PRESS RELEASE: COVID-19 UPDATE

October 29, 2021

Happy Halloween!

As of 10/29/2021, Somervell County has experienced 1497 total cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.  Somervell County has recorded a total of 21 deaths attributable to COVID-19 infections.  The case fatality rate in Somervell County is 1.40%.  Statewide case fatality is 1.66%.  The majority of deaths in Texas are above age 50.  In Texas,  101 children have died from COVID-19 infections, 13 under age 1 year old, 18 between ages 1-9, and 70 between ages 10-19.  In Somervell County, our current active case load is 40.  We have been on a gradual increase during the last 2 weeks, even though state-wide cases are continuing to drop.  The rate of decline in Texas has slowed considerably.

Current infections continue to be attributed to the presence of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2.  This is based upon testing done at reference labs that collect specimens from across the state.  There has been no identification of a new variant of any significance in Texas.  Nationwide, there are no new variants of concern that have been identified either.   Most of the illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths in the state and locally, continue to be in unvaccinated individuals.  Vaccinated individuals are experiencing breakthrough cases, with some data suggesting that the length of time since being vaccinated is likely to increase the risk of infection.  This is the rationale for current booster shot recommendations.

Booster shots are widely available.  Patients are being offered the option of staying within the vaccine they started, or possible “cross boostering” with one of the other vaccine options.  In my opinion, the published data does not suggest that there is a definite advantage to one option over the other in effectiveness or safety.

The most current numbers are found at: https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus then click on the button that says TEXAS CASE COUNTS.  This website will be the most consistent place to get information regarding local and statewide numbers.

Hospitalizations are decreasing statewide.  ICU beds continue to be filled at a higher rate than hospital beds in general, but ICU capacity is much better in the last two weeks.

CDC recommendations for vaccinated individuals are that they should mask up indoors.  However, based upon risk, it might be more important for vaccinated individuals to mask up in high risk indoor settings, such as a poorly ventilated room, and/or a large crowd relative to room size.  Outdoors, masking is not recommended for vaccinated people.  For unvaccinated individuals, masks are recommended in all indoor settings.  Out of doors, masks are not needed, except possibly, at an event where people may be standing shoulder to shoulder.  The delta variant appears to be substantially more contagious than other variants, or the original version of the virus.  This contagiousness accounts for the increase in breakthrough infections, the rapidity of the current spread, and therefore the change in recommendations by the CDC.  Patients continue to have a much higher risk of complications and/or death from the disease, compared to the risk of complications from the vaccines.  If you would like to get vaccinated, please start by calling your doctor’s office, or your pharmacy.  Vaccines are readily available at this time for anyone aged 12 and up.

Monoclonal antibody treatments continue to be made available to patients free of charge for the medicine.  There may be a charge to your insurance for administering the medication.  At Glen Rose Medical Center, there is a steady supply of monoclonal antibody infusions being administered.  If you contract COVID-19, and are interested in this treatment option, please contact your doctor’s office.  People who meet the CDC definition of high risk (65+, obese, diabetes, hypertension, etc), can use monoclonal antibody treatment for prevention of infection.  These patients need to bring proof of infection for the person that they were exposed to (with that person’s permission of course).

If you choose to not be vaccinated, and have not had the disease, avoiding crowds/social distancing, especially indoors, good hand hygiene, and masking up are the best bet to avoid getting any version of the virus causing COVID-19.

GRISD currently has no active cases of COVID-19 in either students or staff!  There have been 128 total cases in students and 17 total cases in staff.

Texas DSHS recommendations include exclusion from school or work while ill with COVID-19.

A school administrator shall exclude from attendance any child having or suspected of having COVID-19. Exclusion shall continue until the readmission criteria for the conditions are met. The readmission criteria for COVID-19 is as follows:

If symptomatic, exclude until at least 10 days have passed since symptom onset, and fever free*, and other symptoms have improved. Children who test positive for COVID-19 but do not have any symptoms must stay home until at least 10 days after the day they were tested.

*Fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever suppressing medications. Fever is a temperature of 100° Fahrenheit (37.8° Celsius) or higher.

Texas DSHS recommendations for close contacts of known COVID-19 cases are as follows:

Stay home for 14 days after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19

Watch for fever (100.4◦F), cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19

And if possible, stay away from people you live with, especially people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19

There are alternative recommendations that might be less optimal with a more transmissible or more severe strain of COVID-19, especially during high levels of community transmission.  This could include return to school or work on day 7 or 8, if asymptomatic, and a negative PCR test performed after post exposure day 5.

Please do not send your children to school if they are sick.  This is sound advice for many infections, not just COVID-19.

Generally, I am an optimistic person.  Good data is still hard to get.  I am optimistic that we might be getting closer to herd immunity, as the combination of vaccinated individuals, and survivors of the disease, continues to grow as a percentage of the population.  Unfortunately, only time will tell for sure.

While data suggests that immunity from surviving the disease is more effective than vaccination in the short term, there is no effective way of proving how long that immunity will last.  Disease survivors can still get vaccinated.  Patients who have had the disease, and subsequently get vaccinated, have the best immunity possible according to current knowledge.

Stay safe, and thank you for taking the time to read this!

Steven J Vacek, M.D.

Glen Rose HealthCare Inc.

Somervell County Local Health Authority