Weekly News From Los Alamos County
July 7, 2022
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Inside this newsletter, you will find...
The Epidemiology Corner - COVID-19 Update, Vaccine Clinics for Children Under 5, Masks on ACT to Bandelier, Omicron BA.4/BA.5, Paxlovid Update,
Survey & Results, COVID-19 data, and more.
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COVID-19 Update: County Transmission Rates Remain High...
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Highly Immune-Evasive BA.4/BA.5 Variants Account For Most Cases in U.S.
For the week ending July 2, CDC estimates that Omicron variants BA.4/BA.5 account for 70% of US cases nationwide, with BA.5 alone predominating at 52% prevalence. See HERE. Barring the emergence of new and more competitive SARS-CoV-2 variants, Omicron BA.4/BA.5 is expected to account for virtually all U.S. cases within the next several weeks. Laboratory studies continue to show the BA.4/BA.5 variants are highly immune-evasive, being at least four-fold more resistant to protective antibodies compared to prior variants. Clinical studies suggest that persons infected with prior variants may easily be re-infected with BA.4/BA.5 within just four weeks of prior infection. See
HERE. Studies also indicate that multiple COVID-19 infections increase health risks for so-called “Long-COVID” as well as other health outcomes, and health authorities recommend taking protective measures to avoid re-infection. See HERE.
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COVID-19 Incidence in the County:
Community Transmission Rates Remain High
Average daily reported COVID-19 cases remain high despite a generally declining trend following the peak cases reported during early June. For the week ending July 5, an average 17 cases per day were reported, which is about the half the number of average daily cases reported earlier in June, but modestly higher than the average daily count of 15.3 cases reported for the prior week ending June 29. Based on CDC national data, it is presumed that Omicron variants BA.4/BA.5 now likely account for the majority of cases occurring in the county and risk of new infection or re-infection remains as high or even higher than at any time during the pandemic. It is important to recognize that the reported cases used for national, state, and local COVID-19 surveillance statistics only reflect PCR-confirmed tests and not results from at-home rapid antigen tests. The actual level of community transmission is unknown, but likely considerably higher than the reported statistics indicate. See HERE.
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CDC Community Level Risk Remains HIGH:
Wearing Mask Indoors in Public Recommended
For the week ending July 5, the CDC Community Level is HIGH for Los Alamos County and the three neighboring Health Services Area (HSA) counties (Taos, Santa Fe, Rio Arriba). Reported case incidence increased from the prior week in Los Alamos County, but continued a modest decline in the three neighboring HSA counties. All four counties are still well above the CDC criteria threshold of 200 cases per 100,000. HSA hospitalization rates decreased below the 10 new admissions per 100,000 criteria, however, the percentage COVID-19 beds (10.4%) rose above the 10% criteria level. Hospitalization metrics are considered lagging indicators as it often takes 1-2 weeks before a person diagnosed with COVID-19 requires hospitalization. The CDC rationale for relying mainly on a hospitalization metric to establish Community Level public health recommendations is available HERE. Currently, eleven out of 33 counties in New Mexico, comprising 66% of the state population, are classified by CDC as High risk. CDC recommends all persons wear a protective facial mask indoors in public in areas where the Community Level is HIGH. See HERE.
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NOTE: The COVID-19 incidence data reviewed here are based on PCR-confirmed testing results compiled by CDC and NMDOH and do not include data on positive at-home antigen tests. As such, case counts are likely underestimated, but how much cannot be determined at any given time point.
To assist with more complete case monitoring in New Mexico, NMDOH provides for online reporting of positive at-home antigen results HERE.
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Atomic City Transit Announces Effective July 8 - A Mask or Face Covering is Required while Riding Route 12 - Bandelier Shuttle
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced Los Alamos as “High” transmission zone. Passengers will be required to wear a mask to board to ride the Bandelier Shuttle service beginning Friday, July 8.
