At the end of 2019, the world was shaken by news of an epidemic that had first emerged in the Chinese port city of Wuhan. The outbreak of coronavirus disease led to a pandemic declared by the WHO on March 11, 2020. Because of globalization, all countries have become vulnerable to the virus. So, let’s find out more about how Los Angeles experienced a challenging period of the pandemic at i-los-angeles.
What happened at the onset of the pandemic?
At the beginning of 2020, residents of California observed the situation in New York with curiosity, which had become the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. At that time, there weren’t many infected people in Los Angeles. California introduced a quarantine on March 19, 2020. At that time, less than a thousand cases of coronavirus infection and about two dozen deaths were registered in the state.
California became the first state in the USA to implement strict containment measures. The local authorities ordered to temporarily close all non-strategic and non-essential businesses. Schools were also closed. For example, the company Netflix and the University of California shifted many of their employees to remote work. Within two and a half months from the first recorded cases of COVID-19, 821 people died in Los Angeles. More about how they are helping to maintain mental health in Los Angeles can be found here.
What helped to contain the deadly virus?
Experts claim that timely lockdown and isolation measures became the main reason for California’s success. California became a leader among other states and then others saw positive results of their actions, especially in the San Francisco Bay Area. Another factor contributing to success was a highly developed medical infrastructure. As a result, all citizens got proper medical care without encountering a shortage of hospital beds, ICU units or health workers. This was confirmed by Karin Michels, the head of the Department of Epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. California even sent 500 ventilators to hospitals in New York and other states, which were particularly affected by the coronavirus.
The Governor of California signed an order prohibiting leaving home except for essential needs, such as buying food, caring for a relative or friend, seeking medical help or going to a “critically important work.” People working in critical infrastructure sectors continued to go to work but were required to keep at least 6 feet apart. All indoor restaurants, bars, nightclubs, entertainment centers, gyms and fitness studios were shut down. Gas stations, drugstores, grocery stores, minimarkets, banks and laundries remained open.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the mortality rate from Covid-19 in California was two cases per 100,000 residents. In New York, it was 55 cases per 100,000.
Recurrent virus outbreak
In the summer of 2020, the virus hit Los Angeles again. At that time, the state governor ordered the closure of most businesses. Two largest school districts refused to return to full-time study.
The state’s largest school districts in Los Angeles and San Diego, with 706,000 students and 80,000 staff members, announced that they would give classes online only. In their statement, it was mentioned that countries that successfully reopened their schools did so only after reducing the number of sick people and reaching the necessary amount of coronavirus testing. California, along with Florida, Arizona and Texas became the new epicenters of the pandemic in the United States. According to Reuters, the number of cases rose rapidly in about 40 out of 50 states within two weeks.
A study conducted among residents in Los Angeles County showed that approximately 4.1% of adults tested positive for coronavirus antibodies. Therefore, U.S. health officials suggested that the infection rate could have been 40 times higher than the number of confirmed cases.
Serological tests conducted by researchers at the University of Southern California on 863 individuals indicated that the mortality rate from the pandemic may have been lower than previously thought. But they also noted that people who did not exhibit any symptoms might be more likely to suffer from respiratory diseases.
As experts predicted back in the spring of 2020, COVID-19 became a reality that people had to learn to live with. The virus is still with humanity, but protection from vaccines, previous infections and antiviral treatments has significantly reduced the likelihood of hospitalization and death. According to the Los Angeles Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 98% of people aged 16 and older had COVID-19 antibodies in the second half of 2023, compared to 21% in January 2021.
COVID-19 research project
By the end of 2020, the county had been affected by the virus particularly hard. As of November 13, 2020, there were a total of 330,514 infections and 7,221 deaths. While it was initially believed that all people had the same susceptibility to Covid-19, not all residents were equally affected by this disease. That is why a project was initiated in Los Angeles to identify regions in the county that may be at increased risk of infection and COVID-19 transmission.
Experts of the project identified several indicators of medical vulnerability:
- Previous health status
- Obstacles to access to medical services
- Risk of anthropogenic environment
- Social vulnerability.
The risk indicator in the man-made environment was supposed to identify areas that were more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection. This happened because there was not enough space to comply with shelter-in-place rules and other preventive measures to stop the infection from spreading. Housing density in the city was taken into account, as heavily populated areas increase the chances of encountering people. As a result, it becomes harder to adhere to social distancing rules and enhances the likelihood of coming into contact with a carrier of COVID-19. The presence of parks and open spaces per 1000 residents was also considered. It is easier for people to stay physically and mentally fit in open green spaces through exercise and outdoor activities.
These figures are influenced by various factors related to increased risk of infection and mortality from COVID-19. The four indicators share common characteristics but are not identical.
For example, the most vulnerable areas by all indicators are typically concentrated in the areas of South Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley and are mostly inhabited by multi-racial and low-income communities. The neighborhoods with the lower risk are located along the coastal regions of the county and are characterized by lower density and higher incomes.
According to analysts, it is important for state and local officials to increase or redirect funding to provide appropriate health care to areas with high medical and social vulnerability. In addition, the authorities should provide much more preventive resources and relevant health information to communities that lack services. Moreover, officials and local politicians should make more efforts to transform densely built-up and socially vulnerable neighborhoods into safe spaces for social distancing and quarantine.