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COVID-19 Stanislaus health officials explain 18 deaths reported this month

Modesto Bee - 6/22/2022

Jun. 22—The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations has crept up to 63 in Stanislaus County, with nine COVID patients in hospital intensive care units, as of Tuesday.

The county remains at the medium community level for risk of COVID-19 illness, while 19 other counties in California are designated as "high" risk by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Test positivity in Stanislaus County is estimated at 14.63%, as the BA.2 omicron subvariant is dominant in the county.

County public health reported 18 deaths this month on what remains of an online dashboard that was a primary data source when the coronavirus raged in 2020 and 2021.

The weekly updates pushed the county total to 1,777 confirmed deaths.

Kamlesh Kaur, a county spokeswoman, said Tuesday the 18 deaths occurred between November 2021 and June. In an email, Kaur said public health staff had taken time to investigate the deaths and confirm COVID-19 was the cause.

Kaur said some of the recent deaths occurred in May and June but the numbers were less than 10. The county does not release mortality numbers under 10, in order to protect patient confidentiality, she said.

The current surge of omicron subvariant cases appears to be less deadly than previous waves. During the winter months, a combination of delta and omicron infections resulted in 273 fatalities, most reported between December and March, according to county surveillance reports.

County health officials gave a quarterly update on COVID-19 to the Board of Supervisors last week, saying the county was entering a phase in which the health care system is assuming more responsibility for dealing with COVID-19.

As the omicron subvariants spread, it is hard to estimate case numbers because many people with symptoms use home tests that are not reported to health agencies.

The Stanislaus County Health Services Agency suggests that vulnerable people who catch COVID-19 ask their doctors about antiviral pills or other treatment to prevent serious illness.

COVID treatment pills

A drug called Paxlovid is a COVID treatment for older adults 65 or older and adults 50 to 64 years old with chronic medical conditions, for people who are overweight or have other risk factors. The pills are taken twice daily for a five-day period within five days of symptoms occurring.

Health care providers are advised to review the patient's medications for potentially significant drug-to-drug interactions with Paxlovid.

The OptumServe sites in Salida and Turlock are test-to-treat locations, where eligible people can be tested for COVID and possibly receive antiviral medication from a health provider.

County public health said vaccination and wearing a mask in crowded settings are the best forms of protection against COVID-19. Another way to slow down the spread is getting tested before and after gathering in large groups, the county said.

This story was originally published June 22, 20227:54 AM.

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