City of Cupertino, CA County of Santa Clara COVID-19 Videos, 10 Feb 2021

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From YouTube: County Public Health Dept. Press Conference - February 10, 2021

Description

The County of Santa Clara speaks on the first two cases of South African COVID-19 variant identified in California, detected in Santa Clara and Alameda Counties.

Recorded February 10, 2021.

The City of Cupertino would like to express its thanks to the County of Santa Clara for the use of their video materials during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information regarding the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in Cupertino, please visit https://www.cupertino.org/coronavirus

A

For the latest information regarding the covid 19 pandemic in cupertino, please visit cupertino.org coronavirus.

B

Good afternoon, I'm hilary armstrong, a public information officer with the county of santa clara emergency operations center. Thank you for joining us this afternoon. We are here and joined by the health officers for the counties of alameda in santa clara to discuss the first two cases of the south african variant of covid19 identified in california.

B

Providing you with updates and information. Today will be dr sarah cody health officer and director of public health for the county of santa clara and dr nicholas moss health officer for the county of alameda.

B

Following statements by dr moss and dr cody, we will be taking question and answer from the media when that time comes, I will ask media to please raise your hands using the hand, raise function in zoom and I will put through a request that will ask you to unmute yourself to ask your question. Please also identify the media outlet. You are with following the conclusion of the english and asl portion of our press conference. We will go on to statements in chinese, spanish, vietnamese and tagalog.

B

Thank you very much and with that I will hand it over to dr sarah cody.

C

Thank you, hillary and good afternoon, everyone. Today we want to share with you what we know about a case in our county. A resident of our county, who we learned this morning, had been identified as carrying the strain of sars cov2. That's the south african variant.

C

So this is an adult who had traveled internationally returned in mid-january and then per the mandatory quarantine requirement in santa clara county quarantined after travel, along with a household contact several days after return, developed symptoms was tested, and then, just this morning we learned that the genomic sequencing results showed that the sarsko v2 was the south african variant.

C

Our understanding is that this case in santa clara county, along with another case in alameda county, that these are the first two cases of the south african variant to be identified in california.

C

I want to emphasize, we have begun investigating. We have not completed our investigation, but the encouraging news from our end is that this person upon returning immediately quarantined and therefore we don't know of any opportunities for further spread within our community and after dr moss. Of course, I'm happy to answer any questions. Thank.

D

You good afternoon, I'm dr nicholas moss, alameda county health officer.

D

An alameda county resident with covid19 infection diagnosed in january was also found to have had the b1351 variant otherwise referred to as the south africa variant and reported to alameda county overnight.

D

Our investigation is still in progress, but we can say this person is no longer infectious to others. We have no evidence of other b1351 variant cases in the county at this time, but we have a limited picture. Only a small fraction of coded specimens are sequenced in the us, although this number is increasing, efforts are underway in alameda, county and across california to systematically improve surveillance for variants of concern.

D

We expect to receive more reports from labs, detecting such variants in the coming weeks for all cdc variants of concern reported in alameda county. We investigate the case, ensure isolation and quarantine requirements are followed when we investigate for exposures that may have led to infection as well as for potential for ongoing spread.

D

Covert rates are improving with the resolution of the winter surge, but rates remain high and higher still even than the peak of the summer surge residents are strongly encouraged to take all precautions. We now know prevent the spread of covid19, including face coverings, physical distancing and limiting gatherings with others. Thank you.

B

Thank you very much and with that we will now proceed to question and answer. Our first question comes from lisa krieger from the mercury news. I'm going to send you a request to unmute.

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F

You can you hear me? Yes, we can uh terrific. Thank you. Can you tell.

B

Us lisa, you broke up a little bit, could you rephrase restate? Are there? Are they.

E

B

I'm really sorry lisa. We seem to have a bad connection with you. um Perhaps we'll go to the next question and then we'll come right back to you.

E

I'll send you my question: yeah. Oh.

B

F

We can hear you.

E

um The question is: are there two cases related and uh the alameda county case have a travel history.

