Weekly News From Los Alamos County
January 5, 2022
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Inside this newsletter you will find...
A Message from LAPS Interim Superintendent, Quarantine Updates, Q&A,
A Testing Survey, COVID-19 Data, Vaccine/Booster Updates.
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A message from Los Alamos Public Schools Interim Superintendent Jennifer Guy... |
"Los Alamos Public Schools remains committed
to the physical, social and emotional safety and
well-being of our students and staff."
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This LAPS welcomed back students and staff at all school sites this week. We are looking forward to another semester filled with learning, discovering and thriving for students, staff and families.
In light of the current situation with COVID, we continue to monitor case counts and absences closely and follow enhanced safety measures including limiting non-essential visitors, providing adequate spacing at lunch, limiting large gatherings and ensuring that students and staff wear masks consistently and correctly.
We will continue to offer COVID testing to all LAPS staff and students Monday through Friday from 8:00 am – 11:30 am at 2075 Trinity Dr in Suite S. Parents may register their child at https://pmg.app.perseus.id/div/laps. Each family only has to register one time and then can use the same code every time they come for testing.
We also encourage anyone who is eligible for the COVID vaccination or who needs a booster to schedule an appointment to receive one. Boosters are now approved for children ages 12 and older. This is the best line of defense in reducing the risk of contracting COVID-19. In the meantime, school site personnel will continue to reinforce safety protocols including washing hands frequently, maintaining social distancing and wearing masks indoors. As a reminder to parents, if your child is sick, they should stay home from school. In addition, if anyone in your household tests positive, please notify your school nurse.
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Have you been exposed to COVID-19? Recommended Isolation and Quarantine Period Shortened for General Population
Given what we currently know about COVID-19 and the Omicron variant, CDC released new guidance on January 4, 2022 shortening the recommended time for isolation for the public. People with COVID-19 should isolate for 5 days from the first full day of symptoms, and if they are asymptomatic or their symptoms are resolving (without fever for 24 hours), follow that by 10 days of wearing a mask when around others to minimize the risk of infecting people they encounter. If an individual has access to a test and wants to test, the best approach is to use an antigen test1 towards the end of the 5-day isolation period.
The change is motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days prior to onset of symptoms and the 2-3 days after.
Additionally, CDC is updating the recommended quarantine period for anyone in the general public who is exposed to COVID-19. For people who are unvaccinated or are more than six months out from their second mRNA dose (or more than 2 months after the J&J vaccine) and not yet boosted, CDC now recommends quarantine for 5 days followed by strict mask use for an additional 10 days. Alternatively, if a 5-day quarantine is not feasible, it is imperative that an exposed person wear a well-fitted mask at all times when around others for 10 days after exposure.
Individuals who have received their booster shot do not need to quarantine following an exposure, but should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure. For all those exposed, best practice would also include a test for SARS-CoV-2 at day 5 after exposure. If symptoms occur, individuals should immediately quarantine until a negative test confirms symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19.
To read the full news release, click HERE
(source CDC)
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Testing Resources for Los Alamos County |
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Los Alamos County Testing Resources
Visit the County COVID Page for information regarding testing, click below:
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Did you get tested for COVID-19 after traveling over the holidays?
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Yes - As soon as I returned
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No - I will if I show symptoms
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No - I don't need to be tested
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I didn't travel over the holidays
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QUESTION:
What is the difference between COVID-19 and Influenza (flu)?
ANSWER:
Influenza (flu) and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses but are caused by different viruses.
There are some key differences between flu and COVID-19:
- COVID-19 seems to spread more easily with more superspreading events than flu and causes more serious illness in certain populations and age groups
- People with COVID-19 show symptoms later and can be contagious for longer
- The risk of complications for healthy children is higher for flu compared to COVID-19.
Because some of the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar, it may be hard to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone and testing may be needed to help confirm diagnosis.
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QUESTION:
Does going back to school increase my child’s risk of catching or transmitting the coronavirus?
