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While signs of any potential Thanksgiving surge of COVID-19 and the flu won’t show up until next week’s data is released, cases for both illnesses are continuing to trend up. COVID-19 cases will surpass 10,000 for the month of November, far exceeding the 7,482 cases recorded in October.
Flu cases are also continuing to increase, reaching 2,694 last week, up from 2,375 the previous week. For the season to date, San Diego County has recorded 12,946 cases of the flu compared to 424 at this time last year.
San Diegans are urged to get their flu and COVID vaccines before the peak holiday period. It takes two weeks until the body reaches full immunity.
“The time to act is now,” said Cameron Kaiser, M.D., M.P.H., County deputy public health officer. “Get your flu and COVID vaccines as soon as you can and keep yourself and your loved ones safe this holiday season. And remember that masks help reduce spreading both the flu and COVID-19.”
COVID-19 and flu vaccines are widely available across the region at pharmacies, medical centers and clinics. The two vaccines can be administered during the same visit. It is important to note that the COVID-19 primary vaccine series or booster does not protect against the flu and the flu vaccine does not protect people against COVID-19. Therefore, it is recommended that eligible San Diegans get vaccinated against both viruses.
Symptomatic patients with a positive COVID-19 test result, including pregnant persons and children, should be evaluated to see if they are eligible for treatment with one of the National Institutes of Health recommended treatment options, which currently for those not hospitalized are nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid), molnupiravir (Lagevrio) and remdesivir (Veklury).
Early COVID-19 treatment in multi-generational families, especially families of color, protects vulnerable individuals like older family members and those with underlying medical conditions.
Testing and treatment are available at no cost by calling 1-888-634-1123 to schedule an appointment at an OptumServe site. Appointments can also be made online. Call SesameCare at 1-888-897-1244 to schedule a no-cost telehealth visit, which includes a prescription for treatment. Appointments can also be made online.
The County Health and Human Services Agency now publishes the Respiratory Virus Surveillance Report weekly. The report is published each Thursday and tracks key respiratory illness indicators, including flu cases and deaths.
For the week ending Nov. 26, 2022, the report shows the following:
Data updates to the County’s coronavirus-sd.com website will be published Thursdays around 5 p.m., with the exception of holidays. More information about the flu is available on the County’s influenza website.
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