Mammoth Times

Covid Cases Growing Fast in Mono for First Time in Months,

Mirroring rest of state, a new variant takes aim

By Wendilyn Grasseschi

For the first time in months, Covid cases are growing in Mono County at a relatively quick rate, with about 23 new cases this past week, compared to about three cases per week in early March, five cases per week in mid-march, eight cases per week in early April, and 10 cases last week.

Those numbers are likely not the full story because so much testing has moved to homes where the results of tests cannot be counted, or because many people who have only mild symptoms do not test at all, but they do indicate a change in trends and that change mirrors the national and state trend toward a higher number of positive test results over the past few weeks, according to Mono County Public Health Director Bryan Wheeler this week.

There have been no hospitalizations, he said, and Mammoth Hospital remains at the ‘Green’ status.

The increase in cases in the county is likely due to several reasons; small outbreaks following some small, local events recently; a new and even more transmissible Omicron variant, and the relaxation of many of the Covid mitigations and protocols, such as wearing masks in indoor public places.

The new variant, called the BA.2.12.1 Omicron variant, is rapidly becoming the dominant strain in the state, with the biggest hotspot right now the Bay Area, he said. Typically, Mono County’s Covid case trends follow the state’s larger cities’ trends, such as Los Angeles and the Bay Area, by a few weeks due to travel patterns.

The new variant is very transmissible; far more so than even the most recent variant, but it does not seem to be triggering a large increase in the rate of hospitalizations in the state, so far. “There are two camps,” he said, speaking to the Mono County Board of Supervisors. “There’s the camp that saying this virus seems less severe. There’s also a theory out there... that is saying it’s as severe, but because of community immunity secondary to disease and vaccination... it’s much more of a mild disease.”

He said he would have a group of new numbers and some new analysis next week that could shed more light on the situation.

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2022-05-12T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-12T07:00:00.0000000Z

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