Officials Warn Against Rising COVID Cases
According to Alameda County Public Health officials, there was an upsurge of COVID-19 cases in Alameda County and other parts of the Bay Area this summer.
The health agency said it found significant traces of the coronavirus in wastewater samples between June and August. As a result, Dr. Jonna Locke, the county's COVID-19 clinical guidance lead, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourage residents to stay current on strategies for preventing COVID-19 infection.
“Staying up to date on vaccination, staying home and testing when sick, and masking indoors remain the best ways to protect ourselves and others against COVID-19,” Dr. Locke told the Forum. “Those who are at higher risk for severe COVID-19 should contact their healthcare provider about treatment if testing positive.”
Those most at risk of complications from COVID-19 are people over the age of 65 and people with varying medical conditions, pregnant women cy (i.e., asthma, diabetes, obesity, and congenital heart disease.
Anyone who has had COVID-19 also has the potential to develop “Long COVID,” which refers to the chronic case of post-COVID conditions. However, CDC officials said the list of symptoms and people most prone to Long COVID is not comprehensive, with varying effects.
The CDC explains, “Long COVID symptoms and conditions can emerge, persist, resolve, and reemerge over weeks and months. These symptoms and conditions can range from mild to severe, may require comprehensive care, and can even result in a disability.
According to the CDC’s website, it’s strongly recommended “that everyone 65 and older get a second dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine at least 4 months after their last dose.”
For children, they recommend “Children 6 months to 4 years of age who have never been vaccinated to get either 2 or 3 doses COVID-19 vaccine.”
For first-time vaxxers, only one dose of the Pfizer/Moderna COVID-16 vaccine or two doses of the Novavax is required to be considered up to date.
Masks are not a requirement for the public, but being extra cautious is always advisable, especially around those more prone to the infection.
As of March 8, “The Federal FREE COVID-19 Test Program” is suspended. If you have health insurance, including Medi-Cal, contact your insurer for further questions. If you don’t have insurance, you can check the Testing Map section https://covid-19.acgov.org/testing.page#testing-map on the CDC’s website for no-cost testing in your area.
For more intel on where to get vaccinations in Alameda County, visit the CDC’s Vaccination & Resources webpage. It has a calendar showing all the locations and times available to make an appointment.