COVID-19 spikes in California at start of the new year. Which counties have it worst?
The number of reported COVID-19 cases across California spiked in the weeks following Christmas, with several counties in the northern portion of the state bearing the worst of the virus.
JN. 1, the latest COVID-19 variant being tracked by health experts, has been rapidly circulating. COVID-19 test positivity was at 11.8% as of Jan. 12, according to the California Department of Public Health, compared to 9.6% on Dec. 22.
In the past week, 3,611 patients were admitted to the hospital due to the coronavirus, and about 3.7% of deaths were COVID-19-related, the state health department wrote in its weekly report.
Nearly 1,540 COVID-19-related deaths have been recorded across California, between Oct. 1, 2023, and Jan. 6, 2024.
California counties with the most COVID-19 cases
New data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that 17 out of California’s 58 counties have reached medium levels for COVID-19-related hospitalizations.
The following counties have the most COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 residents, according to CDC data through Jan. 6, daata posted on Jan. 16:
Alameda County
Contra Costa County
El Dorado County
Lake County
Mariposa County
Mendicino County
Merced County
Napa County
Nevada County
Orange County
Placer County
Sacramento County
Sierra County
Solano County
Stanislaus County
Tuolumne County
Yolo County
These counties recorded between 10 and 19.9 new coronavirus-related hospitalizations per 100,000 people over the past week, the CDC stated.
Roughly 71% of California remains at low levels, meaning less than 10 people per 100,000 have been hospitalized due to the coronavirus.
No county has reached a high level. A high level means more than 20 people per 100,000 have been admitted to the hospital due to a COVID-19-related illness.
Are there new symptoms of COVID-19?
COVID-19-related symptoms could appear within two weeks of exposure, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Possible symptoms include:
Fever
Cough
Fatigue
Chills
Sore throat
Headache
Muscle aches
Runny nose
Headache
Chest pain
Pink eye
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Rash
Nausea
Breathing could also become difficult, the clinic stated.
Symptoms could change based on the COVID-19 variant and vary depending on a person’s vaccination status, according to the CDC. Loss of taste and smell is not a common symptom with recent strains.
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