C

So this is dr cody. Thank you for your question. To best of our knowledge, our investigation so far, we've not found any uh connections. However, as dr moss stated, they are quite early in their investigation. We have a bit more detail than they've have so far, no evidence so far that they are related to each other.

D

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D

I would just add that um this is under investigation and that's exactly the kind of thing we'll be looking for, but we don't have anything to share at this time.

B

Thank you. Our next question will be from dan kerman with k-r-o-n, I'm sending you a request and mute.

G

uh Yes, first question is uh for alameda county: why do you have so little information already uh in terms of the travel history? That would seem like a phone call and for dr cody, you talk about that. This person went into isolation right away, uh and that's the good news talk about um the the different scenarios in terms of the spread of this and why this is better than something else.

D

I'll start and then turn it over to dr cody. So these investigations take time and we were made aware we we really received this information effectively this morning and um and um and and they they are not instantaneous and they never are. um But um but we wanted to make sure that the public was aware and- and we know that other others were sharing this information, so we wanted to share what we could.

C

uh And uh can you restate the question for me, I apologize.

C

About what we I I I guess I could say I just again.

G

Muted, they just demuted me, so I can restate thank you. What what I wanted to know was talk about the various scenarios in terms of what would be helpful and what would not be helpful. For example, in this case, you said it would be helpful if this person went right into quarantine versus being around others. What is the fear about the spread of this? Had that not been the scenario or if that turns out, not to be the scenario in alameda county.

C

Well, let me let me just say uh I want to echo a few of the opening comments that dr moss made. One is that there are a few variants of concern.

C

um The south african variant is one of those there's different concerns about each variant, and so the key is to be able to pick them up, and we do that through genomic sequencing.

C

So in our case, both a specimen from santa clara county as well as alameda county, were picked up through sequencing done by dr ben pinsky's lab at stanford, and so now that we have the information. The question is, uh you know, what can we learn and I was wanted to just reiterate that in our county we have a mandatory travel directive. That means that anyone returning from travel, that's greater than 150 miles from the county border must quarantine for 10 days.

C

So this this individual had international travel, returned to our county and was 100 compliant with that stayed in their apartment and several days after returning then developed symptoms uh got diagnosed. So the good news is that at no time during their infectious period, were they in contact with anyone outside of their household, so so that that is encouraging to us in that. For this particular case, we have no evidence that there was any further risk or spread within the community.

C

However, this is really important to know is that we don't do this sequencing on every positive specimen and so in some ways we sort of have to assume that perhaps these variants of concern are already circulating.

C

We just don't know to what extent, and so we need to adapt and change our behavior and really double down on all those important things that we're doing like wearing masks, not gathering inside with anyone outside of our household and keeping our distance, because we certainly don't want any of these variants if they are here to spread any further, and that's really really really important.

B

Thank you. Our next question will come from courtney teague with patch I'm going to send you the unmute request.

H

Hi there. Thank you so much for doing this. um A couple of questions can you say more specifically what communities these patients were from and if not, why not and regarding the alameda county patient, do you have any indication that this person was in contact with others and if so, how many people.

D

uh So um uh we typically don't share that level of uh detailed uh information down to the individual community level with uh these types of investigations and um we're we're just sticking with our normal policy in this case, and then um we don't have that information uh at this time, because the investigation is in process and then I also wanted to make another comment um in response to the last uh question. Just about variants in general, the information about variants comes.

D

Not only do we not have it on every case in very few cases, but it also comes much later because it takes time for the labs to um screen and then run all the testing necessary to have this information. And so um we don't get this information at the same time that we get um in the same way that we get regular, coveted case reporting information.

B

Thank you and our next question will come from ron lin with the la times. I am sending you an unmute request.

I

Hey doctors thanks so much for taking our questions really appreciate it. The south african variant has caused substantial concern because, as dr fatchi has said, our current vaccines are less efficacious against it. Should members of the public be doing doing anything differently now that we know the south african variant is here like double masking or making our masks fit better and should counties or the state be altering public policies such as the statewide mandatory travel quarantine policy, as is the case in the santa clara and l.a counties? Thank you.