Atomic City Transit continues to maintain employee and passenger safety by continuing to follow the practices below:
· Hand sanitizer will be available on all vehicles for both customers and staff
· All transit vehicles will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected prior to being put into daily service, as well as high touch areas disinfected between trips, throughout the day
Please call our office at (505) 661-RIDE (7433) for any additional information or use the ACTracker to locate your bus route in real-time. For the specific route service schedules, please visit our website HERE.
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Here’s a closer look at what the Omicron subvariant known as BA.5 could mean for the United States.
The most transmissible variant yet of the coronavirus is threatening a fresh wave of infections in the United States, even among those who have recovered from the virus fairly recently.
The subvariant of Omicron known as BA.5 is now dominant, according to federal estimates released Tuesday, and together with BA.4, another subvariant, it is fueling an outbreak of cases and hospitalizations.
Though the popularity of home testing means reported cases are a significant undercount of the true infection rate, the share of tests that come back positive is shooting upward and is now higher than during most other waves of the pandemic. According to the C.D.C., the risk from Covid-19 is increasing in much of the country.
BA.5 and BA.4, both subvariants of the Omicron variant that swept the world during the winter, are the most capable versions of the virus yet at evading immunity from previous infections and vaccines. Both variants have mutations in their spike proteins that are different enough from earlier versions of the virus that they are able to dodge some antibodies.
Waves of infection — and the subsequent immunity that comes with them — vary across countries and make for imperfect comparisons. Vaccination rates also vary. But in places where BA.4 and BA.5 have been dominant for weeks or months, the subvariants have caused increases in cases and hospitalizations, despite some population immunity from previous waves.
The C.D.C. says there is so far no evidence that BA.4 or BA.5 is inherently more severe than other Omicron subvariants, but when more people become infected, the number of people hospitalized because of the virus may also rise.
Places just emerging from significant spring waves of the virus may not be spared, either. Several countries in Europe had big outbreaks of a different Omicron subvariant, BA.2, that led to new waves of hospitalizations and deaths that peaked as recently as April. Yet in those countries, cases are ticking up again as BA.5 becomes dominant.
To read the entire article, click HERE.
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California is seeing a surge in cases as BA.5, a rapidly spreading subvariant, takes root.
California is in the grip of its third-largest coronavirus surge of the pandemic, with roughly 19,000 new cases being reported here each day on average, according to a New York Times database. The true number of people falling sick is undoubtedly even higher, since most at-home test results aren’t included in official case counts.
Experts say the surge is being driven by the Omicron subvariant known as BA.5, which has rapidly become dominant in the United States and is especially good at infecting people even if they’ve been vaccinated, boosted and already had the virus.
As of the end of June, 39 of California’s 58 counties had high community levels of the virus, including the whole Bay Area and the San Joaquin Valley, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while only two rural counties in the state had low levels.
Unlike earlier in the pandemic, officials across California are now reluctant to enact any new restrictions to head off the surge. Alameda County tried reinstating an indoor mask mandate last month but rescinded it three weeks later.
Experts predict that without tighter rules or behavioral changes, the hyper-transmissibility of BA.5 will lead to a continued surge in cases, and probably a modest increase in hospitalizations and deaths, said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, an infectious disease expert at the University of California, Los Angeles, Fielding School of Public Health.
Being vaccinated and boosted continues to provide strong protection against severe illness and death, experts say, and death figures in California have remained relatively low in recent weeks. But even a mild infection carries risks, including the lingering health issues of “long Covid,” which experts predict will affect more than one in five adult Covid survivors in the United States.
To read the entire article, click HERE.
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Has COVID-19 impacted your travel plans for this summer?
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Yes - We changed our plans
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Yes - Our activities were cancelled/not available
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Yes - Someone I traveled with got COVID while traveling
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Yes - Someone I was going to travel with got COVID before traveling
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FDA allows pharmacists to prescribe Pfizer’s Paxlovid COVID pill
Pharmacists can prescribe the leading COVID-19 pill directly to patients under a new U.S. policy announced Wednesday that’s intended to expand use of Pfizer’s drug Paxlovid.
