A warning for the holidays: The risk of getting Covid-19 in a crowded indoor setting is still very high, state health chief says

The novel coronavirus, Covid-19, is not so novel anymore, but it remains the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and will be a threat as families gather indoors on what is forecast to be a cold Thanksgiving weekend, says Kentucky's public-health commissioner.

Dr. Steven Stack (WEKU photo)

Dr. Steven Stack says Kentuckians should keep practicing what he calls “the golden rule”: If you’re sick, stay home. And remmeber that even if you are up to date on your vaccinations, the risk of getting Covid in a crowded indoor setting is still very high.

“Since we’re standing close in the shopping line now, if you have people over for parties, if you go to a restaurant and you sit in a packed restaurant. It’s loud where people are talking and laughing and having a good time,” Stack told Stu Johnson of WEKU. “If you do that stuff on and off over a week you should just assume you’re being exposed multiple times to Covid.”

The disease doesn’t carry near the impact it once did, because of vaccinations and immunity from past infections, but Stack said it still serious, "especially for the medically frail, with more than 40 deaths a week" in Kentucky, Johnson reports.

"For the very young, vaccine availability can be an issue. Stack said most pediatricians can’t afford to have a large inventory of the costly vaccine, since it has a relatively short shelf life."

Stack said, “There have been some challenges for the youngest children because the only folks that would likely vaccinate really young children are pediatricians or clinics or doctors' offices that routinely take care of children.” In such cases, Stack suggests a commercial retail pharmacy, health department, or university medical center. Covid vaccinations are suggested for babies at six months of age.

State graphs, adapted
by Kentucky Health News

Weekly respiratory illness update

The state Department for Public Health's weekly respiratory illness update, released Nov. 16, shows that Covid-19 activity remains moderate, but influenza and respiratory syncytial virus are increasing. And, hospitalizations for Covid-19 and flu are low, but increasing and RSV hospitalizations in children continue to increase.

The report shows that in the week ended Nov. 5, emergency-department visits for respiratory illness in Kentucky increased again, to 2,811. Of those, 1,202 were for flu, 1,105 were for Covid-19 and 504 were for RSV.

Among children, ED visits increased to 1,302, up from 975 the prior week. Of those, 691 were related to flu, 450 for RSV and 161 for Covid-19.

Hospitalizations for respiratory illness in Kentucky for the week ended Nov. 5 also increased, to 420, up from 318 the prior week. Of those, 278 were related to Covid-19, 84 for RSV and 58 for flu.

Among children, hospitalizations for respiratory illness also increased, to 86, up from 60 the week prior. Of those, 65 were for RSV, up from 45 the prior week; 11 were for flu, down from 13; and 10 were for Covid-19, up from two.

In the week ended Nov. 5, Kentucky reported 3,064 laboratory-confirmed tests for Covid-19, up from 2,430, and 332 positive laboratory tests for the flu, up from 187 the prior week.

Deaths:  In the week ended Oct. 15, the state reported three Covid-19 deaths and in the week ended Oct. 22, the state reported three Covid-19 deaths.