The number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continues a steady downward trend both nationally and locally.
Driven by the delta variant, health departments across the United States have been dealing with a fourth surge that once again overwhelmed hospitals and health care workers.
Over the past two weeks, health departments are reporting slight but steady declines in the number of new cases.
Beginning Oct. 1, according to the latest numbers available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nationwide, there were 117,365 new cases. On Oct. 2, the number dropped to 81,875, then to 72,029 on Oct. 3 and 71,650 on Oct. 4.
For Georgia, the Department of Public Health reported 621 new cases on Oct. 6, down from 9,119 on Sept. 3. In South Carolina, the numbers dropped from 4,685 on Sept. 3 to 834 on Oct. 4.
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Although a hopeful sign, Dr. Jane Kelly, assistant state epidemiologist for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, cautioned against too much optimism.
“Unfortunately, the delta surge is not behind us. It is true the number of cases, thankfully, have started to come down in recent days,” she said. “We can’t put this pandemic behind us yet. I would caution people not to consider that we may have turned a corner but rather to say that we have a downward trend that we hope to maintain.”
Augusta hospitals are also seeing a downward trend in hospitalizations.
Augusta University Medical Center reported it had 93 positive inpatients, the majority of whom are unvaccinated. On Sept. 7, the inpatient census was 132, 125 of whom were unvaccinated.
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University Hospital also reports a slow decline, from 167 COVID-19 inpatients on Sept. 7 to 66 on Oct. 6.
Just this week, Doctors Hospital reported inpatients declined from 42 on Oct. 4 to 39 on Oct. 6.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, sounded a warning of a possible fourth surge in a video message in March 2021.
“I’m going to reflect on the feeling I have of impending doom,” she began. “We have so much to look forward to, so much promise and potential. But right now, I’m scared. For the health of our country, we must work together now to prevent a fourth surge.”
Cases and hospitalizations continued to decline through the spring, then came the change.
“We had a COVID-19 going away party in June. Two weeks later, delta arrived,” said Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb-Douglas Public Health, during a forum held by the Georgia House Democratic Caucus.
By the day of the Aug. 26 forum, the number of new cases, hospitalizations and deaths resumed the steady climb. Georgia reported 7,917 new cases, 87 deaths and a 10.1% positivity rate. Two months earlier, on June 25, those numbers were just 256 new cases and two deaths with a 9.7% positivity rating.
Health officials are hoping to avoid a fifth surge in the coming months but said it is vital that everyone 12 years old and older get vaccinated, if they are eligible.
“We are all certainly concerned that with the upcoming winter holidays, people may be traveling and getting together in indoor settings with people who are not household members. If people are not vaccinated, that certainly an additional risk,” Kelly said.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a Staff Reporter with The Augusta Press. You can reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com
