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A surge in COVID cases has health officials alarmed, alert and anticipating how high the pandemic numbers will climb in North Georgia.
“We’re headed for a new peak,” said Clifton Hastings, MD, Chief of Medical Staff for Northeast Georgia Medical System. “And the only question is, how high will this peak be?”
Last week Northeast Georgia Health System sounded the alarm bell when health care workers saw a disturbing 181 confirmed cases admitted on one day Tuesday, December 1, at its hospitals and long-term care facilities combined. These facilities consist of NGMC Gainesville, NGMC Braselton, NGMC Barrow and Dahlonega’s own NGMC Lumpkin.
“Both the percentage of tests coming back positive and the number of people who need to be admitted to the hospital have been steadily climbing all month – to today’s record high for the system,” said Hastings in a recent release.
In Lumpkin County, the number of COVID cases jumped to 1,353, up 85 cases over a seven day period from last Monday.
The local hospitalization rate increased from 121 cases to 133 during that time.
Currently a total of 19 Lumpkin County residents have died from the disease.
TAKING THE TEST
As the COVID numbers jump, NGHS officials are also bracing for an increase in the number of people seeking testing in the coming weeks.
“Not only are more people seeking the test because they’re ill, but we expect many will want to get tested so they’ll know whether it’s safe to see family during the holidays,” stated Bobby Norris, vice president of operations for Northeast Georgia Physicians Group. “We absolutely want people who think they’re sick to get tested so they can take precautions to protect others, but we also want to avoid premature testing that gives people a false sense of security.”
Since most tests take two to three days to process, officials stressed that it’s possible to catch the virus after the test has been administered and before visiting loved ones.
“That’s why it’s still important to take precautions and plan lower risk activities like small events for just your household or virtual gatherings so you can visit with loved ones remotely,” stated a release from NGHS.
In order to slow the spread health officials are continuing to stress social distancing and mask wearing.
“We know people are tired of hearing about wearing masks, washing hands and watching their distance,” said Hastings. “Trust me, our nurses, doctors and other staff are tired, too. But those are the only actions that can limit the spread of the virus. The entire spirit of the holidays is to think about others first and doing whatever you can to help them, so I hope everyone really takes that to heart and protects the people they love the most.”