COVID-19 Cases Surge Locally as Pandemic Fatigue Persists Amid Summer Gatherings

Arcata’s Fairy Festival in early June brought a crowd of young and old with scarcely a COVID precaution to be seen. [Photo by Ryan Hutson]

As Humboldt County summer fun winds down, and students begin to return to the area for the fall semester, the North Coast is seeing an influx of COVID-19 cases related to a summer surge reminiscent of previous COVID summers – but, locals are increasingly less tolerant of disease prevention protocol as pandemic fatigue staggers on through a fifth summer of testing, illness, and in some cases, hospitalization and even deaths. This increase in novel coronavirus cases comes alongside the preexisting COVID fatigue that has settled in on Humboldt like coastal fog. 

From festivals and concerts to street markets and private celebrations, locals have been enjoying their summer fun to the maximum, despite an ongoing epidemic. In recent weeks, it seems like everyone knows someone who has had the novel Coronavirus. One person we spoke to who had attended a large music festival in the second half of July, found themselves dehydrated and very, very ill with, you guessed it… COVID-19, and then attended a second festival days after the diagnosis received at a local ER. “It was bad,” they said, later adding hyperbolically, “…almost died.” 

The local party-goer explained that they rebounded from the symptoms – which were severe enough at the time to prompt a visit to the emergency room – within a few short days, and had bounced back into action at another festival the very next week. Did they mask up? Not even a little… When asked if they had recovered so quickly due to having taken Paxlovid, a medication which can be used to lessen the severity and duration of COVID illness, they responded in text, “No I didn’t. Fk that COVID drug.” 

Hospitalizations For Versus With COVID-19 

At a time when science related to vaccines and viral mutations are often disputed by folks who remain unconvinced of the virtues of modern science, any inconsistency in these reported numbers can contribute to an unfortunate misunderstanding of those hospitalization counts, and can directly and negatively shape their ability to trust the numbers being offered up by the state, or even from local medical officials.

On July 27, data on COVID-19 hospitalizations from individual counties provided to the state shows a total of 10 “confirmed hospitalized” of community members with a COVID-19 infection. However, in response to our inquiry about this number to local officials at the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for clarification, we were informed that as of Monday, August 5th, according to local data, the DHHS Communications Group told us, “we currently have one person in the hospital with COVID locally.” 

The most recent data available on COVID-19 hospitalizations locally shows 8 community members who are currently hospitalized in the county “with” a COVID-19 infection, as opposed to “for” a COVID-19 infection. 

Looking for clarification, we inquired with DHHS locally, asking why there would be a difference in the numbers. “What we track are patients who are hospitalized because of COVID and being treated for COVID,” explained Christine Messinger from the DHHS Communications Group in response to our email follow-up on the difference in data. Messinger said that locally, they are not reporting every COVID-19 infection that is in hospital locally – only the ones which are hospitalized for COVID specifically. She wrote,  “What this dashboard shows is people who are in the hospital and also happen to test positive for COVID,” as opposed to only reporting those seeking treatment for the virus.  

This apparent discrepancy in reported numbers may be problematic when considering that COVID-19 stats made public for the purpose of informing people of the spread of disease in their community, may actually lend to scrutiny or disbelief of those numbers – which are not inaccurate, but simply reflect different data. 

Messinger explained that every person coming to a hospital for care is tested for COVID automatically, in order to isolate any infection and prevent spread of the virus to other patients. “When a patient is admitted into the hospital, they are tested for COVID, regardless of symptoms, as part of the admission process. The hospitals use PCR tests which are more sensitive and show positive for longer than rapid tests,” Messinger said.  “If an individual tests positive, they are put into isolation to avoid potentially spreading COVID even if they are not displaying symptoms.” 

