Weekly News From Los Alamos County
September 16, 2022
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Inside this newsletter, you will find...
The Epidemiology Corner - COVID-19 Update, What is Brain Fog, Wastewater Data Shows Uptick, Q&A About the Bivalent Omicron COVID-19 Booster and Resources,
Survey & Results, COVID-19 data, and more.
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COVID-19 Update: County Transmision Rates Maintain Favorable Downward Trend as BA.5 Variant Continues Predominance...
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Nationwide Hospitalizations Continue Gradual Declining Trend as BA.5 Variant Remains Predominant
For the week ending September 10, CDC estimates that Omicron variants BA.4/BA.5 accounted for 90% of U.S. cases nationwide, with BA.5 alone accounting for 88% of cases. The newest emergent variant, BA.4.6 continues to gradually increase in prevalence and now accounts for roughly 9% of cases nationwide. See HERE BA.4.6 is also slowly spreading in the United Kingdom, where it similarly accounts for about 9% of sampled cases and has been estimated to have a modest 6.5% relative fitness advantage over the BA.5 variant. In comparison, BA.5 had a much larger 45%-55% relative fitness advantage over BA.2. See HERE Although the trajectory and impact of the BA.4.6 variant remains uncertain, studies to date suggest it causes no more severe symptoms than BA.5 or other previous Omicron variants. Hospital admissions for COVID-19 in the U.S. remain in a slow downward trend, which is coincident with likely declines in virus transmission. Hospital admissions are now 33% lower than the peak admissions seen in late July, but are still about 3-fold higher than that seen in April 2022. CDC continues to recommend up-to-date vaccination, which includes boosters, to reduce risks for severe COVID-19. See HERE
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COVID-19 in the County: Declining Trends in Transmission and ED Visits Remains Intact
An average of 3 cases per day were reported for the week ending September 14, which represents a modest increase over the 2.4 daily cases reported the prior week ending September 7. The current level of transmission still remains about 2-3 fold higher than the average of one reported case per day during March-April 2022. According to the NMDOH, 1.8% of all ED visits for the two weeks ending September 13 were for COVID-like illness compared to 1.9% for the two-week period ending September 6. The lowered impacts of COVID-19 on emergency medical services is consistent with relatively lower transmission rates. COVID-like illness includes ED encounters with chief complaint consisting of fever and cough, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing, while also including COVID-19 associated discharge diagnoses codes. See HERE
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Wastewater Surveillance Continues to Detect SARS-CoV-2 Virus with Only BA.5 Variant Identified
Virus continues to be detected in county municipal wastewater, but levels are slowly declining consistent with declines in reported case transmission. The CDC contractor Biobot has not as yet provided a weekly update to their variant sequencing data, which stands at 99.8% BA.5 for the week of August 24. See https://biobot.io/data/ NMDOH is currently monitoring SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater samples collected at 11 municipal wastewater treatment plants in New Mexico. Twice weekly samples are collected and sent to the NMDOH state lab in Albuquerque for analysis. These 11 plants, combined with the four other utilities conducting CDC-sponsored wastewater surveillance (Albuquerque, Santa Fe, White Rock, and Los Alamos townsite), serve about 70% of the “sewered” population in the state. See https://cv.nmhealth.org/epidemiology-reports/
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CDC Community Level Downgraded to LOW and Favorable Trends Resumed
For the week ending September 13, the CDC Community Level stands at LOW. New COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 decreased substantially from 10.4 for the prior week to the current rate of 3.7 per 100,000. Reasons for the departure from trend for the week ending September 6 remain unknown, but likely were localized to one or more of the three other counties comprising the Health Services Area (HSA) over which the CDC hospital indicators are compiled. The three neighboring counties in the HSA are all showing the same favorable declining trend in transmission as that observed in Los Alamos.
