SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KGTV) — As thousands of San Diegans wrap up their holiday weekend, there could be one thing lingering around longer than we’d like: COVID-19.
“That actually is a concern every time during the holidays,” said Dr. Kaveh Bahmanpour, Sharp Community Medical Group.
Dr. Bahmanpour says this year is no exception. County numbers show we were already seeing a spike heading into mid-December. Doctors say that trend will likely continue. And the numbers could actually be higher than the ones seen.
“We have a lot of people who test at home and we don’t get a report from them,” explained Dr. Bahmanpour.
He says it’s, in part, people coming together for the holiday season, but it’s also two new contagious variants: JN.1 and HV.1, which account for more than 60% of current infections.
“That’s one of the main problems with the COVID infection. Every few months, or every few generations, we see a new virus with a new spike protein. We have to come up with a new vaccine and a new plan of care depending on if that strain is more lethal.”
He says for most infected, these variants will feel like a bad cold or flu – adding there is a new round of vaccine boosters available as of September. He urges anyone eligible to get one, especially if you’re immunocompromised, have comorbidities, or if you’re over 65.
“Those people, they can easily end up going to the hospital and the infection can get to the point where it’s more than a simple upper respiratory infection,” he said.
Even if you’re not in those categories, he says extra precautions should still be taken if visiting a loved one who is.
“If it’s not for yourself, then for them,” he said.