ANSWER:
According to a report published by the CDC, going back to in-person school is not a major COVID-19 risk factor for children if they maintain prevention measures such as wearing masks and physical distancing. Attending parties, playdates and in-person family gatherings such as weddings and funerals is associated with a higher risk of children testing positive for the coronavirus. Having your teen or child vaccinated as soon as he or she is eligible will help prevent infections and spread of COVID-19.
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MYTH:
The natural immunity I get from being sick with COVID-19 is better than the immunity I get from COVID-19 vaccination.
FACT:
Getting a COVID-19 vaccination is a safer and more dependable way to build immunity to COVID-19 than getting sick with COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccination causes a more predictable immune response than infection with the virus that causes COVID-19. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine gives most people a high level of protection against COVID-19 and can provide added protection for people who already had COVID-19. One study showed that, for people who already had COVID-19, those who do not get vaccinated after their recovery are more than 2 times as likely to get COVID-19 again than those who get fully vaccinated after their recovery.
All COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States are effective at preventing COVID-19. Getting sick with COVID-19 can offer some protection from future illness, sometimes called “natural immunity,” but the level of protection people get from having COVID-19 may vary depending on how mild or severe their illness was, the time since their infection, and their age.
Getting a COVID-19 vaccination is also a safer way to build protection than getting sick with COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccination helps protect you by creating an antibody response without you having to experience sickness. Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you, particularly people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Getting sick with COVID-19 can cause severe illness or death, and we can’t reliably predict who will have mild or severe illness. If you get sick, you can spread COVID-19 to others. You can also continue to have long-term health issues after COVID-19 infection.
(source CDC)
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Have a question? Email us. |
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Frequently Asked Questions
NMDOH has an easy-to-use FAQs site for your reference. Find answers to questions like "What are the symptoms of COVID-19?". Click HERE for that answer and more.
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CDC COVID Data Tracker - January 5, 2022
To get today's break down of positive case data, demographics information, vaccine status and more for Los Alamos County or other counties across the United States, click HERE
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What do the trends mean for you?
Mayo Clinic is tracking COVID-19 cases and forecasting hot spots. All data and predictions include the delta and omicron variants and other SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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LAC Emergency Manager's Report to Council click HERE
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Johns Hopkins
COVID-19 Status Report Dashboard for
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NMDOH Epidemiology
To see additional, in depth epidemiology reports as of December 27, 2021, click HERE
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LAPS COVID-19 Positive Reported Case Count
Cases Reported between
January 3-4, 2022
Total: 18
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To learn more about reported COVID-19 cases in the individual LAPS schools, click HERE.
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Monitoring Variant Proportions
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is constantly changing and accumulating mutations in its genetic code over time. New variants of SARS-CoV-2 are expected to continue to emerge. Some variants will emerge and disappear, while others will emerge and continue to spread and may replace previous variants.
Rapid virus genomic sequencing data combined with phenotypic data are further used to determine whether COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines authorized or approved for use in the United States will work against emerging variants.
To learn more about variant proportions, click HERE
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Johns Hopkins 30-Minute COVID-19 Briefing:
Expert Insights on What You Need to Know Now
Join experts from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center (CRC) at 10am MST on Fridays for timely, accessible updates on the state of the pandemic and the public health response.
To watch the latest episode, click HERE
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Vaccine/Booster Info for Los Alamos County |
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Immunocompromised 5-11-Year Olds Should Receive an Additional Primary Dose
CDC is recommending that moderately or severely immunocompromised 5–11-year-olds receive an additional primary dose of vaccine 28 days after their second shot. At this time, only the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is authorized and recommended for children aged 5-11.
In addition, the CDC is updating the recommendation for when many people can receive a booster shot, shortening the interval from 6 months to 5 months for people who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.
To see the full news release, click HERE
(source CDC)
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Los Alamos County Vaccine/Booster Resources
Visit the County COVID Page for information regarding vaccinations/boosters, click below:
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What else would you like to see in this newsletter?
Click below to email us your feedback and questions!
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