Holiday gatherings, a return to public concerts and meetings, along with the easing of mask and social distancing mandates are among the many measures a pandemic-weary public have been hankering for.
Unfortunately, as society is beginning to give in to those wishes, COVID-19 cases are skyrocketing, hitting some of the worst numbers of the pandemic.
That is true locally as well, with the number of new daily cases skyrocketing, patients needing hospitalization outpacing the number of beds available, and the number of COVID related deaths again climbing.
“The past three to four weeks have been among the worst we have seen over the course of the pandemic,” said Maggie Simmons, assistant health director for the Surry County Health and Nutrition Center.
According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, on Thursday Surry County reported 153 new COVID cases over the previous 24 hours. The county has averaged 127 new cases each day for the past two weeks, and the overall death toll has risen sharply, standing at 292.
Simmons said not only is the number of new daily cases a major concern, but the percentage of tests which result in a positive finding is another measure of how serious the latest wave of infections has become.
“If we take a look at the percent positivity from December 2020 when we experienced our most significant wave of COVID-19 cases, our positivity rate at its peak was approximately 25%,” she said. “Then we had another peak around September-October of 2021, and the positivity rate did not exceed 20%.”
Now? Simmons said the recent positivity rate has been 35%, and that is down from close to 40% in mid-January.
Those numbers have again strained local health care efforts.
“Our census continues to be higher than normal,” said Robin Hodgin, senior vice president of patient services and chief nursing officer at Northern Regional Hospital, on Thursday. “Today, we have a total census of 106 including skilled nursing and an acute census of 76,” she said.
Those numbers are actually an improvement, she said. Last week the figures were considerably higher.
“Our total census peaked at 122 with an acute census of 91,” Hodgin said of last week’s figures.
On Thursday of this week, around noon, she said the hospital had 36 inpatients hospitalized because of COVID-19, and 78% of those are not vaccinated. The intensive care unit was full, with seven of its 10 patients there because of COVID. The step-down unit, for critical patients who are slightly less serious than those in the ICU, had all 12 of its beds full, with eight of those patients suffering from COVID.
In addition, she said patients needing hospitalization are being held in emergency department beds because no regular hospital space is available. As of Thursday, there were eight such patients, although the figures were higher last week.
Simmons said the best means of prevention remains getting the vaccine, along with continuing to wear masks in public, practicing social distancing, and washing hands frequently.
Across the county, she said 35,714 persons, or roughly 50% of the population, has been fully vaccinated with two doses of either Pfizer or Moderna, or one dose of J&J. Another roughly 2,200 Surry County residents have received one dose of a two-dose vaccine, while 15,451 of those fully vaccinated have received a booster vaccine.
She said Surry County Health and Nutrition Center is still offering vaccinations Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Testing is likewise being offered at these locations and times:
– Central United Methodist Church, 1909 North Main Street, Mount Airy on Sunday 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Monday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; and Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.;
– Dobson Farmer’s Market, 903 East Atkins Street, Dobson, Monday through Friday, 12 p.m. – 7 p.m.;
– First United Methodist Church, 210 West Marion Street, Pilot Mountain, Sunday through Thursday, 1 p.m. – 7 p.m.
– Elkin Presbyterian Church, 151 Hillcrest Drive, Elkin, Sunday through Thursday, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
While the testing is free, registration is recommended. To register, call 1-877-562-4850.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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