Weekly News From Los Alamos County
September 9, 2022
Inside this newsletter, you will find...
The Epidemiology Corner - COVID-19 Update, LANL Research News,
Survey & Results, COVID-19 data, and more.
COVID-19 Update: County Transmision Rates Resume Favorable Downward Trend as BA.5 Variant Remains Predominant...
Nationwide Hospitalizations Continue Gradual Declining Trend with Variant Proportions Relatively Stable

For the week ending September 3, CDC estimates that Omicron variants BA.4/BA.5 accounted for 91% of US cases nationwide, with BA.5 alone accounting for 89% of cases.  The newest emergent variant, BA.4.6 increased in prevalence over the past week from 6.7% to 7.5% nationwide. The central Midwestern states, which include Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska, were the first to see growing proportions of BA.4.6 and are still seeing the highest percentage, with the variant now making up 18% of viral samples  compared to about 17% in the prior week. These data indicate that BA.4.6 is slowly increasing in prevalence, but at a much slower pace than that seen with prior Omicron variants. See HERE.   

Hospital admissions for COVID-19 are in a gradually declining trend, suggesting a similar decline in virus transmission. New hospital admissions have declined about 27% since 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 to reduce risks for severe disease, hospitalization, and death, as well as Paxlovid treatment for mild to moderate COVID-19 in persons at high risk for progression to severe disease - despite “Covid-19 rebound” occurring in some treated patients.  See HERE


COVID-19 in the County:  Reported Transmission Rates Resume Favorable Declining Trend 

An average 2.4 cases per day were reported for the week ending September 7, which represents a nearly two-fold decline from the 4.4 daily cases reported the prior week ending August 31. The current level of transmission remains about 2-fold higher than the average of one reported case per day during late-March/early-April 2022. According to the NMDOH, 1.9% of all ED visits for the two weeks ending September 6 were for COVID-like illness compared to 3.9% for the two-week period ending August 30. This is the lowest reading since the 0.7% value observed for the two weeks ending April 12. 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  
 

Wastewater Surveillance Continues to Detect SARS-CoV-2 Virus in County -  All Involving BA.5 Variant  

Virus continues to be detected in county municipal wastewater but at relatively low levels consistent with the decline in reported case transmission occurring over the past several weeks. The CDC contractor Biobot reports that the BA.5 variant accounted for virtually all virus detected in the county during the week of August 24. See https://biobot.io/data/    

On September 2, NMDOH recommended that all eligible persons 12 years and older consider receiving the new enhanced bivalent booster vaccine designed to protect against both the original virus and the now predominate Omicron BA.5 variant. Information on timing one’s receipt of the new bivalent booster can be found HERE.  In general, there is a wait period of 2 months from the last vaccine dose to receipt of the new booster.   

According to the CDC, 33% of eligible county residents (those >5 years) have not received a first original booster dose, as of September 8. Among residents 65 years and older, roughly 17% have not received a first original booster dose. Among youth 5-17 years, roughly 66% have not received a first original booster dose. 

CDC Community Level Increased from LOW to MEDIUM 

For the week ending September 6, the CDC Community Level is MEDIUM.  Compared to the prior week ending August 30, the reported case incidence in the county declined nearly two-fold from 160 to 88 per 100,000, but both Health Services Area (HSA) hospitalization indicators increased by roughly two-fold. New COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 increased from 5.4 to 10.4, rising above the CDC criteria threshold and causing the increase to Medium from the prior week’s Low designation.  The % staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19 more than doubled from 3.1% to 6.6%. As COVID-19 hospitalization metrics are generally lagging indicators, they would only be expected to increase following preceding increases in case transmission. Of the four counties in the HSA, only Rio Arriba county saw increased case transmission from the prior week  (94 to 144 per 100,000). The notable recent decline in COVID-19 related emergency department (ED) visits for Los Alamos would suggest that other counties in the HSA are likely contributing to the increased hospitalization rate. The NMDOH does not routinely provide county-specific hospitalization rates that conform with those used in the CDC Community Levels matrix. 

