People are enjoying a sense of normalcy as new and active cases in Carroll County have dropped to levels not seen since for two years. As of March 28, there were four active cases and 31 new cases of Covid-19 for the previous week, according to figures from the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH).
But the death toll from Covid has continued to mount. The ADH reported two more deaths in Carroll County in the past two weeks, with the total now estimated at 99. It can take weeks or months before someone with a severe case of Covid passes away.
Last weekend there was a packed parking lot at the Eureka Springs Community Center with a vaccination clinic for pets sponsored by the Good Shepherd Humane Society and Covid vaccine shots for adults offered by the Eureka Springs Hospital (ESH).
“We gave thirty Covid shots, which is more than we expected,” ESH Marketing Director Samantha Jones said. “We have seen a lull in demand for booster shots in the past two weeks. We are feeling really good to see those numbers go down. We are crossing our fingers that everything stays the course.”
Jones said some people over age 70 got a second booster shot. All of those had had their third booster at least three months ago, and some five or six months ago.
“We even had some people get their first shots, which was really great,” Jones said. “That was exciting for us to see. Our community has done such an amazing job of pulling together from the start of the pandemic to now including the Answering the Call food deliveries, what the ECHO Clinic has been doing with drive-through vaccinations, and the Eureka Springs Community Support Group on Facebook. Even though no one ever wants a pandemic, we saw our community rise together and meet it head on.”
Jones said they had good participation at the pet vaccine clinic, as well.
“We had a few people who did both; they got their pets taken care of and then came to see us,” Jones said. “That is really cool because they were using all the resources that were available that day. Cole Wakefield at the Good Shepherd Humane Society said it was the biggest clinic they have done. They vaccinated 121 animals.
“My husband brought our five cats,” Jones said. “He kept them in the car because it would have been scary for them to be with that many animals on the grassy area.”
Flu, colds and BA.2
An emergency room doctor at a local hospital reported that currently they are seeing more cases of flu than of Covid. There is also a highly contagious cold making the rounds.
There has been concern that Omicron Two, the BA.2 variant, is causing surges in some parts of the world. The variant is more contagious than the original omicron variant, but health officials don’t believe it leads to more serious illness. However, as was seen with omicron one, when more people get infected, more can end up hospitalized with potentially long-lasting symptoms straining the healthcare system.
The LA Times reports that the percentage of Omicron subvariant BA.2 cases is rising in Los Angeles County, a trend seen elsewhere nationwide as concerns have been raised about the failure of Congress to provide critical funding for vaccinations, tests and anti-Covid drugs.
“Officials in L.A. County and nationally have warned about the risk to public health if new pandemic federal funding fails to be approved,” the LA Times reported March 25. “There is no money left to reimburse doctors for Covid care for uninsured Americans, and funds will soon run out to provide vaccinations, Xavier Becerra, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, said this week.
“…L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer continued to urge residents to adhere to the strong recommendation issued by her department and state health officials to continue masking in indoor public settings.”
The World Health Organization states that BA.2 is now driving most coronavirus cases around the world.
According to the New York Times Covid data tracker, the average number of new cases of Covid in the two weeks prior to March 28 was up 87 percent in New York City, down 12 percent overall in the U.S., down 33 percent in Arkansas, and down 86 percent in Carroll County. The newspaper said the test positivity rate in Carroll County is high suggesting that not all cases are being counted. Only about 48 percent of people in Carroll County are fully vaccinated, compared to a national average of 65 percent, leading to speculation that there could be a surge among unvaccinated people from the more contagious BA.2. However, it is unknown how many people have immunity from prior infections which could help prevent another surge. A new Monmouth University poll said 52 percent of Americans surveyed reported they have had Covid.
A media statement from the CDC March 28 said the agency budget request for FY 2023 includes $10.675 billion in discretionary budget authority, Public Health Service evaluation funds, and Prevention and Public Health Funds, which is $2.3 billion over the FY 2022 appropriation.
“In addition, the CDC budget includes new proposed mandatory funding to establish a Vaccines for Adults program and to invest in pandemic preparedness,” CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH said.