The Food and Drug Administration said pharmacists can begin screening patients to see if they are eligible for Paxlovid and then prescribe the medication, which has been shown to curb the worst effects of COVID-19. Previously, only physicians could prescribe the antiviral drug.
Biden administration officials have expressed frustration that several hundred Americans continue to die of COVID-19 daily, despite the availability of vaccines and treatments.
Administration officials have been working for months to increase access to Paxlovid, opening thousands of sites where patients who test positive can fill a prescription for the drug. The FDA change will make thousands more pharmacies eligible to quickly prescribe and dispense the pill, which must be used early to be effective.
Paxlovid is intended for people with COVID-19 who are more likely to become seriously ill. That includes older people and those with other health issues like heart disease, obesity, cancer or diabetes that make them more vulnerable.
Expanding the so-called test-and-treat program to include pharmacists could add thousands of additional options for patients. The two biggest U.S. drugstore chains — CVS Health and Walgreens — run around 19,000 locations combined.
CVS Health already provides COVID-19 care at 1,100 clinic locations inside drugstores.
There also are nearly 19,400 independent pharmacies not tied to a big chain, according to the National Community Pharmacists Assn.
To read the entire article, click HERE.
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Los Alamos Testing Information |
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Los Alamos County Testing Resources
Visit the County COVID Page for information regarding testing, click below:
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Los Alamos Vaccine & Booster Information |
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Two COVID-19 vaccine clinics for children 6 months to 5 years of age
In response to the Food and Drug Administration's recent authorization for emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines for children aged six months to five, Los Alamos County and Premier Medical Group have scheduled two vaccine clinics for this special population segment. On Monday, July 11, and Monday, July 18, Premier Medical Group will administer the Pfizer 6 months to 4 years vaccine and the Moderna 6 months to 5 years vaccine between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Mountain Elementary School, 2280 North Rd., Los Alamos.
Interested parents can schedule an appointment by visiting the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) vaccine website for dependent children. Instructions for adding dependent children to a parent's profile and scheduling an appointment are at the bottom of the webpage. Once these steps are completed and an appointment is being scheduled, Los Alamos County officials instruct parents to choose "Los Alamos" and select "Mountain Elementary School" on the map (no event code is needed).
Officials indicate that parents can call NMDOH any day of the week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 1-855-600-3453 if assistance is required or if they prefer to schedule an appointment via phone. While appointments are preferred, walk-ins are welcome. Insurance and identification are not required. Future clinics will be scheduled to coincide with the recommended Moderna two-dose and Pfizer three-dose primary series.
Of course, parents can also contact their child's pediatrician to schedule appointments to have the vaccine administered in the doctor's office.
For more information on county-related issues regarding COVID-19, citizens can visit the county website at https://lacnm.com/COVID.
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CDC Recommends Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine for Children and Adolescents
CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D., M.P.H., endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation that Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine be used as an option for children ages 6 through 17 years, in addition to its already recommended use in children 6 months through 5 years and adults 18 years and older.
This recommendation reinforces the use of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine as an important tool in the pandemic and provides another vaccine option for children and adolescents. The ACIP recommendation comes after a thorough review of the scientific evidence demonstrating safety and efficacy, and supports the use of the vaccine among those 6 through 17 years of age.
The following is attributable to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky:
“It is critical that we protect our children and teens from the complications of severe COVID-19 disease. Today, we have expanded the options available to families by recommending a second safe and effective vaccine for children ages 6 through 17 years. Vaccinating this age group can provide greater confidence to families that their children and adolescents participating in childcare, school, and other activities will have less risk for serious COVID-19 illness."
For more information, click HERE.
