COVID-19 spikes in California at start of the new year. Which counties have it worst?

The number of reported COVID-19 cases across California spiked in the weeks following Christmas, with several counties in the northern portion of the state bearing the worst of the virus.

JN. 1, the latest COVID-19 variant being tracked by health experts, has been rapidly circulating. COVID-19 test positivity was at 11.8% as of Jan. 12, according to the California Department of Public Health, compared to 9.6% on Dec. 22.

In the past week, 3,611 patients were admitted to the hospital due to the coronavirus, and about 3.7% of deaths were COVID-19-related, the state health department wrote in its weekly report.

Nearly 1,540 COVID-19-related deaths have been recorded across California, between Oct. 1, 2023, and Jan. 6, 2024.

California counties with the most COVID-19 cases

New data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that 17 out of California’s 58 counties have reached medium levels for COVID-19-related hospitalizations.

The following counties have the most COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 residents, according to CDC data through Jan. 6, daata posted on Jan. 16:

• Alameda County
• Contra Costa County
• El Dorado County
• Lake County
• Mariposa County
• Mendicino County
• Merced County
• Napa County
• Nevada County
• Orange County
• Placer County
• Sacramento County
• Sierra County
• Solano County
• Stanislaus County
• Tuolumne County
• Yolo County

These counties recorded between 10 and 19.9 new coronavirus-related hospitalizations per 100,000 people over the past week, the CDC stated.

Roughly 71% of California remains at low levels, meaning less than 10 people per 100,000 have been hospitalized due to the coronavirus.

No county has reached a high level. A high level means more than 20 people per 100,000 have been admitted to the hospital due to a COVID-19-related illness.

Are there new symptoms of COVID-19?

COVID-19-related symptoms could appear within two weeks of exposure, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Possible symptoms include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Fatigue
• Chills
• Sore throat
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Runny nose
• Headache
• Chest pain
• Pink eye
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Rash
• Nausea

Breathing could also become difficult, the clinic stated.

Symptoms could change based on the COVID-19 variant and vary depending on a person’s vaccination status, according to the CDC. Loss of taste and smell is not a common symptom with recent strains.

This story was originally published January 17, 2024 at 5:00 AM.