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WEBSTER COUNTY, Missouri – As COVID-19 cases begin to slow in other parts of the United States, Missouri is experiencing one of the largest spikes in COVID-19 cases. The Ozarks have now become one of the state’s two hotspots.
In Webster County last week, 120 cases of COVID-19 were reported compared to just seven in May. Doctors blame Delta variant as Health Unit searches for ways to speed up vaccinations.
“I honestly thought 3 or 4 months ago that we had this beaten thing. And here he is back, ”said Dr. Sam Alexander, emergency physician at CoxHealth.
“I have seen several people over the past two weeks who are very sick with it, and the only thing they had in common was that they weren’t vaccinated,” Marshfield doctor Dennis Robinson said.
Only 27% of Webster County residents are fully vaccinated, and the COVID-19 count is almost identical to the peak of the pandemic.
Currently, 23 patients from Webster County are in hospitals in Springfield.
“We make up about 4% of the catchment area of the population, and Webster County represents about 15% of their admissions,” said Scott Allen, administrator of the Webster County Health Unit.
Local doctors and the health department blame the Delta variant and by random sampling of the sewers it was confirmed that Delta is dominant.
“Week after week after week, it’s here,” Allen said. “Maybe he came to the area stopping for gas, then they infected someone who infected 6 other people who infected 6 other people and we couldn’t stop him. “
Robinson says the symptoms he’s seeing are harder to pin down.
A lot of people who come in thought they had allergies, but then we test them and they have COVID, ”said Robinson. “They didn’t think they were that sick, but they have diarrhea and an upset stomach, they feel terrible.
This thing could go on for another year and keep going through our people unless we achieve hearing immunity, ”Alexander said.
Alexander says getting the COVID-19 vaccine is the only key to winning the COVID-19 battle.
This recovery is going to cause deaths, ”said Robinson. “There are going to be people you know who are going to die because you are not vaccinated.”
Clinics in Webster County are offering vaccines seven days a week and have started going to people’s homes to get the vaccine.
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