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SANTA ANA (CNS) - Orange County's weekly averages for COVID-19 cases and positivity rates ticked up after several weeks of gradual decline, according to data released today by the Orange County Health Care Agency.
The county's weekly COVID case rate per 100,000 residents, which is released on Tuesdays, increased from 6 to 7.2, while the test-positivity rate ticked up from 2.3% to 2.5%. The county's Health Equity Quartile positivity\ rate -- which measures progress in low-income communities -- inched up from 2.3% to 2.4%.
Hospitalizations due to the coronavirus decreased from 199 on Monday to 197, with the number of intensive care unit patients decreasing from 53 to 47.
The county has 23.1% of its intensive care unit beds available and 69% of its ventilators.
The county also reported 169 more infections Tuesday, raising the cumulative total from throughout the pandemic to 305,788. Two more fatalities logged Tuesday hiked the death toll to 5,602.
The hospitalization numbers being reported reflect patients who are primarily being treated for COVID-19, according to Deputy County Health Officer Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong. Previously, many of those listed as COVID-19 patients just happened to have the virus but were in the hospital for some other reason and subjected to mandatory testing.
The county's exit from the Delta variant-fueled summer surge has been gradual, unlike previous surges, but experts do not know exactly why.
``We do realize that people are getting tired of wearing masks and there's waning immunity,'' Chinsio-Kwong said. ``... and still many are not vaccinated. We expect the case rates will remain the same or increase.''
An increase in testing could also be a factor in the rate of infections, she said.
``I think it's a combination of things,'' Chinsio-Kwong said.
The increase in testing could be attributed to physicians being advised to test for the flu and COVID-19 since there's not much difference in the symptoms other than the loss of taste or smell for those afflicted with the coronavirus, Chinsio-Kwong said.
The case rate among the unvaccinated has seen a marked increase, and a slight increase among the vaccinated has also been detected, according to the OCHCA.
The case rate per 100,000 unvaccinated residents was 14 on Oct. 16, but increased to 15.7 as of Oct. 23, the latest data available. For fully vaccinated residents it was 2.8 on Oct. 16, but 3.4 per 100,000 residents by Oct. 23.
Chinsio-Kwong, who is also a mother, made a passionate plea to parents last week to talk to their pediatricians about getting their children vaccinated when COVID-19 shots for kids ages 5 to 11 are approved by federal officials, which is expected this week.
``I get it that some parents are going to want to wait,'' she said Friday. ``But a lot of physicians (who are parents) are going to be first in line because we've seen the data. ... I know I'm going to be first in line to get my child vaccinated. This is a very safe vaccine.''
Chinsio-Kwong noted that the careful review of the vaccine's safety is why federal regulatory authorities have taken so long to approve the shot dosages for kids aged 5 to 11.
The threat of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C, a COVID-related malady that can develop in youngsters infected with the virus, is ``very scary,'' the doctor said.
``We do know with COVID that some studies are showing that kids who have had COVID have higher rates of depression and anxiety or have more difficulty concentrating in school and have headaches,'' she said. ``And we really don't know how long that it affects that child -- if it goes into adulthood. I'd rather take the risk of any side effect of a vaccine over any of my kids getting COVID.''
Orange County officials are confident that health care providers and pharmacies can handle demand for child vaccines, Chinsio-Kwong said.
``We have a lot of providers to give that vaccine,'' she said, adding there are about 50 pediatric practices authorized for inoculations of COVID-19 vaccines as well as more than 100 pharmacies.
The two deaths logged Tuesday occurred in October, raising last month's death toll to 49.
September's death toll stands at 167, close behind August's death toll of 172.
In contrast, the death toll before the more contagious Delta variant- fueled surge was 29 in July, 19 for June, 26 for May, 46 for April, 200 for March, 615 for February, 1,585 for January -- the deadliest month of the pandemic -- and 977 for December, the next-deadliest.