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Age Trends in Reported Case Transmission within the County
All age groups in the county are seeing the same favorable declining trend in reported case transmission. These patterns are particularly encouraging given that schools have been in session for over a month now. According to NMDOH, no cases have been reported among youth 5-19 years during the first 12 days of September. Among the elderly, however, the same pattern of comparatively high transmission seen in August appears to be continuing in September. Whether this reflects a true comparative incidence pattern or simply a greater likelihood of reportable PCR-testing in the elderly remains unclear. The advent of at-home rapid antigen testing, which is non-reportable, has placed challenging limitations on the interpretation of COVID-19 incidence statistics, particularly when unexpected patterns occur. Nevertheless, virus transmission is undoubtedly occurring in county seniors, and current CDC vaccination data indicate that 95% of those 65+ years have received the first two primary doses, but of these, only 83% have received a booster dose, which CDC considers critical for effectively preventing severe COVID-19.
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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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What Is Brain Fog and How Can I Treat It?
Researchers are just beginning to understand the cognitive dysfunction that some people experience with Covid-19 and a range of other health issues.
Q: I have a hard time remembering things and often feel exhausted, like I can’t clear my head at all. Is this brain fog, and is there anything I can do to fix it?
The blank space in your mind, when it appears, can be confusing. What were you just saying? Did you need to pick up chicken and carrots on your way home, or was it just the chicken? Why is it suddenly so hard to pay attention to what you’re doing, and why does it feel like your brain is suddenly 30 years older than you are?
If you’re feeling sluggish and forgetful, easily distracted or completely overwhelmed by mundane tasks, you may be experiencing a common phenomenon known as brain fog. Though it isn’t an official clinical diagnosis that would end up in a medical chart, brain fog can arise after several sleepless nights, while taking certain medications like antihistamines, or as a result of jet lag — among many other scenarios. Some people experience a form of brain fog after indulging in a big meal, during particularly stressful periods of life, or when undergoing big hormonal changes, such as during pregnancy or menopause.
Brain fog can also be a symptom of illness; it can occur with Lyme disease, lupus and multiple sclerosis, after cancer treatment or even during a particularly bad cold.
In recent years, the term has also become closely associated with the cognitive impairment many people experience during or after a bout with Covid-19.
When should you see a doctor?
Brain fog can be frustrating and worrisome no matter when or how you get it. The cognitive issues may wax and wane — in Covid-related brain fog as well as other types, said Jacqueline Becker, a clinical neuropsychologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. But if your symptoms persist over several weeks or make life agonizingly difficult, you should seek a medical evaluation.
How is it diagnosed?
Brain fog tends to affect executive function — a set of skills that are essential for planning, organizing information, following directions and multitasking, among other things.
Many clinicians prefer to use the term “cognitive impairment” to lend more medical legitimacy to what patients go through, and start the diagnostic process with cognitive exams used to measure executive function in severe illnesses like dementia, Dr. Becker added. The key difference is that brain fog does not get progressively worse the way mental abilities degenerate with dementia. You may have some days that are worse than others, but brain fog tends to impair your cognitive function to the same extent each time.
A variety of blood tests can also help point to some causes of cognitive impairment, such as sleep apnea, vitamin B deficiency or other hormone and thyroid issues, said Dr. Joanna Hellmuth, a neurologist at the University of California, San Francisco. But because brain fog can present in so many different ways, and because it has so many different causes, the diagnostic tests have their limitations, she added.
Researchers are finding that a more common cause of brain fog in Covid patients, as well as those who have been infected with other viruses like H.I.V. and Ebola, and even people who undergo chemotherapy for cancer, is inflammation — a steep and unwarranted increase in immune-cell activity that can wreak havoc — in the brain and the body. Studies show that patients with persistent cognitive impairment after Covid-19 have high levels of inflammatory markers in their blood and cerebrospinal fluid.
How do you clear up brain fog?
Even if doctors can’t find a physical cause for your brain fog, there are steps you can take to manage it, Dr. Hellmuth said. Start with short-term adaptive strategies to manage everyday tasks. Write notes and set alarms so that you don’t miss appointments. Take regular breaks during long projects so you’re better able to maintain focus and finish tasks. You might also try tracking your daily activities, using an app on your phone or just a notebook to figure out what times of day you feel most energetic and clearheaded. Then, reserve this time to do more difficult or complicated tasks.
