by Tony Hicks – The number of COVID-19 cases in Contra Costa County have leveled off and the county remains in the orange tier of the state’s reopening guidelines, health officials told the county Board of Supervisors Tuesday.
The pandemic is still killing people in Contra Costa — 11 in the past week — most of whom were unvaccinated people in their 40s, 50s and 60s, county health officer Dr. Chris Farnitano said.
There have been 128 “breakthrough” cases countywide the past three months, meaning fully vaccinated people who still tested positive, with or without symptoms. One of those people — an elderly person in hospice care before testing positive — died. Four other breakthrough cases required hospitalization.
“We’ve had over 100 deaths in the unvaccinated or partially vaccinated during this time frame, the same three-month period,” Farnitano said. “That just tells you these are incredibly effective, very powerful vaccines.
They’re not perfect; but they dramatically prevent cases and, even more so, hospitalizations and deaths from Covid.”
Farnitano said the West Coast variant is still the most prevalent in the county, though officials have tracked 32 cases of the U.K. variant.
“That’s concerning, because it does seem to spread more easily and cause more severe disease,” he said.
Health officials expected a fourth wave of coronavirus after recent holidays and spring break, but in Contra Costa County “it’s been more of a swell or a speedbump.”
More than 630,000 county residents are at least partially vaccinated — more than 67 percent of the county 16-and-older population. More than 430,000 residents are fully vaccinated.
The county should not even be able to attest to positive cases in asymptomatic vaccinated people as they should not be testing them. That’s not a breakthrough infection. A breakthrough infection is symptomatic.
Covid testing is often required prior to medical procedures, for work purposes, or after exposure to someone that has tested positive. In those cases symptoms would most likely not be present.
@ Amateur Teacher
Why should an asymptomatic infection not be reported? They have been reported for the entirety of the pandemic before vaccines were available. They are reported because asymptomatic transmission can occur.
Are you suggesting that no vaccinated individuals ever get tested? Despite the fact that the vaccines are known to not be 100% effective?
Amateur Teacher: where did you get your information? It is recommended that vaccinated people continue to get regular testing because they can still spread the disease. The fact that they are asymptotic has nothing to do with it being a breakthrough infection, most cases prior to the vaccine were asymptotic, it happened to be one of the issues with this virus and why it spread so fiercely. The vaccine is only going to protect you, it doesn’t stop transmission. To protect others, you should still be masking up and getting tested before medical procedures, when exposed, when in large groups, when you feel symptoms, etc, regardless of vaccine status.
Here you go. Posting the popsci article rather than the actual study as it includes Monica Gandhi’s info. I should rephrase above to say asymptomatic breakthroughs are useless and don’t need to be tracked. Also a high false positive rate post-Covid+ recovery.
https://www.popsci.com/story/health/testing-after-covid-vaccine/
Monica Gandhi is the sanest, most well-informed infectious disease expert voice out there. Everybody interested in the straight talk without spin or blaming the public or fearmongering should follow her.
Amateur Teacher is right that asymptomatic breakthrough infections are not significant in themselves. The research shows they are very unlikely to be infectious.
Great article. I miss seeing his weekly stuff with the East Bay Times. They should bring him back, really nice to have someone with their finger on the pulse of the community instead of that syndicated stuff.
LOL, I think I just read a whole Lotta SPIN.
Of the eleven who died, how many had underlying health conditions ?
An these virus variants being, more easily spread ? ? ? ?
Has usual 0.12 micron size of virus changed in those variants ? ? ?
Is survival rate of these variants comparable to the 98% survival rate of original CV-19 strain?
Appears very few specifics are being put forth, but a whole bunch of vague generalities ARE being disclosed. Behavior I’m seeing, people going back to their pre virus routines.
An just how goes the good doctor explain what has been happening in states that have fully reopened and dropped mask requirements, without seeing a huge spike in infections ? ? ? ?
The people who rail against all restrictions and mask requirements generally point to Florida as their shining example. However, the New York Times virus tracker page for today is showing Florida with 26 cases per 100,000 residents and California with six cases per 100,000. California has the lowest case rate of any state. Something seems to be working here.
I have questions as well … where did these individuals that passed away this week contract the virus? Just a little contact tracing transparency would be great. Did they die from the virus or with it?
They made sure to point out they were unvaccinated though.
@observer, the correct take is not that FL or TX are shining examples. But they have been more open than the worrying class thought was possible without disaster. And yet they aren’t disasters. They are middle of the pack. So the point is that mandates and restrictions are less effective than people want to believe.
Vaccines, on the other hand, are very effective. And that probably is a big part of the picture in CA right now, even though it was falling quickly before the vaccine rollout got going strong.
More Fear Porn Yawn 🥱
“COVID-19 is now a managed public health issue in Tennessee and no longer a statewide public health emergency,” … “As Tennesseans continue to get vaccinated, it’s time to lift remaining local restrictions, focus on economic recovery and get back to business in Tennessee.”
—Governor Bill Lee
the fakedemic will never end, sorry we lost when we hid behind the masks
Fake?
Real people have been dying, everywhere.
Take a trip to India (virtually) and see if it is still fake
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56919924
at this point even the most herd-able aren’t buying it again.
hard to believe anything anymore. you just don’t know.
Mean while , Calofornia just lost 1 electoral vote and 1 congressional seat. Track that CCC.
Even with the vaccine, still have to take care of yourself. Use this time to eat better foods, 30 minutes of daily activity (usually a walk is the easiest, then gradual to exercise ), supplement with vitamin D, zinc, quercetin, Omega-3
Newsom should be providing us healthy meals, personal trainers and supplements daily if he really cared. Maybe after he buys everyone a house he can move on to these items. Equity for all!!!
Vaccinated, get braced to wild virus exposure.