‘Uptick’ in California COVID outbreaks brings new warnings

SAN FRANCISCO — Coronavirus conditions are likely to worsen, with case rates continuing to rise and hospitalizations starting to increase, according to the top health official in the San Francisco Bay Area's most populous county.

"We are also seeing a pretty significant uptick in reports of outbreaks, from schools, work sites and other congregate facilities," Dr. Sara Cody, the Santa Clara County public health director and health officer, said at a news conference Tuesday. "Many of them are related to social gatherings. It's spring — school is ending and people are gathering, and COVID is spreading."

Caution is especially needed as it's becoming clear that the latest omicron subvariants that are circulating can reinfect people who survived the first strains of the omicron variant back in December or January. Experts had said that the first omicron subvariant, BA.1, likely conferred immunity against a newer subvariant, BA.2.

But some experts say that surviving BA.1 may not confer a high likelihood of avoiding infection with an even newer subvariant, BA.2.12.1, which is more infectious than BA.2.

"Even if you got omicron during the omicron surge, you can still get COVID again, unfortunately," Cody said.