Another COVID-19 wave is hitting California as the summer ends and kids head back to school.
It鈥檚 a familiar story by now, but one that has become perhaps more confusing with time because of changing public health recommendations, new vaccine boosters and our evolving understanding of the virus.
There鈥檚 no reason to panic, State Epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan said, with population immunity at high levels.
鈥淥ver the course of the last three-and-a-half years, we鈥檙e fairly sure everybody鈥檚 been exposed or vaccinated at least once, or exposed and infected whether they knew it or not,鈥� Pan said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 thankfully a lot more immunity overall.鈥�
The has been growing steadily over the past two months, increasing about 8 percentage points since July to a 12.5% seven-day average. That鈥檚 a higher positivity rate than last winter鈥檚 surge, although testing data has become less reliable as access decreased and testing rates plummeted. But confirm what the testing data suggests: COVID-19 infections are on the rise across California.
The second indicator of COVID-19鈥檚 comeback 鈥� hospitalizations 鈥� is also trending upward. The number of daily new hospital admissions increased more than 87% since the start of summer.
The Labor Day holiday will surely fuel more transmission and hospitalizations, but hospitals are nowhere near the that previous surges threatened. The uptick in cases is not having a 鈥渄ramatic impact on hospitals鈥� so far, California Hospitals Association spokeswoman Jan Emerson-Shea said.
Still, public health experts recommend people take the typical precautions to prevent a serious outbreak: vaccinate, mask and isolate.
鈥淪ome people are very terrified. Most people are not thinking about (COVID-19) at all. The right answer is somewhere in between,鈥� said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF Health. 鈥淎t the minimum we have enough tools to have individual protection without having mandates.鈥�
If you鈥檙e wondering what the latest uptick means, you鈥檙e not alone. Here are answers to common questions.
What does it mean to be fully vaccinated?
At this point, vaccination is one of the most confusing aspects of the constantly mutating Sars-CoV-2 virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now advises people age 6 and older who are not immunocompromised to have at least one bivalent Moderna or Pfizer shot to be considered fully vaccinated.
That means if you have never gotten a COVID-19 vaccine before, you only need to get one bivalent shot.
And, if you had previous versions of the vaccine (known as monovalent vaccines), you need to get a bivalent shot to be fully vaccinated.
The bivalent shot was introduced last fall to protect against the highly contagious omicron variant. People who are older than 65 can also get a second dose of the bivalent vaccine if their last one happened at least four months earlier.
The recommendations for and for those who are are more complex, but the to determine your status, and it鈥檚 recommended you speak with your doctor.
Should I wait for the new booster?
鈥淚t all depends on who you are. Given the uptick in cases right now, if you鈥檙e vulnerable you may not want to wait,鈥� Chin-Hong of UCSF said.
The Food and Drug Administration is expected to approve a third version of the vaccine that takes into account more recent variants before the end of September. But, as Chin-Hong said, people who are older than 65 or immunocompromised might not want to wait until that shot is widely available to boost their immunity. The bivalent shot still protects against severe disease, hospitalization and death.
The CDC is expected to make age-specific recommendations , but Chin-Hong said waiting for an updated vaccine is 鈥渁n interesting and nuanced thing.鈥�
If you鈥檙e sending your kids off to college and you don鈥檛 think they鈥檒l get the updated booster on their own next month, it鈥檚 better to take them to get the bivalent booster now, Chin-Hong said.
鈥淐onvenience trumps timing,鈥� he said.
Do schools still require COVID vaccinations?
In short, no. Staying up-to-date on COVID-19 shots and boosters is 鈥渟trongly recommended鈥� by the University of California and California State University systems, but it鈥檚 no longer a requirement to attend class in-person.
Likewise, the although public health experts advise kids as young as 6 months old be vaccinated.
. A mere 3% of children under 5 are up-to-date on the vaccine while less than 8% of children ages 5 to 11 are fully vaccinated.
A recent study suggests are started by a school-aged child. Other studies suggest .
For how long am I supposed to isolate after infection?
The rule of thumb to remember when you test positive is five days of isolation followed by five days of masking, but of course with all things COVID-19 there are caveats, according to the CDC.
- You can end isolation after five days if you have no symptoms or they are improving AND if you have not had a fever for 24 hours.
- If you have a fever, continue isolating until 24 hours after it ends.
- You should wear a mask around others for a total of 10 days from the onset of symptoms. You may remove the mask before 10 days if you have two negative tests spaced at least a day apart.
- If you live with someone who has COVID-19 or are exposed to an otherwise close contact, public health officials recommend wearing a mask for 10 days.
All of this although your school might have its own policies. If one of your kids contracts COVID-19 but their sibling tests negative and are asymptomatic, there鈥檚 no reason to keep the asymptomatic kids home from school, although you should monitor them for developing symptoms.
Where can I get treatment?
Antiviral . Experts recommend anyone 12 and older who tests positive for COVID-19 seek treatment immediately and not wait until symptoms worsen. Primary care providers can issue a prescription for the treatment Paxlovid or people can call the for a free telehealth appointment to check eligibility. The state hotline is 833-686-5051.
It is important to keep in mind that , the oral antiviral approved to treat COVID-19, is only for those ages 12 and older. for those younger than 12 who are at risk of developing severe disease, but it is administered intravenously, which means it typically requires a hospital stay. The best way to prevent severe disease among young kids is vaccination.
Are COVID tests, vaccines and treatments still free?
regardless of insurance or immigration status. , thanks to a , although you might have to file a reimbursement claim with your insurer after buying a test.
The state鈥檚 is still open to schedule appointments, and the state runs 24/7 to assess treatment eligibility. Those services will remain free and widely available at least through February 2024, the Public Health Department鈥檚 Pan said. California will also receive 700,000 vaccine doses from the federal government that will be distributed to county health departments, local pharmacies and community providers to ensure access to free vaccination, Pan said.
In addition state-regulated insurers, who provide most health insurance in California, are required to free of charge. Out-of-network coverage will end Nov. 11.
If you have a federally regulated health insurance plan, coverage of testing expired in May. These health plans are required to permanently cover free COVID-19 vaccines but may not cover the full cost of treatment after November. You can ask your workplace what kind of coverage you have.
What are my rights at work?
Employers are required to follow to protect workers from COVID-19, this includes:
- Providing personal protective equipment like masks when requested by the employee
- Offering free tests during paid time to employees who had a close COVID-positive contact at work and during workplace outbreaks.
Employers can鈥檛 with its non-California restaurants, and they who choose to exercise their rights. Employers can, however, still require employee vaccination and masking.
Extended sick leave for COVID-19 expired in December 2022, but state labor law requires employers give full-time employees annually.
What about other seasonal infections?
COVID-19 isn鈥檛 the only respiratory virus making the rounds. Last winter a of influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and COVID-19 gripped the state, prompting local health emergencies.
This year for the first time, those who are at highest risk of respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV, have options for protection. People 60 and older can get an , and that prevents severe disease. The 2023 flu vaccine is already available.
鈥淓veryone should get themselves and their loved ones vaccinated before these things start circulating because it takes a couple of weeks or so for that immunity to kick in and provide protection,鈥� Pan said.
is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.