COVID-19 infection risk rises to ‘medium’ in Stanislaus County. What about monkeypox?
Stanislaus County is now in the medium-risk category for COVID-19 illness as omicron subvariants spread in communities.
Tracking data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the county has a seven-day total of 220 cases per 100,000 population. In the latest update, local hospitals are using 5.2% of staffed inpatient beds for COVID-infected patients.
According to the CDC, the community risk is high in San Joaquin County, low in Merced County and medium in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties. The federal agency uses a low-to-high scale to measure the community-level risk of COVID-19 in counties across the country.
The CDC recommends people in counties with medium risk wear masks if they have symptoms or recent exposure to a COVID-infected person or are vulnerable to severe illness. People should wear masks on public transportation.
In Stanislaus County, 54 people were hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 infections, including nine in intensive care units. Test positivity has risen to 14%.
“While the cases have increased, the hospitals have remained pretty stable,” Kamlesh Kaur, a county public health spokesperson, said by email.
California is averaging 13,900 coronavirus cases per day, with 2,700 hospitalized and 294 in intensive care units, according to the state health department. About 14 deaths are recorded per day statewide.
The Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors received a quarterly update on the pandemic Tuesday. County officials have cut back this year to a COVID-19 update every three months, but the county’s live video malfunctioned Tuesday, spoiling the first opportunity in months for residents to hear an update from health officials.
The video of proceedings usually is available on the Stanislaus County website from 24 to 48 hours after the meeting.
Illness caused by the highly contagious omicron subvariants is considered to be less severe than previous strains, but health agencies warn that unvaccinated people, older adults and people with chronic health conditions may suffer serious complications.
Typical symptoms of mild illness are nasal congestion, a cough, sore throat and fatigue.
The county has recorded 1,766 deaths from COVID-19 since 2020. It doesn’t record the number of people with long-term COVID symptoms.
Any monkeypox cases?
State health officials are also watching out for cases of monkeypox, a contagious disease concern that has emerged in the United States and other countries. Health officials said Tuesday no cases of monkeypox have been detected in Stanislaus County. The disease is far less contagious than COVID-19.
According to the county health presentation, the monkeypox disease is transmitted through close or prolonged contact with a symptomatic individual. Symptoms include a rash with firm bumps, fever, swollen lymph nodes, chills and low energy. The disease usually lasts for two to four weeks.
This story was originally published June 14, 2022 at 12:46 PM.
