Keep Yourself, Others Safe Amid Ongoing Pandemic: OC Health Care

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — On Friday, an additional 431 cases of coronavirus were reported by Orange County Health Care Agency out of approximately 10,000 people tested for COVID-19. There are currently 156 residents hospitalized with cases of coronavirus, and of those 44 residents have been admitted into Intensive Care.

Since March of 2020, Orange County has seen 260,720 residents infected with coronavirus and 5,138 have died as a result of the disease, but the virus has mutated since it arrived. An estimated 250,000 people have recovered from coronavirus as of this report. The seven-day averages show that 166.3 positive results are reported per every 100,000 tests. That report will be updated Tuesday.

With much discussion about coronavirus variants, Orange County Health Care began releasing data on which variation of coronavirus is most prevalent in the county.

"It's important to understand that genetic mutations of the virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 are expected and that there are many strains of the virus," a spokesperson for the county said. Community clinical laboratories and the HCA Public Health Laboratory are sequencing a sample of cases to better track and respond to the pandemic.

The latest sample of cases shows that the delta variant is most prevalent over the past week.

Over 80,000 samples have been identified and sequenced, with variants from alpha, delta, epsilon, gamma, iota, theta, lambda and as of yet unidentified variants. By the numbers, the epsilon variant was prevalent in May of 2020 through April, while the original alpha variant was prevalent through May. Delta has been most identified in recent months.

As coronavirus cases continue to grow across the county, in cases and hospitalizations among the unvaccinated, the Orange County Board of Supervisors and the OC Health Care Agency leadership encourages all to stay vigilant with COVID-19 prevention measures, testing and vaccinations in order to keep our residents safe and businesses open.

Chairman Andrew Do of the First District discussed the yeoman's effort in vaccinating over 1.8 million residents thus far.

“Our County has been doing a tremendous job in getting the vaccines out into our community,” Do said. “(The vaccines are) safe, effective, free, and the surest way to help bring us out of this pandemic. We need our residents to continue with the preventative steps that allow us to draw closer together as a community.”

Orange County Health Care officials have reviewed the numbers of those getting sick and being admitted into area hospitals. They report that unvaccinated individuals are over six times more likely to become infected with COVID-19 than those who are fully vaccinated.

Vice-Chairman Doug Chafee of the 4th District spoke on residents doing what they can to stay protected during the ongoing pandemic and delta variant that is prevalent in July.

“Getting vaccinated doesn’t just mean we are protecting ourselves – we are also protecting our family members, friends and coworkers,” Chaffee said. “We are all part of the same community. We’re asking residents to encourage loved ones to get vaccinated.”

Between July 15 and July 21, the county experienced an increase in the seven-day average case rate, from 2.95 to 6.1 per 100,000 people, with the average number of daily COVID-19 cases increasing from 121 to 209. The positivity rate also increased from 2.2 percent to 4 percent, and hospitalizations jumped from 119 to 149 per day.

“We are still seeing an uptick in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, especially among those who are not yet fully vaccinated,” said Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, Deputy County Health Officer. “We expected to see an increase when mask requirements were lifted and physical distancing was reduced, but we want to take every opportunity we can to reduce the spread of infection. This means staying focused on preventive measures to protect those who are unable to be vaccinated.”

Prevention continues to be a critical piece of the Agency’s message for county residents, according to Dr. Clayton Chau, director of the Health Care Agency and the county's Health Officer.

Though masking has been a hot-button issue in the county since the first mask-wearing mandate was issued, Chau encourages all to put their masks on if to minimize the risk of catching the virus or spreading it to someone who is vulnerable.

“We are strongly encouraging everyone to avoid large crowds, where it is easy for the virus to pass from person to person,” Chau said. “Regardless of your vaccination status, wear a mask if you’re around someone at risk, with people whose vaccination status is unknown especially indoors, or have unvaccinated children or other loved ones at home. If you are not fully vaccinated, you must wear a mask indoors in accordance with guidelines from the California Department of Public Health.”

If you begin to experience symptoms of COVID-19, the agency suggests you get tested, regardless of vaccination status.

Self-collection, at-home COVID-19 test kits can be ordered at no cost by visiting www.ochealthinfo.com/covidtest. Tests are also available over the counter, as well as at CVS clinics and through your doctor.

Individuals seeking information about the COVID-19 vaccines are encouraged to follow credible sources to learn more about their benefits, safety and effectiveness.

The Health Care Agency suggests following The World Health Organization, for example, who recently updated a list of questions and answers to address COVID-19 vaccine safety.

Other sources include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDPH, the Food and Drug Administration, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Orange County COVID-19 case counts, and testing figures are updated daily, Monday through Friday, at occovid19.ochealthinfo.com/coronavirus-in-oc. Individuals interested in receiving a COVID-19 vaccine can schedule an appointment by visiting www.Othena.com or calling the OC COVID-19 Hotline at (714) 834-2000.