Dr. Phillip Coule, vice president and chief medical officer for Augusta University Health, agrees with state health experts’ concerns that were expressed during a Wednesday meeting with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp about the continued rise in new COVID-19 cases.
Dr. Coule did not participate in the meeting but agrees with concerns statewide and locally. He pointed to increases in the number of patients being admitted locally and a rising positivity rate.
The positivity rate locally is now eight percent. It was seven percent the previous two weeks and six percent prior to that. Georgia’s overall positivity rate stood at 10.4% on Wednesday.
Dr. Coule said the recent Easter holiday, spring break and social activities during the golf tournament are all factors. He said any special event can result in COVID-19 cases increasing.
“Humans have a need for social interaction and we let our guards down in social settings,” said Dr. Coule.
He does believe a fourth surge may be possible, but the big difference now is about one-third of people are vaccinated and the majority of the most vulnerable, the elderly and those in nursing home and long-term care facilities, are vaccinated.
Dr. Coule said the “wildcard” is the variants. The UK variant remains the most reported in Georgia, currently 46.5%. It is highly transmittable and may have a higher mortality rate.
Georgia is also reporting two percent of cases are the South African variant and 0.2% are the Brazilian variant.
He said another factor is the continued vaccine hesitancy, especially among younger people who may believe they are not at risk. Dr. Coule said that age group must be made to realize the threat they are to other people if they do contract COVID-19.
Dr. Coule said the pause in the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is not having much impact locally. AU Health has been using the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in its clinics.
AU Health recently received 200 doses of the Johnson & Johnson supply. He said they are looking for the best way to use the doses when the pause is lifted. In the meantime, the supply is being stored.
During a Wednesday briefing held by South Carolina’s Department of Environmental Control Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC’s Public Health Director said the pause for Johnson & Johnson should not cause hesitation to get vaccinated because it highlights how closely all the vaccinations are being monitored during the nationwide rollout.
Dr. Coule agreed, “That was very well stated.”
As for the impact the recent holiday and social events will have on local cases, Dr. Coule said, “I think it’s going to take two to four weeks without a big jump,” to be confident the threat has passed.
In the meantime, Dr. Coule said, “Get vaccinated. This thing isn’t gone. Don’t hesitate.”
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a Staff Reporter with The Augusta Press. You can reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com.
