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*Public Health Urges Bivalent Boosters for Older Adults, Others at Higher Risk of Hospitalization, Death from COVID-19*

While the updated bivalent booster continues to provide substantial protection against severe illness from COVID-19, more than half of the people in age groups most vulnerable to hospitalization and death have not yet taken advantage of this additional protection.?

65 and older [ [link removed] ]

It?s true that COVID-19 case, hospitalization and death rates continue to improve in Los Angeles County, but these numbers still haven?t dipped as low as at other points during the pandemic.

Each week, thousands of people across the county still become infected with COVID-19 and run the risk of dealing with serious and potentially lasting effects, especially if they?re older adults or people with underlying health issues.?

To lower those risks, Public Health urges everyone to get the updated bivalent booster. As of April 2, only 42% of eligible Los Angeles County residents ages 65 and older, who remain the most vulnerable to hospitalization and death from COVID-19, had received the bivalent booster.?

According to local data* people in older age groups who are vaccinated but haven?t had the bivalent booster run double the risk of dying from COVID-19 compared to those who have gotten both primary series vaccines and the bivalent booster. ?

For some people, typically those who are older or immunocompromised, the bivalent booster may be their fifth vaccine. As the virus has changed, the types of protection needed have changed also.?

The bivalent booster targets currently circulating strains and debuted in September 2022. If people are wondering whether they or their loved ones are due for the updated booster, an easy way to know is to look at when you had your last booster ? if it has been more than eight months, before September of 2022, you are due, and you?ll likely benefit from the increased protection.

More information can be found at ph.lacounty.gov/howtogetvaccinated.?

*Over the past 90 days ending March 13.

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*COVID-19 Numbers Continue to Trend in Right Direction*

As of April 6, Los Angeles County remained in the CDC?s Low COVID-19 Community Level for the 12th?consecutive week and is on track to remain in Low Community Level this week when the numbers are updated Thursday.

Also as of April 6, the weekly case count for COVID-19 dropped 22% from the week prior from 3,505 to 2,731. This was the lowest weekly case count since April 2020 when the county recorded 1,263 new cases. Weekly reported deaths also dropped to 53 from 58 the week prior. The 7-day average of COVID hospitalizations also fell to 378 from 401 the week prior.

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*Three Facts You Need to Know About COVID This Week*

After three years, keeping up with the latest COVID-19 news, data and facts can be difficult but the virus remains more severe than other common respiratory illnesses so it?s important to stay in the loop.

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*FACT 1:* *PEOPLE WHO GOT THE BIVALENT BOOSTER ARE THE LEAST LIKELY TO BE HOSPITALIZED*

In Los Angeles County, across all age groups, people who were unvaccinated were five times* more likely to be hospitalized compared to people who are vaccinated with the bivalent booster.?Of the 361 COVID-19 patients hospitalized on April 6, 11% were in the Intensive Care Unit. ?

*For the week ending March 20.

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*FACT 2: MORE THAN 1 IN 4 PEOPLE WHO EVER HAD COVID EXPERIENCE LONG COVID*

The CDC estimates more than one in four people who have ever had COVID went on to experience long COVID. Risk factors that make people more likely to experience long COVID include not getting a COVID-19 vaccine, underlying health conditions and experiencing more severe COVID-19 illness, especially requiring hospitalization.?

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*FACT 3: EIGHT PEOPLE STILL DIE EACH DAY ON AVERAGE FROM COVID-19 IN LA COUNTY*

As of last week, Los Angeles County saw an average of nearly eight deaths from COVID-19 each day. As of Tuesday, April 4, there have been a total of 36,047 deaths in Los Angeles County.

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*Additional Resources*

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has developed a wide array of documents, guidance documents, and resources for the workers, businesses, partners, and the general public on a variety of topics related to COVID-19, including:

*For the Public:*


* Vaccines [ [link removed] ], including?in-home vaccination [ [link removed] ]?????
* Masks [ [link removed] ]
* Travel [ [link removed] ]
* Reducing risk [ [link removed] ]
* Testing [ [link removed] ]
* What to do if sick [ [link removed] ]?or?exposed [ [link removed] ]
* Treatment [ [link removed] ]
* Workers? rights [ [link removed] ]

*For Businesses:*


* Best practices [ [link removed] ]
* COVID-19 in the workplace [ [link removed] ]
* Request a mobile vaccination clinic [ [link removed] ]

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It is recommended you follow @lapublichealth on?Facebook [ [link removed] ],?Twitter [ [link removed] ]?or?Instagram [ [link removed] ]?the latest updates about Los Angeles County.

Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus:


* Los Angeles County Department of Public Health?[link removed] [ [link removed] ]
* California Department of Public Health?[link removed] [ [link removed] ]
* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)?[link removed]- ncov/index.html [ [link removed] ]?Spanish?[link removed] [ [link removed] ]
* World Health Organization?[link removed] [ [link removed] ]
* LA County residents can also call 2-1-1

facebook [ [link removed] ]twitter [ [link removed] ]instagram [ [link removed] ]youtube [ [link removed] ]

The Department of Public Health is committed to promoting health equity and ensuring optimal health and well-being for all 10 million residents of Los Angeles County.

Through a variety of programs, community partnerships and services, Public Health oversees environmental health, disease control, and community and family health. Nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health comprises nearly 4,500 employees and has an annual budget of $1.2 billion. To learn more about Los Angeles County Public Health, please visit?www.publichealth .lacounty.gov [ [link removed] ].

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