If these numbers presented by the state appear to differ widely from that of our local county officials, is it any wonder that at a ground level there is confusion lending to distrust of the Health Department’s mantra which continues to reiterate the dangers of spread of disease on a local level? Surely, a level of public skepticism of these statistics, at least in part due to the lack of clarity around them, is understandable, yet, according to doctors across the board there is reason for proactive public response to curb the spread of disease, in considering the circumstances of living during an episode of severe viral disease, i.e. widespread disease, or an international pandemic. 

According to Public Health Officer Dr. Candy Stockton, “We have had five deaths from COVID-19 this year, one of which occurred between June 1 and July 27.” As for our local summer surge and the resulting hospital care needed, Dr. Stockton confirms that as of Monday, August 5th, one person was “hospitalized with COVID locally” and advises that the risk of “developing serious illness/dying is lower for vaccinated individuals, but individuals who are vaccinated can still develop serious illness.”

Deaths attributed to COVID-19 in California since last October show a spike in January, consistent with the winter surge that has been documented each year since the start of pandemic, but also reflects a second smaller surge in cases during the summer, shown above. This double peak in data is not reflected with Influenza statistics, which only show a surge in flu cases in the winter months, at about half the rate of deaths attributed to COVID-19.***

In a time when the novel coronavirus continues to mutate and circulate in social circles which provide the atmosphere for replications and virulent spread of disease, such as with festivals and other gatherings of people in large groups, disease prevention awareness seems to have fallen to the wayside in favor of a return to a more casual summertime vibe.

Stocked noted that in terms of public awareness and the ability of individuals to protect against spread of COVID-19, or other respiratory illnesses, that “Respiratory viruses (including influenza, COVID-19 and RSV) continue to circulate.” Dr. Stockton responded via email Monday morning, “Individuals who are over 65 and those with weakened immune systems have an increased risk of serious illness and/or death from respiratory viruses.”

Vaxxed Or Laxed? 

With a combination of many locals having some level of “natural immunity” bolstered by previous infection, some protected by vaccination and others covered by a combination of both, Humboldt’s varying degrees of immunity have been challenged by the increase in community spread of the virus since early summer as people continue to relax and let go of efforts to prevent disease. 

According to the CDC, it is recommended that “everyone ages 6 months and older receive an updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the potentially serious outcomes of COVID-19 this fall and winter” and adds, “whether or not they have ever previously been vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine.” 

According to the DHHS COVID-19 Vaccine Progress Dashboard Data by ZIP Code, Humboldt’s zip codes with the most up to date vaccinated residents are in Arcata with 18%, Trinidad and Blue Lake are both at 28%, and with the highest rate of full vaccinated community members, Bayside is nearly at 35%.

By the numbers, Nor Cal counties are struggling to keep up the vaccination pace, with the majority of folks falling behind with booster shots, but still reflects an average slightly better than the state-wide “up to date” fully vaccinated group.  

When asked for input regarding community awareness of the ongoing epidemic and regarding local community rates of infection, Dr. Stockton encouraged proactive masking and doubled down on recommending vaccination. Dr. Stockton wrote, “We continue to encourage staying up to date with all recommended vaccines and practicing good hygiene (particularly hand washing and cleaning frequently touched surfaces). Staying in when you are sick, or wearing a well-fitting mask in public if you cannot stay in, can help prevent spreading illness to people at higher risk.”

Looking at the numbers, in Northern California’s Emerald Counties – Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte and Trinity – vaccination rates vary. In the first two, the data reflects vaccination rates on par with the state average, which currently says 14.9% of California is “up to date” with the poke—nearly 6 million Californians. But Del Norte and Trinity are much lower.

Humboldt has 24,919 community members who have received the most recent booster shot recommended for their age, making that 18.3% of the county is up to date with boosters. To the south, Mendocino has nearly 13,000 residents up to date, totaling 14.6% of the county. While Trinity is at 8.6% up to date and to our north, Del Norte, the lowest of the counties, is slightly over 8% fully vaccinated.

