Pettis County added 255 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the total number of cases to 8,655, according to the Pettis County Health Center.
There is a significant backlog in reporting cases from the holiday weekend, so these numbers probably do not reflect all of the cases.
“The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Service website is reporting Pettis County has a positivity rate of 14.9% for the past seven days, which is an increase from 12.1% for the previous week with PCR testing,” the Pettis County COVID-19 Task Force briefing stated on Monday. “The locally calculated positivity rate for the week of Dec. 22-28 was 16.06%. The case count per 100,000 for this time period is 442/100,000. This week there were 817 PCR tests and 525 antigen tests for a total of 1,342. Last week there were 1,239 tests.”
The case counts by age will be posted on the Pettis County Health Center Facebook page and website.
“Vaccine breakthrough rates for the week of Dec. 26-Jan. 2, there were 55 out of 252 cases for a rate of 21.8% vaccinated and 79.2% not vaccinated,” the briefing stated. “March was the most common month of last vaccination. There were a total of seven cases who had received boosters and six were partially vaccinated.”
This week there were 133 Pettis County residents with reported cases of influenza. The highest age group is 5-14-year-olds and the main strain is Type A. The total case count is 288. During the entire 2020-21 influenza season, there were fewer than 10 reported cases.
As of Friday, there were 2,154 hospitalized in Missouri with COVID as compared to 1,755 last week. There are 466 people in ICU and 264 on ventilators as compared to 468 people in ICU and 242 on ventilators last week.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has changed the guidance on staying home. Everyone who tests positive needs to stay home for five days from the test date then wear a mask for five more days if they have no symptoms or significantly improved symptoms. Everyone who is still ill or has a fever must stay home until symptoms get better.
For individuals who are exposed to a positive case (within 6 feet for 15 minutes or more in a 24-hour period of time), fully vaccinated individuals (having a booster more than two weeks ago or within the first six months after completing the two-dose series or two months for the one dose series) must wear a mask around others for 10 days and should test at day five after the last exposure. Unvaccinated or eligible people who have not had a booster should stay home for five days and wear a mask when around other people for another five days. If you develop symptoms, get a test and stay home.
There are 23 individuals hospitalized at Bothwell Regional Health Center as compared to 20 last week. There is one patient on a ventilator. Twenty of the 23 patients were not vaccinated. All inpatients will be tested upon admission. Patients are waiting in the Emergency Department until a bed becomes available. In addition, there are seven influenza patients in the hospital.
The DHSS website reports 112 deaths in Pettis County with a confirmed PCR test and 19 deaths with a positive antigen test. This is an increase of three since last week.
Approximately 45.6% of the population of Pettis County residents have started vaccination. According to the state website, 19,294 Pettis County residents have started vaccination and 17,221 are considered fully vaccinated, which is approximately 40.7% of the population. Pettis County is falling behind the state rate of 61% who have started vaccination and 53.9% fully vaccinated. The state is reporting 72.1% of the population over 18 has started and 64.2% are fully vaccinated. For Pettis County, 57% of the population 18 and older have started vaccination (18,191) and 51.2% (16,345) are fully vaccinated.
According to the DHSS website, 14.6% (1,100) of 5-17-year-olds have started vaccination and 11.6% (875) are fully vaccinated. For the 65 and older age group, 78.7% (5,699) have started vaccination and 71.5 % (5,192) are considered fully vaccinated.
The vaccine is available for everyone 5 and older. Booster doses, which are given six months after the last dose for Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or two months after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, are available for those 16 years and older through the Pettis County Health Center, Katy Trail Community Health and Bothwell. All vaccines are free. The Health Center provides vaccines for homebound individuals. Call 660-827-1130 to make arrangements.
The Health Center has regular walk-in clinics from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, from 8:30 to noon Thursdays and from noon to 3 p.m. Friday.
Due to an increase in COVID-19 testing and a surge of respiratory illnesses from COVID-19 and influenza, expect longer wait times in the Bothwell Walk-In Clinic and Emergency Department. Since Christmas Eve, Bothwell has experienced significant challenges with not having enough staffed beds in the hospital to admit patients, as well as no other hospital to transfer patients, causing a bottleneck in the Emergency Department.
The number of reported influenza cases is rapidly rising. The same actions that keep people from spreading COVID-19 also apply to the flu – regular handwashing, mask-wearing and staying home if you feel ill. Flu vaccines are available at all Bothwell clinics.
This week’s COVID-19 vaccine clinics for the two-dose primary series and booster doses are from 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 5 (Pfizer) and from 1 to 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 7 (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.
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.
The Pfizer vaccine is available for children 5 to 11. People who want the vaccine for their child in that age group 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.
BRHC is on day-to-day inventory management of monoclonal antibody infusion medication due to a shortage happening throughout the state. At this time BRHC is only providing treatment to people who test positive for COVID-19 and who have had onset of symptoms within the past 10 days. People meeting those conditions should call 660-829-8830 to be screened for potential treatment and/or be placed on a waiting list.
The infusion treatment is administered on the hospital’s third floor from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday by members of the Missouri Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT). There is no charge for this treatment when administered by DMAT.
Katy Trail Community Health is providing vaccines to current patients at all its locations by appointment. Community vaccines are at 816 Westwood Drive for all family members from 1 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Friday, and Saturday appointments are available.
