As Winter Respiratory Virus Spread Slowly Increases, Residents Encouraged to Plan and Prepare

With a small uptick in indicators of COVID-19 transmission the past two weeks, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) continues to monitor data to assess the possibility for larger increases in spread as the holiday season gets underway. Residents are encouraged to plan and prepare for this winter’s respiratory virus season.

Last winter, COVID-19 cases started to increase in late October and peaked in early December. The winter before, cases remained relatively stable through the end of November, and then increased sharply in December with the arrival of the Omicron variant. Cases then peaked in early January.

Since Nov. 1, the average daily number of reported COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County has increased 25 percent and the percentage of emergency department visits classified as COVID-19-related has increased 20 percent.

While data shows that in Los Angeles County the risk of rapid spread of COVID-19 is currently of low concern, it is beneficial to be aware of potential increases in transmission, especially as increased transmission of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and flu are also being seen in the county.

This year, RSV transmission began increasing in late September, and there has recently been an increase in flu transmission starting in late October. With all three viruses circulating at the same time, and beginning to increase simultaneously, there is a greater chance for a strain on the county’s health care system as more individuals may need to seek medical care from providers all within the same period. This is what is described as the ‘tripledemic’ and why preparing for the winter respiratory virus season is so important.

The best course of action is to maximize protection against severe illness by ensuring vaccines are up to date. For people 6 months and older, an annual flu and, regardless of past vaccination status, the updated (2023-2024 formula) COVID-19 vaccine is recommended. People who are pregnant, those with very young children and people over 60 years old should speak to their provider about the RSV vaccine. In most cases, multiple vaccines can be administered at the same time.

To help minimize the spread of illness in the community, people should stay home when they feel sick or are exhibiting symptoms, including a fever, cough, or sore throat, and test to detect a possible COVID-19 infection early. COVID-19 tests are free at many sites throughout the county and information is available at ph.lacounty.gov/COVIDtests. Treatments for COVID-19 and flu are routinely available with a prescription and can help to prevent severe illness, especially for those who are at high risk.

Adults and children 12 years and older who test or are suspected positive for COVID and have underlying health conditions or factors that may result in more severe illness from COVID-19, are eligible to take Paxlovid, which must be started within five days of symptom onset. Public Health encourages everyone to speak with their provider about Paxlovid if they test positive or to call the Public Health Call Center at 1-833-540-0473, open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., for free telehealth services and a prescription.

If a person has respiratory symptoms and is testing negative for COVID-19, it is possible that they have a flu infection and anti-viral treatments are also available with a prescription from a provider. Oseltamivir, available under the trade name Tamiflu, is approved for treatment of flu in adults and children 14 days old and older. People who are 65 years old and older, under 5 years old, pregnant or have underlying health conditions, such as asthma, diabetes or obesity, are at higher risk for complications and should seek medical care if they feel ill.

Los Angeles County residents who have questions about respiratory symptoms, vaccines, where to get vaccination or how to get tested can access the Public Health Call Center, open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to answer questions related to COVID-19, flu or RSV at 1-833-540-0473. Public Health staff can connect callers with resources and help people schedule vaccination appointments, including in-home vaccinations for those that are homebound.

In Los Angeles County, based on data through Nov. 4, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Hospital Admission Level is Low at 3.6 new COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 people.

Public Health reports COVID-19 data weekly. The following table shows case, wastewater, emergency department, hospitalization and death data in Los Angeles County over the past four weeks.

Metric	Date of Weekly Report
Metric	11/15/2023	11/8/2023	11/1/2023	10/25/2023
Daily average cases	250	211	198	220
SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentration as a percentage of the Winter 2022-2023 peak concentration value	12%	15%	11%	12%
Daily average of the percent of Emergency Department (ED) encounters classified as coronavirus-related	3.0%	2.8%	2.5%	2.6%
Daily average number of COVID-positive hospitalizations	301	288	322	345
Daily average deaths	3.4	3.6	3.4	4.4
Percent of all deaths due to COVID-19	1.1%	2.0%	2.4%	2.2%
All daily averages are 7-day averages. Data for past weeks are subject to change in future reports. Time periods covered by each metric: cases = week ending each Saturday; wastewater = week ending each Saturday, with a one-week lag; ED data = week ending each Sunday; hospitalizations = week ending each Saturday; deaths = week ending each Monday, with a three-week lag; death percentage = week ending Monday, with a one-week lag. Case data is presented by episode date, an approximation of the date the illness began, and death data is presented by date of death. This is a change from how case and death data were presented prior to July 26, 2023, which was by date of report. Daily average cases do not include Long Beach and Pasadena; daily average deaths include Long Beach and Pasadena.

