Local hospital impact not as high as it was in fall
Jessica Webb
editor@thesmokymountaintimes.com
Covid-19 is still heavily present in Swain County between the post-holidays surge and the spread of the omicron variant, which is far more contagious. Across the United States, staffing shortages have been in the headlines during the latest surge of patients.
The good news locally is Swain Community Hospital, so far, isn’t seeing a surge in Covid-19 patients, according to Dr. Chelsea Burrell, interim public information officer.
“Swain Community Hospital continues to care for post-acute patients as they continue to recover from illnesses and procedures, such as COVID-19. Swain Community Hospital Emergency Department cares for COVID-19 patients until there is a bed at Harris Regional Hospital,” Burrell shared by email last Thursday. “We are currently treating less than 10 COVID-19-positive patients at Harris Regional Hospital. At the peak of the pandemic, we were treating 25 to 30 patients with COVID-19.”
On Monday, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported 18,254 newly reported cases with a 31.1% daily percent positive rate among those getting testing. Ideally, that number would be less than 5%. Statewide, there have been 19,685 deaths through Monday and there were 3,850 people currently in the hospital.
Cases of Covid-19 are still on the rise across the United States, and hospitalizations are also creeping up. On Monday, there were 208 Covid-19 patients in hospitals in the mountain area of the state, according to the state dashboard. Among those, 18% were in the ICU—far fewer than the over 60% when Delta was at its peak in September.
Swain County has had 280 cases over the past 14 days with 207 in the past 7 days. There were 21 new cases reported on the state dashboard on Monday.
To prevent people from getting as sick from the virus and possibly landing up in the hospital, Swain Community Hospital urges local residents to get vaccinated and to get their boosters shots when eligible.
The omicron variant has proven more contagious and led to more breakthrough cases among those who are vaccinated. Regardless, health officials highly recommend vaccination as a precaution against getting extremely ill from the virus or even dying.
“Vaccination continues to be our first and best line of defense. It is also important to wear a mask, practice social distancing and continue proper handwashing to reduce the spread of illness,” Burrell said.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommended booster shots for children ages 12-17 and a third dose for younger children ages 5 and up who have immune compromised systems.
While there aren’t as many patients being hospitalized locally with the virus, there are plenty of people heading to their doctors with symptoms from everything from mild colds to Covid-19 and the flu.
“Swain Family Care has seen an increase in the volume of patients with respiratory illnesses, such as the flu and COVID-19,” Burrell said. “While there has been an increase in patient volume through the practice, Swain Family Care is more than equipped to adequately care for patients.”
For those having trouble scheduling an appointment, Burrell suggests taking advantage of telehealth if it’s available to you and if you aren’t severely ill. Getting tested and staying home for the suggested 5-day period and/or until symptoms are no longer present is also advised to prevent the spread of the virus.
Staring next week, the free testing site at the Rec Center on Deep Creek Road will be open an additional day. Testing will be available Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. and Fridays 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Rapid tests are in short supply. They are available, but individuals should pre-register by phone or online in order to receive one. Walk-ins may only be able to get PCR tests. Pre-register for the Swain County site online at lhi.care/covidtesting or call 877-562-4850 .