D

I can um start, and uh so um so the.

I

Most important.

D

Thing with these variants for people to realize is that all of the tools that we already have available to us to prevent the spread of covid work, including face coverings physical, distancing, avoiding gatherings hand washing, there's really no reason to stop doing those things and, in fact, just the opposite, they're as important now or more important than ever, because they can limit the spread of any variants in our communities and then in terms of the vaccine, efficacy.

D

So the vaccines available in the u.s should still are expected to still protect against infections caused by this variant. um There may be some uh variability we're gonna we'll be interested to see um uh if uh there's uh more data that comes from the manufacturers, but the early evidence suggests that they will continue to fight provide protection. But there are also um many other uh covid. You know there.

D

They are still likely a small proportion of what's circulating here locally and um it's important to realize that the benefits of the vaccine will extend across all of the covered variants that are circulating, including ones that we've had locally for some time.

C

Thanks for the question I would, I would just add that the fact that we now have documented that this variant is circulating in california. We already know the uk variant is circulating.

C

California, we know that this virus will continue to adapt and change, that's its job, and so I think that what this information does is it really underscores how important it is, even though we're tired, even though we've been doing this for a year, um that we have to continue to take all of these precautions um and uh and wear a mask and not gather indoors and wear a mask consistently.

C

That's really really really important, like don't take it off to have a snack unless you're by yourself or outside with a family member, wear your mask. um So if anything, I think that the the fact that we've now uh documented them- um you know, maybe that- will help uh change uh change behavior uh in the public. I I certainly hope so, and I would say that you know so in santa clara county, it's mandatory. This is a travel directive. It's a health office or order that after travel, you quarantine for 10 days but statewide.

C

It's an urgent, urgent recommendation, so the action that we want the public to take actually is the same across the state. We just underlined it with a health officer order.

B

Thank you very much. Our next question will come from paul rodgers with the mercury news. I am I'm sending you an unmute request and.

J

Thanks very much a few quick things: where did the santa clara county person travel to number one number two in alameda county, you mentioned that the person is no longer infectious to others. How do you know that? Have you spoken to the person and then finally, how big of a spike in cases due to these variants? Do we expect in the coming weeks or months? Thank you.

C

So I could start the the travel history for the santa clara county uh case is a bit uh complex and we're still filling it in. So I don't have particular details to share, but what I can tell you uh was that the individual did travel internationally and that they were not infectious while they were traveling, their infectious periods started after they were back home and and that's why we we, uh fortunately, are not concerned that they exposed anyone.

C

But the question is, of course you know: where did the infection come from and that that is still under investigation um and you're going to have to restate the rest of your question or I'll hand it off to nick? Who, who may remember dr moss.

D

C

D

uh The question for alameda county was how we um know that the person is no longer infectious and that's because we have the date that the um lab test was performed, and that provides um enough information at this time to make that um uh to make that judgment and then, in terms of the risk of future surges. I think that there is a risk we we certainly should expect that more um surges will come. They may uh look different uh we're. We will be moving out.

A

Of winter here.

D

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D

Will have received vaccine or will have had past infection that could affect things. um Many more older adults um will have been vaccinated, which could impact.

D

Could it should affect uh positively the the impact on our health care systems, um but nevertheless, uh many people have not uh had coveted infection, and I do think that uh that means that there is a risk of of uh of continued surges and and all the more reason to keep doing the things that we know keep each other safe uh and I think that's true, regardless of um the situation with the variants.

D

um Certainly there's concern with the uk variant and reports of increased transmissibility contributing to future surges in the u.s, but regardless, I think that the risk is there, uh no matter what variance that we're talking about and and people need to um again and stick with the things that we know work um to protect each other.

J

Have you or your staff spoken with the alameda patient, though.

D

uh I have not spoken with the alameda patient and still waiting for the latest report back from our staff.