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COVID-19 Vaccines for Children Under 5:
UCSF Explains What You Should Know
Parents of children under the age of five-years-old now have the option to vaccinate their infants and young children against COVID-19. We spoke to Lee Atkinson-McEvoy, MD, a professor of pediatrics at UC San Francisco, for more on what parents should know about COVID-19 vaccines for young children.
Vaccination Side Effects
What do you tell parents to be aware of when it comes to COVID-19 vaccination side effects?
Vaccines trigger the immune system, and many side effects are similar to being ill. So, after this vaccine we see things like fever, fatigue, and aches, similar to being sick. Side effects are short-lived, usually lasting just a day or two. The dose of vaccine was adjusted to make the likelihood of side effects less for infants and young children.
What vaccine reactions should prompt a visit to the doctor’s office?
Call your child’s physician’s office if you have any concerns that worry you after the vaccine. You should be seen if side effects last longer than one-to-two days, if fever is greater than 104ºF (39.5º C), if your child is not acting well, or for other serious concerns.
Risks of COVID-19 in Children
Only a minority of children ages 5 to 11 have been fully vaccinated since they became eligible last November. What do you say to hesitant or reluctant parents?
It’s true that COVID in children is often milder and less likely to lead to serious outcomes. However, there have been deaths in children due to COVID, and some children experience severe COVID, including Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), a serious condition in which organs become inflamed. Many of those children did not have any underlying health conditions before they became sick with COVID. Vaccination decreases these risks.
With the emergence of Omicron and its subvariants, hospitalization rates among the population of children ages four and under has overtaken rates seen in older children. More than half of young children hospitalized for COVID in this age group have had no pre-existing medical conditions.
Vaccination Access
Infants and the youngest children now are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination and simultaneously for routine childhood vaccinations for other diseases. Is it safe for children to receive COVID-19 and other vaccines during the same clinic visit?
Yes, children can receive other routine and recommended vaccinations at the same time as a COVID vaccination.
So far, we still see low rates of COVID vaccination among eligible children, but how are routine vaccination rates now?
We have seen that some children are falling behind with childhood vaccinations because COVID prevented them from coming in for routine appointments. COVID vaccination decreases risk for serious COVID illness, and by preventing COVID in the family, allows children to be well enough to attend routine appointments for important screenings and vaccinations against other major illnesses.
Vaccination Effectiveness
Considering the different protocols, as well as the clinical trial results presented to the CDC advisory committee, are you equally enthusiastic about both new vaccines?
Both vaccines provide great protection against severe COVID and some protection from getting milder COVID. The Pfizer is a three-dose series over 11 weeks, and the Moderna is a two-dose series over four weeks. We know that since vaccines have been available, the protection of any one brand of vaccine against COVID-19 changed based on the predominant variant around. The vaccine studies have been focused on safety of the vaccine and have been studied across a diverse population of children. The bottom line is vaccination is better than no vaccination.
To read the entire article, click HERE.
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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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CDC COVID Data Tracker - July 7, 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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The charts available with this TOOL layout the key metrics for understanding the reach and severity of COVID-19 in a given area.
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Johns Hopkins
COVID-19 Status Report Dashboard for
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NMDOH Epidemiology Reports - Daily and Weekly Data
As part of the COVID-19 pandemic response, NMDOH collects and analyzes statewide data for COVID-19 positive cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. The reports reflect these critical data and are updated weekly - click HERE
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QUESTION:
If I get my child his first vaccine at the clinic on July 11 or 18, will there be an additional clinic scheduled for the second shot? And similarly will there be a clinic for the third shot? Or will have to schedule the second and third shots through another provider?
ANSWER:
Future clinics will be scheduled to coincide with the recommended Moderna two-dose and Pfizer three-dose primary series. Dates, times and locations are to be determined.
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We are listening to you!
Your feedback is helping to shape future newsletters, inform decisions regarding services, and make Los Alamos County healthier and safer. Make sure to participate each week to be heard!
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Take a look at these results from the last survey:
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