There are growing signs of an increase in COVID-19 in California due to new FLiRT subvariants.
It’s too early to tell whether FLiRT will make a big difference in the COVID-19 pandemic, and so far the impact has been minimal.
But health officials are taking note and urging Californians — especially those at risk — to prepare.
Here’s a rundown of what we know and how you can protect yourself.
What are FLiRT subvariants?
The FLiRT sub-variants (formally known as KP.2, KP.3 and KP.1.1) have replaced the dominant winter variant JN.1. Together they are estimated to have accounted for 50.4% of the country’s coronavirus infections in the two weeks to Saturday, up from 20% a month ago.
Despite the increased transmissibility, the new mutations do not appear to cause more severe disease. Given that the new subvariant is only slightly different from the winter version, the vaccine is expected to continue to work well.
“We haven’t had a new dominant variant in the United States for a while,” Dr. David Bronstein, an infectious disease expert at Kaiser Permanente Southern California, told The Times earlier this month. “As each of these variants replaces the previous variant, we do see an increase in transmissibility – more easily spread from person to person. So, that’s what FLiRT is really concerned about.
What are the officials looking at?
Doctors say they have not seen a significant increase in the number of seriously ill patients and that coronavirus infection rates remain relatively low. But there are signs of rising infections that could lead to an earlier-than-expected start to the summer coronavirus season.
“Concentrations of COVID-19 in wastewater have increased in multiple areas of California since early May. The number of people testing positive for COVID-19 has been slowly increasing since May,” the state Department of Public Health told The Times on Friday. newspaper stated in a statement.
About 3.8% of California’s COVID-19 tests came back positive in the seven days ending Monday; at the end of April, the rate was 1.9%. (The peak test positivity rate last summer was 12.8% in late August.)
In San Francisco, infectious disease doctors are noticing more and more people in hospitals with COVID-19.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health also began to see a slight uptick in cases in recent days. Kaiser Permanente Southern California reported a slight increase in outpatient COVID-19 cases.
How can I protect myself?
vaccine
Doctors are urging people to consider getting vaccinated — especially if they are at higher risk for serious complications from COVID-19.
In California, only 36% of people 65 and older have received an updated version of the COVID-19 vaccine first rolled out in September. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has urged everyone 6 months and older to get a dose of the updated vaccine. A second dose is also recommended for seniors 65 and older, as long as at least four months have passed since their last shot.
It is especially important that older adults receive at least one of the newer doses. Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at the University of California, San Francisco, said that among the patients he has seen recently with severe COVID-19, none of them had received a newer vaccine since September and were older or immunocompromised.
Behavior
Avoid sick people. Some patients may disguise their symptoms as a “cold,” but it may actually be the beginning of COVID-19 illness.
test
Get tested to see if you are sick, and get tested every day. Sometimes it takes longer after illness onset for a rapid COVID-19 test to show a positive result. Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional chief of infectious diseases at Kaiser Permanente Southern California, said consider taking a rapid coronavirus test once a day for three to five days after you develop cough and cold symptoms. Doing so can help sick people take steps to isolate themselves and limit the spread of the disease to others.
planning
Make a plan to seek help from Parks Love if you become sick. Paxlovid is an antiviral drug that can reduce the risk of hospitalization and death when taken by people at risk for severe COVID-19 who have mild to moderate illness.
Masks are less common these days, but can still be a handy tool in preventing infection. On a crowded flight where you are nearby someone who is coughing, wearing a mask can help reduce the risk of infection.
How can I protect my family and friends?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently relaxed COVID isolation guidance now that the health impacts of COVID-19 are lower than before due to the availability of vaccines, anti-COVID drugs like Paxlovid, and increasing population immunity.
There were fewer hospitalizations and deaths, and fewer reports of complications such as polyinflammatory syndrome in children.
Still, doctors say it’s still prudent to take common-sense steps to avoid getting sick and spreading the disease to others, given that the coronavirus still poses a significant health burden greater than the flu. Nationwide, more than 43,000 people have died from COVID-19 since the beginning of October; by comparison, the flu killed an estimated 25,000 people during the same period.
While the prevalence of long-term COVID-19 has been declining, long-term COVID-19 can still pose a risk whenever someone is infected with COVID-19.
Here is guidance on what to do if you get COVID-19:
Stay home and away from others while you are sick and for the day after you recover
The CDC says people should stay home and away from family members until at least 24 hours after their respiratory virus symptoms have generally improved and they are fever-free (and not using fever-reducing medications). Previously, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that people infected with the coronavirus quarantine for at least five days and take additional precautions for several days.
The CDC says the most important factors in determining when symptoms have improved overall are “overall feeling better and the ability to resume activities.” The CDC says a persistent cough itself may last beyond becoming contagious.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health also recommends self-testing with a rapid test and getting a negative result before leaving quarantine.
The agency also recommends staying away from older adults and immunocompromised people for 10 days after you start feeling sick.
Take extra precautions after recovery in case you are still contagious
People who have recovered from COVID-19 may still be contagious several days after recovery. The CDC recommends taking extra precautions to keep others safe for five days after they leave the home and resume spending time with others. They include:
- Wear a suitable mask;
- Continue to test for COVID-19. If positive, you may be more likely to infect others;
- Keep your distance from other people;
- Increase air circulation by opening windows, turning on air purifiers, and gathering outdoors when meeting people;
- And practice increased hygiene: wash and disinfect your hands frequently, clean frequently touched surfaces, and cover your coughs and sneezes.
Wear a mask for 10 days to protect others
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health says people infected with COVID-19 need to wear a well-fitting mask for 10 days after they start feeling sick, even if signs of illness are improving, to reduce the chance of others becoming infected. The agency says you can remove your mask sooner if you have two consecutive negative tests at least one day apart.
Pay attention to the rebound of the new crown epidemic
COVID-19 rebound occurs when a person infected with COVID-19 feels better but begins to feel sick two to eight days after recovery. Some people may also test positive again. A COVID-19 rebound could cause you to become contagious again and be able to infect those you interact with.
Rebounds can occur whether you take Paxlovid or not.
Officials say if you feel sick again after recovering from COVID-19, continue to follow the same instructions to stay home and away from others during the first stage of the illness.
If you test positive but don’t have any symptoms
The CDC says if you never had any symptoms but test positive, take extra precautions for the next five days, such as wearing a mask, getting tested, increasing air circulation, keeping your distance and washing your hands frequently.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health recommends wearing a well-fitting mask for 10 days after testing positive for COVID-19 and avoiding contact with anyone in high-risk groups, such as older adults and immunocompromised people, for 10 days after you start feeling sick. If you have two negative tests in a row, at least one day apart, you can remove your mask sooner.
Los Angeles County health officials recommend that close contacts of someone with COVID-19 wear a well-fitting mask when around others for 10 days after last exposure. They recommend testing three to five days after last exposure.
