COVID-19 cases have been on the rise locally in recent weeks, but at least one local healthcare professional said it does not appear as if another new wave of infections are hitting this area.
“We are beginning to see a slight increase in the number of positive cases of COVID-19,” said Maggie Simmons, assistant health director for the Surry County Health and Nutrition Center. “Surry County has an 11% positivity rate which appears to also be on a slightly upward pattern. Even though our numbers are slowly climbing, we can’t assume that we are experiencing another wave,” she said Monday.
In Surry County, there have been 154 new cases reported over the previous seven days, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. That puts the daily average at slightly more than 22.
Over the previous 14 days, the county has seen 373 new cases, or nearly 27 a day. On Tuesday, just 10 new cases had been reported. Overall, since the pandemic began, 237 people in Surry County have died from the sickness.
While the numbers have not been climbing dramatically — and even may be trending downward in recent days — cases requiring more advanced health care intervention have kept officials at Northern Regional Hospital busy.
As of Monday, the hospital’s intensive care unit, with 10 beds, and its 12-bed step-down unit, for patients whose condition is not generally quite as severe as ICU patients, were both full. Eight of the ICU beds were filled with coronavirus patients, as were three of the step-down unit beds, according to Robin Hodgin, senior vice president of patient services and chief nursing officer.
In an email, Hodgin said there were no flu patients in either unit.
“We have averaged 26 COVID inpatients over the last couple of weeks with numbers being down over the Thanksgiving holiday,” she said. On Monday, the hospital had 20 COVID patients. Of those requiring hospitalization, she said 70% are not vaccinated against the virus.
She added that the hospital’s emergency department remains quite busy, with longer-than-usual wait times for patients needing to be seen, and those who are admitted may find themselves remaining in the emergency department care longer than would be ideal.
“As often happens when patient censuses are high, not just in our facility but tertiary facilities down the road, some patients are cared for longer in our Emergency Department while they wait for the appropriate level of bed to become available at Northern or, if the patient requires a higher level of care, they may have to wait for a bed to open up at one of the larger medical centers,” she said.
Simmons, from the nutrition center, said the advice for those hoping to avoid COVID is the same as it has been for months.
“Vaccination remains as our number one defense against COVID-19,” she said. Simmons said 49% of the population of Surry County is fully vaccinated, with 52% having at least one dose. “Surry County Health and Nutrition Center has administered a total of 38,543 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, with approximately 4,000 of those being booster doses,” she said. Her department does not compile statistics on how many local cases are among vaccinated or unvaccinated patients.
“We would once again like to encourage Surry County residents to get vaccinated for COVID-19. Surry County Health and Nutrition Center is offering all three brands of vaccine and booster doses to those who are eligible. We accept walk-ins Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., but those wishing to make an appointment may do so by calling 336-401-8400,” she said.
She said there are some simple steps to slow the spread of the virus:
– Protect those not yet eligible for vaccination such as young children by getting yourself and other eligible people around them vaccinated;
– Wear well-fitting masks over your nose and mouth if you are in public indoor settings. Even those who are fully vaccinated should continue to wear masks until Surry County is no longer experiencing substantial to high community transmission;
– Avoid crowded, poorly ventilated spaces;
– Don’t host or attend gatherings if you are sick or have symptoms;
– Get tested if you have symptoms of COVID-19 or have had close contact with someone who has COVID-19.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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