‘Not out of the woods’: Phoebe still battling COVID, with 29 on ventilators

ALBANY — A decline in COVID-19 patients being treated in Phoebe Putney Health System facilities brings some celebration for overworked staff. But the good news also comes with the realization that part of that drop is due to deaths averaging two per day over the past two weeks.

On Friday, 123 were hospitalized in Phoebe Health System facilities in Albany, Americus and Sylvester, but of those, 45 were in critical care and 29 were being kept alive with the assistance of ventilators, according to Dr. James Black, chief medical officer at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany.

“Overall our COVID trend line continues to be in the right direction,” Black said during a Friday news conference with medical and elected leaders. “We continue to have a sharp decline in the number of patients.”

The number was down 47 percent from the peak of 214 last month and 15 percent from the previous Friday. However, 15 deaths were reported at Phoebe facilities during each of the previous two weeks.

“Although the numbers are declining, we are still not out of the woods, and we also are waiting for another shoe to drop since we just had a holiday weekend — seeing how that’s going to affect the numbers,” Black said.

Since the current surge began on July 15, the hospital system has admitted 871 patients and the average age of those patients is 56, lower than when the virus first hit in 2020. Nearly 90 percent of those hospitalized were unvaccinated.

“We’ve treated lots of adolescent patients under the age of 20, many of those under the age of 10,” Black said. “(We) had to hospitalize some here locally and transfer other kids out to pediatric specialty hospitals.

“There is a big disparity in the course of the disease for those patients who are vaccinated versus those who are not.”

Phoebe is gearing up to give booster shots to individuals who meet the guidelines once final approval is given, probably in a few weeks, the physician said.

To schedule an appointment for a first round of the vaccine and boosters once they are available, area residents can call Phoebe at (229) 312-MYMD (6369).

Through Sept. 21, 48 percent of Dougherty County residents had received at least one vaccine dose and 41 percent were fully vaccinated, Vamella Lovett, director of the Dougherty County Health Department, told the audience. That compared to 53 percent statewide who were fully vaccinated and 46 percent who have had at least one dose.

Through that date, the department had administered 79,565 doses of the vaccine.

Vaccinations are available at the health department from 8 a.m.-noon on Monday and Thursday and 1 p.m.-5 p.m. on Tuesday.

Beginning Monday, the department’s testing will be held from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at a new site located at 1150 Oakridge Drive.

A clinic sponsored last week that rewarded county residents 18 and up with a $100 gift card brought in 538 for vaccines, most of whom got their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

Dougherty County Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas said the event was a success and no county funds were spent on the effort.

“The $100 is a very, very small price to pay in exchange for someone’s life,” he said. “One day at the hospital costs a heck of a lot more than a hundred dollars. Being on a ventilator for two weeks costs a heck of a lot more than a hundred dollars.”

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