County officials encouraged by ‘favorable trends’ in battle with COVID-19

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    Albany, GA (Albany Herald) — Albany and Dougherty County have weathered the storm in the initial onslaught of COVID-19 but must continue the practices that helped produce those results, health and elected officials said on Thursday.

As the population returns to work, recreational activities and other pursuits, the coronavirus is still present in the community, Dougherty County Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas warned.

“We have successfully moved through Phase I, and we have flattened the curve,” he said.

As of Thursday there have been 131 deaths of Dougherty County residents, with two of those coming this week. That represents a significant drop from a few weeks ago when there were multiple deaths nearly every day in hospitals here and in other cities, at residences and at nursing homes.

For the prior 24-hour period, there was only one admission to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, and the number of daily admissions have been in the single-digits every day with one exception over more than two weeks.

“While we find ourselves in the wake of some very tragic happenings, this is huge,” Cohilas said of the positive numbers. “And we have done a lot in this community to control the virus and its impact. We have arrested its growth significantly as it applies to our most vulnerable citizens.

“(But) I’m going to say this again and again and again: This is a sprint, not a marathon.”

Gov. Brian Kemp’s latest executive order released this week has relaxed some restrictions on social gatherings.

“Ten or fewer people can get together and have dinner,” Cohilas said. “Ten or fewer people can watch a movie. Ten people can play basketball. But use common sense. There are still a number of people who have the virus. Many of those people don’t know it.”

Those most vulnerable to the virus and most at risk of being critically sickened are encouraged to continue sheltering in place through the end of June. Officials also encouraged residents to continue wearing a mask in public, maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from others, and maintain hygiene practices such as frequent hand-washing and not touching the face.

In addition to the lower number of hospital admissions, Phoebe Putney Health System is seeing additional signs of progress, said Dr. Steven Kitchen, Phoebe’s chief medical officer.

Those who are sickened seem to be recovering at a higher rate, possibly because people are seeking medical treatment earlier than was the case initially.

“The number of patients that are requiring an intensive care unit care has sharply declined,” Kitchen said. “I think it has something to do with there is much greater recognition of the symptoms of COVID-19 in our community, and I think people are seeking care much earlier in the course of the disease. The chances of having a much more favorable outcome will increase with that.”

As of Thursday, there were 52 patients being treated for COVID-19 at Phoebe in Albany and 10 at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center. Over the course of the crisis, 311 patients treated by Phoebe have recovered.

Some 1,644 county residents have tested positive for the coronavirus during the crisis, and 35,858 statewide, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

“We have many, many favorable trends,” Kitchen said. “I think the reason we have observed this is the very effective public health measures we have put in place, and our citizens putting into practice the things we have observed again and again that have proven to reduce (transmission).”

Cohilas and Dr. Charles Ruis, the Southwest Public Health District director, also warned of a COVID-related condition that affects children — Pediatric Multi-symptom Inflammatory Syndrome, or PIMS, which has affected a small number in the country.

While rare, the condition can cause severe illness and death.

“It’s now being recognized that days — if not weeks — after an infection, there can be quite a violent reaction of the immune system that can cause issues with various parts of the body,” Ruis said. “(It’s) typically not respiratory/lungs. It can affect other parts of the body, other organs.”

Symptoms include a prolonged fever; abdominal pain, diarrhea or vomiting; rashes or changes in skin color; trouble breathing, and confusion or sleepiness.

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