Pettis County added 173 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the total number of cases to 8,071, according to the Pettis County Health Center.
“The (Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services) website is reporting Pettis County has a positivity rate of 14.5% for the past seven days, which is an increase from 13% for the last week with PCR testing,” the Pettis County COVID-19 Task Force briefing stated on Tuesday. “The locally calculated positivity rate for the week of Dec. 1-7 was 16.35%. The case count per 100,000 for this time period is 389/100,000. This week there were 671 PCR tests and 363 antigen tests for a total of 1,034. Last week there were 1,030 tests. The positivity rate for November was 12.68% with 422 cases as compared to 1,389 and a positivity rate of 35.45% in November 2020. New data has resulted in an increase in November 2021 cases.”
According to the Pettis County Health Center, the groups with the highest number of new cases were 30-34-year-olds with 17, 5-12 years and 13-18-year-olds with 16. There were 35 individuals birth to 18 with positive cases reported in the week time period. Since July 1, 24.73% of total cases are in individuals 0-18 years of age, which is an increase from the 24.26% reported last week.
“Vaccine breakthrough rate for the week of Dec. 6-12 was 33 out of 176 cases who were fully vaccinated for a rate of 18.7% vaccinated and 81.3% not vaccinated,” the briefing stated. “February and August both had seven as the most common month of the last vaccination. There was one person who had received a booster and two individuals were partially vaccinated.”
As of Friday, there were 1,460 hospitalized in Missouri as compared to 1,521 hospitalized with COVID last week. There are 343 people in ICU and 170 on ventilators as compared to 362 people in ICU and 184 on ventilators last week.
There are 14 individuals hospitalized at Bothwell Regional Health Center as compared to seven last week. There are five patients on a ventilator. Eighty-six percent of patients were not vaccinated.
The DHSS website reports 110 deaths in Pettis County with a confirmed PCR test and 18 deaths with a positive antigen test. This is an increase of two deaths. Reducing the number of COVID patients in the hospital is very important to have critical resources available for non-COVID cases.
Approximately 44.8% of the population of Pettis County residents have started vaccination. According to the state website, 18,949 Pettis County residents have started vaccination and 16,909 are considered fully vaccinated which is approximately 39.9% of the population. Pettis County is falling behind the state rate of 59.4% have started vaccination and 52.5% fully vaccinated. The state is reporting 70.6% of the population over 18 has started and 63.1% are fully vaccinated. For Pettis County, 56.2% of the population 18 and over have started vaccination (17,924) and 50.5% (16,096) are fully vaccinated. According to the DHSS website, 13.5% (1,022) of 5-17-year-olds have started vaccination and 10.7% (812) are fully vaccinated. For the 65 and over age group, 77.6% (5,624) have started vaccination and 71% (5,146) are considered fully vaccinated.
Vaccines are available at AFC Urgent Care, some local pharmacies, at many community events as well as Katy Trail Community Health, Bothwell Regional Health Center and Pettis County Health Center. All vaccines are free.
Booster doses of Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine are available for everyone age 18 and older, six months after the last dose of Pfizer or Moderna and two months after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine has been approved for children 5-11 years of age.
Pettis County Health Center has regular walk-in clinics from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays, from 8:30 a.m. to noon Thursdays, and from noon to 3 p.m. Fridays.
This week’s COVID-19 vaccine clinics for the two-dose primary series and booster doses are from 2 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 15 (Pfizer) and from 2 to 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17 (Moderna) at Bothwell Healing Arts Center on the second floor. People may walk in; however, appointments are encouraged by calling 660-829-8888 or scheduling in Bothwell’s patient portal, MyBothwellHealth at www.brhc.org/portal or in the MHealth app.
This year’s flu vaccine is available at all COVID-19 vaccine clinics. All flu vaccines are quadrivalent (four-component) meaning they are designed to protect against four different flu viruses, and flu vaccines and COVID-19 vaccines can be given at the same time.
People who want the vaccine for their child age 5-11 can make appointments at Bothwell TLC Pediatrics from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday by calling 660-829-5852 or 660-829-8888 or at Bothwell Health Center-Truman Lake in Warsaw from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays by calling 660-438-6800.
Bothwell provides monoclonal antibody infusion treatment for people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and who have had onset of symptoms within the last 10 days. Monoclonal antibody infusion can help the body fight off COVID-19 and reduce the risk of severe illness or hospitalization.
The infusion treatment is administered on the hospital’s second floor from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The medication is free, and an administration fee will be charged; however, there are available government resources that will cover these costs.
COVID-19 testing is offered at Bothwell Walk-In Clinic from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. People must register for a testing appointment by calling 660-827-7900.
Katy Trail Community Health is providing vaccines to current patients at all locations by appointment. Community vaccines are offered at 816 Westwood Drive in Sedalia from 1 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays and from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Fridays. Register for a Family Vaccine Clinic at www.katytrailcommunityhealth.org.
