Arkansas continues to see a decline in new Covid cases and hospitalizations with active cases falling to their lowest level since early July. Active cases October 25 were down 1,142 from the previous week to a total of 5,427. Hospitalizations had shown a small uptick but were still at low levels not seen since before the beginning of the Delta variant surge.
The Delta variant quickly spread more aggressively than earlier strains of the virus. Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, wrote that it is one of the most infectious respiratory viruses ever seen.
As of Oct. 25, Carroll County had experienced one additional death from Covid bringing the total estimated by the Arkansas Department of Health to 74. The county has seen a slight uptick in new cases in the past week at 37 and in active cases to 51. Those were still far below the 231 active cases reported in the county in mid-August.
In early October, infection rates for Carroll County had dropped to .54, which meant each infection was resulting in only .54 new cases. However, by late October, that number had grown to .9 meaning each case was resulting in almost one new case. Those figures are cited on covidactnow.ar. The test positivity rate was considered low at 5.1 percent.
Eureka Springs is a tourism town that often hosts large numbers of visitors, particularly during autumn color displays. Any visitors who test positive for Covid are not counted among the county’s total. Katie White, spokeswoman for the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH), said their data is reported by county of residence. “So, yes, if someone got tested or died in one county but lived in another, we would attribute that person to the county they lived in,” White wrote in an email.
In the past two weeks in Carroll County, new cases were averaging 5 per day, an increase of 23 percent in the past 14 days. The county’s risk level had declined from very high risk to high risk but is now considered by the CDC at very high risk because of the number of new cases combined with low vaccination rates. Only about 40 percent of the population in the county has been fully vaccinated, although when looking at those ages eligible currently for the vaccines, 12 and up, the rate goes up to 47 percent. That compares to a national average of 67 percent for ages 12 and up. Ages 65 and up have a 58 percent full vaccination rate in Carroll County compared to the national average of 85 percent.
The country still has a way to go to reach the threshold of 90 percent vaccination of all age groups that some experts believe is needed to achieve herd immunity, at which point the virus would stop being able to replicate and would die out.
Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson booster shots have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for those 65 and older, people with underlying health conditions, and essential workers such those in healthcare, retail, banking, law enforcement and other professions that interact with the public.
The ECHO Clinic started providing Moderna boosters October 27. The drive-through clinics will be held Wednesdays from 9 a.m. – noon. To register for an appointment for the Moderna booster, go to the website bit.ly/echo-vax.
The booster shots of the Moderna vaccine will be half the dose of the first and second shots. Dr. Dan Bell, co-founder of the ECHO Clinic, said Moderna has proven to be the most effective and long-lasting of the vaccines, so a smaller dose is all that is needed. The smaller dose makes vaccine supplies go farther and helps minimize unwanted side effects.
The FDA recently gave approval to taking a booster shot from a different vaccine than originally received. Known as the “mix-and-match approach,” that might be particularly appropriate for people who took the Johnson & Johnson one-shot initial dose, which has proven to be less effective than Moderna and Pfizer.
“There is real clear guidance on the booster shots,” Bell said. “If you had the Johnson & Johnson shot initially, you should get the Moderna booster. Otherwise, repeat whatever you got before. Boosters are for old folks and anyone with underlying conditions including cigarette smoking, asthma, diabetes, heart disease, COPD, etc. The numbers for new cases of Covid in Arkansas continue to look very good, but it is still important to get vaccinated.”
The Eureka Springs Hospital offers first, second and booster shots of Moderna and Pfizer from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Fridays. The free shots are also available at the Carroll County Health Department in Berryville. ESH Community Liaison Catherine Pappas said they have seen a lot of interest in booster shots and have even been giving booster shots to caregivers of those who are 65 or older.
Covid-19 testing is available locally at emergency rooms and at a drive-through clinic at the Family Medical Center on Passion Play Road from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. The cost of testing at the site is covered by most insurance plans, but it is not free to those who are uninsured. Free testing is available at the Carroll County Health Department in Berryville.
ADH reports that breakthrough infections in the state are up to 20.6 percent compared to about 14 percent two months ago. State Epidemiologist Jennifer Dillaha said if people stop taking precautions like wearing masks and social distancing, cases may decline at a slower rate in Arkansas. She added that increasing breakthrough cases are a good reason to continue being cautious about exposure.