Santa Cruz County hasn’t escaped a bad flu season that has gripped the state for the past several months. A public health official said that the rough season could be due to a number of factors, including possibly more severe strains of common flu viruses circulating, a higher disease burden among vulnerable populations and low vaccine uptake.
Flu
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Santa Cruz County orders masking in some health facilities Nov. 1
As fall creeps in and respiratory virus season draws closer, Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Lisa Hernandez has issued a health order, effective Nov. 1, that requires face masks indoors in acute care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, surgical and maternity centers and infusion centers for treatments such as dialysis and chemotherapy.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Winter virus season proving less severe in Santa Cruz County, but ‘time will tell’
Although Santa Cruz County health care facilities aren’t seeing the same “tripledemic” that strained services last winter, COVID, flu and RSV are still making the rounds. Flu numbers are increasing quickly, while COVID has not hit the county particularly hard yet. Although the latest subvariant of interest, JN.1, shows the ability to be more infectious and better evade vaccines, county deputy health officer Cal Gordon said vaccines still appear to provide good protection against serious illness.