B

Thank you. Our next question will come from kate larson with abc7. I'm going to send you an mu.

B

Kate, did you still have a question.

K

Yes, can you hear me yes hi there? Thank you uh for answering our questions. I was curious about the condition of both the santa clara and alameda patient if they're doing okay, given that we've heard that these variants are perhaps more contagious, but not necessarily more severe or result in more severe infections. My other question, I'm hoping you both can clarify this governor newsom said on january 29th, or this is when we reported it that the brazil variant had been detected in california.

K

I know we're talking about south african, but this also came out of the same stanford lab that detected the south african variants, but then today earlier he said that the brazil variant is not in california, so I'm curious. If either of you can clarify that question um as to whether the uk, south african and brazil variant have been detected in the bay area and or california, um and then I'm wondering if you either of you at this point, can answer how this might impact vaccine distribution and immunity.

K

Will people who have already received the vaccine at some point need to receive another vaccine once pfizer and moderna and johnson johnson? Assuming eua release an adjusted vaccine to protect against these new variants. Thank you.

C

So to your first question, um as as to the how ill was our case, um our case never required hospitalization uh um recovered at home and is fully recovered now um uh so this was. This was not a a severe illness. I really can't speak to detections of the brazilian variant in california. I can just say that not as yet detected in santa clara county.

D

C

D

For alameda county again uh investigation underway so can't make any comments about the severity of of the particular infection. But um with regard to other variants, a couple things I can't speak for the state. I think questions for state remarks should go to the state, but generally um speaking more generally, there are. um There is a variant of concern that is sometimes referred to as the brazil variant p.

D

One um is, uh it's also referred to sometimes and then there's a another variant of interest that has been um associated with the country of brazil and uh and that may have been a source of confusion, um but but there are actually two different uh variants and then um we do have. um uh I believe it's now seven total uh reported cases of the uk variant in alameda county.

D

All of those either directly or indirectly appear to be related to travel outside of the county and in fact outside of the country or at least outside of the state. um But um but again we have a very limited picture of the extent to which these are impacting our communities.

D

uh So um you know there are many many many um uh strain uh specimens out there that have simply not been um sequenced uh and then, in terms of the boosters, I think the um uh early information from um from scientific researchers is that um uh the the currently approved vaccines in the u.s, the pfizer moderna vaccines um should have um uh good or excellent efficacy against this. uh These the strains circulating here, including these variants, even if they're, somewhat reduced efficacy in some cases. Overall, it is still very good, but I think prudently.

D

The manufacturers and others are looking at um uh booster strategies uh should they be necessary either for these or for other variants that could emerge before we were able to collectively get this um pandemic uh under better control.

B

Thank you. Our next question will come from tayanna garcia, with.

B

B

Diana can you unmute yourself.

L

Yes, can you hear me? Yes, we can.

L

Okay, can you I don't know if you guys can hear me, but we can hear you, so it is also known that these variants are more contagious than the original covid. um How so and what is expected with the vaccine as such, and also can you give us specifics as to where these people came from you mentioned internationally, but is there a possibility to know exactly where and I did send a list over.

D

uh I'll speak to the first question and then turn it over to dr cody questions.

D

uh So in terms of contagiousness, um there are varying estimates of the um contagiousness of different variants, um the one that has been of where we've got the most information and that has been of greatest concern, has been the uk variant, um and uh these are just estimates, but it does appear more infectious than um the strengths that were circulating in the uk before it emerged, and there is recent uh data to suggest uh similarly true in the united states um that it uh that it could uh replace other circulating strains.

D

um How much more infectious, I think is um you know. Matters is still really uh an open research question, um but um but but it is um reasonable to expect that it's um more infectious uh than other circulating strains um and and again I would just highlight that the same prevention measures still work, but it's all the more reason to be diligent about using them.

C

I would I would echo the the same message.

