Weekly News From Los Alamos County
June 9, 2022
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Inside this newsletter, you will find...
The Epidemiology Corner - Omicron Variants Continue to Emerge,
PCR or Rapid Test, White House Plans for Vaccinations for Children Under 5,
What If I Get COVID While Traveling, Survey & Results, COVID-19 data and more.
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COVID-19 Updates: Omicron Variants Continue to Emerge...
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Concerning BA.4/BA.5 Variants Gaining Fast in U.S.
As the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to mutate and change, successive waves of genetic variants have emerged to challenge effective pandemic control. The Delta variant that emerged during the summer of 2021 was followed by the much more transmissible Omicron variant (BA.1), which quickly caused a massive surge of cases in January 2022. Close to 800,000 cases per day were being reported in the US during the peak of this first Omicron wave. Successive waves of Omicron variants subsequently emerged, each appearing more transmissible and more immune evasive than preceding variants. For the week ending June 4, CDC estimates that Omicron variant BA.2.12.1 continues to predominate in the U.S. at 62% prevalence, however, two new Omicron variants of concern, BA.4 and BA.5 have emerged over the past month, and are quickly gaining in prevalence, now estimated at 13% nationwide. See HERE. Case numbers have been gradually rising nationwide with the emergence of the BA.2.12.1 variant and are expected to continue rising as the even more transmissible BA.4/BA.5 variants come to predominate.
Health officials are particularly concerned about the BA.4/BA.5 variants due to their potential enhanced ability to evade immune protection. This extends to protective immunity provided either by vaccine or prior COVID-19 infection. See HERE. The BA.4/BA.5 variants are expected to predominate in the US within the next month or so, and as observed in other countries, higher numbers of breakthrough infections and re-infections are expected to occur. To reduce risks of severe disease and hospitalization, CDC strongly recommends that all eligible persons, especially those at high-risk, remain up-to-date with vaccinations, including boosters. See HERE
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COVID-19 Incidence in the County:
June Brings Sharp Increase in Reported Cases
Average daily reported COVID-19 cases in the county more than doubled over the trend during the first week of June. For the week ending June 7, roughly 20 cases per day were reported, which is higher than at any other time during the pandemic, except for the Omicron BA.1 surge in January. The increased case count likely reflects a higher level of community transmission since CDC data indicate PCR testing rates have been relatively stable over recent time. Increasing community transmission would indeed be expected in areas with waning population immunity and increasing exposure to new immune-evasive variants, like BA.4/ BA.5. About five months have passed since the January BA.1 case surge, and waning immunity among residents previously infected during the surge, as well as un-infected, immunized residents, will likely lead to increased infection susceptibility within the county population. Although infection risks may be rising, vaccination continues to provide effective protection against severe disease and hospitalization for all Omicron variants, including BA.4/BA.5. The New Mexico Department of Health provides major risk reduction tools available for individuals, families, and communities:
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Comparison to Other New Mexico Counties
Among 25 counties with populations over 10,000, nine had reported case incidence rates that roughly doubled between the weeks ending May 31 and June 7. Of these, only two counties, Los Alamos and Grant had a doubling of rates of a relatively high incidence within the preceding week. According to CDC data, recent PCR testing rates in the county have generally been similar to those seen in other New Mexico counties. For the week ending June 7, the Los Alamos County incidence rate of 769 per 100,000 was roughly 3-fold higher than the corresponding New Mexico rate of 268 per 100,000. Despite the high incidence, the CDC Community Level for the county remains at Medium risk due to relatively low regional hospitalization rates. See HERE
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Comparison of Age-Specific Incidence Within the County
(March 2022 – June 2022)
Reported case incidence has been continually rising in all age groups since the low-level incidence seen in March 2022. All age groups contributed to the jump in cases seen during the first week of June. The largest rate increase occurred in 5 to 19-year-olds (4.7-fold) and 20 to 34-year-olds (3-fold). In contrast, rates in adults 35 to 64 years, which consistently have been the highest, increased by less than 50% going into the first week of June. Rates in persons 65+ years and infants 0 to 4 years roughly doubled going into the first week of June but were comparably low, likely due to greater use of mitigation measures protecting against virus exposure.
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NOTE: The COVID-19 incidence data reviewed here are based mainly on PCR-confirmed testing results compiled by CDC and may not necessarily include positive at-home antigen tests. As such, case counts are likely underestimated, but by how much cannot currently be determined.
