Dr. Janet Memark District Health Director for Cobb & Douglas Public Health, issued the following update on the state of the COVID pandemic in Cobb and Douglas counties:
Good morning Cobb and Douglas counties.
As many of you have seen, the COVID cases in our district continue to rise. Last week, both of our counties were identified to be back into High transmission of the virus. To determine the COVID-19 community level, the CDC takes the following into account:
- How many new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population in the past 7 days
- What percent of staffed inpatient beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients
- How many total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the past 7 days
Over the last couple of months, we have had a slow and steady rise in the number of COVID hospitalizations, that started with the Omicron BA.2.12.1 variant, but has now shifted to the BA. 4 and 5 variants.
Please remember that when we enter High transmission, it is recommended that we wear masks in public spaces, get tested if experiencing symptoms, and stay up-to-date on vaccines.
Everyone over the age of 6 months is eligible for the vaccine. Anyone older than 5 years old is eligible for the vaccine series, plus the booster shot. Everyone who is over the age of 50 or is immunocompromised is eligible for the 2nd booster shot.
If you are 12 years and older, have mild to moderate symptoms, and are at high risk of progressing to severe COVID disease, you may be eligible for one of the outpatient treatment medications available by prescription from your physician or at one of the Test to Treat locations. Keep in mind that you need to be treated within five days of the onset of symptoms.
Please go to this website for more information or for the location of a pharmacy near you.
https://aspr.hhs.gov/TestToTreat/Pages/default.aspx
We will continue to monitor the situation and ask for everyone to make sure you are up-to-date on your vaccines and to please take a few extra precautions until cases come down.
Sincerely,
Janet Pak Memark M.D., M.P.H, F.A.C.P.
District Health Director
District 3-1: Cobb & Douglas Public Health
For more information on COVID in Cobb County and statewide
A useful source of statistics on COVID for Cobb County is the CDC’s County View page for Cobb County. The numbers come from the Georgia Department of Public Health but are displayed in a much easier-to-read way than the sprawling GDPH website. From this page you can get the one-week figures on the number of new cases, case rate per 100,000 of population, hospitalizations, deaths, and the percentage change from the previously reported 7-day period. It also includes data on testing and vaccination rates.
Visit the CDC County View page for Cobb County by following this link
The Georgia Department of Public Health publishes a weekly status report on the pandemic. It’s a comprehensive report with extensive data and charts arranged statewide and by county, that also includes age breakdowns, racial demographics, and data on vaccination and testing.
It isn’t the easiest system to navigate, but it’s worth spending time learning how to use if you’re interested in getting the latest statewide and local data on the state of COVID-19.
Visit the Georgia Department of Public Health COVID Status Report by following this link
To get an overview of how much the pandemic is stressing the hospital systems in terms of ER visits, hospital bed capacity, and ventilator use, there is a Hospital Bed and Ventilator Use report with interactive maps. The map is organized by hospital region, and Cobb County is part of Region N.
Visit the Georgia Hospital Beds and Ventilator Report by following this link
To get data on what percentage of patients in Georgia hospitals were admitted for COVID-19 versus all other causes, there is a Georgia Medical Facility Patient Census. It also reports numbers by statewide and hospital region.
Visit the Georgia Medical Facility Patient Census by following this link