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There’s a potentially deadly virus on the loose, but most of us have let down our guard compared with the early days of the pandemic. Are we fools?
No, according to Napa County Public Health Director Karen Relucio, who assured us that the relaxing of COVID-19 restrictions (masking, social distancing, etc.) is appropriate given the county’s low levels of transmission, hospitalization and deaths, and the wide availability of therapeutic treatments for the most vulnerable patients.
Cases peaked the week of Jan. 2, with 2,390 cases reported at the height of the omicron surge. Last week that number was down to 58.
Granted, due to home testing that number doesn’t capture all of the county’s COVID-19 cases. But it can’t be too far off because it’s consistent with hospitalization rates which peaked the week of Jan. 16 and then declined dramatically.
The county also has a good vaccination rate, with 77% of eligible people fully vaccinated.
Those who do get infected are less likely to become seriously ill thanks to antiviral treatments. Those drugs are proving effective for patients who have mild COVID-19 symptoms but are considered high risk due to morbidities like obesity, cancer and compromised immune systems.
Unless you’re immunocompromised, Relucio said there’s no need to get a fourth shot yet. She said she’s following guidance from the CDC, so if their advice changes, so will hers.
The omicron BA.2 variant hasn’t been detected in Napa County, but Relucio cautioned there’s still limited capacity to test for that variant, so it’s something we should keep an eye on.
Relucio said we have six tools in our public health toolbox: vaccination, testing, masking, ventilation, early treatment and social distancing. Depending on the data, we can use any or all of those tools as we “ride waves” of COVID-19, she said.
Contact tracing, however, seems to have gone out the window after the astronomical case numbers of the omicron outbreak. Instead of tracking down everybody who’s ever come into contact with a COVID-positive person, public health authorities are instead focusing on preventing outbreaks in high-risk settings like nursing homes.
As for those controversial mask mandates? Relucio said the current data doesn’t warrant them. She said she still wears a mask during indoor gatherings, but she acknowledges she’s on the cautious side of the spectrum. It comes down to a judgment call, not a government order.
Relucio was consistently reasonable, noting that COVID-19 restrictions shouldn’t be imposed without regard for their impact on the economy and our mental health. That’s why it was so sad to hear she’s been the target of harassment, including being videorecorded while at a restaurant.
No public servant deserves to be harassed, least of all a dedicated, level-headed one who’s doing her best to keep us safe.
Relucio reflected on lessons learned during the pandemic. At first we were frantically wiping down surfaces and reserving masks for health care workers given limited supplies. Once we became certain the virus was airborne, we started masking up and stopped sanitizing every package that came in the mail.
As with any crisis, we lived and learned.
Our thanks to Relucio for translating the science, sharing the data, and helping us steer a reasonable course over the last few years.
The Star editorial board consists of Napa Valley Publishing president Jay Scott, Interim Napa Valley Register editor Samie Hartley and community volunteers Norma Ferriz, Shannon Kuleto, Bonnie Long, Peter McCrea, Chuck Meibeyer, Gail Showley and Dave Yewell.
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