South Bay Well being Officers Tout Significance of COVID Booster, Assessments and Warning – CBS San Francisco
SAN JOSE (KPIX) – A dramatic spike in Santa Clara County’s COVID-19 cases, as well as the discovery of the county’s first Omicron case, has led health professionals to double health logs, especially before the holidays.
“Vaccinate and freshen up, mask, test, ventilate and distance,” said Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County Health Officer, during a news conference Friday.
In exactly two weeks, millions will be gathering with their families and friends on Christmas Eve. Health experts urge people not to be on guard about the pandemic.
“We have to be careful not to panic, but we shouldn’t downplay the potential of this new wave, the Omicron wave,” said Dr. Jorge Salinas, epidemiologist at Stanford University Hospital. “There are signs that the number of cases will increase and they could increase very quickly.”
He said that other countries that discovered the Omicron variant before the US had seen a sharp rise in cases and that America could be following the same pattern.
Positive COVID cases have already increased in the Bay Area, possibly the result of Thanksgiving gatherings.
University of San Francisco, Prof. of Medicine Dr. Peter Chin-Hong advised that vacation plans for vaccinated people could continue, but with caution.
“If you aren’t vaccinated, you really have to navigate the world very carefully because we have a much more transmissible variant than we did a year ago,” said Dr. Chin-Hong. “We should always control this work of COVID safely and carefully and we will continue to do so. But personally I am vaccinated and vaccinated. I feel very safe to move. When it is really full, I wear a mask. “
Both doctors said the COVID-19 roller coaster might be our new normal for at least a while. In particular, there will be a decline after a spike, they said.
Dr. Salinas said that people should be careful when congregating for the holidays as it appears that the Omicron variant, despite immunity, is more transmissible than the Delta variant, both naturally and through the vaccine.
The doctor said if there were a large number of positive cases, the economic impact on the workforce could be significant if people were quarantined and potentially exposed people were also isolated.
Ruth Hurtado, who was quarantined last year after being exposed to someone with COVID, will be with her family this Christmas. She said they are all vaccinated and she plans to get tested before they meet.
“You are excited. It’s been a tough year for us so we’re excited to spend the holidays together, ”said Hurtado. “I haven’t seen her in a long time, so I look forward to getting together with my mom, dad, brother, and sister.”
