A San Diego man with no trips outside the county has tested positive for the COVID-19 variant first identified in the UK, the County Health and Human Services Agency announced today.
The man was tested on December 29 after two days of symptoms and the results showed a characteristic pattern indicating that he could be the new strain of the UK. The specimen was immediately sent to Scripps Research and whole-genome sequencing determined on December 30 that it was the British variant, also known as B.1.1.7.
The patient is not hospitalized and is currently isolated. County case research has identified home contacts who are in quarantine and the new coronavirus is being tested. The man had little interaction with people outside his home, although he was potentially contagious.
“Strain B.1.1.7 is here, and St. Diegans can protect against it by doing the same things they’ve been asked to do since the pandemic began,” said Eric McDonald, MD, MPH, county medical director of Epidemiology and the Immunization Services branch. “Everyone should stay home and avoid meetings during the New Year holidays. The best way to celebrate is to make sure everyone stays healthy by 2021. ”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the UK strain is one of many variants of COVID-19 identified worldwide.
There is some evidence that new strains spread more easily, but these variants are not believed to cause more serious disease or increase the risk of death.
At this time, it is also believed that currently available vaccines will offer protection against emerging variants. Scientists continue to study new strains of the new coronavirus to determine its potential impact.
Since the new strain has a higher transmission rate, it could lead to an increase in cases in the region. With New Year’s Eve tomorrow, county health officials say San Diegans will do the following now more than ever:
- Wash your hands
- Wear a mask
- Keep your distance from others and leave your home only for essential activities
- If you are sick, take the test and then stay home and isolate yourself
Order capacity and stay at the ICU:
- The current availability of intensive care unit (ICU) beds for the Southern California region is now 0.0% and the state will update it daily.
- The Order of Regional Stay at Home is in effect and prohibits meetings of any size with people from other households and adds restrictions for various sectors.
- The order will last until the availability of the ICU in the region meets or exceeds 15%.
Community configuration outbreaks:
- On December 29, 11 new community outbreaks were confirmed: four in commercial settings, four in daycare / preschool / daycare, one in a TK-12 school, one in a food / beverage processing environment, and one in a hotel. / resort / spa setup.
- In the last seven days (December 23-29), 55 outbreaks of the community were confirmed.
- The number of community outbreaks remains above the trigger for seven or more days.
- An outbreak of community environment is defined as three or more cases of COVID-19 in one environment and in people from different households during the last 14 days.
Tests:
- On December 29, 23,957 tests were reported in the county and the percentage of new cases confirmed by the lab was 10%.
- The average percentage of 14-day positive cases is 10.8%. The target is less than 8.0%.
- The average daily test for 7 days is 21,645.
- People at higher risk for COVID-19 with or without symptoms should be tested. People with any symptoms should get tested. Health care workers and essential workers should also be tested, as well as people who have had close contact with a positive case or live in communities that are being severely affected. Those who have recently returned from travel or participated in holiday meetings are also urged.
Cases:
- On December 29, 2,448 new cases were reported to the county. The total for the region is 152,512.
- 5,826 or 3.8% of all cases required hospitalization.
- 1,213 or 0.8% of all cases and 20.8% of hospitalized cases had to be admitted to an intensive care unit.
Deaths:
- On December 29, 37 new deaths were reported for COVID-19. The total for the region is now 1,472.
- Between 17 and 28 December, 21 men and 16 women died and their age ranged from the mid-1950s to the early 1990s.
- 30 had underlying medical conditions and seven have pending medical history.
More information:
The most detailed data summaries found on the county’s coronavirus-sd.com website are updated around 5 p.m. daily.