- April 24, 2024
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Flagler County's COVID-19 case rate and hospitalization numbers continue to drop, and the county has likely pulled out of its latest COVID wave, health officials said on Flagler Broadcasting's "Free For All Friday" program Sept. 24.
"We’ve been on a downward trend ... for four weeks in a row," Health Officer Bob Snyder said.
The county had 215 cases this week, down from 401 cases the week before, he said.
There were four deaths reported at the hospital early in the week, but none in the last few days, and COVID-19-related hospitalizations have been decreasing: There were 27 as of Thursday, Sept. 23.
Asked whether the latest COVID-19 wave is over, Florida Department of Health-Flagler Medical Director Stephen Bickel replied, "It sure looks like it."
Snyder said that most of his colleagues believe that the latest delta COVID-19 wave peaked about three weeks ago.
But Bickel did have a word of caution.
"Keep in mind, we were at 10 or 20 cases a week in the spring of 2020, and we were all concerned about it," he said. "So we’ve gotten used to these numbers. But hopefully it will get under 100 in the next week or two."
And while the CDC's latest advice on masking states that vaccinated people in areas with low transmission don't need to wear masks, Flagler's transmission rates are still far too high for that.
"We’re not near the low level," Bickel said. "We’re going from extremely high to high."
Why is the wave ending?
"I think we’re running out of people," Bickel said. "Herd immunity comes from vaccinated people and … people who have a history of COVID." Adding those two numbers together leaves a significant portion of the population with COVID-19 antibodies.
"What tends to happen in these waves is that there are groups of people that congregate together — whether it’s school, or social or other activities — and if a bunch of them are susceptible, they can spread it. And then they’re no longer susceptible."
So far, Snyder said, 71,477 Flagler County residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine: That's 68% of the population.
Local schools are averaging about seven students a day testing positive for COVID — a significant decrease from when school began, Snyder said.
"We are on a real positive trend here, in the right direction," Snyder said.
Still, he said, people who aren't vaccinated should get vaccinated.
"For those who are on the fence, please reach out to your primary care physician, and talk to us, and we can talk you through it," he said.
People who are over 65, or are immunocompromised or have other health conditions that place them at high risk for COVID-19, can also get booster shots at least six months after their second shot.
"Every pharmacy in our community has either Moderna or Pfizer or both," Snyder said.
Bickel and Snyder have also previously advised that people who test positive for COVID-19 and who are high-risk for severe symptoms (those who are over 65, are overweight or have medical conditions like diabetes) promptly pursue monoclonal antibody therapy, which is free and has been shown to significantly lower COVID-19 patients' risk of being hospitalized or dying.
Monoclonal antibody therapy is offered for free at Daytona State College’s Palm Coast campus. To set an appointment, call 386-246-4863.
