Georgia has reported a record high of confirmed and probable coronavirus cases, and the worst is likely yet to come, health experts said.
The new daily record Friday followed three days of sharp increases, but state officials had attributed those spikes at least in part to laboratory and provider reporting backups from the Thanksgiving holiday.
That’s no longer the case.
“Today’s COVID-19 numbers do not include backlogs of any significance,” Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) spokeswoman Nancy Nydam said Friday. “What we are seeing is a surge in COVID-19 cases statewide.”
And the fallout of Thanksgiving gatherings, which public health experts have feared, won’t be fully known for days.
The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) reported 4,947 net new confirmed infections and 1,429 net new antigen positive tests — or 6,376 combined cases — on Friday. The state also reported 43 confirmed new deaths attributed to COVID-19.
Public health experts say infections from over Thanksgiving week are likely only beginning to appear in Georgia’s reporting, and it will take more time to see the full brunt of infections triggered by holiday gatherings. People exposed to the virus typically exhibit symptoms days later, prompting a test. It can take a few days more before results are reported.
Nationally, according to the latest report from President Donald Trump’s coronavirus task force, the U.S. is “in a very dangerous place due to the current, extremely high COVID baseline and limited hospital capacity.” The report also said mitigation efforts in many parts of the country remain inadequate. Health officials had warned about the dangers of traveling over Thanksgiving, and it is still too early to know how holiday travel affected the spread of the virus in the U.S.
Here’s a look at other major developments related to the coronavirus.
Credit: SPECIAL
Credit: SPECIAL
Governor, hospitals discuss COVID-19 surge
The chief executive officers of Georgia hospitals met with Gov. Brian Kemp at the state Capitol to discuss the growing toll of COVID-19 as the pandemic climbs its third wave.
“As the colder months approach, we’ve got to continue to remain vigilant,” Kemp said.
“Socially distance, wear a mask or stay at home, and let’s continue to mitigate the spread. But we cannot take our foot off the gas just because we’re going to have a vaccine in a couple of weeks or 30 days or so,” he said.
All of the hospital executives — from Piedmont CEO Kevin Brown and Wellstar CEO Candice Saunders to those from other parts of Georgia — said they were pressed with patients, including patients that have nothing to do with COVID-19. More than one had seen a dramatic upsurge in trauma volumes.
Last month, Grady Health System’s trauma cases, particularly those resulting from gun violence, were double those of November 2019.
All that leads to an even more stressed system as the hospitals brace for both flu season and whatever the pandemic holds this winter.
COVID-19 vaccine expected later this month
Gov. Brian Kemp said he expects the first doses of COVID-19 vaccinations to begin arriving the second or third week of December.
“I am confident that, when a COVID vaccine is authorized, we will be ready to distribute,” Kemp said during a meeting with leaders of the Georgia Health Care Association, a lobby group for the state’s nursing homes.
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel has recommended the first doses be given to health care workers and residents and staff of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
Credit: @CarterCenter/Twitter
Credit: @CarterCenter/Twitter
Ex-presidents push vaccination
Jimmy Carter joined three other former presidents in encouraging Americans to get a COVID-19 vaccination shot as soon as it becomes available.
In a statement, Carter said that he and his wife, Rosalynn, “are in full support of COVID-19 vaccine efforts and encourage everyone who is eligible to get immunized as soon as it becomes available in their communities.”
Carter’s office didn’t confirm whether he planned to get the vaccine. He is 96 years old.
Rosalynn Carter, who is 93, was a staunch advocate for vaccines as Georgia’s First Lady and subsequently co-founded Vaccinate Your Family in 1991 to ensure equitable access to immunizations.
Meanwhile, former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama all agreed to get vaccinated ― in front of television cameras if they had to ― to instill confidence in Americans who have watched more than 270,000 people in the country die from the coronavirus.
Staff writers Ariel Hart and Ernie Suggs along with the Associated Press contributed to this article.
