High rates of COVID throughout area
Jan. 5—ASHLAND — The level of COVID-19 infections is extremely high in the area, according to figures from the Centers for Disease Control.
"We are now in a nearly vertical spike the likes of which dwarf all prior escalations," Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health, said this week. "In just two weeks, Kentucky has gone from roughly half our delta variant surge peak to more than double our delta variant surge peak."
Cases are high in Boyd, Greenup, Carter, Elliott, Lawrence, Martin and Pike counties in Kentucky. It's the same for Wayne, Cabell and Lincoln counties in West Virginia and Lawrence County, Ohio.
The CDC urges diligent hand-washing and mask-wearing when the COVID rate is high.
The CDC told the Associated Press to expect cases of flu, as well as COVID-19, to continue to rise, fueled by holiday gatherings, too many unvaccinated people and a new version of the coronavirus that may be spreading more easily.
"Folks are traveling a lot more this season. They want to see their families," said the CDC's Dr. Manisha Patel. "And all of that sort of adds to the mix" in the spread of viruses.
About 42% of U.S. adults had gotten flu shots by the first week of December, down from about 45% at the same time last year, according to the CDC.
Americans have also been slow to get other vaccinations. Only about 18% have gotten an updated COVID-19 shot that became available in September. At nursing homes, about a third of residents are up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.
Only 17% of adults 60 and older had received new shots against another respiratory virus. RSV, respiratory syncytial virus, is a common cause of mild cold-like symptoms but it can be dangerous for infants and older people.
The CDC last week took the unusual step of sending a health alert to U.S. doctors urging them to immunize their patients against the trio of viruses.