C

uh The truth is, as we've said before this, we should expect that the virus will continue to adapt and change, and so it is important that we continue to do everything that we can to prevent every opportunity for spread, and that means consistently, masking and and keeping our distance from others and certainly and very importantly, quarantining after travel to another area. That is what has presented preventive spread from this case further into the community here in santa clara county, as I mentioned before, our case in santa clara county did have a history of international travel.

C

The history is rather complex, and so we can't share any further details now, but we will continue to gather information as we put the story together. Of course, we will share during later updates.

B

Thank you. We have time for a couple of more questions. We are handling questions in the order they were received and are doing our best to get to everyone. So thank you for your patience and we can always follow up. Our next question will come from aaron alday, with the chronic.

M

Time with me, I know you're really busy, so we really appreciate it um just a question. I know that um you've said um that it's, it's obviously really important for everybody to do the uh the social distancing the practices we know of, but can you speak to the importance of really kind of increasing our surveillance, increasing our screening and sequencing? So we can identify these particularly troublesome cases.

M

Very early and kind of you know form that contact tracing investigation around them and get those kind of um isolated and and taken care of really quickly is that is that on the table? Is that something that is possible to do and that we should be doing?

M

C

You so much for the question I I have to say that this does remind me a little bit of our early days of testing, where we had very little testing and it was so focused if you I'm sure you remember that we were only testing people who are hospitalized with a travel history, because we simply didn't have the capacity and a year ago. I remember that very uncomfortable feeling, thinking that you know, there's got to be cases out there when we just can't see them. I think it is a similar story with genomic sequencing.

C

There is not a standardized, consistent population-based approach across the country. We are trying to build an approach across the state, but it is a patchwork of different types of labs. Some counties submit are able to submit more specimens for sequencing than others.

C

The county of santa clara is for a variety of reasons, able to access more labs from for genomic sequencing as compared to many counties, but it is still just a small fraction of the cases that we identify every day. So we are indebted to academic labs who support this work. And again, I want to emphasize and thank the lab at stanford that did the sequencing and reported it to us so quickly after they got the result.

C

There are other academic, labs and other partners that are doing this as well and there's a database, but the capacity sort of broadly speaking across the state in the country just isn't what it needs to be in order to rapidly identify and track emerging.

N

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L

N

Okay, um so I am wondering if, with so much unknown about the variants, are we moving too quickly on reopening um you know, there's a lot of pressure to get schools reopened a lot of pressure to reopen the economy and businesses.

N

What would you advise with so little known and with the belief that there are more cases out there.

C

I think you know the good news to put a positive spin on this is that we know a lot more than we than we did at the beginning of the pandemic.

C

We have more tools and more nuanced tools than than we had a year ago, um and so we know more about what kind of masks work and why they work. We know how important ventilation is. We know how important filtration is.

C

We know that a primary mode of transmission is through aerosols, those you know, fine little little particles that can kind of linger and float in the air. None of that was, you know really clear to us a year ago, so we know what steps we need to take. I think the biggest challenge uh is to ensure that that everyone is willing and able to um to change those behaviors um all the time.

C

uh That's the that that really is the key challenge and that's a challenge now and I think that it's going to be more of a challenge going forward with these new uh variants. You know that may be coming on online to a greater or lesser extent, we're not quite certain certain yet so, as with everything I think it's um you know, we we still do need to be cautious. um As dr moss mentioned case rates are declining, however, they are still really high.

C

They are still far higher than they ever were even during the summer peak. So we are, you know we're still in a pretty big pickle, that's the truth, um and so I don't think we have that much room uh to to move.

C

um That being said uh as far as schools, I know our local data uh for the schools that we have had open, which are primarily k through five or k through six we've seen very little transmission in the school, so the schools have been able to apply the the safety measures and the safety protocols and prevent the vast majority of spread within school. So that's that's a that's a bit of good news.

C

I don't know if dr moss you'd like to add.

D

uh You know I'll just add that in terms of um monitoring case rates and and the state's blueprint for safer economy that um that we use to regulate reopening uh that the those case rates are, are you know, we should still be able to detect these variants with current testing, based on what the fda is saying about the available tests and the variants themselves, and so uh case rates falling. That's that's true.