To assist with more complete case monitoring in New Mexico, NMDOH provides for on-line reporting of positive at-home antigen results HERE.
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County COVID-19 Committee clarifies the difference between PCR & rapid tests
With an increase in positive COVID-19 cases across Los Alamos County, more individuals and families are faced with the need to test for the virus. Viral tests are done one of two ways: via a rapid point-of-care test or a laboratory test. The County COVID-19 Committee explains the difference, as well as the pros and cons of each option.
A viral test (diagnostic test) tells you if you are infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, using samples that come from your nose or mouth. The two methods are:
- Rapid tests – can be performed in minutes and include Self-tests – rapid tests that can be taken at home or anywhere, are easy to use, and produce rapid results.
Rapid Self-tests for COVID-19 give rapid results and can be taken anywhere, regardless of your vaccination status or whether or not you have symptoms.
- They detect current infection and are sometimes also called “home tests,” “at-home tests,” or “over-the-counter (OTC) tests.”
- They give your result in a few minutes and are different from laboratory-based tests that may take days to return your result.
- Self-tests do not detect antibodies that would suggest a previous infection and they do not measure your level of immunity.
For detailed information about when and how to use a rapid self-test, as well as where to get one, visit the CDC Self-test page
Laboratory (PCR) tests are a fast, highly accurate way to diagnose COVID-19.
- The tests find the DNA or RNA of a pathogen or abnormal cells in a sample.
- Unlike many other tests, PCR tests can find evidence of disease in the earliest stages of infection. Other tests may miss early signs of disease because there aren't enough viruses, bacteria, or other pathogens in the sample, or your body hasn't had enough time to develop an antibody response.
- PCR tests can detect disease when there is only a very small amount of pathogens in your body.
Which test is the best?
The CDC recommends first determining the reason to get tested:
- If you have COVID-19 symptoms
- At least 5 days after known or suspected close contact to COVID-19
- For screening (schools, workplaces, congregate settings, etc.)
- Before and after travel
- When asked by a healthcare professional or public health official
Next, compare the two testing methods to determine what option is best for each situation:
- Rapid Self-Test
- When to test varies
- At least 5 days after your exposure
- Immediately if experiencing symptoms
- Results usually in 15-30 minutes
- Results may be less reliable for people without symptoms:
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Positive results from self-tests are highly reliable – results need to be self-reported
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Negative results from self-tests do not rule out SARS-CoV-2 infection. A negative self-test result may not be reliable, especially if you have symptoms associated with COVID-19.
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Invalid results from self-tests mean the test did not work properly, and a new test is needed to get an accurate result.
- Follow-up test may be required
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If you test negative for COVID-19, consider testing again 1 to 2 days after your first test
- Laboratory (PCR) Test
- Results usually in 1-3 days
- Results are reliable for people with and without symptoms
- No follow-up test required
Once the testing method is determined, use these resources to find a testing option:
- Rapid Self-tests are often available through local pharmacies. Individuals can also order free test kits through the U.S. Post Office.
- Laboratory (PCR) testing is available Monday-Friday in Los Alamos County:
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Los Alamos every Tuesday and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Mari-Mac Shopping Center. Visit the Curative website at https://curative.com to schedule a date and time.
- White Rock Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Overlook Complex. No registration is required.
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Do you feel confident a rapid self-test will be accurate?
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The White House outlines the beginning of a vaccination campaign for the youngest children.
The White House on Thursday outlined the early stages of its plan for making coronavirus vaccines available this month to roughly 18 million children younger than 5, should the doses be cleared by federal regulators for the last group of Americans yet to be eligible.
With the goal of the first shots being given the week of June 19, the Biden administration has already made 10 million doses available to states and health providers, with roughly 85 percent of children in that age group living within five miles of possible vaccination sites, according to White House estimates shared with reporters.
Half of the 10 million doses were made available for order last week, the other half this week, with equal numbers of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, the two that federal regulators are reviewing and could authorize as soon as next week.
A Kaiser Family Foundation survey conducted in April found that just 18 percent of parents with children under 5 said they would get them vaccinated right away, while 38 percent said they would wait and see. Their hesitation could be at least partly due to the fact that the virus is typically less risky for young children.
But Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, the surgeon general, said the risks were still significant. More than 30,000 children under 5 have been hospitalized with the virus, and almost 500 have died, outcomes he said could be prevented by vaccination.
He warned parents of a possible glut of misinformation targeting the shot for younger kids, the subject of an advisory his office issued last year.
