewalks, flashlights and crosswalks and children should always be supervised and accompanied by a responsible adult.  For added safety, residents giving out treats should keep porches, stairwells and walkways lit. Candy and other treats should be inspected before eating and discard any that are unwrapped or opened.

With indoor Halloween plans, it is a good idea to consider testing for COVID-19  before gathering if attendees are at higher risk of severe illness from respiratory disease, including grandparents, pregnant people or infants, or if there is a chance of recent exposure. Testing is a good way to help protect people in the community who are more vulnerable.

In Los Angeles County, free COVID-19 tests are available at City of Los Angeles libraries and  Los Angeles County libraries. Residents can also find test kits at Public Health vaccination sites. Many food banks, senior centers and other local organizations offer free test kits for pick-up.

In addition, each household is eligible to order a set of four free at-home tests through the mail by visiting covid.gov/tests and through Nov. 11, 2023, many people with a health plan regulated by California can get up to eight at-home tests per month for each person on the plan at local pharmacies. Full information on free COVID-19 test kits is available at ph.lacounty.gov/COVIDtests.

It is recommended that children and adults test for COVID when they have symptoms of respiratory illness. If a person tests positive, they should isolate for at least five days and mask through day 10 when around others. After day five, people can leave isolation if their symptoms are mild and improving and they are fever free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication. Those with respiratory symptoms who test negative for COVID should consider masking indoors around others if they still have symptoms to avoid spreading another respiratory infection, like flu or RSV.   It is most accurate to take a second COVID-19 test 48 hours after the first test if respiratory symptoms persist.  As with all illness, those with trouble breathing, worsening or unusual symptoms, or with chronic health conditions, should contact a health care provider.

Regardless of prior vaccinations earlier this year or last year, to provide protection against illness, children 6 months and older should have at least one dose of the COVID-19 and flu vaccines this fall, which can be administered at the same time. The most up-to-date formulas, available now, are designed to give the strongest protection against strains that are currently circulating. For younger children, or those who have not previously received a COVID-19 or flu vaccine, additional doses may be recommended. Parents should speak to a health care provider, who can also advise on if an RSV immunization is recommended.

If Los Angeles County residents have questions about vaccines, where to get vaccination or how to get tested, the Public Health Call Center remains open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to answer COVID-19-related questions at 1-833-540-0473. Public Health staff can connect callers with resources and help people schedule vaccination appointments, including in-home vaccinations for those that are homebound.

In Los Angeles County, based on data through Oct. 14, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Hospital Admission Level is Low at 4.0 new COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 people, lower than 4.6 reported the week before.

Public Health reports COVID-19 data weekly. The following table shows case, wastewater, emergency department, hospitalization and death data in Los Angeles County over the past four weeks.

Metric

Date of Weekly Report

10/25/2023

10/18/2023

10/11/2023

10/04/2023

Daily average cases

220

217

242

303

SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentration as a percentage of the Winter 2022-2023 peak concentration value

12%

14%

27%

19%

Daily average of the percent of Emergency Department (ED) encounters classified as coronavirus-related

2.6%

2.6%

2.9%

3.3%

Daily average number of COVID-positive hospitalizations

342

371

422

467

Daily average deaths

4.4

3.3

4.7

5.0

Percent of all deaths due to COVID-19

2.6%

2.0%

3.2%

2.3%

All daily averages are 7-day averages. Data for past weeks are subject to change in future reports. Time periods covered by each metric: cases = week ending each Saturday; wastewater = week ending each Saturday, with a one-week lag; ED data = week ending each Sunday; hospitalizations = week ending each Saturday; deaths = week ending each Monday, with a three-week lag; death percentage = week ending Monday, with a one-week lag.

Case data is presented by episode date, an approximation of the date the illness began, and death data is presented by date of death. This is a change from how case and death data were presented prior to July 26, 2023, which was by date of report. Daily average cases do not include Long Beach and Pasadena; daily average deaths include Long Beach and Pasadena.

Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus:

  • Los Angeles County Department of Public Health:

http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Spanish:

https://espanol.cdc.gov/enes/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Cases through 12:00pm 10/23/2023

 

Total Cases

Laboratory Confirmed Cases (includes LB and Pas through 6/27/23; excludes LB and Pas after 6/27/23)

3,814,087

Deaths (includes LB and Pas)

36,878

Cases by Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

– 0 to 4

115,547

– 5 to 11

284,864

– 12 to 17

279,734

– 18 to 29

768,063

– 30 to 49

1,153,149

– 50 to 64

629,021

– 65 to 79

276,618

–  over 80

99,492

–  Under Investigation

2,606

Cases by Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

–  Female

1,866,015

–  Male

1,651,678

–  Other

1,889

–  Under Investigation

89,512

Cases by Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

–  American Indian/Alaska Native

6,854

–  Asian

270,100

–  Black

192,041

–  Hispanic/Latino

1,535,291

–  Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

18,035

–  White

504,290

–  Other

416,953

–  Under Investigation

665,530

Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

–  Hospitalized (Ever)

187,682

Deaths by Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

–  American Indian/Alaska Native

81

–  Asian

4,596

–  Black

3,282

–  Hispanic/Latino

16,986

–  Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

114

–  White

9,349

–  Other

470

–  Under Investigation

101