SF Hospital CEO Suggests This 4th Wave of COVID-19 Might’ve Peaked at Least in San Francisco – SFist

Based on the most recent City data that shows hospitalizations are leveling off, as well as cases slowly coming down, the CEO of Zuckerberg SF General Hospital has said SF may have just seen the worst of this wave of COVID-19.

The Delta Variant has shifted our optimistic notion that the pandemic would be over soon; Hot Girl Vaxx Summer has now, more or less, morphed into The Season of COVID Anxiety. Mask wearing and vaccinations continue to be our best tools in fighting the disease (even if herd immunity continues to become more out of reach).

And given that both hospitalization rates and the recorded seven-day rolling average of cases continue to dip, the CEO of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital has said that we might be putting the worst of this COVID-19 wave behind us.

At last here in San Francisco.

Based on what were seeing in the data, it looks like hospitalizations are leveling off and the peak of cases has started coming down, said Dr. Susan Ehrlich, who's the CEO of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, to NBC Bay Area. You know, it appears that way based on the trends were seeing in the data right now."

Given the fast incubation rate of the Delta variant by far the most dominant strain currently circulating the country, as well as the Bay Area the current data set might not be as representative of what's to come. Though it's encouraging, nonetheless. And as Ehrlich says: If nothing else, the pandemic has taught not only here, but the entire population, a lesson in humility.

"But this pandemic has taught me a lot of humility," she continues. "So, its hard to make perfect estimates about whats going to happen. But in this surge, at this time, yes, I would say that."

Ehrlich notes that San Francisco General currently has 19 patients hospitalized with a coronavirus infection; fifteen of those patients are unvaccinatedwhile the other four are breakthrough cases. These figures just further show the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.

Solano County has also seen cases remain steady over the past seven days. However hospitalization rates in Alameda County are inching upward; Santa Clara County, as well, has seen a slight increase in COVID-19-related hospitalizations over the past week.

To echo a sentiment said by Dr. Bob Wachter Friday: Us humans don't choose when the pandemic is officially over... the pathogen does. When and if a fifth wave does come crashing down, well be even more prepared for it now.

For more information on Covid-19 vaccines, as well as how to receive one in the City and County of San Francisco, visit sf.gov/get-vaccinated-against-covid-19.

Photo: Getty Images/SerrNovik

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SF Hospital CEO Suggests This 4th Wave of COVID-19 Might've Peaked at Least in San Francisco - SFist