LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County’s interim Public Health officer on Tuesday updated the Board of Supervisors on seasonal illnesses and the winter outlook.
The California Department of Public Health said this week that statewide flu activity has reached high levels across the state.
Dr. Karl Sporer told the supervisors that flu activity also is rising in Lake County, along with COVID-19.
He noted that he had last visited the board two months ago to say how nice everything was. “Now, it’s not so nice.”
Sporer said health officials are seeing a “triple epidemic” involving flu, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.
“We’re holding our own at the two hospitals,” he said.
RSV is causing a lot of pediatric hospitalizations nationwide. However, Sporer — who noted county health officials meet with the two hospitals every two weeks — said there have only been two RSV patient cases that needed to be transferred out and they were able to find rooms for them.
“It hasn’t impacted our community at this point,” Sporer said.
Sporer said he thinks RSV will peak in the next couple of weeks and then it will go down.
At the same time, Sporer said probably one of the worst flu seasons in 15 years is now taking place, and he’s recommending people get vaccinations.
The flu is causing a 25% increase across admissions in hospitals, Sporer said. “We’re going to see some strain here as we get into the new year.”
At the same time, he is starting to see a 10 to 15% increase in COVID-19 and coronavirus across the country, and more people are being admitted to hospitals with the illness.
He said he’s concerned about the flu and COVID together, causing hospitalizations to go up.
Sporer doesn’t expect the situation to get as bad as it was in New York City three years ago, “But I think it’ll be a tough winter to get through.”
He said the county will work with the local hospitals to get through the situation.
The county also is working with the state, with Sporer noting that the state’s COVID state of emergency will end at the end of February.
During the discussion, Supervisor Jessica Pyska said that Adventist Health is opening an urgent care clinic the second week in January. It will be the only such clinic in Lake County.
Supervisor Bruno Sabatier asked about capacity at Lake County’s hospitals.
Sporer said they are seeing a little bit of an increase in interfacility transports out of the county.
There are eight intensive care unit beds in Lake County, two of which were empty as of Tuesday, he said.
“So we’re handling it at this point,” Sporer said.
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Interim Public Health officer updates supervisors on rising flu and COVID cases
- Elizabeth Larson