Your health care provider may also suggest making lifestyle changes to improve your overall health and energy. “We try to encourage cardiovascular exercise, a good diet, sleep and social activities that are known to be beneficial for the brain,” Dr. Hellmuth said.
Physical activity can help improve your ability to focus, as well as increase neural connectivity and memory formation in the brain. If you don’t feel up for rigorous workouts, try doing them in small chunks so you can slowly build up your aerobic fitness. Make sure you stay hydrated and eat a variety of foods high in vitamins and antioxidants. And reach out to friends and family for support. Studies have shown that maintaining a rich social network not only helps reduce stress during difficult times, it can also enhance intellectual stimulation and improve your brain health.
Read the full article HERE.
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Twice-daily nose flushing can reduce COVID-related hospitalizations and death, researchers find
You might want to add a neti pot to your next Target run. A study from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University has found that flushing your nose twice daily with a mild saline solution shortly after testing positive for COVID-19 can drastically decrease your chances of hospitalization and death.
Simply mix a half-teaspoon of salt and a half-teaspoon of baking soda in a cup of boiled (and cooled) or distilled water, then pour it into a sinus rinse bottle. A squeeze bottle or bulb syringe works too.
Dr. Amy Baxter, the study author and emergency medicine physician at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, says providing extra hydration to sinuses makes them function better.
“If you have a contaminant, the more you flush it out, the better you are able to get rid of dirt, viruses, and anything else,” she says in a press release about the study.
Participants who performed nasal irrigation were more than eight times less likely to be hospitalized than the national rate. About 1.3% of study participants who used nasal irrigation were hospitalized after testing positive for COVID, compared to 9.47% of those who didn’t. Study participants, who were aged 55 and older, were enrolled in the study within 24 hours of a positive PCR COVID-19 test between Sept. 24 and Dec. 21, 2020.
“One of our thoughts was: If we can rinse out some of the virus within 24 hours of them testing positive, then maybe we can lower the severity of that whole trajectory,” says Baxter, who drew inspiration from her visits to Southeast Asia, where nasal irrigation is a regular part of people’s daily personal hygiene regimen. She also noted lower death rates from COVID-19 in countries such as Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand.
As part of the study, participants self-administered nasal irrigation using either povidone-iodine or baking soda. Those who did so twice a day reported “quicker resolution of symptoms,” according to the study.
This is not the first time researchers have found that saline can help combat COVID-19. A 2020 study shows that gargling with a saline-based solution can reduce viral load, while a 2021 study suggests saline can be used as a “first-line intervention for COVID-19.”
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National COVID-19 wastewater levels signal viral uptick ahead of fall
Scientists say wastewater data has been helpful in monitoring the pandemic.
Although reported COVID-19 case levels in the U.S. are still falling after a viral resurgence over the summer, there are preliminary indicators that infection rates may be back on the rise across the country.
In recent weeks, federal data has shown that the number of U.S. wastewater sites reporting increases in the presence of COVID-19 in their samples appears to be back on the rise, following declines seen throughout the latter part of the summer.
In the U.S., about 50% of wastewater sites, which are currently providing data to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, have reported an increase in the presence of the COVID-19 virus in their wastewater over the last 15 days, up from the 40% of sites reporting increases last month.
From coast to coast, every area of the country has seen a rise, according to a regional breakdown from Biobot, a wastewater monitoring company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
"Increase in virus concentration found in wastewater has [predictably] been a key indicator of a forthcoming COVID surge. In fact, given the challenges in case estimation and the decline in testing, wastewater surveillance may be one the last remaining high-quality datasets public health can rely on," said epidemiologist Dr. John Brownstein, chief innovation officer at Boston Children's Hospital and an ABC News contributor, who is also a member on the board of advisers for Biobot.
Since last spring, many states have moved to shutter public testing sites, with more at-home COVID-19 tests now available.
COVID-19 testing levels have also plummeted to their lowest point since the onset of the pandemic, with approximately 350,000 tests reported each day, compared to more than 2.5 million tests reported daily at the nation's peak in January.
Most Americans are not reporting their results to officials, and thus, experts suggest that infection totals are likely significantly undercounted.
With official COVID-19 case data becoming less reliable, many scientists have been turning to wastewater data to monitor the state of the pandemic.
