The Los Angeles Post

Public Health Wishes Everyone a Healthy and Happy Thanksgiving

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This Thanksgiving season, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) is appreciative of all the community partners who help to get COVID-19 information, guidance, and resources into the community and incredibly grateful for time to gather with loved ones to celebrate the holiday.

Over the course of the pandemic, newly developed tools and resources have helped to mitigate the impact of COVID-19, including vaccines, tests, and treatments. Paired with common-sense simple actions to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, friends and family should feel safe enjoying festivities together.

Fortunately, many are familiar with the simple actions that can lower the chances of getting and spreading respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, flu, and RSV – stay up to date on recommended vaccines, stay home when sick, cover coughs and sneezes, and wash hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. When possible, increase ventilation during gatherings by opening windows and doors, or holding events outside. If traveling over the holidays, using a high quality, well-fitted mask in crowded, indoor places, including airports, train stations and bus stations, can also help reduce the chance of transmission.

Testing for COVID-19 is recommended when a person has symptoms, believe they have been exposed, or if they are going to an event where people who are older or more vulnerable could be exposed.

Free COVID-19 tests remain available throughout the county at libraries, community-based organizations, and Public Health clinics and vaccination sites. Since Oct. 1, Public Health has distributed nearly 879,000 tests to public schools and other education settings, largely for children to test during or before returning from break, in addition to being used on site by school nurses or distributed to parents at events. Residents looking for free COVID tests during the holiday weekend can visit ph.lacounty.gov/COVIDtests for options.

If a person tests positive for COVID-19, 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. It is important during this time to take extra effort to not expose others, especially people who are older or at greater risk for severe illness.

People with respiratory symptoms who test negative for COVID should consider masking indoors around others 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.

Public Health encourages everyone who tests positive for COVID-19 to speak with their provider to see if they are eligible for treatment, which must be started within 5 days of symptom onset. Paxlovid is recommended for adults and children 12 years and older who test, or are suspected positive, for COVID-19 and have underlying health conditions or factors that may result in more severe illness from an infection.

For those eligible for a therapeutic medicine for COVID, Public Health offers a free telehealth visit and free medication through the Public Health Call Center. With the exception of Thanksgiving Day, when the Public Health Call Center will be closed, Los Angeles County residents who have questions about respiratory symptoms, vaccines, where to get vaccination or how to get tested can access the Public Health Call Center at 1-833-540-0473, open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Public Health staff can answer questions related to COVID-19, flu, or RSV and can  help people schedule vaccination appointments, including in-home vaccinations for those that are homebound.

In Los Angeles County, based on data through Nov. 11, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Hospital Admission Level is Low at 3.7 new COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 people.

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

11/22/2023

11/15/2023

11/8/2023

11/1/2023

Daily average cases

275

250

211

198

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

13%

12%

15%

11%

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

3.6%

3.0%

2.8%

2.5%

Daily average number of COVID-positive hospitalizations

355

304

288

322

Daily average deaths

2.7

3.4

3.6

3.4

Percent of all deaths due to COVID-19

0.8%

1.0%

1.8%

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 11/20/2023

 

Total Cases

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

3,822,487

Deaths (includes LB and Pas)

36,976

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

– 0 to 4

116,052

– 5 to 11

285,023

– 12 to 17

279,901

– 18 to 29

768,976

– 30 to 49

1,154,972

– 50 to 64

630,890

– 65 to 79

278,465

–  over 80

100,606

–  Under Investigation

2,609

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

–  Female

1,870,716

–  Male

1,655,305

–  Other

1,901

–  Under Investigation

89,572

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

–  American Indian/Alaska Native

6,874

–  Asian

270,980

–  Black

192,757

–  Hispanic/Latino

1,537,737

–  Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

18,084

–  White

506,140

–  Other

418,023

–  Under Investigation

666,899

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

–  Hospitalized (Ever)

188,899

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

–  American Indian/Alaska Native

82

–  Asian

4,611

–  Black

3,293

–  Hispanic/Latino

17,012

–  Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

114

–  White

9,383

–  Other

475

–  Under Investigation

106