San Diego County’s COVID-19 hospitalizations show signs of improvement as modeling from Scripps Health predicts a sustained decline through early March. The county reported 2,736 new infections and 29 deaths, with a seven-day average positivity rate of 17.1%, down from 19.8% just days earlier.
Hospitalization data indicates the Omicron variant’s impact is moderating. Scripps Health’s modeling, which has achieved accuracy rates in the low- to mid-90% range during all three major COVID surges, projects that daily COVID volumes will continue dropping over coming weeks. The health system’s facilities peaked at 356 daily admissions two weeks prior, including 62 ICU patients, compared to pre-holiday volumes of 78 patients with 31 in intensive care.
Vaccination remains the primary defense against severe disease. More than 2.88 million San Diegans age 5 and older are at least partially vaccinated, representing 91.4% of that population. Over 2.53 million are fully vaccinated, comprising 80.4%. A total of 1,072,823 residents with full vaccination have received a booster shot, with boosters available for everyone 12 and older at more than 400 county locations.
Public health officials continue urging caution, noting that staffing demands at hospitals remain elevated due to other illnesses and deferred procedures being rescheduled. County authorities recommend that only those with emergency symptoms seek hospital care and suggest testing be reserved for those at highest risk of serious illness.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://us.headtopics.com/news/latest-coronavirus-updates-scripps-health-predicts-end-of-82294259