Hospitals and healthcare professionals continue wrestling to get the upper hand with surging numbers of new COVID-19 cases, driven in large part by the highly transmissible omicron variant.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now projects that omicron may be responsible for approximately 95% of new cases.
The agency’s COVID Data Tracker said 705,264 new cases were reported on Jan. 5, the most current report available. That number more than doubles the peak set in January 2021.
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Although data suggest omicron infections may be less severe, the numbers are still driving hospitalization rates higher.
The Georgia Department of Health website has a breakdown of how many hospital beds and ventilators are in use statewide and by regions. It also details how many people are hospitalized and how many of them have been diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2.
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Statewide, Inpatient Beds in Use: 13,669, 88.5 % of capacity; ICU Beds in Use: 2,551, 88.7% of capacity; ED Beds in Use: 2,783, 77.2% of capacity; Adult Ventilators in Use: 1,333, 33.6% of capacity.
In Region G, which includes the Georgia counties in the CSRA, it lists Inpatient Beds in Use: 13,669, 88.5% of capacity; ICU Beds in Use: 2,551, 88.7% of capacity; ED Beds in Use: 2,783, 77.2% of capacity; Adult Ventilators in Use: 1,333, 33.6% of capacity
Breaking down the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19, the state health department reports of 17,081 total patients, 5,371 have the virus representing 31.4% of all patients. In Region G, total patient census is 1,058 with 278, or 26.3%, with COVID-19
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Children are also being hospitalized, including at the Children’s Hospital of Georgia.
“Currently, there are 13 pediatric patients hospitalized at Children’s Hospital of Georgia with COVID-19, including one in the ICU,” said Rick Plummer, associate vice president of Communications and Marketing at Augusta University Health.
Dr. Brannon Traxler, public health director for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, said there were 54 children hospitalized, the state’s highest level.
“We must stop the spread among our students and in our communities using these mitigation measures, especially by increasing our vaccine vaccination rate for everyone who’s five and up who’s eligible,” Traxler said. “We’re seeing that the highest number of cases currently are among those ages 20 to 50. And most of these cases remain among the unvaccinated.”
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On Thursday, Jan. 13, President Biden outlined new steps to help Americans perform virus tests at home. Biden announced plans to purchase 500 million tests to distribute to Americans.
“We’re on track to roll out a website next week where you can order free test shipped to your home,” he said.
The president said he will also provide details next week of a plan to provide free, high-quality masks that better prevent infection by SARS-CoV-2.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a Staff Reporter with The Augusta Press. You can reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com
