Here's where COVID wastewater levels are increasing in Bay Area

SCIENTISTS HAVE NOTICED A SMALL UPTICK IN COVID-19. >>>> THE END'S RATE OR NUMBER OF INFECTIONS ARE RELATIVELY LOW. SARS-COV-2 IS STILL PRESENT IN WASTEWATER, INDICATING THE VIRUS IS STILL CIRCULATING. AND AT A FEW OF OUR SITES IN THE BAY AREA, WE ARE SEEING LEVELS HAVE BEEN INCREASING. REPORTER: PROFESSOR AND HER TEAM ARE ACTIVELY COLLECTING WASTEWATER SAMPLES FROM 29 SITES ACROSS THE BAY AREA. WITH WATER SAMPLE DETECTION IS CRUCIAL, SINCE LESS PEOPLE ARE SELF REPORTING COVID. LAST MONTH, THERE WAS A CHANGE. >> CARE NOTICING IN PALO ALTO AS WELL AS IN SAN MATEO COUNTY. REPORTER: OUR NEWS COVID-19 TRACKER, WHICH TAKES DATA FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH, SHOWS AN OVERALL DECREASE IN CASES AND DEATHS IN THE BAY AREA. DR. CHRIS CALDWELL, CHIEF OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE, CONFIRMED HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE STILL HAPPENING. BUT NOT AT THE SAME RATE. >>>> THEY ARE LARGELY PEOPLE WITH UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS, PARTICULARLY THINGS LIKE TYPE 2 DIABETES AND OTHERS. OR OLDER, THAT ALSO MIGHT HAVE UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS. REPORTER: TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE, BY THE END OF JUNE, THERE WERE 200 HOSPITALIZATIONS IN THE BAY AREA DUE TO COVID. IN LATE JUNE OF 2022, THERE WERE ALMOST 700 HOSPITALIZATIONS. THAT IS THREE TIMES MORE THAN NOW THAT COVID IS INFECTING PEOPLE LIKE A SAN FRANCISCO RESIDENT HERE. >> THIS IS A BIG DEFEAT FOR ME. WE HAVE WORKED SO HARD EVERY DAY. IT WAS, HOW COULD I GET THIS? REPORTER: DESPITE WEARING A MASK, HE BELIEVES HE GOT AFFECTED ON -- INFECTED ON A FLIGHT A WEEK PRIOR. . HE IS TAKING THE ANTIVIRAL MEDICATION PAXLOVID. THIS DOCTOR IS URGING PEOPLE TO GET THE BOOSTER, ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED.

Channel: ABC7 News Bay Area

Views: 5,903

Keywords: news, abc7news, abc7, covid wastewater bay area, bay area covid cases, palo alto, san mateo county, stanford universtiy, is covid still a thing, covid contagious period, covid deaths worldwide, covid booster shot, covid quarantine rules, priority

Id: 3SRq6bEu6D0

Length: 2min 8sec (128 seconds)

Published: Tue Jul 04 2023