The COVID-19 pandemic continues to take its toll on Cherokee County, with hospitals struggling to keep up and two additional deaths announced Monday.
The Cherokee County Health Department reported that a person in their mid-60s and another in their mid-70s have died from the coronavirus, which adds up to 45 local residents. From Aug. 18-23, there were 253 positive test results reported for COVID-19 at the health department, 208 who had contact with a previously reported case. Of those testing positive, 247 developed symptoms, two have been hospitalized and all have been isolated.
As hospitals struggle to take care of COVID-19 patients, some sources are pointing to an overuse of emergency departments as a significant part of the problem. Both Health Director David Badger and Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital officials spoke to the overtaxing of the ER.
“A lot of times people aren’t necessarily hospitalized, so when you’re talking about hospitals are covered up, you’re talking about emergency departments and urgent cares as well,” Badger said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re admitted into the hospital. They’re presenting to the ER because they’re sick for some reason, which is something I think is important information that we continue to get out there and push.”
He emphasized that there was usually no need to show up to the emergency room for a suspected COVID-19 case.
“People need to be very cognizant of that,” Badger said. “If they have COVID, there are certain issues or emergencies where you would go, but it’s somewhat being counterproductive to just go into the emergency department because you’re feeling bad when you can probably stay home, take Tylenol and come in for testing at either your primary care, urgent care or the health department instead of eating up valuable resources at the emergency department.”
A statement from Erlanger echoed Badger: “Our number of COVID-related ER visits and admissions have significantly increased in the past two weeks, creating a stress on the local hospital and clinics.”
Although Erlanger did not provide information on the number of COVID-positive individuals at the Peachtree hospital, officials confirmed that only one ventilated patient was at the facility Monday. However, officials emphasized that the number varies from day to day and was significantly higher over the past two weeks. Union General Hospital in Blairsville, Ga., did not return comment by press time Tuesday. However, eyewitnesses have seen ambulances parked with patients outside of its emergency room because there were not rooms available at that time.
Badger also said that the way the county reports hospitalizations is based off the number who were hospitalized on the day they tested positive for the virus. He also emphasized that these who came to the hospital for COVID-19 related issues would not necessarily end up as inpatients.
“It’s talking about if there’s 10 people who tested positive one day, and one was hospitalized, that means that they were hospitalized on the day they got their positive result,” Badger said.
He said there had been a small amount of increase in first doses of the vaccine over the course of the Delta variant-driven spike in cases. Pfizer became the first COVID-19 vaccine to be approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration on Monday.
“We’ve seen a very slight uptick,” Badger said. “We’re beginning to see a lot of interest around a booster for those that are, right now, immunocompromised.”
He said boosters would likely be available in late September, with the third shots likely to eventually be recommended for all eight months after their second dose.
“I think we’ll see an initial wave of information around the boosters, because that population is so at risk,” Badger said.
Erlanger also emphasized the importance of vaccines, saying more than 90 percent of COVID patients at Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital were not vaccinated.
“Overwhelmingly, data continues to show that the best defense against being hospitalized for COVID-19 is through vaccination,” officials stated. “ We continue to encourage the community to get vaccinated, wear masks, socially distance and practice good hand hygiene to help alleviate the strain being placed on health care around the Southeast.”
Badger said only 38 percent of the county had taken its first dose.
“That number has creeped up slightly, which is a good thing, but obviously, we’d be at a much higher rate overall,” he said.
Badger also said the virus was more ubiquitous in the current wave than in past waves.
“The virus is, I think to a level in our community that honestly, I don’t think we’ve experienced at any point during this outbreak,” he said. “It’s different. It’s everywhere, and that’s not to try to crate fear. It’s just to try to provide information. We as individuals have to go back to doing our part, whether it be wearing a mask, whether it be not putting ourselves at risk.
“If we’re symptomatic, not dismissing those symptoms and doing our part to make sure that we stop the spread and transmission of the virus is vital. If not, it’s going to continue to persist.”
Since the pandemic started through Monday, the health department has conducted 17,508 tests, 13,914 which were negative, Of the 3,445 positive tests, 3,135 have been released, 45 are deceased and 275 are active.
According to the N.C. Department of Health & Human Services, 53 percent of state residents ages 18 and older have been at least partially vaccinated, while 49 percent have been fully vaccinated. There have been 10,252,482 total vaccine doses administered statewide so far.
The health department continues to offer vaccines at no charge for ages 12 and up at the office in Murphy.
Badger continues to encourage local residents to get vaccinated and said it’s important to make sure the information you are getting about COVID-19 is coming directly from reliable sources. The health department offers vaccines at no charge for ages 12 and up at the office in Murphy. For details, call 837-7486.