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It’s not grinding society to a halt anymore, as evidenced by Telluride’s full slate of summer time festivals and different occasions, however COVID-19 stays an ongoing concern for public well being officers. The San Miguel Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) heard an replace Wednesday from county public well being director, Grace Franklin, who reminded them that COVID’s presence remains to be diligently monitored by well being officers. It’s, she stated, “higher however removed from over.”
Franklin stated that evaluating COVID to the flu is a bit of cavalier.
“COVID remains to be one of many main causes of loss of life inside our nation, with over 400 Individuals dying every day from COVID,” Franklin stated. “That is inflicting about 10 % extra deaths a yr throughout our nation. And I really feel like we have been very lucky right here to have such good outcomes as an entire. However actually, it is nonetheless very considerably impactful to each the well being care programs and particular person lives.”
Flu deaths account a mean of 20,000 deaths per yr. By comparability, if COVID loss of life charges keep on observe, 180,000 folks will lose their lives this yr to the coronavirus. And COVID continues to mutate quickly whereas transmission has but to settle right into a extra predictable sample. The winter season, Franklin stated, will present simply what course COVID will take subsequent.
“Winter will probably be a real check of what degree of emergency we have to stand in each with public well being response funding, after which public engagement,” she stated. “Proper now, we have actually outlined public well being emergency by means of deaths, hospitalizations and our well being care capability. If we proceed to carry on to that we all know that there will probably be a rise of instances and probably hospitalizations and deaths over the winter as a result of quantity of individuals transferring indoors, different diseases circulating, etcetera.”
Even a light case of COVID might be disruptive, what with the necessity to isolate for 5 days, and the lack of days at work or college. Franklin cautioned that although there’s a sense of finality because the illness ebbs removed from its pinnacle, its presence stays plain.
“A light case can nonetheless be feverish, flu-like after which having to remain house and isolate for no less than 5 full days or extra might be actually difficult,” she stated. “So I simply need to warning that we should not throw within the towel or declare victory but.”
County numbers stay low, however instances are under-reported. Few who use the still-popular fast house exams report optimistic outcomes, with figures on the Telluride Wastewater Remedy plant lead officers to conclude there’s “loads of discrepancy.” The newest pattern, taken on Sept. 7, confirmed 247,000 COVID copies per liter, far above the one-per-day case report Franklin’s division receives. In truth, with Telluride’s excessive customer numbers, the wastewater therapy plant findings place Telluride within the prime tier of Colorado municipalities that collect that info.
Vaccines and boosters, together with the brand new, bivalent vaccine now accessible, proceed to be the easiest way to guard towards extreme sickness and loss of life, if contaminated.
“The important thing solution to shield ourselves is to remain updated with our boosters,” Franklin stated. “We now have each the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccines accessible right here in our county.”
Franklin famous that she has noticed “model loyalty” on the subject of the Moderna vaccine, a therapy that was prevalent within the county when it was first launched. Provide practice points have made it tougher for county officers to acquire — actually, they can’t place one other order as soon as present provides run out — however getting a vaccine of both model, Pfizer or Moderna, regardless of which one initially administered is inspired.
“The speaking level proper now’s that the combo and match strategy will not be solely acceptable, however is acceptable and really useful,” Franklin stated. “COVID vaccines are interchangeable throughout totally different pharmaceutical manufacturers. And the most effective booster vaccine is the one which’s accessible on the time of you receiving the vaccine. They’re each actually efficient and actually will make a distinction to guard towards the newest strains of the Omicron variant.”
The Colorado Division of Public Well being and the Surroundings’s cell vaccine clinic will probably be on the town at present (Thursday) on the Carhenge car parking zone from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m. and could have COVID, monkeypox and flu vaccines. Stroll-ins are welcome (the afternoon will probably be greatest) or appointments might be made by visiting thee county web site (beneath).
The frequent flu has already reared its head. Prior to now couple years, flu numbers dove, a results of mask-wearing, and decreased providers and testing, however now has returned in increased numbers and far sooner than traditional.
“Whenever you examine it to earlier years, it does appear like fairly a doozy,” Franklin defined. “One of the simplest ways to guard towards the flu season is to get the flu vaccine.”
That vaccine is not going to solely be accessible at at present’s vaccine bus by request, but in addition at a clinic the general public well being division is holding at present from 2-4 p.m.
Commissioner Hilary Cooper famous that the easiest way to scale back the prospect of an infection and spreading of not solely COVID, however the flu as properly, is to remain house when sick.
“Add that into your messaging if it isn’t already there,” Cooper stated. “That may be nice.”
Go to sanmiguelcountyco.gov for full public well being info together with upcoming clinics, COVID metrics and different public well being information.
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