The options for updated COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be produced by Moderna, Novavax, and Pfizer later this year, according to a public notice issued in June, by the CDC. The notice strongly advises that folks get their boosters lined up as soon as they are available this coming fall, due to the evolving nature of the virus, and the increasing infection rates doctors are seeing this summer. 

The CDC’s advice reads, “The virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, is always changing and protection from COVID-19 vaccines declines over time. Receiving an updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine can restore and enhance protection against the virus variants currently responsible for most infections and hospitalizations in the United States.”  Addressing concerns of those who are battling COVID-19 already, and have justifiable concerns about contracting the often puzzling and debilitating “long COVID-19” which languishes in the body for months on end and is often known to leave lasting ailments in its wake, the CDC says a vaccination can also help prevent long COVID. “COVID-19 vaccination also reduces the chance of suffering the effects of Long COVID, which can develop during or following acute infection and last for an extended duration.” 

Emphasizing that the science is in on the benefits of getting the poke (and follow-up poke for a boost of protection), the CDC underscores the data-proven effectiveness of vaccines, saying, “Last season, people who received a 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine saw greater protection against illness and hospitalization than those who did not receive a 2023-2024 vaccine. To date, hundreds of millions of people have safely received a COVID-19 vaccine under the most intense vaccine safety monitoring in United States history.”

Testing, testing… 

According to California’s COVID-19 data tracker, infections are on the rise, while a summer surge appears to be replicating past summer data but thankfully, to a lesser degree. Humboldt’s Health Officer indicated that there has been an increase in infection rates locally, in keeping with COVID’s previous pattern of increased infections in summer months. 

A local Public Health Laboratory Director explained that by sampling the local waste-water, COVID-19 infection rates can be estimated based on the levels of the infection found in our sewage.  We asked for more information about the waste water testing method, and Public Health Laboratory Director Pepper Stockton was able to explain that the method “began as part of a statewide monitoring program.” Stockton told us, “Wastewater testing is done on a regular schedule with sampling on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday.” 

The county began using this method in January 2022, and has found the method to be accurate and helpful in assessing community spread of the virus. The wastewater sampling method is an efficient way of testing an entire population of a given area to monitor the degree of infection generally, and can be useful for public health officials as they assess the changing pandemic and continue to assess the risk posed to the public. Stockton added, “It took some time for the state to develop the testing, but it has been rolled out statewide.” 

Two graphs from California Department of Public Health show the current rise in COVID-19 infections nearing the 15% mark, compared to all previous seasons of COVID-19 data collected. This summer, the COVID infection rate is substantially higher than the 2022-23 data, with 2023-24 at 14.3% at the start of August, while last year at the same time, the infection rate was 9.4% for the same 7 day period.*

Self-tests, or at-home tests, are antigen tests that can be used anywhere, and are convenient for getting a quick result without having to go to a testing site. Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs), including PCR tests, are more likely to detect the virus than antigen tests, according to the CDC. NAATs tests are considered the “gold standard” for COVID-19 testing, but are not always accessible. Antigen tests, like the ones you can purchase at CVS or Walgreens, are rapid tests that usually produce results in 15-30 minutes. Positive results are accurate and reliable, but in general, “antigen tests are less likely to detect the virus than NAAT tests, especially when symptoms are not present” according to the CDC page on COVID testing.

The experts at the CDC point out, “a single negative antigen test cannot rule out infection,” and so the FDA recommends “2 negative antigen tests for individuals with symptoms or 3 antigen tests for those without symptoms, performed 48 hours apart” in order to be sure.

Exposure and Precautions

If you are exposed to COVID, or to a person who is ill with a respiratory virus, it is recommended to test for COVID-19, and if you have a fever, to “stay home and away from others,” even if you do not have other symptoms. The CDC also advises folks who are not symptomatic but are at higher risk of severe COVID-19 infection and would benefit from treatment” (meaning antiviral medicines) should test within 5 days of direct exposure. The CDC website offers current data that shows “more than 81% of COVID-19 deaths occur in people over age 65,” and that the number of “deaths among people over age 65 is 97 times higher” than among people ages 18-29 years old. 

