Southwest Florida hospitals are seeing their Covid numbers inch up.
Video: Naples Personal Training has an exercise program for people with Parkinson’s.
Naples personal trainer Lee Pinkham works out with Bella Appleman, who has Parkinson’s disease, Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019, in North Naples.
John Austria, jaustria@gannett.com; 239-227-7803
What’s responsible for that feeling of muscle pain and tightness?
Even if you want to avoid Covid-19, don’t.
of The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says COVID is on the rise in 39 states.including Florida.
The test positivity rate nationally is up about 7% from a week ago. Hospital emergency room visits for Covid infections are on the rise nationwide, according to the CDC.
Information collected by State Department of Health And everything medical professionals see points to an increase in infections.
Although it is not alarming at the moment, this may change during the summer, experts say.
Both Lee Health And NCHTwo hospital systems in Southwest Florida are seeing more cases.
What do Lee, Collier County Hospitals say?
“Lee Health System facilities, like many of the nation’s health care delivery systems, have seen a small but noticeable improvement in the number of patients seeking care who are positive for COVID,” said Dr. Ian Gonsenhauser, chief medical officer of Lee County Public Hospital. .
At NCH, a private nonprofit system in Collier County, there was a slight increase this spring and it may continue through the summer, said Christopher Raphael, director of critical care management.
Covid infections represented 36% of all laboratory confirmations at NCH in May, a jump from 28% in April, he said.
What do Florida’s Covid numbers show?
The state health department reinstated its weekly case report earlier this year.
Statewide infections stood at 8,927 cases on June 14, up from 6,568 cases in the same week in 2023.
In Lee County there were 392 cases, Collier’s 210. These counts are double the number from a year ago; Lee had 259 cases in the week ending June 16, 2023. Collier was 92 years old.
Florida’s total this year is 195,793 cases. Year-to-date figures for June last year were not available. Last year, the total number of cases in the country was 583,014.
What about new covid variants and vaccines?
New strains of the virus are emerging, and the CDC reports that the KP.3 strain accounts for 33 percent of infections nationwide, followed by the KP.2 strain at nearly 21 percent. Another strain, LB. 1, accounting for approximately 18% of infections.
The rise in cases in Florida could be linked to several factors, Lee Health’s Gonsenhauser said.
“Covid has historically spiked in the summer due to increased travel and people spending time indoors to escape the heat,” he said.
“Also, the rate of vaccine enhancement has been significantly reduced and the latest KP.2, KP.3 and LB.1 strains have proven to be more easily propagated than the previous major strains,” he added.
Rafael, director of critical care management at NCH, agrees that travel in the spring and summer, when people are exposed to spending more time with others, explains why infections increase.
What is the latest vaccine update?
When it comes to Americans tracking covid vaccine boosters, the numbers say that’s not the case.
As of mid-May, the CDC reported that 23% of adults nationwide had received a vaccine update since September. 42% of adults over age 75 have received vaccinations.
14% of six months to 17 year olds are up to date on their covid vaccinations.
On a positive note, Gonsenhauser said that the latest three strains did not cause a more severe infection.
Symptoms include fever or chills; Cough, sore throat, congestion, headache, muscle pain, fatigue and difficulty breathing. Some may experience loss of taste or smell, brain “fog” and stomach upset.
How can I make sure I’m up to date on vaccinations?
On June 27, the CDC provided an update on vaccines against Covid this fall and winter.
It recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older get a booster shot, even if they’ve never been vaccinated.
The CDC notes that the virus that causes Covid-19 is constantly changing and that vaccine resistance is waning over time.
“Adoption of the updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine could restore the virus variants responsible for most infections and hospitalizations in the United States and improve protection,” the CDC said.