Dougherty sees increase in new cases, hospitalizations for COVID-19

ALBANY — As the nation saw its worst day this week for new coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths on Wednesday, local officials have noted a spike in hospitalizations and the rate of individuals testing positive for the disease.

The number of patients hospitalized at Phoebe Putney Health System facilities for COVID-19 nearly doubled this week, from the low 20s for the past several weeks to 45 on Friday. Forty-four of those patients were being treated in Albany and one in Americus.

Of the 45, 13 were patients from outside the hospital’s coverage area as Phoebe assists overwhelmed hospitals in other locations.

“What I will tell you is this time a week ago, we had 24 patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19, and we were averaging two or three new admissions a day,” Dr. Steven Kitchen, chief medical officer of Phoebe Albany, said during a Friday news conference held with elected and health officials. “We began to see a gradual uptick in that last week, and yesterday we had the highest census we have had (in several months).”

The percentage of positive tests among people being tested at Phoebe facilities also has nearly doubled, from a trend of about 5 percent until the recent surge where 9 or 10 percent of those being tested are positive for the novel coronavirus, Kitchen said. Other area hospitals are seeing numbers increase as well.

“I know that Tift Regional in Tifton is seeing the same thing,” he said. “Southwest Georgia in Valdosta is certainly seeing a trend in their system as well.”

This week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned of potentially the worst health crisis in the nation’s history.

And colder weather could present more opportunities for transmission. With the expected spike coming at the time when hospitals begin to see flu cases, officials have expressed concern that medical resources and personnel will be overstretched.

“I know it becomes more challenging this time of year for a number of reasons,” Kitchen said. “When the weather gets cooler, obviously people are going to be (indoors) more. We know the propensity for the virus to spread is going to be greater indoors than outdoors.”

Countywide, the positive rate has crept back up to 11 percent of those being tested in recent days, Dougherty County Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas said.

“Is it a huge difference? No,” he said. “But it is consistent with an uptick in new cases. Why has that probably happened? I would suggest we had a number of people who got together over the Thanksgiving holiday.”

Gatherings, especially large ones where proper protective measures are not followed, of people who have not been together present the opportunity for someone who is asymptomatic to pass along the virus to others, who in turn can infect other people with whom they come in contact, Cohilas said.

That means people should be smart during the remainder of the holiday period by continuing to wear face masks and practice social distancing and particularly being aware to protect the most vulnerable.

“During that period, the virus can spread and be transmitted to a large number of people,” Cohilas said. “And so that’s important to understand that the holiday season can literally provide an opportunity for the virus to proliferate, to grow, to expand in a very significant fashion.”

The rate of infection has again gone above the level that allows the city of Albany’s mask ordinance to go back into effect, Mayor Bo Dorough said. The threshold set by Gov. Brian Kemp is 100 cases per 100,000 in population, and in the latest report Dougherty County was at 103 cases per 100,000 people.

“The mask ordinance will accordingly be enforced in coming weeks,” he said.

The ordinance requires individuals to wear a face mask or covering in most public places.

On the good news front, Phoebe has prepared to be a distribution center for providing vaccines, once they become available. However, the vast majority of the public will not be eligible for vaccination for some time as supplies will be limited.

The first of limited doses will be earmarked for residents of personal care homes, first responders and those who have underlying health conditions that make them more vulnerable to the virus.

The Phoebe Health System has acquired the equipment necessary to store the vaccine at the required (minus) 70 degrees Centigrade for locations in Albany, Americus and Sylvester, Kitchen said. Phoebe also is working with federal and state officials in that process.

“We stood up a vaccine planning team several weeks ago,” Kitchen said. “We also have a vaccine task force that includes local doctors and primary care physicians to make sure we are positioned to the best of our ability to get it to people in a timely fashion.”

Since the pandemic struck in March, 199 Dougherty County residents who were coronavirus-positive have died, Dougherty County Coroner Michael Fowler said. After no deaths in October, there were two in November. The hardest hit area of the city has been the 31701 area code that includes south and southwest Albany and accounts for 88 of the deaths.

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]
Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]