LA County Public Health Dept. COVID-19 Armenian Update- 4/20/2020

LOS ANGELES – With 17 new deaths in the past 24 hours, and a total of 13,816 COVID-19 (Coronavirus) cases in Los Angeles County, the LA County Department of Public Health – Environmental Health Specialist Nona Oganisyan, issued a message in Armenian today during the daily press briefing, urging the Armenian-American community to continue following safe practices to avoid getting infected along with updated statistical data.

To find out if you’re eligible for a test and to schedule an appointment at a drive-up mobile testing site in Los Angeles County, please visit https://covid19.lacounty.gov/testing/.

The USC – LA County County Department of Public Health (Public Health) today released preliminary results from a collaborative scientific study that suggests infections from the new coronavirus are far more widespread – and the fatality rate much lower – in L.A. County than previously thought.

The results are from the first round of an ongoing study by USC researchers and Public Health officials. They will be conducting antibody testing over time on a series of representative samples of adults to determine the scope and spread of the pandemic across the county.

Based on results of the first round of testing, the research team estimates that approximately 4.1% of the county’s adult population has antibody to the virus. Adjusting this estimate for statistical margin of error implies about 2.8% to 5.6% of the county’s adult population has antibody to the virus- which translates to approximately 221,000 to 442,000 adults in the county who have had the infection. That estimate is 28 to 55 times higher than the 7,994 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported to the county by the time of the study in early April.

The latest figures, according to the LA County Public Health Department website, the city of Glendale continues as one of the highest affected with 339 cases to date. Other areas with high populations of Armenian-Americans, include Burbank (141 cases), East Hollywood (72 cases), Hollywood (146 cases), Little Armenia (65 cases), Montebello (80 cases), North Hollywood (184 cases), Northridge (87 cases), Pasadena (215 cases), Sunland (43 cases), and Tujunga (30 cases).

Additionally, it is being reported that the following skilled nursing and assisted living facilities with high numbers of Armenian residents have been affected: Alexandria Care Center, Montrose Healthcare Center, Glendale Post Acute Center, Ararat Convalescent Hospital, Ararat Assisted Living, Brier Oak on Sunset and Burbank Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center among others.

For a complete up to date list of COVID-19 posit cases by cities and institutions, visit:
http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/