COVID-19 Numbers Soar as County Ramps up Testing

According to reports, the federal government is preparing for an 18-month battle against the deadly COVID-19 virus. Meanwhile, cases in the US soared by 40 percent overnight.

There are now 8,700 cases in the country. The first case was reported in January.

The rise in cases coincides with more reported cases due in part to increased testing.

“Kaiser Permanente is administering hundreds of tests per day and will continue to actively work with state and federal public health officials to provide testing for patients who are under investigation for COVID-19. Starting next week,” said Terry Kanakri, spokesperson at the hospital.

“Kaiser Permanente in Southern California expects to have the capacity to perform 1,500 tests a day for the novel coronavirus.”

There are seven labs operational and so far 1,700 people have been tested. About 13 percent of them have tested positive.

Locally, there are only two confirmed cases of the virus, according to the city’s health department.

On Thursday, the city and the county issued a new “stay-in-home” order.

Under the order, shopping at essential businesses is allowed to continue — including grocery stores and restaurants — so long as all persons practice social distancing to the extent practicable.

The order went into effect at midnight and continues through April 19.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced yesterday that more than half the state’s population will catch the virus at some point.

“You should assume you are infected and others around you are infected,” said Los Angeles Health Officer Barbara Ferrer.

According to CNN, there are less than 100,000 ICU beds, and about 69,000 ventilators in the country, according to a recent analysis by Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

In contrast, there are 10 million residents in LA County alone.

The Centers for Disease Control is now telling doctors to make their own mask or even tie a bandana around their face.

“In settings where facemasks are not available, HCP might use homemade masks [e.g., bandana, scarf] for care of patients with COVID-19 as a last resort,” the CDC said on its website. “However, homemade masks are not considered PPE, since their capability to protect HCP is unknown. Caution should be exercised when considering this option. Homemade masks should ideally be used in combination with a face shield that covers the entire front (that extends to the chin or below) and sides of the face.”

Ironically, just one month ago, health care officials told the general public that masks did not work.

“We are seeing limited supplies of testing equipment across the country,” said Dorey Hutson, Huntington Hospital spokesperson. “We are working hard, as are suppliers and the entire health care community, to grow testing capacity. Currently, because of the limited supplies for testing, our policy—which we have developed in coordination with public health authorities—is to test patients who require hospital care, for example patients experiencing a very high fever and shortness of breath.”