Columbus COVID hospitalizations remain low as omicron becomes dominant variant
COVID-19 hospitalizations throughout Columbus remain low heading into the Christmas holiday as the omicron variant spreads throughout the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Hospitalizations have declined in western Georgia, St. Francis-Emory Healthcare spokesperson Grant Farrimond said, adding that the hospital is caring for less than five COVID-19 positive patients.
Throughout the city, hospitalizations have remained around 30-32 patients, Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson said. Statewide, hospitalization numbers also are holding, Gov. Brian Kemp told reporters during a press conference Monday.
“This variant spreads very quickly, which is worrisome because a lot of people are getting very sick, very fast,” Kemp said. “But it doesn’t seem to be as potent as delta. But that’s just an early indicator.”
The omicron variant accounts for 95.2% of new COVID-19 cases in the Department of Health and Human Services Region 4, according to the CDC. Region 4 consists of Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
The most important thing residents can do is to get vaccinated, Farrimond said.
“Vaccines are safe and highly effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death from this virus,” he said. “We also recommend residents who are fully vaccinated and are eligible for a booster shot receive one.”
Piedmont Columbus Regional did not provide comment on its COVID hospitalizations before publication.
Breakthrough infections are likely to occur with the omicron variant, according to the CDC, but vaccines have remained effective at preventing severe illness.
In Muscogee County, 46% of residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 41% are fully vaccinated, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. Around 28% of those who are fully vaccinated received an additional dose of the vaccine, and 11% of total residents have received a booster.
Low community vaccination rates means the chance that the virus spreads is greater because fewer people are protected, Farrimond said. Area hospitals could experience a higher volume of COVID-19 patients while they’re also working to care for non-COVID healthcare needs like heart attacks, strokes and trauma, he said.
“At this point, most of the patients we are seeing who are hospitalized with COVID-19 are unvaccinated,” Farrimond said.
What can I do to stay safe against COVID?
Officials are hopeful that there won’t be a significant surge or additional pressure placed on the hospitals after the holidays, Henderson said, but they do expect there will be more positive cases.
An increase could occur as people in the community gather together more frequently indoors, Farrimond said.
“Right now, nobody’s really sounding the alarm system,” Henderson said. “Just continue to be vigilant. Continue to do the things that keep our community safe.”
In addition to getting vaccinated against COVID-19, Farrimond said, people should also get vaccinated against influenza. Other steps St. Francis-Emory Healthcare recommends to stay safe from the virus over the holidays include:
Wearing masks in public indoor settings in communities with substantial to high transmission
Gathering outdoors if weather permits
Avoiding crowded, poorly ventilated spaces
Staying home if you are sick or experiencing any symptoms
Getting tested if you have COVID-19 symptoms or have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19
Community members are urged to not delay essential and emergency care, Farrimond said. Anyone experiencing an emergency should call 911 or go to the nearest ER. If a person’s condition is less severe and not life-threatening, he said, they should consider seeking care and treatment at an urgent care clinic or their primary care provider’s office.
Here are the latest COVID-19 trends in Muscogee County, according to data from the Georgia Department of Public Health.
Muscogee County
Muscogee County reported a two-week case rate of 137 cases per 100,000 people as of Dec. 21. There were 262 coronavirus cases reported in Muscogee County in the last two weeks.
The seven-day moving average on Dec. 21 was 19.4 cases. The seven-day moving average is found by taking the number of cases reported in the last seven days, adding them up and then dividing by seven.
Over the last week, 1,915 new viral tests were reported, and Muscogee County’s test positivity rate for the past two weeks is 6.6%.
Georgia update
Total cases: 1,317,209 (+17,729 reported since Dec. 15). The number of new cases reported in a day may not match the difference in total cases over a 24-hour period. This occurs because previously reported cases may be removed as duplicate reports are corrected. An older confirmed case may also be reclassified as additional information is collected during an investigation.
Vaccination Rate: 60% of Georgians have received at least one dose, while 53% are fully vaccinated.
Total deaths: 26,144 (+166 deaths since Dec. 15). It’s important to note that these numbers indicate when deaths are reported to the Georgia Department of Public Health. It does not reflect when these deaths occurred.
Positivity rate for Georgia today: 10.6%. The rate over the past two weeks is 8.3% positive.
Current COVID hospitalizations: 173 hospitalizations reported on Dec. 21.
More information about COVID-19 data in Georgia can be found on DPH’s COVID-19 status website.