“In 2023, more than 916,300 people were hospitalized due to COVID-19 and more than 75,500 people died from COVID-19. During the 2023-2024 flu season, more than 44,900 people are estimated to have died from flu complications.” – CDC 

Under a heading reading “Risk factors for getting very sick with COVID-19,” the CDC web page explains that some people “are at increased risk of getting very sick or dying from COVID-19 because of where they live or work, or because they can’t get health care. This includes many people from racial and ethnic minority groups and people with disabilities.” 

Emergency room visits with COVID-19 are “low” in California, according to data provided by the CDC, which also reflects 547 deaths in the state over the past three months, attributed to COVID-19. While death rates associated with COVID have improved significantly from previous years, as of June 1, 2024, nearly 1.2 million people have died of COVID-19 in the U.S. from the start of the novel coronavirus pandemic in January of 2020. 

For folks who are already sick, the first piece of advice offered by the CDC is to stay home, stay away from others, and to seek treatment if you have risk factors that could contribute to more severe illness. Medical professionals in general, and those at the CDC strongly urge sick people to stay home “until you have been fever-free for 24 hours without using fever-reducing medication and other symptoms are mild and improving.” 

California’s new “SMARTER” plan to address COVID-19 involves leveraging lessons learned in the past few years about how the virus works, and how prevention methods can be used more effectively.  “We’re using the lessons of the last​ two years to prepare for future COVID-19 surges or variants,” reads the Smarter Plan outline. “Throughout the pandemic we have leaned on science and relied on tools that create protection. This includes vaccines, masks, tests, quarantine, improving ventilation, and new therapeutics.”  ​​​​​​

Advice issued by both the CDC and the CDPH still recommends taking measures to distance and mask up if you have been exposed, or if you are ill. If you test positive, but have no symptoms, it is still advised to wear a mask around others indoors for 10 days from the onset of symptoms or positive test date. In some cases, the virus may generate symptoms after the 10-day mark, over a week after the initial exposure. For this reason, the CDC recommends masking and distancing as a precaution. 

Avoid High-Risk Individuals. For 10 days, avoid contact with people at higher risk for severe COVID-19, including the elderly, those in congregate care facilities, and individuals with immunocompromising conditions. Interestingly, the infectious period can start 2 days before symptoms appear and can last up to 10 days.  

The California Department of Public Health advises people who are ill to seek treatment​, stating, “If you have symptoms, particularly if you are at higher risk for severe COVID-19, speak with a healthcare provider as soon as you test positive. You may be eligible for antiviral medicines or other treatments for COVID-19. COVID-19 antiviral medicines work best if taken as soon as possible, and within 5-7 days from when symptoms start.”

For the purpose of counting days until a person has cleared the 10-day mark, Day 0 is the day of “your last exposure to someone with COVID-19” while Day 1 is considered the “first full day after your last exposure.” The virus is known to persist after the 10-day mark in some cases, which may still bring symptoms into the second week of an infection. 

If you have symptoms, especially if you are at higher risk for severe COVID-19, consult a healthcare provider immediately. You may be eligible for antiviral medicines or other treatments, which are most effective when taken within 5-7 days of symptom onset.

According to a statement offered in June by CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen, “Our top recommendation for protecting yourself and your loved ones from respiratory illness is to get vaccinated.” Mandy Cohen, M.D., M.P.H. added, “Make a plan now for you and your family to get both updated flu and COVID vaccines this fall, ahead of the respiratory virus season.”

*Note: An earlier version of this article gave the wrong caption for these graphs.

** Note: Our apologies for misspelling Ms. Messinger’s name in an earlier version of this article.

*** Note: We inadvertently used the wrong graph.