Huntington Hospital Infectious Disease Specialist: High Risk Still Posed By COVID-19 Locally

As the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise around the country, a doctor at Huntington Hospital told Pasadena Now that local residents still must remain vigilant, even though L.A. County is not surging like some other places.

“As we look in alarm but with compassion at what is happening around the globe and in our own country with the latest surge in coronavirus infections, we must remember that there is a very high risk our own local community will be experiencing this as well,” said Dr. Kimberly Shriner, a specialist in infectious diseases at Huntington Hospital, where 20 coronavirus patients were being treated as of Tuesday. 

“The current coronavirus situation in Los Angeles County is not quiet, but not surging. As we approach the holidays, we have an opportunity to keep it at a manageable level,” Shriner said.

“Social distancing, avoiding large groups of people, and wearing a mask is the greatest gift to give for the holidays and to leave us with something to be truly thankful for if our families and loved ones are spared from SARS CoV2,” she said.

County public health officials on Monday reported 861 new infections and eight new deaths. All told, there have been 300,614 infections since the pandemic, and 7,000 people have died.

Locally, 13 additional cases were reported on Tuesday. A total of 2,770 Pasadena residents have been infected by the virus, and 129 people have died.

The seven-day average of daily new cases climbed to an all-time high on Sunday, with 68,767 new cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. 

“Unfortunately, I think the statement about ‘new record’ is going to be repeated over and over again in the days and weeks to come,” Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, told CNN.

“I expect that those numbers will continue to climb. Hospitalizations are going to continue to climb,” Jah said.

The increasing numbers have led to calls for a national mask mandate. Wearing a mask and social distancing severely reduces the chances of spreading the virus.

According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, more than 100,000 lives could be saved in the United States through February if 95 percent of Americans wore masks in public.

“If people are not wearing masks, then maybe we should be mandating it,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“If you were dropped into an alien world where a terrible plague was circulating and you were told that, yes, we will have a way to treat and prevent this disease very soon, but for now you

can protect yourself with this magic piece of fabric worn over your nose and mouth, most of us would probably take that piece of fabric,” said Shriner. 

“Well, that world is not alien; it is our planet and that magic piece of cloth is called a facemask,” Shriner said. “We know it helps protect you from infection and infecting others. It is safe and simple and inexpensive, and it says a lot about who you are and how much you care about your family and those around you.”