COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths are on the rise across the country, but Riley County hasn’t been as affected, local officials say.
Across the country 12,613 people have been hospitalized with COVID-19 in the past week, which is a 21.6% increase from last week, and COVID-19 related deaths have risen 8.3%, reaching over a million deaths since the start of the pandemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
However, Riley County reported six hospitalizations related to COVID-19 occurring in the past week, according to the CDC.
Ascension Via Christi hospital said it has generally had one or two inpatients at a time through July and August .
Experts say they expect to see COVID-19 case numbers rise as students return school.
“We tend to congregate closer which will increase the opportunity for transmission and not just for COVID but for things like the flu, RSV — a lot of those viruses that are more respiratory by nature and are transmitted easier,” county public health clinical supervisor Jacob Clarke said. “It’s kind of a rule of thumb for them that when we move indoors, there’s more transmissions.”
EG.5 is a new variant that is similar to Omicron sub-variants and it is favoring transmission over severity for most adults, said the Riley County Health Department in a written statement.
What this means for the average community member is that symptoms may not be severe and will likely be similar to other respiratory viruses like the flu and RSV, Clarke said.
This would include fever, pain and fatigue, but these are not guaranteed to occur.
There are many ways to avoid infecting or being infected by someone, many of which are universal precautions.
If you are not feeling well, stay in and take care of yourself and make sure to get necessary vaccinations, health department director Julie Gibbs said.
“Vaccines are a tremendous and cost-effective way of protecting and preserving life,” Clarke said. “Especially for those of us who do have preexisting conditions. For me, I’d take extra time to talk to my specialist who oversees my care and communicate with my doctors.”
In Riley County, 30,903 people have completed both parts of the COVID-19 vaccines and 10,730 have done that and received at least one booster shot according to the CDC.
The health department has vaccines available and will be offering the new Moderna vaccine as soon as it arrives, according to a written statement.
Vaccines can also be found at most drug stores, doctors offices and clinics. This October, the health department will be hosting a vaccine event where participants can receive both the flu shot and COVID-19 vaccines.
