LA County reports 35,329 coronavirus cases, 1,709 deaths
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles County on Thursday reported 925 new coronavirus cases an 51 additional deaths, bringing the county's totals to 35,329 cases and 1,709 deaths.
Of the newly reported deaths, 35 were individuals over the age of 65, 32 of which had underlying health conditions. Twelve individuals were between the ages of 41 and 65, 11 of which had underlying health conditions. The data on the remaining cases was not immediately available.
The Los Angeles County Public Health Department lists the race and ethnicity data associated with COVID-19 deaths on its website.
Approximately 92% of all county residents who died from the virus had underlying health conditions. County Public Health Director, Dr. Barbara Ferrer, said this emphasizes the county's need to protect those with underlying health conditions and urges those residents to stay at home as much as possible.
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She said this includes, but is not limited to, individuals with asthma, those who have had cancer, anyone with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and anyone who is immune-compromised.
"If you're part of one of these groups, you need to take every precaution imaginable to protect yourself from COVID-19," said Ferrer.
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More than 51% of the county's coronavirus deaths were individuals in institutional settings, such as nursing homes, Ferrer said.
According to Public Health, 5,660 individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 at some point required hospitalization during their battle with the illness. There are 1,742 individuals currently hospitalized in the county with the virus, Ferrer said.
Testing capacity continues to increase in LA County, with testing results available for over 272,000 individuals and 11% of those people testing positive.
While LA County officials have not released data on the number of COVID-19 patients that have recovered from the virus within the county, John's Hopkins University reports that more than 243,000 patients have recovered nationwide.
On Wednesday, county health officials announced a new "Safer-at-Home" health officer order, that would replace the initial order, which was set to expire Friday.
"While the Safer at Home orders will remain in place over the next few months, restrictions will be gradually relaxed under our 5-stage Roadmap to Recovery, while making sure we are keeping our communities as safe as possible during this pandemic,” said Ferrer.
While the new order has no definitive end date, it does allow a few additional businesses and outdoor recreational areas to reopen with restrictions. The county also reopened its beaches for active-use, but residents are required to wear masks unless they are in the water.
Public Health said that based on new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they are now requiring anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 to self-isolate for 10 days and 72 hours after fever and symptoms subside.
"New evidence suggests it may take longer for the virus to shed, which means that an infected person may be able to infect other people for a longer period of time than was initially thought," Public Health wrote in a news release. "This means you must stay home until your fever has resolved without the use of fever-reducing medications and there is improvement in your respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath) for at least three days (72 hours) after recovery, AND at least 10 days have passed since your symptoms first appeared or you were tested."
Public Health continues to stress to the public that while a majority of those who have died from COVID-19 in the county had underlying health conditions, not everyone does. Residents are urged to continue to take the necessary precautions in order to protect themselves from the virus.
Health officials say that social distancing remains our best defense against the virus, and all residents are instructed to abide by current measures in place across the state. Social distancing is not only about preventing the illness itself, but rather, slowing the rate at which people get sick.
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On April 3, the CDC announced that it would be recommending people wear cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, such as grocery stores and pharmacies, especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.
The use of face coverings is believed to help slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus, without knowing it, from transmitting it to others.
The face coverings can be made at home from common materials at low cost, and the CDC has instructions on how to make them listed on its website.
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This comes as more evidence is emerging that coronavirus infections are being spread by people who have no clear symptoms. Last month, the CDC changed how it was defining risk of infection for Americans, saying anyone may be a considered a carrier, whether they have symptoms or not.
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In accordance with new guidelines from the CDC, Public Health said that anyone who begins to experience symptoms must contact those they were in contact with up to 48 hours prior to having symptoms in order for them to self-isolate.
According to the CDC, symptoms of the virus include fever, coughing, shortness of breath, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and a new loss of taste or smell. Anyone who experiences these symptoms should call their healthcare provider or local public health department first before seeking medical care so that appropriate precautions can be taken.
Click here for a list of locations of confirmed coronavirus cases in Los Angeles County.
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