New positive COVID cases are on the rise throughout Missouri – and many of those cases are due to the more infectious delta variant. As of yesterday, the number of active cases in Boone County has risen to more than 200.
So, Sara Humm, the public information specialist for Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services, gave the Health & Wealth Desk an update on how things are going here in Boone County.
You can find detailed information about the current status of COVID cases, hospital capacity, etc. in Boone County on the Boone County, MO COVID-19 Information Hub.
Rebecca Smith: Now Sara – I was wondering if you could kind of take us back a couple of weeks. What are we starting to see here in Boone County when it comes to new COVID cases?
Sara Humm: Yeah. So, when we look at new positive cases, just a couple of weeks ago, we had a five-day average of – it was anywhere from seven to four, depending on the day, on the week. But comparatively, that's now up to 17.
And the last time that we were in double digits was back in late April, so, you know, there were days where we saw three new cases, two new cases. It's changed a little bit now. But certainly, we're starting to see an increase in those new positive cases, which is, of course, concerning to us, because we've been doing so well.
And, you know, having to think about going back into that mode of – “what's to come?” and, you know, “are we headed into a spike?” and figuring out what that means and what we need to do to help our community members protect themselves and each other.
Rebecca Smith: So, I’m wondering, with these new cases – are they largely due to the delta variant? That we’re seeing pop up a lot now, especially in southwest Missouri?
Sara Humm: We have had variants detected of delta here in Boone County, and with the increase in cases that we're currently seeing, you know, we don't know exactly how many of those new cases are Delta, I think it's probably safe to say that delta is a part of that equation of why we're seeing such an increase in new cases.
Which you know, the best thing that people can do is to get vaccinated.
Rebecca Smith: And what about our hospitals – obviously, hospital capacity is a concern and something that you watch closely.
Sara Humm: Yeah. So, you know, certainly, we're always watching what the hospitals are looking like. We have a tracker on our website that shows the “status of the hospitals,” and so it's been sitting at yellow for a little while – currently, it's actually at Green, which is good. Granted, that fluctuates every day.
And so, we certainly hope that the hospitals have the capacity that they need because when those hospitals get overloaded, the concern there becomes – if you have a heart attack, or if you're in a car accident, and those hospitals are at capacity, that becomes an issue.
So really, a good way to keep those hospital numbers down is, again, to get vaccinated.
So really, a good way to keep those hospital numbers down is, again, to get vaccinated.Sara Humm, Columbia/Boone County Public Health & Human Services
Rebecca Smith: And finally, Sara – what would you say to someone who's either worried about the delta variant coming into our community, or even someone who's still apprehensive about getting the vaccine in the first place?
Sara Humm: You know, we know that getting a vaccine is a personal choice, and we want to make sure that people have the information that they need to be able to make that choice.
Because that is what is going to help us move forward, and that's what's going to help folks keep themselves, their families, their neighbors, their community safe and healthy.
So, for people who have questions, you know, we have resources to help answer those questions. We have an FAQ on our website, they can email our – we have a guidance team that can help give some guidance – because we want to make sure people are confident in their decision of getting the vaccination.
Rebecca Smith: Well, Sara, thanks so much for your time today. We really appreciate it.
Sara Humm: Perfect. Thank you. Have a good one.
You can find more information about the COVID-19 vaccines, schedule a vaccine appointment or find a community vaccination event at https://www.como.gov/COVIDvaccine/
