COVID-19 cases rising in Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – COVID-19 circumstances are ticking up once more in Louisiana.

On Friday, the Louisiana Division of Well being reported 730 new circumstances. The day earlier than the quantity was 884.

Dr. Fred Lopez is an infectious illnesses skilled at LSU Well being New Orleans.

“We’re seeing a rise and we’ve seen it earlier than,” mentioned Lopez.

Mitigation measures have largely been relaxed however the virus has not disappeared.

“The variety of circumstances is rising regionally, and the case positivity charges, proportion positivity charges are rising in Orleans, St. Bernard, Jefferson and Plaquemines Parishes are based on the CDC at a excessive degree of neighborhood transmission,” mentioned Lopez.

In accordance with LDH, of the newly reported COVID circumstances 45% are from Area 1 which is the Higher New Orleans space.

“The circumstances are going up simply at a time when these Omicron sub-variants are presenting themselves,” mentioned Lopez.

The sub-variants of Omicron appear to unfold simpler.

“Should you bear in mind again in December and January we had been speaking concerning the Omicron variant and simply how transmissible it was and now we have now a B.A. 2 variant that also is the dominant pressure however is slowly being changed by the B.A.2.12.1 Omicron sub-variant which curiously B.A. 2 is extra transmissible than Omicron and now B.A. 2.12.1 is much more transmissible than B.A 2, so every variant appears to be rising in its transmissibility,” mentioned Lopez.

At Majoria’s Medication in Metairie, there are cabinets of at-home COVID assessments.

“We’ve most likely seen two, possibly three prescriptions within the final week or in order that we may acknowledge as a remedy for COVID,” mentioned pharmacist Al Spitale.

Given what occurred within the Northeast it was predicted that circumstances would start rising within the South.

“We’re as ready as we might be since you simply don’t know what to anticipate. We’ve received a great provide of the assessments and a great provide of the treatment readily available for prescriptions that may be written,” mentioned Spitale.

For now, the rise in circumstances in Louisiana shouldn’t be translating right into a surge in hospitalizations. LDH reported 65 COVID hospitalizations on Friday.

And whereas greater than 50% of Louisiana’s inhabitants age 5 and above is vaccinated, there’s nonetheless room for extra folks to get vaccinated after which later booster pictures.

“Vaccines are nonetheless efficient, they’re efficient at what we would like them to do primarily which is lower extreme sicknesses, hospitalizations and deaths and so they proceed to be efficient in doing that however it’s good to be appropriately vaccinated after which boosted as per the suggestions as a result of we do know that antibody ranges and immunity will wane,” mentioned Lopez.

The variety of circumstances may very well be increased than what authorities entities report on account of at-home testing.

“Completely, many people who find themselves being identified are doing at-home testing which generally doesn’t get represented within the official case rely, so we’re most likely seeing the tip of the iceberg with respect to the variety of circumstances which are really occurring relative to those who are being reported,” mentioned Lopez.

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