Health

COVID-19 Treatment, Novavax Vaccine Available in San Diego

empty treatment room
A treatment room at the Monoclonal Antibody Regional Center in San Ysidro.
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If you get COVID-19, do you know there is treatment available that can keep you from getting severely sick?

There is. But you must act fast.

Antiviral pills and monoclonal antibodies should be given within days after the onset of symptoms to be effective. So, you should get tested for COVID-19 as soon as you start developing symptoms. If you are 12 or older and test positive and are at high risk of progressing to severe disease, contact your doctor immediately so that you can get treatment.

People with certain medical conditions are at high risk of developing severe COVID-19, including those with:

  • Age over 50 years
  • Asthma
  • Cancer
  • Chronic heart, lung or liver disease
  • Diabetes
  • HIV
  • Mental health and substance use disorders
  • Overweight or obese
  • Pregnancy
  • Smoking, current and former
  • Unvaccinated or not up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations
  • Other factors, like race and ethnicity

If you do not have a healthcare provider, you can call 2-1-1 to find one. You can also call a Monoclonal Antibody Regional Center at (619) 685-2500 to access monoclonal antibody treatment at no cost, regardless of health insurance or immigration status.

“Monoclonal antibodies and antiviral pills work great to keep people from developing severe COVID-19,” said Wilma J. Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer. “If you’re at higher risk of developing severe illness, you should seek treatment immediately.”

Treatment centers and medical offices in the region may offer oral antiviral pills, which are taken by mouth, and/or monoclonal antibodies, which are delivered as an intravenous infusion. Your healthcare provider will determine what treatment option is best for you based on your symptoms, age and potential underlying conditions.

Novavax Vaccine is Available

Novavax, a more traditional vaccine against COVID-19, is now available in San Diego County.

You can get Novavax at local healthcare providers, retail pharmacies, and community clinics, as well as County public health centers and community vaccination events. You can make an appointment or find a walk-in clinic here.

Novavax has been authorized as a two-dose primary series, given three to eight weeks apart, to people ages 18 and older. Clinical trials showed that the vaccine series is 90% effective at preventing mild, moderate and severe COVID-19.

Everyone 6 months and older can get COVID-19 vaccines at no cost. For those who received an mRNA vaccine, boosters are available for people 5 years and older. Parental consent is required for all eligible minors to be vaccinated.

Vaccination Progress:

  • Received at least one shot: Nearly 3.01 million or 90% of San Diegans age six months and older are at least partially vaccinated.
  • Fully vaccinated: Nearly 2.66 million or 79.5%.
  • Boosters administered: 1,432,313 or 58.7% of 2,439,821 eligible San Diegans.
  • More vaccination information can be found at coronavirus-sd.com/vaccine.

Deaths:

  • 13 additional deaths were reported since the last report on Aug. 4, 2022. The region’s total is 5,437.
  • Of the 13 additional deaths, four were women and nine were men. They died between Jan. 21 and Aug. 7, 2022; six deaths occurred in the past two weeks.
  • Five of the people who died were 80 years or older, three were in their 70s, one was in their 50s and four were in their 40s.
  • Six were fully vaccinated and seven were not.
  • 12 had underlying medical conditions and one did not.

Cases, Case Rates and Testing:

  • 3,097 COVID-19 cases were reported to the County in the past three days (Aug. 8 to Aug. 10, 2022). The region’s total is now 898,520.
  • 7,045 cases were reported in the past week (Aug. 4 through Aug. 10) compared to 9,495 infections identified the previous week (July 28 through Aug. 3).
  • San Diego County’s case rate per 100,000 residents 12 years of age and older is 52.03 for people fully vaccinated and boosted, 34.81 for fully vaccinated people and 103.28 for not fully vaccinated San Diegans.
  • 6,748 tests were reported to the County on Aug. 6, and the percentage of new positive cases was 12.1% (Data through Aug. 6).
  • The 14-day rolling percentage of positive cases, among tests reported through Aug. 6, is 12.9%.

More Information:

Data updates to the County’s coronavirus-sd.com website will be published Mondays and Thursdays around 5 p.m., with the exception of holidays.

José A. Álvarez is a communications specialist with the County of San Diego Communications Office. Contact