“Please make sure the information you are relying on is coming from trusted sources like your doctor, your local children’s hospital, your department of health, medical associations like the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the F.D.A. and C.D.C.,” he said, referring to the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Delivery of the vaccines is contingent on the F.D.A. authorizing pediatric doses — a step that could take place as soon as next week — and the C.D.C. recommending them, which would formally initiate the campaign. The F.D.A. and its outside panel of vaccine advisers are set to meet Wednesday to discuss the shots for young children; the C.D.C.’s own expert committee is scheduled to meet days later.
Moderna is proposing a two-dose regimen for children 6 months through 5 years old, using one-fourth the strength of an adult dose. Pfizer and BioNTech are working on a three-dose regimen for children 6 months through 4 years old, at one-tenth the strength of the adult dose.
Read the full story HERE.
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Americans keep getting reinfected with COVID-19 as new variants emerge, data shows
The cases have been reported across 24 states.
The phenomenon of reinfection -- which the CDC defines as a person who was infected, recovered, and then later became infected again -- has become increasingly reported over the last year, at first during the delta variant surge, and then during subsequent omicron surges.
Reinfection, spurred in part by more transmissible variants, waning immunity, and relaxed attitudes towards effective mitigation measures like masks, mean that getting the pandemic under control is that much harder, even if cases are generally not severe, experts said. It also indicates that notions of "protection," both from natural infection and vaccination, held up earlier in the pandemic have changed. Similar to a common cold, it is possible to become infected multiple times.
ABC News contacted officials from health departments in all 50 states and found that although data is still largely unavailable, a growing number of people do appear to experience reinfection with COVID-19.
1.6 million recorded reinfections
More than 1.6 million cases of reinfection have been reported across 24 states since data collection began, according to an ABC analysis and compilation of state-provided data.
States reported that an increasing proportion of people had been reinfected two times, with some people facing reinfection three, four, and on very rare occasions, even five times. Definitions of reinfection vary by state.
Although health officials stressed that reinfections are likely significantly undercounted due to a lack of reporting and home testing, overall, reinfections still represent a small share of the total number of cases reported across states.
‘Reinfection does happen’
In May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) acknowledged that despite some protection against infection provided through prior infection and vaccination, cases of reinfection are possible and even can occur within 90 days of initial infection.
It is also unclear how many people, who became infected during the omicron surge, have become reinfected by the same variant or subvariant of omicron.
“Although rates of reinfection might change as new variants emerge, vaccination remains the safest strategy for preventing future [COVID-19] infections, hospitalizations, [long-COVID-19] and death,” officials said. Isolation and treatment are still recommended for people who experience reinfection.
Reinfection is more likely to happen to an individual when a different and more immune evasive variant is circulating, health experts said. The most recent examples were first the delta variant, and in the months that followed, the omicron variant.
Although the latest COVID-19 variants have been shown to be more transmissible and better at evading vaccines, thus far, they have not been found to be more severe.
Read the full story HERE.
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I’m Overseas and I’ve Tested Positive. What Now?
Extending your vacation as you wait for negative test results — it’s a luxurious thought. But the reality can be expensive and stressful. Here’s what you need to know.
As coronavirus travel restrictions ease across many parts of the world and countries report cases of less severe illness, international trips are top of mind for U.S. travelers, many of whom have started to book overseas journeys for the spring and summer.
But the requirement for air travelers — vaccinated or not — to present a negative coronavirus test for entry into the United States has many people concerned about the prospect of testing positive and finding themselves stuck in a foreign country, unable to return home. Here’s how to navigate some of the challenges you might face if you test positive abroad.
Time to head home. Remind me of the test requirements?
To enter the United States, all air passengers age 2 and older must have a negative coronavirus test taken within one day of departure, regardless of their vaccination status.
The accepted PCR and viral tests are available at many hotels, airports, health clinics, and local pharmacies overseas. Certain antigen or nucleic acid amplification self-tests like BinaxNOW and Ellume that have been approved for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration are also accepted. These require you to connect to a telehealth service by video, so that you can be supervised by a medical practitioner while you take the test; make sure you have a good internet connection.
There are no testing requirements for travelers entering the United States through land or ferry ports of entry.
I’m positive! Do I need to self-isolate or quarantine?