"While there are important caveats in how these data are collected and integrated, we should still take this signal as a warning that we are not out of the pandemic," Brownstein said.
With fall around the corner, health experts have reignited their calls for all Americans to get vaccinated.
To date, less than half of the fully vaccinated population has received their first COVID-19 booster.
Read the full article HERE.
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Onset of northern winter could see spike in COVID-19 hospitalizations, deaths
Although COVID-19 deaths have decreased across the world, numbers could rise as northern countries head into winter, senior officials from UN health agency WHO have warned.
Speaking on Wednesday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus again beat the drum for vaccination to reduce spread of the disease.
He urged people to get the jab or, if they are already vaccinated, to get further boosters.
Variants still a threat
“We are now seeing a welcome decline in reported deaths globally. However, with colder weather approaching in the northern hemisphere, it’s reasonable to expect an increase in hospitalizations and deaths in the coming months,” said Tedros, speaking during his regular briefing from Geneva.
“Subvariants of Omicron are more transmissible than their predecessors, and the risk of even more transmissible and more dangerous variants remains.”
Vaccination coverage among the most at-risk groups - such as health workers and older persons - also remains too low, he added, especially in poorer countries.
Don’t pretend it’s over
Tedros reminded people everywhere to continue to take action to reduce the risk of infection - even if already vaccinated. Steps include avoiding crowds, especially indoors, and wearing a mask.
“Living with COVID-19 doesn’t mean pretending the pandemic is over. If you go walking in the rain without an umbrella, pretending it’s not raining won’t help you. You’ll still get wet. Likewise, pretending a deadly virus is not circulating is a huge risk,” he said.
Worldwide, nearly 600 million cases of COVID-19 have been recorded, some 2.5 years into the pandemic.
Read the full article HERE.
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CDC COVID Data Tracker - September 16, 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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Daily COVID-19 Data in Motion
The Johns Hopkins' Daily COVID-19 Data in Motion report is a 60-second, daily summary of the most important data on COVID-19 in the U.S., updated every morning. The report shares critical data on COVID-19 from the last 24 hours.
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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
Do you plan to offer information about the availability of the new bivalent COVID booster in Los Alamos County--in particular, if a clinic (such as previous ones at the high school) will be offered, or which medical offices and/or pharmacies will be offering the new booster?
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ANSWER
We do anticipate having vaccine clinics with the Omicron Boosters, but those dates are still to be determined, as we wait for the vaccine to be distributed by the state.
At this time, other vaccine resources are also waiting for the bivalent Omicron boosters to arrive. Once they do, it looks like it will be available at several locations:
MANNM Urgent Care Clinic - Moderna Omicron Boosters 12+ available now - 505-661-8900
Nambe Drugs - Moderna Omicron Boosters 12+ only - waiting for them to arrive - 505-661-9560
Smith's Pharmacy - It looks like they will do Pfizer and Moderna Omicron Boosters 12+, but they do not have any appointments available. It notes they are also waiting for them to arrive. - https://www.smithsfoodanddrug.com/rx/guest/get-vaccinated
Stay tuned! We will proved more information as soon as it becomes available.
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Do you plan to attend a vaccine clinic to receive the bivalent Omicron COVID-19 booster?
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As soon as one is scheduled.
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Eventually, but I'm not in a hurry.
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I have already received the bivalent Omicron COVID-19 booster.
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Los Alamos Vaccine & Booster Information |
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How do I know if I'm eligible for a vaccine or booster?
Follow these links to review the CDC eligibility guidelines:
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Los Alamos County COVID Vaccine/Booster Resources
Visit the County COVID Page for information regarding vaccinations/boosters, click below:
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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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Remember, we appreciate your questions! We always try to respond in a timely manner, and if appropriate, we will include those Q&As in future newsletters.
Take a look at these results from the last survey:
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Have a question? Email us. |
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Los Alamos Treatment Information |
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Los Alamos County COVID Treatment Resources
Visit the County COVID Page for information regarding treatments, click below:
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Los Alamos Testing Information |
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Los Alamos County COVID Testing Resources
Visit the County COVID Page for information regarding testing, 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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