D

Regardless of what is circulating here in the counties, um uh again rates remain very high, but also, I think um you know, although some reopening has happened, we we remain in in at a time where there are a lot of restrictions in place, and I think this is all the more reason for people to um to abide by those.

D

I know it's been a a difficult year and a year of a lot of sacrifice for residents across the bay area, but um but they they are um extremely important and even though some things have opened up, a lot of things remain closed and let's try to stick with that. We'll watch the what happens with the pandemic in terms of case rates impact on our health care system, and I think we should be prepared that that, if things start moving the opposite direction, we might also have to increase restrictions again.

D

um That's that's simply the the situation we're in.

B

Our next and second to last question goes to molly mcrae of kpix and unfortunately we won't be able to get to a second round of questions for outlets today, but you can always follow up with us. So molly. Can you guys hear me.

F

Yes, we can okay, great, so um could you let me know with both the cases were they selected randomly to be genomically sequenced, um both in alameda and santa clara county and dr moss? Where was the alameda county case sequenced and, finally, just any any idea that you may be doing dosing differently if we're seeing more of these variants proliferate around the bay area.

D

uh So uh our the alameda county uh variant was sequenced at stanford, dr pinsky's lab um same as dr cody's, and um I I think they can um address this more directly. My understanding is there. They have a strategy for screening, everything that is tested at their lab and then they can do additional testing. If those screening tests suggest there may be a variant. So it wasn't anything specific to our case that um that resulted in this, but rather their their overall approach.

D

And I'm sorry, I I forgot the rest of the question. You have to remind me.

F

Oh, um do you think that there's going to be any kind of reconsideration of how dosing may occur if we see more of these variants proliferate at all and what I mean, instead of just just giving out the the single doses first before completing um one vaccination with two doses? Well,.

D

I think the most important thing with dosing is that it should be, you know, really evidence-based and driven by what what has been um shown in um ideally in the clinical trials. That's why the um that's why they're done and- and I think uh you know if a good clinical data suggests that there's a more optimal dosing strategy either for these variants that we're talking about today or or any covid.

D

um You know, I think, we'll all be interested to see that, but for the time being um uh you know, I think letting the the high quality clinical trial data guide us is is um where we are and and right now. That is not yet suggesting any any change in dosing strategy. um I think at least here in california,.

B

Thank you and our final question today we'll go to janie haar with the.

B

B

Jamie, can you find your unmute? Oh.

O

Can you hear me yes, that was hard. um Thank you all for your time, um dr cody.

O

If I'm hearing this right, it sounds as if two members of the same household traveled, but only one, was diagnosed with a new variant, and did you say that that person did not contract the virus while traveling and secondly, your county executive um said yesterday that he'd like to opt out of my turn, the state's new appointment system? Can you elaborate on why thank you.

C

uh Thank you for your question. So a little bit more detail on our case in santa clara county, our case in santa clara county traveled, returned became ill got tested.

C

The case has a household contact, one household contact that household contact also became ill but wasn't tested that household contact also had a travel history. So that's why the? But it is a presumed case, but that's why this is complicated in our county. As far as the exposure and the travel history, so you're correct, one confirmed one presumed that they are household contacts and both have a travel history and both very importantly- and I really need to underline this- they were exquisitely compliant and immediately from turning from travel.

C

They went nowhere outside of their home. They had food delivered, they were extraordinarily careful and prevented. You know. As best we can tell. We really don't have any concerns about further transmission in the community.

C

O

um I had a follow-up on my turn: yeah.

C

I can't I don't really have um information to to to help with that. um So I can't really answer that question right now, but sorry about that. Perhaps a follow-up with a pio team.

B

The pio team would be happy to follow up with you on that. This concludes the english and asl portion of our media availability today. Thank you so much to our team and our asl cdi interpretation team and thank you to dr cody and dr moss for joining us today.

A

For the latest information regarding the covid 19 pandemic in cupertino, please visit cupertino.org.

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