COVID infections are on the uptick at a dramatic rate. Published infection rates are underestimated by an estimated factor of 7 to 10 because of the widespread use of home testing, or just plain not testing. Hospital admission rates and deaths are a more accurate reflection of the current situation, and they are both on the rise.
BA.5 is the variant of COVID that we are currently experiencing. It is equal to or possibly more contagious than the most contagious disease known to humankind to date — measles.
There is no defense against getting infected, other than withdrawing from the human race, and living in a cave. Vaccines, vitamins, supplements, pagan rituals will not stop you from getting infected if exposed. Illness severity is mitigated by vaccination with appropriate boosters, and for the unvaccinated/boosted individuals Paxlovid and a few other medications when given in the early stage of infection.
Antiviral medication is not clearly helpful beyond vaccination/booster for mitigating against severe COVID illness, which may include hospitalization and death. There is no evidence that any medication reduces the risk of long covid. Paxlovid may prolong the duration of illness and contagion.
If you are not vaccinated it is not too late. Think hard on this one.
If you are ill with COVID symptoms, and do not test, assume you have COVID until proven otherwise. Not testing does not make it not so. Not testing just means you are flying blind. If you do test at the first sign of symptoms and test negative with a home antigen test assume you have COVID and retest two to three days later. The initial symptoms may be your immune system kicking in at the first entry of the virus, but at a time when there is not enough virus to convert the test to positive. This is not a failure of the test.
If you have COVID quarantine/isolate as appropriate. Wearing a mask and entering the public realm while contagious means that you will infect others. If you do not understand the risk of doing so then look at the daily death rate due to COVID. ER
Indoor mandate next week, maybe
The current rate Los Angeles County COVID-19 hospitalization will trigger an indoor mask mandate if it continues through July 28, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Health. The County is averaging about 6,900 coronavirus cases a day, nearly double the peak rate from last summer’s Delta surge, according to the Los Angeles Times.
