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Covid at-home test photo by Annie Spratt via unsplash.com

published on May 20, 2022 - 2:09 PM
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Fresno County Department of Public Health Covid tracking metrics foretell an uptick in cases in the coming weeks. 

Test positivity is currently hovering around 5%, said Dr. Rais Vohra, interim health officer for Fresno County. The county’s wastewater testing shows an increase in infection, telling health officials that “there is a lot of Covid burden in our community,” he said.

He warned hospitals in the area that they could see an increase in Covid patients over the next couple weeks. 

“Usually the wastewater signal goes up first and then seven to 10 days later we see a real uptick in the number of cases and then in the number of hospitalizations,” Vohra said. “I said brace yourself.”

The health department has converted its testing locations to “test-to-treat” sites, which offer treatment options from the moment someone tests positive for Covid. The prescription is a five-day oral medication, and health officials hope that this method will keep hospitalizations down.

Joe Prado, interim assistant director for the health department, shared that 60% of the total population is fully vaccinated. He expects that number to rise as soon as children under 5 are approved to receive the vaccine – a Food and Drug Administration decision expected this summer. 

Both Moderna and Pfizer have submitted their data to the FDA for children under 5 years old. Fresno County is planning tentatively for a mid-to-late June for rollout of that vaccine to physicians.

Vohra said that although cases are rising, Covid hospitalizations remain stagnant so far. 

“We’re definitely not through the pandemic,” Vohra said.


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