This past weekend large numbers of costumed children and adults were out for trick-or-treating downtown on Oct. 30 and on White Street on Halloween Oct. 31. Many children were wearing Halloween masks, but very few were wearing face masks. However, the activities were outdoors where there is less risk of contagion, and crowds weren’t as big as seen in previous years.
“It was nothing like in years past where you barely had walking room,” Angie Shaw, CEO, Eureka Springs Hospital (ESH), said. “It was not like it usually is. It seems like the bigger groups may have been large families, so hopefully they had been around each other for periods of time, and hopefully most of them were vaccinated.”
Shaw said it will be interesting to see if the area sees a surge in Covid cases after Halloween.
“We still take it extremely seriously here at the hospital, but I know a lot of people have relaxed their precautions,” she said. “I still recommend that if you are in close quarters with others, wear a mask and practice basic hand hygiene. Continue following those guidelines from the CDC.”
Shaw said they are seeing some new and a few breakthrough cases in fully vaccinated people at ESH, but the numbers have continued to drop. People can get tested as an outpatient for Covid-19 at the hospital from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The tests are taken while patients sit in their vehicles.
Between Oct. 25 and Nov. 1, active cases of Covid-19 in Carroll County as estimated by the Arkansas Department of Health dropped from 51 to 23. Only 17 new cases were reported in that time period, the lowest active rate reported since Oct. 5, 2020. The county’s highest active case rates were in mid-August at 231 when the delta variant was surging.
Some county residents report they are using home tests not reported to the ADH or not getting tested at all, sometimes assuming they have a regular cold, not Covid. That has been the case with some people recently getting tested for Covid… they had a different virus causing symptoms similar to Covid.
Currently, Carroll County has lower Covid rates than the national average. As of Nov. 1, average new cases over the past week are down 72 percent with an estimated four cases daily per 100,000 population. That represents one new case per day in Carroll County. The U.S. average for the previous week is down 13 percent with an average of 22 people per 100,000 daily cases of Covid.
However, the CDC still considers unvaccinated people in Carroll County at very high risk for contracting Covid-19. About 42 percent of residents have been fully vaccinated.
Next in line to be eligible for vaccines to prevent serious complications are children aged 5-11. Children are at a much lower risk for serious illness, hospitalizations and death. But as large numbers of older people have become vaccinated – it is estimated 97 percent of Americans over the age of 65 have received at least one vaccine dose – more cases, hospitalizations and deaths are being seen in younger people.
The Food and Drug Administration recently authorized Pfizer vaccines for children aged 5-11. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must still approve the vaccine for children 5-11 but is expected to act soon. There are an estimated 28 million children in the U.S. in that age group, so if a large percentage of those children get vaccinated it could help the nation achieve herd immunity, which would mean enough people are vaccinated or have developed antibodies from contracting Covid that the pandemic peters out.
Some parents are hesitant about vaccinating their children as they aren’t sure the risks are worse than the potential side effects of the vaccines. Other parents, particularly those whose children have health conditions such as asthma, are eagerly looking forward to getting kids vaccinated in hopes of being able to protect them during the winter when airborne viruses spread more easily.
“There have been several parents who have contacted us about shots for children aged 5-11 and have been patiently waiting,” Shaw said. “There will be smaller doses and different colored vials. We’re not sure yet whether the state is going to send out the shots to hospitals or to pediatric providers. The state is expecting to start its program in the middle of the month. I think we should have an answer soon. I’m hoping we can sway them to send us shots, but I won’t know anything until they have that meeting at the state level.”
Earlier the ESH did onsite clinics at Eureka Springs Public Schools for teachers, staff and then for children aged 12-18. Shaw said they are hoping they will be able to do that again as it is a very efficient way to reach large numbers of children.
The CDC states that although fewer children have been infected with Covid-19 compared to adults, and most cases are mild, children can get sick from Covid-19 and spread it to others.
“Widespread vaccination is a critical tool to help stop the pandemic,” CDC states. “People who are fully vaccinated can resume activities that they did prior to the pandemic. Children between the ages of 2 and 12 should wear a mask in public spaces and around people they don’t live with.”
ESH provides free first, second and booster shots of Pfizer and Moderna on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Drive-through Covid testing is also available at the Eureka Springs Family Clinic on Passion Play Road Mondays through Thursdays from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Covid screening there is paid for by most insurance plans but is not free to those without insurance. Free Covid testing is available at the Carroll County Health Department in Berryville.
ECHO Clinic is providing drive-through vaccination clinics Wednesdays from 9 a.m. until noon. To register for an appointment for the Moderna booster, go to the website bit.ly/echo-vax. Booster shots of the Moderna vaccine will be half the dose of the first and second shots. Dr. Dan Bell 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 further and helps minimize unwanted side effects.