Omicron Records Peak Coronavirus Cases In El Paso County | Subscriber content

The omicron variant led to a huge increase in COVID-19 cases in El Paso County last week as the state faces a shortage of monoclonal antibody treatments, new antiviral drugs and healthcare workers.

The county had seen 5,573 cases of COVID-19 over the past week on Monday, up from 2,335 new cases in seven days as of December 27 a week ago. The rate of new cases over the past week was 771.4 per 100,000, the highest incidence since the start of the pandemic in the county, said Michelle Beyrle, spokesperson for El Paso County. Health. Numbers are likely to rise given trends and data lags after the holidays.

Colorado Springs hospitals have yet to see a spike in patients, but it is expected in the coming days, based on the model that omicron has followed in other cities, said Dr Michael Roshon, an emergency physician at Penrose-St. Francis and the Vice President of Research Operations at Centura.

Coronavirus patients already need care and emergency rooms and primary care offices are quite busy, he said.

“We fully anticipate that we will see a spike in hospital cases over the next week for sure,” he said. Most people who are vaccinated are likely to have a mild case and he expects to see severe cases mostly among unvaccinated residents.

Across the county, about 23% of people tested on average over the past week had the virus. With the virus spreading so rapidly in the community, many hospital workers are also falling ill and in need of time off, a problem that could exacerbate the staff shortages that have plagued hospitals for months.

“It’s fear – if the surge hits at the same time that many doctors and nurses are away,” Roshon said.

To help alleviate some staffing needs, the state sent registered nurses, certified practical nurses and respiratory therapists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to Penrose Hospital last week, said Becky Brockman, spokesperson. word of the hospital. The additional staff will stay for three months and will work in intensive care units and medico-surgical units, she said.

Additional staff is starting in Penrose, as the Staffing Shortage Fusion Center has sent hundreds of additional staff across the state. The fusion center provided 193 contract and National Guard personnel statewide to the facilities and eight volunteers. The center also provides about 425 employees at eight Colorado hospitals, the state’s health department said last week. Federal medical response teams deployed 19 health and social service contractors to Parkview Medical Center in Pueblo through December 21 and 22, Department of Defense staff at Poudre Valley Medical Center in Fort Collins through ‘as of December 23, the state said.

Hospitals and healthcare providers also face a shortage of treatment with the monoclonal antibody, sotrovimab, effective against the omicron variant.

The new antiviral drugs, molnupiravir and paxlovid, which were approved under emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration just before Christmas, offer new options, but they are also rare and must be. reserved for patients most at risk, Roshon said.

Patients need to take antivirals five days after symptom onset for them to be effective, and so those with multiple conditions that put them at risk should be in contact with their primary care physicians within the first few days after falling. sick, he said. Some of these conditions include diabetes, heart disease, obesity, hypertension, among others.

Getting the drugs to these patients on time can be difficult as some people may not even be sick enough to think about getting tested in the first few days, he said.

“If you wait until you are really sick, then it is too late for these drugs to be useful,” he said.

The state health department manages the distribution of monoclonal antibodies and antivirals, and El Paso County public health director Susan Wheelan said her health department will continue to persistently advocate for the community. .

The best protection against serious illness and hospitalization is the COVID-19 vaccine. Both doses plus a booster can significantly reduce the risk of getting sick and spreading the virus, Roshon said.

More than 63% of eligible residents of El Paso County are vaccinated, or about 423,000 people, and about 111,700 people have received their booster, Beyrle said.

Wheelan noted that zero risk does not exist with this virus and residents need to be prepared.

“As we see an increase in Omicron cases in communities across El Paso County, anticipate disruptions and plan ahead what to do if you or a family member becomes ill,” he said. she declared. More information is available at elpasocountyhealth.org/ Isolation-and-quarantine.

Seth Klamann of The Gazette contributed to this report.