Summer spike in COVID-19 cases in Fresno County

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- COVID-19 may be an afterthought for some, but California has seen a spike in cases in recent months.

"Our numbers in Fresno have tracked with the rest of California," said UCSF Fresno emergency medical physician, Dr. Kenny Banh.

With more people testing at home or not at all-the state has found new ways to track the virus.

"The number one thing we're seeing is the increase in wastewater, which is where you're sampling people's wastewater and seeing COVID and all the samples," Dr. Banh explained. "So you know, it's in the public that doesn't tell you individually who has it but tells you, as a population. Numbers are way way up."

Since the start of pandemic, we've seen cases spike in the winter and summer as people head indoors to escape the weather... we also tend to travel more.

"In the summer, we have a spike because it's actually high travel season, too," Dr. Banh said. "You know, like people are all in the airports on the buses, all visiting families. It's summer vacation. There's a lot of there's a lot more travel related to that."

The Fresno County Public Health Department says this summer's variant can spread quicker than others we've seen in the past.

"But we're not seeing, at least at this time, a higher level of severity, meaning we're not seeing more people being hospitalized or dying due to COVID," Fresno County Public Health Department Deputy Health Officer Dr. Trinidad Solis explained.

Symptoms of the current variant can be the same as the past.

"We are seeing a lot of people with sore throats, coughs, fevers, but people can also have abdominal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea," Dr. Solis said. "So it's very important if you're having covid symptoms to get tested."

The Fresno County Public Health Department says there are still ways to get tested for free.

"We do have a pro program called the Rural Mobile Health Program, where we have providers that offer free testing and treatment for COVID and individuals can check out our website and these partners rotate throughout the rural areas of the county and offer these services," Dr. Solis stated. "In addition, our Department of Public Health has given COVID test to different community based organizations. So they can help us reach vulnerable communities."

If you test positive, doctors recommend staying home for 24 hours or until you are fever-free without medication. You can also seek treatment.

"Oral Paxlovid is still the mainstay first line treatment for the vast majority of covid cases and shown to be effective at reducing hospitalization and death," Dr. Banh said.

Doctors still recommend staying current on your vaccinations-- with an updated COVID booster expected this fall.

"We have to think about it the same way I get my annual flu vaccine," Dr. Banh explained. "This is how COVID has become, where flu still has spikes and still hospitalizes and kills people and takes both healthy people, but a lot of at-risk populations, and we have to start thinking about COVID that way."

If you are sick, elderly or have a compromised immune system, doctors recommend wearing a mask.

As for if masks will be mandated again in Fresno-the public health department says that is not likely.