Huge spike in COVID-19 cases, San Diegan needs to get vaccinated now | News

[ad_1]

San Diego County Health and Human Services is seeing a spike in new COVID-19 cases. The county will report 1,264 new cases this afternoon, the highest number since February 5, 2021.

The increase in cases is not a one-day phenomenon, but part of a larger trend in recent weeks. In the 30 days between June 21 and July 20, 6,572 San Diegan residents tested positive for COVID-19. Of this group, 11 percent were fully vaccinated, while 89 percent were not.

Community outbreaks, hospitalizations, and admissions to the intensive care unit have also skyrocketed. The county will publish two more outbreaks in the community today, bringing the total number of outbreaks in the past seven days to 25. One month earlier, on June 23, only five community outbreaks were reported.

High risk of not being vaccinated

A total of 98 percent of hospitalizations in the last 30 days are for individuals who have not been vaccinated or have not completed the full series of the two-dose vaccine.

“Vaccines are effective in preventing severe illness or death from COVID-19,” said Wilma J. Wooten, MD, MPH, county public health officer. “If you haven’t had the vaccine, it is time to vaccinate now. If you are late for your second dose, it is time to get your second shot.”

“In the past few weeks, individuals who were not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 were seven times more likely to contract the virus,” said Sima Shah, medical director of HHSA’s Branch of Epidemiology and Immunization Services. “The most infectious delta type is on its way to becoming the dominant strain among San Diego County residents and a single dose of the vaccine is only 30 percent effective in protecting people from getting sick.”

Nearly 150,000 San Diegan residents have only been partially vaccinated and are late getting their second shot. The county is working with medical providers to help them remind patients and is also using the San Diego Immunization Registry to develop follow-up reminders for those who are behind schedule.

To facilitate access to COVID-19 vaccines, the county now operates the Great Eight, a group of geographically dispersed no-cost vaccination sites that allow people to choose any one of the three vaccines available in the United States, Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson. For a list of sites and more information, visit www.coronavirus-sd.com/vaccine.

.

[ad_2]