Three COVID-19 deaths this week bring Dougherty total to 158

ALBANY — After a two-week span when no Dougherty County residents died from complications of COVID-19, three new fatalities have been reported this week. But those deaths were not related to a recent increase in hospitalizations.

As Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital has seen a gradual increase of 40 percent in hospitalizations from the low point last month, Florida rapidly has been setting record numbers for new cases and deaths in recent days. New cases also have spiked in Alabama.

The three deaths of Dougherty County residents brought the total death toll to 158, Dougherty County Coroner Michael Fowler said on Wednesday.

One died in Albany and the others died at hospitals in other cities.

“They had been hospitalized for a while — since March,” Fowler said of the three latest deaths. “It’s really not from the new surge, from the holidays, nothing like that.”

Dougherty County became a hot spot for the novel coronavirus early, with city and county officials declaring a state of emergency in mid-March and subsequently issuing a shelter-in-place order that was lifted last month. In ensuing weeks of the outbreak, other southwest Georgia counties recorded some of the highest per-capita rates for the disease, including Early, Randolph and Terrell counties.

Now, other counties in the region and across Georgia are dealing with a surge, said Dr. Steven Kitchen, Phoebe’s chief medical officer.

“What we are seeing right now is the (number) is starting to go up in Tift County,” he said. “Tift Regional Medical Center this week had a huge influx. The number has soared. Valdosta has more than doubled in the last week or so.

“I know Columbus, their numbers are way up; Macon is as well. I have a call with chief medical officers across the state once a week. We are seeing there is a much greater need for hospital beds and ICU beds across the state.”

Tift County had a total of 999 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Tuesday, a rate of 2,447 per 100,000 residents, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. The agency reported a total of 1,955 confirmed cases in Lowndes County.

In Dougherty County the number of hospitalizations dropped to the low-30s a few weeks ago, but in recent days has been hovering at about 50 in the hospital for treatment on a daily basis.

“It’s just kind of gradually gone up,” said Kitchen, who added he doesn’t think the rise reflects a second wave hitting the region. “We’ve definitely seen an increase, but nothing like we saw in March and April.

“I think it’s still a manifestation of that first wave. I think we are certainly seeing a notable increase after that first surge in March and April.”

With cases surging in Arizona, Florida, South Carolina and Texas, it has become obvious COVID-19 is not going away anytime soon. Florida’s role as a summer destination, with beaches and bars doing a brisk business, are factors in that state’s increase, Kitchen said.

Florida’s record of 15,299 new confirmed cases on Sunday also shattered New York’s largest single-day total of 11,571 at that state’s peak in April. The Sunshine State also reported the highest number of deaths on a single day this week with 123 on Tuesday.

Walt Disney World’s Epcot Center and Hollywood Studios re-opened on Wednesday, after the re-opening on Saturday of the Magic Kingdom park.

Scientists regularly are making new discoveries about the coronavirus that emerged late last year in China.

For Kitchen, one of the biggest eye-openers is the ease with which the virus can be spread, with droplets being spread by coughing and sneezing but also by droplets released from the upper respiratory tract when people project their voices by speaking or singing.

“There is no question our knowledge and understanding of the virus — how it behaves, how it is transmitted, effective treatment — is rapidly expanding,” Kitchen said. “I think probably the biggest revelation to me has been that the virus is perfectly designed to cause a global pandemic. People begin spreading it before they show any symptoms. It’s easily spread from person to person by respiratory droplets.”

The rapid pace of developing a potential vaccine also has impressed the physician. There are three vaccines in serious contention to be the first that will be available.

Manufacturers will conduct clinical trials to prove the safety and effectiveness prior to approval, Kitchen said.

“We’re hopeful there will be a potential vaccine,” Kitchen said. “The question then is can we produce them on a scale that will be sufficient.”

In the meantime, the recommended way to combat the spread of the disease and deaths are those identified as effective in prior pandemics, which includes face masks and practicing good hygiene.

“The real basics, in terms of curbing the transmission, are the things we’ve been talking about before,” he said. “Masking is particularly effective. Masks are 90 percent (effective) in reducing the odds of spreading by respiratory droplets.

“The second thing is distance, at least 6 feet. The chances of catching the virus from respiratory droplets is going to decrease.”

With numbers climbing in much of the country, the best advice is for the elderly and those with underlying health conditions to stay at home as much as possible, Kitchen added.

“You should just try to practice sheltering in place and minimize the time you’re out,” he said.

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