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SLO County COVID-19 cases top 34,000 after holidays

January 4, 2022

By KAREN VELIE

San Luis Obispo County has reported more than 34,000 Covid-19 infections, a sign of the rapid spread of the virus that public-health officials said is only partially captured by official data as many residents rely on at home tests.

During the past five days, 1,513 SLO County residents officially tested positive for the virus. The county’s 14-day daily average has increased from 72 just one week ago to 191, the highest it has been since Jan. 2021.

“COVID-19 is clearly surging in San Luis Obispo County,” said Dr. Penny Borenstein, SLO County’s health officer. “This is the fastest, steepest increase we have seen since the beginning of this pandemic, even compared to our biggest surge last January. It’s likely that with the increased use of home testing, these numbers do not represent all cases.”

San Luis Obispo leads with 338 new cases, followed by Paso Robles with 234, Arroyo Grande with 192, Atascadero with 142, Nipomo with 134, Morro Bay with 74 and Los Osos with 72.

The number of SLO County residents in hospitals receiving treatment for the virus also increased with 30 currently hospitalized, eight in intensive care.

In SLO County, 34,071 people have tested positive for the virus and 373 have died.

There have been 5,598,887 positive cases, and 76,862 deaths in California.

More than 58,040,720 U.S. residents have tested positive for the virus, and 851,439 have died.

In addition, the number of people infected with the virus worldwide continues to increase: 295,442,297 cases with 5,473,059 dead.


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Don’t freak out. THIS is the Omicron blitzkrieg. It is obliterating the deadly deadly Deadly Delta. This is a different disease than that what humanity has experienced with the Wuhan and Delta variants. This is a good thing and will takeoff to the moon on it’s way sending Covid-19 to perdition. Rejoice! The last wave!


13

I think you’re correct. Our reactions are what I fear, not necessarily the virus.


0

And what gives you confidence that there will be no further mutations? It seems like everything we know about viruses, and coronavirus in particular, is that it changes. I’m not an epidemiologist, but it seems like a higher infection rate might offer MORE chances for mutation. Last wave? Hmmm.


-5

virus wants to survive, too. therefore, mutations tend to trend toward benignity.


7

Everything I read and listen to (Campbell, Mcary..others) pretty much aligns with your view. To the following commenter, yes there could be further mutations, but every time this little bugger reinvents itself it becomes weaker while spreading more easily. Hence, while this thing may not disappear in our lifetime it MAY be relegated to nuisance affliction, a far less lethal corona virus such as the common cold and or perhaps the seasonal flu?


In the US the seasonal flu kills between 25-50k annually and if that’s the case with this virus I would say we are back to some semblance of “normal.”


Perhaps they’ll combine the annual flu vaccine with a Covid shot? I know that for myself I will not be boosting every six months…


7

Reads like the Omicron “wimpy version” is a antidote to the bad versions. This just might be a good thing?


14