Summer is in full swing and no matter how tired COVID-19 is, so is the pandemic.
In June, the Florida Department of Health reported more than 7300 new infections on the Treasure Coast, marking the third consecutive month of highest cases and a jump of 558 from the March low of more than 1100 cases.
Although recent monthly infection rates in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River remain well below their January peaks, transmission levels are maximum as sublines of the omicron variant.
► May: Infections up 131% as sixth wave continues
► April: The 6th wave of COVID arrives on the Treasure Coast
► March: COVID continues its descent on treasure coast
TCPalm calculated the June June statistics to 0, due to the DOH’s biweekly reporting schedule:
Each week in June, counties scored “high” covid-19 network grades from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most severe ranking in the three-tier system. This takes into account new infections consistent with 100,000 inhabitants, hospital admissions consistent with the capita and the number of hospital beds with staff.
Local mask orders are virtually non-existent, however, the CDC advises citizens of highly-rated counties to wear a mask in public places, even if they are vaccinated, and to get tested when exposed to the virus.
However, the widespread availability of immediate antigen testing has made infection rates difficult to interpret, Dr. Brown said. Mary Jo Trepka, chair of the Department of Epidemiology at Florida International University’s Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work. home self-assessments report their results to the CDC or the local fitness department.
“The percentage is a greater indicator of what’s going on,” he said.
The DOH no longer reports detailed case positivity rates for each county, but the state rate increased during the 15 weeks ending June 30, from 1. 9% to 19. 4%.
“It’s transparent that there is a lot of SARS-CoV-2 in the community,” Trepka said. “While we don’t see the rates seen with the (winter) increase in omicron, the highest hospitalization rates and positive percentages have been going on for more than a month. This turns out to be the result of BA. 5.
The omicron variant, first reported in Florida in St. Lucie last December, remains the CDC’s “variant of concern. “Since then, more than two dozen of its subvariants have permeated the state.
The DOH does not publish information on variants, but in the spring, TCPalm periodically received those records from the agency. According to the most recent report in early May, BA. 1. 1 is the dominant subline in Florida. He is already gone for a long time.
CDC BA. 5 projects accounted for 78% of national infections in the week ending July 16, followed by BA. 4 and BA. 2. 12. 1. They accounted for about 77 of the cases that week in the southern region, adding Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky and the Carolinas.
“BA. 5 [is] more transmissible and immune than previous variants,” said Edwin Michael, an epidemiologist at the University of South Florida School of Public Health. “However, the public’s threat belief has changed, especially since the new mutants do not appear to be clinically more serious, meaning that infections are tolerated so that other people can live their lives. “
Trepka echoed: “Although vaccination appears to be as protective compared to BA. 5 as previous variants when it comes to mild infections, it appears to be effective in preventing hospitalizations. “
Treasure Coast hospitals saw an influx of adult COVID-positive patients last month, from 403 in the week ending June 2 to 723 in the week ending June 30. That’s a 79% increase, according to a TCPalm knowledge research from the Department of Health. and Social Services.
HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce recorded the largest increase, 432%, while Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital in Vero Beach recorded the decrease, -20%.
However, these statistics should be taken with caution, Dr. Brown said. Lyssette Cardona, chair of the infectious diseases arm of Cleveland Clinic Martin Health.
“A significant number of patients have been admitted to the hospital for other reasons and have tested positive for COVID,” he said. “Many of those patients did not want a supportive remedy and were not transferred to the ICU (intensive care unit). “
HCA Florida St. Lucie Hospital in Port St. Lucie and Lawnwood has noticed trends, spokeswoman Tiffany Woods said, with some patients testing positive when they showed up for the regimen’s screening.
Since HHS does not report that weekly hospitalizations overall are less than four, it is difficult to count the precise number of adult COVID-positive patients in intensive care. 85 in the week ending June 30, a cumulative of 130%.
To put this in perspective, hospitals in the region sent more than 760 patients to intensive care the week of August 13, 2021, at the height of the delta variant outbreak.
“While we’re seeing an increase in hospitalizations, patients aren’t as healthy as in previous outbreaks,” Cardona said. “We know a lot more about COVID than we did two years ago and have more remedy characteristics for patients at risk of serious illness. “
It is not known whether other unvaccinated people account for the majority of recent hospitalizations, as happened last summer. Neither Cleveland Clinic Florida nor HCA Florida addressed patients’ vaccination knowledge in their reaction to MTCT, while Sebastian River Medical Center declined to comment.
The DOH no longer reports hospitalization or death data across the county, but CDC records imply that 36 deaths were recorded in the Treasure Coast from June 3 to June 29. of 650 deaths.
During this third summer of the pandemic, the recommendation of medical and public fitness experts remains the same as in 2020: wear a mask, wash your hands and physical distancing.
Not vaccines, Trekpa said, which have been loose and widely available for more than a year. Virtually everyone is now eligible for vaccination; On June 18, the CDC recommended the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for children up to 6 months of age.
“Those who are not vaccinated, will largely oppose serious illness even if they are vaccinated so late,” he said, stressing that other people eligible for boosters want to make sure their vaccines are up to date. “In terms of other precautions, other people want to think about (what) their non-public threat of serious illness is, if they’re around other very vulnerable people. “
In June, treasure Coast’s vaccination rate only increased, but it also tested positive for the first time since March.
Reports from the Department of Health state, “All data are provisional and subject to change. “This continuous approach accounted for more than -1,100 local vaccines in April and May. More than 9,100 people in the region got their first vaccine in June, the highest per month overall in 2022.
The development is encouraging because Michael of USF said the revolutionary functions of omicron variants can absolutely discourage vaccination.
“Fatigue with COVID is real,” he said. [But] although infections are thought to be serious in younger populations, we simply don’t know the long-term effects of infection. “
Lindsey Leake is the assigned reporter for TCPalm. She holds a master’s degree in science writing from Johns Hopkins University, a master’s degree in journalism and virtual storytelling from American University, and a bachelor’s degree. Follow her on Twitter @NewsyLindsey, Facebook @LindseyMLeake and Instagram @newsylindsey. Call her at 772-529-5378 or email her at lindsey. leake@tcpalm. com.
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