With respiratory illnesses on the rise across the state, city and county health officials are advising people to protect themselves and others through vaccinations, COVID-19 tests and avoiding others when feeling ill.
Daily average cases of COVID-19 have risen in Los Angeles County since the beginning of the month when the county observed 380 cases per day. For the week of Dec. 27 that figure had climbed to 621, according to LA County health data.
COVID-19 infections are just part of the stew of germs that seemingly have most people sick this winter as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) have also spiked since October.
While Long Beach stopped posting regular updates about local COVID-19 infections, Jen Rice Epstein, a spokesperson for the city’s health department, said that Long Beach saw 132 new cases of COVID-19 for the week of Dec. 13. However, she said that could be an undercount since it only includes lab-reported cases and not ones diagnosed through the use of at-home kits.
Flu cases in both the county and the city have been spiking since October.
Weekly respiratory virus surveillance reports published by the city’s health department showed that for the week ending Dec. 23, the city saw 210 new flu cases confirmed by a lab, which brought the total for the season, which starts in September, to 693. The county recorded about 2,000 new cases for the same period.
Just one flu-related death has been recorded in Long Beach this year compared to nine last flu season, according to city data.
RSV, which can be deadly for infants and older adults, has already surpassed the highest case counts of any season dating back to 2018, according to city data. A total of 214 confirmed cases have been logged since the start of September, according to the report.
The trifecta of infections have health officials calling for people to take precautions before and after spending time with family, friends or groups of people this holiday season.
“We just really want to emphasize that, to best protect themselves and the community around them, we encourage everyone to stay up to date on their vaccines and stay home when sick,” Rice Epstein said in an email this week. “It is also a good idea to take a Covid test before and after travel and before and after large indoor gatherings.”
The city offers COVID-19 vaccines to uninsured adults through the CDC’s Bridge Access Program and vaccinations for children by appointment at the main Health Department in East Long Beach. The city also offers mobile vaccination opportunities for qualifying residents.
Currently, just 22% of residents of all ages have been vaccinated against the flu this season, according to city data.
For information on how to get free COVID-19 at-home tests or where to go to get tested click here.
Maison Tran contributed to this report.