August 9, 2022 - As summer temperatures have risen, so have COVID-19 case levels across the Sacramento region and California. That’s all happening alongside a flurry of omicron variants overtaking each other within a couple months — from B.A.2.5 to B.A.4 to B.A.5.

While catching COVID-19 may not lead to immediate hospitalization, it can still be debilitating, resulting in persistent symptoms that can last at least six months after initial infection. Those living with the condition, also known as long COVID, say it’s forced them to restructure their lives, and some worry what impact it’ll have on the healthcare system if more public health measures aren’t taken.

UC Davis professor Dr. Jonathan Eisen, who studies the evolution and ecology of microbes by looking at their genomes, said the reason this current variant replacement is happening so quickly is because billions of people have been infected by COVID-19. 

While Eisen is high-risk for COVID-19, he said he still goes out, he’s just careful about it. 

For him, that includes getting a good N95 mask or similar-quality respirator, like a KN95 or KF94, and learning how to use it.

Read more here. 

Source: <https://www.capradio.org/articles/2022/08/05/new-variants-wastewater-data-long-covid-what-sacramento-region-experts-are-watching/>