CDC recommendations at MEDIUM Community Level risk can be accessed here.  See  HERE  CDC recommends that persons use information about the current level of COVID-19 impact on their community to decide which prevention behaviors to use and when (at all times or at specific times), based on their own risk for severe illness and that of members of their household, their risk tolerance, and setting-specific factors. See HERE

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.

News
How often can doctors accurately ID a respiratory illness
with office tools?

Trying to initially identify a respiratory illness, much less a potential emerging threat, turns out to be much harder than you’d think, even if the doctor listens carefully to your lungs and hears your story. Now scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory have measured the misdiagnosis rate for upper respiratory tract infections, comparing syndromic diagnostics (doctor’s office observations and rudimentary testing) with more detailed laboratory methods.

In a study pitting the results of early identification in an office against polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and RNA sequencing of samples from the same patients, the team found that skilled medical observation without full laboratory testing identified only 37 percent of the study’s patients with respiratory tract infections.


(source LANL)
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Epidemiology Corner
News
Data Resources
Testing Resources
Vaccine Resources
Treatment Resources
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COVID-19 Data Resources
CDC COVID Data Tracker - September 9, 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

Los Alamos COVID Strategy for the Recovery Phase of the Pandemic

The United States is now two and a half years into the COVID-19 Pandemic, declared in March of 2020. Today, the threat of the pandemic is abated but not eliminated, thanks to the development and availability of reliable testing, and effective vaccines and treatments that mitigate severe illness and death.

We know that the virus continues to mutate and that it continues to be highly transmissible. We also know that no one is immune from reinfection and that certain immuno-compromised members of our public are more vulnerable to severe illness or death. Still, others may be affected by long-term symptoms associated with Long-COVID after recovering from the original disease.

Some studies, such as a Yale study published in July 2022, suggest that COVID-19 will not transition to endemic status until 2024. While an endemic does not mean that the virus has been eliminated, it can mean that daily life is not as significantly disrupted as once before.

Until we transition out of the pandemic phase, the Los Alamos County COVID Committee has adopted a strategy to accompany the Pandemic Appendix 7 of the Los Alamos County All-Hazards Plan. The accompanying strategy focuses on continued disease surveillance, testing, vaccinations, stakeholder coordination, policy and decision making and communication.

It should be noted that the Pandemic Appendix 7 was adopted by Incorporated County of Los Alamos Resolution No. 06-11 and is the governing document that guides the County’s response to the pandemic. This appendix details operational procedures and checklists to be used during a pandemic to save lives, protect property, and restore services.

This new accompanying strategy will be reevaluated and modified as needed to address changing circumstances. Read the full September 9, 2022 Strategy.
Johns Hopkins 
The charts available with this TOOL layout the key metrics for understanding the reach and severity of COVID-19 in a given area.
Johns Hopkins
COVID-19 Status Report Dashboard for
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.
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
Surveys and Questions
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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.

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Los Alamos Testing Information
PCNM COVID-19 testing location changed for
Friday morning, September 16 

Due to staging for the Homecoming parade, Pathology Consultants of New Mexico (PCNM) will move their testing site from Mari-Mac Shopping Center (759 Central Avenue, Los Alamos) to Canyon School parking lot (885 Trinity Dr., Los Alamos) on Friday, September 16 for the parade. 

Hours of operation for Friday will remain 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., however the hours at each location were still to be determined at the time of publication.

No appointments are necessary, but individuals are asked to bring their insurance card. For those who are uninsured, PCNM does charge $99 per test. PCR test results are provided within 48-72 hours. For more information, visit https://PCNM.com.
 
For more information regarding testing options for Los Alamos County, visit the County website at www.lacnm.com/covid. 
Los Alamos County COVID Testing Resources
Visit the County COVID Page for information regarding testing, click below:
Los Alamos Vaccine & Booster Information
How do I know if I'm eligible for a vaccine or booster?

Follow these links to review the CDC eligibility guidelines:
Los Alamos County COVID Vaccine/Booster Resources
Visit the County COVID Page for information regarding vaccinations/boosters, click below:
Los Alamos Treatment Information
Los Alamos County COVID Treatment Resources
Visit the County COVID Page for information regarding treatments, click below:
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