CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Dr. Sherri Young, the chief health officer of the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department says she expects the surge of COVID-19 cases from Thanksgiving activity to continue for the next few weeks.
On Wednesday, the health department (KCHD) reported 1,182 active cases of COVID-19 in the county and 142 virus-related since the pandemic began.
“We are now six days out from Thanksgiving. Five to seven days is when you start seeing your positives. That doesn’t mean you won’t continue to see those positives, we anticipate over the next two weeks a significant surge based on the numbers we are seeing now,” she told 580-WCHS.
The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reported a record number of hospitalizations in the state due to COVID-19 on Wednesday, 622. That number breaking previous records set within the week. 164 of those patients are in the ICU, another record high.
Young said these numbers and trends worry her about the already ‘taxed’ healthcare system. She said hospitals have been planning days, weeks and months ahead but there is still worry about overload.
“With the already growing number of hospitalizations we have, we know that more people spreading disease, more community spread, more travel-associated cases, we know those numbers of hospitalizations are going to go up as well,” Young said.
“We are trying to protect the community but we are trying to protect the healthcare system from being overwhelmed.”
She said another worry to go along with the Thanksgiving surge is the beginning of flu season. Young said KCHD has given out more than 6,000 flu shots at COVID-19 testing events.
Young also told 580-WCHS that she has mixed feelings about the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shortening of the quarantine period for people with the virus or have been exposed from 14 to 7-10 Days. The CDC announced the guidance Tuesday evening.
“We have seen people and we follow people for 14 days during their quarantine we we’ve had people become positive for COVID on days 12, 13, and 14,” she said.
The next COVID-19 testing event by KCHD with flu shots is scheduled for Thursday at the Schoenbaum Center in Charleston from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is a testing event on Friday at the Shawnee Sports Complex from noon until 7 p.m.
Story by Jake Flatley