LA County sees delays in 911 ambulance calls

Los Angeles County is starting to see delays in responding to ambulances to 911 calls as more employees are unable to work due to COVID-related illnesses and ambulances are forced to wait to unload them. patients in hospitals, health officials said on Monday.

“People should ask their doctors for suggestions for treating mild symptoms of COVID,” the county health services department said in a statement to The Times. “Don’t try to test for COVID in emergency services, but at established sites. “

Meanwhile, hospitalizations of children with coronaviruses in LA County have tripled in the past month.

There were 3.25 times more children up to age 4 hospitalized on Christmas than on December 4. Over the same period, hospitalizations for 12 to 17 year olds were 3 times higher, while those for 5 to 11 year olds were 1.5 times higher.

Studies have show that the Omicron variant is less likely than Delta to infect the lungs, which in adults may reduce the possibility of pneumonia and breathing problems.

But Omicron owes its ultra-contagiousness to its prowess at infecting the upper respiratory system, and that could pose a problem for children, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the United States Food and Drug Administration, Recount CBS’s “Face the Nation” Sunday. Toddlers, he said, “have problems with upper respiratory infections. And you’re actually seeing more croup-like infections and bronchiolitis in New York City in children. So this could be a challenge for young children, and we are seeing an increase in hospitalizations in this pediatric segment.

“This is not a mild illness in young children. There is a perception that young children have not been severely affected by the coronavirus to date. This is simply not true. We have recorded over 600 pediatric deaths from COVID in the past two years, ”Gottlieb said. To put that into perspective, he added, there were only three deaths from pediatric influenza during the pandemic.

“So it affects children, and especially young children,” he said. “And this new strain may have a predilection for the upper respiratory tract, which may be of a greater challenge in young children because of the way it binds to cells in the airways.”

To reduce the spread of the coronavirus, health officials are urging LA County residents to use medical grade masks, such as surgical or blue masks or N95, KN95 or KF94. Wearing an old loose cloth mask is less effective. Placing a cloth mask over a surgical mask may be more effective than a surgical mask alone because it tightens the fit.

Authorities on Monday urged people to avoid going to the emergency room unless they have a real medical emergency.

“As we continue to experience an increase in the number of cases, [the Department of] Public Health reminds residents to avoid going to the emergency room unless they need emergency medical care. Residents should not go to the emergency department just to take a COVID test or for minor complaints that could be resolved by their primary care doctor, ”the county said in a statement.

“Emergency room visits should be reserved for patients who feel seriously ill – for example, those who are short of breath – or who have serious health concerns and require immediate emergency care. “

LA County reported 16,269 new cases of the coronavirus on Monday, an artificially low tally due to delays in notification over the New Years weekend.

The county recorded 23,553 new cases on Saturday and 21,200 more on Sunday, well above last winter’s high average of 16,000 per day. These weekend numbers are also likely to be underestimated due to the holidays.

About 22.5% – more than 1 in 5 – LA County residents who tested in the past week tested positive for the coronavirus. The transmission rate in Los Angeles County is now estimated to be higher than at any time since the early months of the pandemic, as cases explode across California. Each infected person in LA County transmits the virus to an average of two other people, according to state estimates released Monday afternoon. In last winter’s outbreak, the estimated transmission rate never exceeded 1.4, according to the county health services department.

LA school officials have order students and staff must undergo a mandatory coronavirus test before returning to campus on January 10 after winter break. Health officials have urged all staff and students to be tested before or during the first few days of school.

Employees at all public and private schools in LA County will be required to wear medical grade masks while on the job, and students and staff are required to wear masks outside in crowded spaces, under strict guidelines Posted recently.

LA County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer said in a statement that staff, teachers and students should receive booster shots as soon as they are eligible. Boosters are available for ages 16 and up.

“An important protection against the transmission of this airborne virus is well-fitting, high-quality masks, and these should be worn by everyone in indoor schools and in crowded outdoor spaces. And whenever possible, children and staff should test negative for COVID-19 the first week they return to class, ”Ferrer said.

Federal government has started process to make teens younger eligible for booster injections. Monday, the United States Food and Drug Administration authorized boosters for ages 12 to 15, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must make a recommendation before injections are available for this age group.

“The data shows that there are no new safety concerns after a recall in this population,” the FDA said in a statement. The agency said no new cases of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart, had been reported.

The FDA has also reduced the time allowed between the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech primary immunization series and a booster from six months to five months, for anyone 12 years of age and older.

In addition, the agency has allowed some children aged 5 to 11 with weakened immune systems to receive a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.