• A wide range of data and dashboards on COVID-19 from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health are available on the Public Health website at http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/COVIDdata including:

• COVID-19 Locations & Demographics (data by demographic characteristics and geography, active outbreaks, and citations)

• COVID -19 Response Plan

• COVID -19 Vaccinations

• Skilled Nursing Facility Metrics

Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus:

• Los Angeles County Department of Public Health:

http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/

• California Department of Public Health: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/nCOV2019.aspx

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Spanish:

https://espanol.cdc.gov/enes/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

• World Health Organization https://www.who.int/health -topics/coronavirus

• LA County residents can also call 2-1-1

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Cases through 12:00pm 11/13/2023
	Total Cases
Laboratory Confirmed Cases (includes LB and Pas through 6/27/23; excludes LB and Pas after 6/27/23)	3,819,903
Deaths (includes LB and Pas)	36,955
Cases by Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- 0 to 4	115,881
- 5 to 11	284,964
- 12 to 17	279,845
- 18 to 29	768,678
- 30 to 49	1,154,411
- 50 to 64	630,342
- 65 to 79	277,924
- over 80	100,258
- Under Investigation	2,607
Cases by Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Female	1,869,263
- Male	1,654,196
- Other	1,894
- Under Investigation	89,557
Cases by Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	6,866
- Asian	270,672
- Black	192,513
- Hispanic/Latino	1,537,030
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	18,062
- White	505,571
- Other	417,759
- Under Investigation	666,437
Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- Hospitalized (Ever)	188,581
Deaths by Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
- American Indian/Alaska Native	82
- Asian	4,608
- Black	3,290
- Hispanic/Latino	17,007
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	114
- White	9,374
- Other	475
- Under Investigation	106
CITY / COMMUNITY**	Cases	Case Rate
City of Agoura Hills	6493	31092
City of Alhambra	26142	30144
City of Arcadia	14088	24393
City of Artesia	6187	36838
City of Avalon	298	7702
City of Azusa	17808	35588
City of Baldwin Park	30226	39373
City of Bell	17216	47385
City of Bell Gardens	17392	40380
City of Bellflower	31399	40392
City of Beverly Hills	11877	34406
City of Bradbury	71	6642
City of Burbank	33645	31391
City of Calabasas	6050	24874
City of Carson	35856	38207
City of Cerritos	13776	27515
City of Claremont	10635	29150
City of Commerce*	5946	45497
City of Compton	41075	41114
City of Covina	20726	42270
City of Cudahy	12342	50692
City of Culver City	12333	30937
City of Diamond Bar	14008	24355
City of Downey	47577	41638
City of Duarte	7665	34816
City of El Monte	43537	37126
City of El Segundo	4202	25033
City of Gardena	22518	36728
City of Glendale	61644	29853
City of Glendora	15493	29363
City of Hawaiian Gardens	5109	34812
City of Hawthorne	30352	34185
City of Hermosa Beach	4864	24728
City of Hidden Hills	394	20847
City of Huntington Park	26647	44797
City of Industry	1056	241648
City of Inglewood	39686	34940
City of Irwindale	903	61892
City of La Canada Flintridge	4696	22694
City of La Habra Heights	215	3941
City of La Mirada	14588	29412
City of La Puente	16241	39907
City of La Verne	9439	28361
City of Lakewood	27754	34536
City of Lancaster*	65550	40571
City of Lawndale	10837	32240
City of Lomita	6283	30310
City of Lynwood*	31850	44207
City of Malibu	2958	22822
City of Manhattan Beach	7654	21262
City of Maywood	12999	46344
City of Monrovia	12136	31278
City of Montebello	25933	40284
City of Monterey Park	17957	28841
City of Norwalk	43835	40731
City of Palmdale	68118	42850
City of Palos Verdes Estates	2352	17394
City of Paramount	23080	41197
City of Pico Rivera	28545	44405
City of Pomona	66779	42826
