- April 24, 2024
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Flagler County and Volusia County COVID-19 case numbers appear to be trending upward again, with Flagler reporting 88 positive cases for the week of April 15-21, up from 35 during the same time frame last month, while Volusia reported 261, up from 171.
Around the country, case numbers are about twice what they were during the trough, Florida Department of Health-Flagler Medical Director Dr. Stephen Bickel said.
Still, deaths and hospitalizations remain low: AdventHealth Palm Coast had five inpatients last week, Bickel said. He noted that most people in the U.S. have at least partial immunity to COVID-19, from vaccination or from previous infection.
"It’s still enough to protect the vast majority of people from severe disease — so the main groups of people ending up in the hospital are those who have not been previously infected or vaccinated, plus those who are 65+ and/or with chronic medical conditions," he said.
Masks are a good preventative protective measure, especially for people who are immunocompromised or elderly with chronic conditions, Florida DOH-Flagler Health Officer Bob Snyder said.
The positivity rate in Flagler is 12.4% — one of Florida's highest — while Volusia's is 5.8%. A month ago, Flagler's was 4.1%, and Volusia's was 3.1%.
"I think we’ve reached the point where we’re just going to ride this out — and it is going to be like the flu — but maybe somewhat worse, at least for the next year or two," Bickel said. "Most people can resume their pre-COVID lives, but those who are vulnerable for the reasons outlined above should be more careful or get vaccinated or boosted, etc."
People who are at risk of severe disease should test immediately if they get symptoms suggestive of COVID, should do so over multiple days if they initially test negative, and should promptly start treatment — with Paxlovid the best option for people who don't have drug interaction issues, Bickel said.
People who want a home test can pick one up at the Health Department in Flagler County at no cost, Snyder said. For vaccination through the Florida Department of Health-Flagler, call 386-437-7350 Ext. 0.
