COVID-19 On Track To Become Second Leading Cause Of Death In LA County, Officials Say
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported Wednesday that COVID-19 was on track to become the second leading cause of death in L.A. County.
Health officials said that from January to June of last year, coronary heart disease was the top cause of death in the county — killing 6,000 people. In the first six months of 2020, COVID-19 has killed more than 3,400 people and was on track to claim more lives in the county than Alzheimer's Disease, other kinds of heart disease, stroke and COPD.
Officials also reported Wednesday that influenza killed 1,521 people during the 2019 flu season, which ran from October to May.
"The flu is a dangerous virus in its own right, but it is nowhere near as deadly as COVID-19," Dr. Barbara Ferrer, county public health director, said. "COVID-19 is on track to become the second leading cause of death in L.A. County and we need to take its strength and power seriously. A lax attitude to this virus can be deadly for someone you love."
The dire warning comes as health officials reported 64 new deaths and 3,266 additional cases, bringing countywide totals to 164,870 confirmed positive cases and 4,213 deaths.
Once again, health officials said more than half of the new cases reported Wednesday occurred in people under the age of 41 with the county now averaging 2,952 new cases per day — almost twice as many cases reported just one month ago and higher than at any point during the entire pandemic.
As of Wednesday, 2,207 confirmed coronavirus patients were hospitalized with 27% being treated in intensive care units and 19% on ventilators. This is the fourth straight day with more than 2,200 hospitalizations.
With testing results available for more than 1.5 million people, the county was reporting a 10% positivity rate — up from 9% last week.
"You could be infected, not know it, and pass the infection to someone you love who may not be as lucky as you," Ferrer said. "Please be caring of those around you — wear a face covering, maintain physical distancing and practice hand hygiene. It can save lives."
But there was one sign of hope Wednesday as Ferrer said the numbers were finally starting to level off after three weeks of sharp increases.
"This week, I believe, can be a critical turning point in determining whether our collective efforts are beginning to take us in a better direction," she said. "The stakes are really high."