If you test positive, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends you should isolate and delay travel for 10 days, regardless of symptoms or a negative test taken within the isolation period. The country where you are staying may have its own rules for quarantine and isolation. The rules differ from country to country and isolation periods may be longer than the 10 days recommended by the C.D.C. Across Europe, many countries follow guidance from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, which recommends that fully vaccinated people should self-isolate after testing positive. If their symptoms improve and they feel better for at least 24 hours and they test negative for the virus twice within a 24-hour period, they can stop isolating. Or, if after six days they test negative once, they can stop isolating. Unvaccinated people are advised to self-isolate for 10 days, but can leave isolation if they meet the same requirements for negative tests.
Some other destinations, particularly in Asia, may require mandatory quarantine or isolation in a government facility or designated hotel for 14 days or more.
Am I required to tell government officials that I’m positive?
This will depend on the regulations in the country you are visiting, so be sure to check what they say on local health ministry websites. In most places, tourists are not required to officially report a positive test result to the government, although if you took your test in person at a local health facility, the results are often sent to the regional or national health authority.
Where can I stay if I have to isolate?
Most countries, including popular European destinations like Greece, Italy and France, allow visitors testing positive to choose their own accommodation for the recommended period of self-isolation. You can find this information on U.S. embassy websites. If you have booked a hotel or Airbnb for your trip, it is worth calling ahead of time and seeing what their policy is for isolation and whether they have availability should you need to extend your stay.
It’s useful to have a plan B in place in case your hotel or rental cannot accommodate you, or to have a cheaper option available if you do have to self-isolate for 10 days. Many countries have designated “quarantine hotels” or apartments and some resorts in popular tourist destinations like Spain, Portugal and Mexico allow guests to quarantine at a discounted rate.
Feeling fine, yet still positive. What now?
While most people are likely to test negative within 10 days of a positive coronavirus test, for some it can take weeks or even months. If you find yourself in that position, and feel well enough to travel, you can return to the United States but will need to obtain “documentation of recovery.”
- The type of coronavirus test you took.
- Evidence of positive results (“invalid” or “inconclusive” results are not accepted).
- Your name on the test results, which must match your identification.
- Where the test was taken, such as the name of the clinic or laboratory. If you self-tested, you can supply the brand name.
- The date the test was taken, which must be within the last 90 days.
- The test result must be accompanied by a letter signed by a licensed health care provider or a public health official stating that you have recovered and have been cleared to travel. This can be your health care provider in the United States.
Some American doctors are not authorized to provide the documentation outside of the United States or are unable to issue it to you because they need to see you in person. In those cases, Americans have been using telemedicine services like Quick MD, which involves a video or telephone consultation with a doctor, to obtain the documents, or they have booked in-person consultations with a local medical practitioner. Expect to pay $75 for QuickMD, and between $50 and $250 for a local doctor.
Will my airline accept my document of recovery?
Most airlines flying to the United States accept paperwork that meets the C.D.C.’s requirements for documentation of recovery. If you are traveling through a third country and plan to leave the airport, however, check the local guidance as some governments may require a longer period of isolation or have other restrictions.
Some travelers have also found it useful to print out the C.D.C. guidelines for certificates of recovery to present to the gate agent, she added.
Will travel insurance cover additional costs if I test positive?
It depends on the type of insurance. The U.S. Travel Insurance Association recommends that travelers concerned about the potential disruption to their plans after testing positive should investigate policies that include sickness and quarantine coverage, and also determine if there are any limits to those benefits.
Read the full story HERE.
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Testing Resources for Los Alamos County |
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Los Alamos County Testing Resources
Visit the County COVID Page for information regarding testing, click below:
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Los Alamos Vaccine & Booster Information |
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Los Alamos County Vaccine/Booster Resources
Visit the County COVID Page for information regarding vaccinations/boosters, click below:
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CDC COVID Data Tracker - June 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
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The charts available with this TOOL layout the key metrics for understanding the reach and severity of COVID-19 in a given area.
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Johns Hopkins
COVID-19 Status Report Dashboard for
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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
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Your Lingering Covid Questions, Answered
When the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020, we had a seemingly endless amount of questions and not so many answers. Now, more than two years later, we’re still learning how to live with the virus. And while many questions remain unanswered, there’s a lot we have learned about Covid-19 to navigate our lives amid the backdrop of a pandemic.
Here are answers to some of the Covid questions you may still have:
Jump to:
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We are listening to you!
Your feedback is helping to shape future newsletters, inform decisions regarding services, and make Los Alamos County healthier and safer. Make sure to participate each week to be heard!
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