However, many experts say that this news is not worrying and does not justify any policy change. Despite the area ranking, cases are extremely low compared to what was in the middle of the winter outbreak, when the city’s seven-day average jumped more than 250 cases per 100,000 to its peak. “No, I’m not worried,” said Dr. George Rutherford, director of the UCSF Prevention and Public Health Team. “I do not think there is any reason to go back to putting on our brakes and masks again. We have a large capacity in the hospital.” “I’m not too worried as our hospitals remain very quiet – only 2 patients with COVID were treated today at the main UCSF Health hospital on Parnassos, compared to almost 100 at this hospital on January 25,” said UCSF infectious disease specialist Dr. Peter. Chin-Hong wrote in an email. “I do not envisage any lockdown and I am not even sure that any restrictions will be applied again as long as our hospitals remain protected.” Qin-Hong continued. “There can be unrest in the workplace and at school, as people have to be isolated for at least 5 days if they become infected. It is interesting that countries like the United Kingdom, Denmark and South Africa have removed the mandate. for mandatory isolation when infected and this mitigates possible disturbances in life in this way “. While the San Francisco incidence rate may not be alarming, you may be wondering why it is higher than other places. Dr. UCSF’s Monica Gandhi believes that the primary reason is the city’s powerful testing device. “We’re doing a lot of testing in San Francisco with community testing sites that have been created through a collaboration between the UCSF and the San Francisco Department of Public Health,” Gaddy said. “This allows us to detect slight increases in cases better than other counties under BA.2 (now 72% of executives in the US) and with increased population movement.” Rutherford agreed that the tests contribute to the city’s highest rate, adding that the city is a medical hub and people come to the city for care that requires testing. “Theoretically, positive tests should be reported in the county of residence, but that may not always be the case,” he said. The highly contagious BA.2 variant – which is spreading at a time when more people are traveling and society is reopening – is another possible factor, Chin-Hong said. “A combination of spring break trips, visitors from many other parts of the country and the world (Asia, Europe), reopening and reopening of major indoor events such as sports and concerts,” Chin-Hong wrote in an email. “All of this is fueled by BA.2, which is more contagious in a city that is compact. “pioneering BA.1 infection whose immunity to infection has weakened. Strategies used in the past to prevent infection may not work as well as COVID.” Could the bay area be at the beginning of a sharp increase based on BA.2? Experts SFGATE spoke to said they did not expect the cases to be launched. “There will be some kind of sawmill pattern and it is not surprising that things will go up and down,” Rutherford said. “We will see some clusters and bumps from BA2, but I think the overall pattern is that it will widen the base of this curve as it goes down.” Chin-Hong stressed that the region has high vaccination rates and that combined with the immunity acquired by people infected with COVID during the initial Omicron outbreak, “it will provide enough immune ammunition to protect people from serious illness and so as to protect our hospital’s resources so that we can continue to care for the range of non-COVID non-stop diseases. “