City of Rancho Palos Verdes	8111	18974
City of Redondo Beach	16124	23471
City of Rolling Hills	306	15773
City of Rolling Hills Estates	1617	19931
City of Rosemead	15565	28121
City of San Dimas*	11327	32817
City of San Fernando	12985	52759
City of San Gabriel	11882	29013
City of San Marino	2503	18852
City of Santa Clarita	75581	34289
City of Santa Fe Springs	8009	43613
City of Santa Monica	27411	29651
City of Sierra Madre	2505	22796
City of Signal Hill	4194	35551
City of South El Monte	8564	41006
City of South Gate	47824	48723
City of South Pasadena	6504	24964
City of Temple City	10989	30144
City of Torrance	35598	23848
City of Vernon	361	172727
City of Walnut	7746	25370
City of West Covina	40398	37324
City of West Hollywood	11555	31271
City of Westlake Village	459	5490
City of Whittier	31840	36417
Los Angeles	1559915	38568
Los Angeles - Adams-Normandie	3263	39783
Los Angeles - Alsace	4632	37220
Los Angeles - Angeles National Forest	0	0
Los Angeles - Angelino Heights	854	34133
Los Angeles - Arleta	17192	50020
Los Angeles - Atwater Village	5194	35415
Los Angeles - Baldwin Hills	10548	33889
Los Angeles - Bel Air	2531	30027
Los Angeles - Beverly Crest	3423	27329
Los Angeles - Beverlywood	4323	32817
Los Angeles - Boyle Heights*	41059	47257
Los Angeles - Brentwood	8663	27986
Los Angeles - Brookside	158	27194
Los Angeles - Cadillac-Corning	2347	32959
Los Angeles - Canoga Park	25884	39645
Los Angeles - Carthay	4537	31588
Los Angeles - Central	17211	44140
Los Angeles - Century City	3884	30363
Los Angeles - Century Palms/Cove	16607	49183
Los Angeles - Chatsworth	13296	35876
Los Angeles - Cheviot Hills	2629	28666
Los Angeles - Chinatown	3024	37701
Los Angeles - Cloverdale/Cochran	5437	37360
Los Angeles - Country Club Park	5002	33010
Los Angeles - Crenshaw District	5492	39714
Los Angeles - Crestview	4071	35811
Los Angeles - Del Rey	8706	29082
Los Angeles - Downtown*	16489	59945
Los Angeles - Eagle Rock	14120	35666
Los Angeles - East Hollywood	9760	33325
Los Angeles - Echo Park	4581	32134
Los Angeles - El Sereno	17227	41205
Los Angeles - Elysian Park	1874	32808
Los Angeles - Elysian Valley	3633	35719
Los Angeles - Encino	15647	34639
Los Angeles - Exposition	1319	39657
Los Angeles - Exposition Park	18530	41254
Los Angeles - Faircrest Heights	1296	36000
Los Angeles - Figueroa Park Square	3871	44387
Los Angeles - Florence-Firestone	23193	48884
Los Angeles - Glassell Park	11227	35524
Los Angeles - Gramercy Place	4294	39892
Los Angeles - Granada Hills	22136	38040
Los Angeles - Green Meadows	10264	47728
Los Angeles - Hancock Park	4849	28458
Los Angeles - Harbor City	9666	33251
Los Angeles - Harbor Gateway	16077	36874
Los Angeles - Harbor Pines	659	27356
Los Angeles - Harvard Heights	6256	34688
Los Angeles - Harvard Park	18367	48417
Los Angeles - Highland Park	17566	36300
Los Angeles - Historic Filipinotown	5600	40375
Los Angeles - Hollywood	22170	32482
Los Angeles - Hollywood Hills	7858	26697
Los Angeles - Hyde Park	12260	42956
Los Angeles - Jefferson Park	3214	39812
Los Angeles - Koreatown	16519	31956
Los Angeles - Lafayette Square	1629	35732
Los Angeles - Lake Balboa	16658	39468
Los Angeles - Lakeview Terrace	6267	47719
Los Angeles - Leimert Park	5927	38904
Los Angeles - Lincoln Heights	13045	40019
Los Angeles - Little Armenia	3112	38779
Los Angeles - Little Bangladesh	8808	31076
Los Angeles - Little Tokyo	1536	49026
Los Angeles - Longwood	1838	42704
Los Angeles - Los Feliz	6569	30401
Los Angeles - Manchester Square	3339	39117
Los Angeles - Mandeville Canyon	934	29898
Los Angeles - Mar Vista	11347	26717
Los Angeles - Marina Peninsula	994	22798
Los Angeles - Melrose	26821	34520
Los Angeles - Mid-city	4613	30692
Los Angeles - Miracle Mile	5071	28196
Los Angeles - Mission Hills	12201	50576
Los Angeles - Mt. Washington	8393	34761
Los Angeles - North Hills	25929	42110
Los Angeles - North Hollywood	60345	39852
Los Angeles - Northridge	26290	37666
Los Angeles - Pacific Palisades	5195	24400
Los Angeles - Pacoima	39483	51291
Los Angeles - Palisades Highlands	955	24831
Los Angeles - Palms	12464	28407
Los Angeles - Panorama City