For Georgia seniors, the COVID vaccine rollout has been rocky at best. Yet an increasing number of people 65 and older living in the community and in long-term care facilities now are receiving COVID-19 vaccinations. But what about the elderly who are homebound? Right now, Georgia public health officials are wrestling with that issue. Many elderly…
With COVID-19 cases spiking, it’s basically impossible for the state’s contact tracers to reach the burgeoning number of people potentially exposed to the disease. That’s the assessment of the state agency running the program. “With new cases hovering around 10,000 daily, it is not possible to keep up with them,’’ Nancy Nydam, spokeswoman for the…
Georgia recorded its third straight day of high numbers of COVID deaths, with the 142 reported Thursday bringing the state’s three-day total to 424. The new figure neared Tuesday’s record number of 145. The medical strain from the post-holiday COVID surge, meanwhile, is being felt in hospitals across the state. And that pressure may increase…
Georgia reported 145 COVID-related deaths Tuesday, the state’s highest single-day total recorded since the pandemic began. More than 9,000 new infections were also reported Tuesday, along with 435 new hospitalizations. The overall number of COVID hospitalizations currently has hit 5,700, continuing its steady, record-breaking climb. These grim statistics coincide with frustrating waits for Georgia seniors…
Georgia’s worst-in-the-nation status for COVID vaccination rate is a glaring hole in the state’s fight against the disease. Some hospital officials are pointing to trouble inputting data into the state immunization registry about shots that have been given. Gov. Brian Kemp has talked about “a significant underreporting’’ of how many vaccinations have been carried out….
By Brenda Goodman and Andy Miller Brenda Goodman is a senior news writer for WebMD. Andy Miller is editor of Georgia Health News. This article first appeared in WebMD. After 10 months of masks, social distancing, virtual school, fear for vulnerable loved ones, and loneliness, this is the news no one wanted to hear: The virus…
A Georgia town’s current status as a COVID hot spot has left its mark on the local hospital. Dublin, in Middle Georgia, is now listed as No. 7 among U.S. metro areas in per capita rate of COVID-19 infections over the past two weeks, according to the New York Times. About one-third of Fairview Park…
With Georgia topping 5,000 current hospitalizations for COVID-19, public health experts are calling for more state restrictions to curb the virus surge. Yet another ominous factor popped up Tuesday: Georgia Public Health officials reported the state’s first case of the more contagious COVID-19 variant discovered in Britain last month and subsequently detected in several nations…
With COVID raging in Georgia, school districts across the state have faced tough decisions on how to handle instruction as the semester begins this week. Hall County schools, for example, are starting out the semester this week with virtual-only classes. But in Oconee County, also in northeast Georgia, kids are expected back in the classroom…
On the last day of 2020, Augusta University Medical Center was swamped with very sick COVID patients. Sixteen were waiting Thursday in the ER to be moved to ICU beds, but no such beds were available. And other hospitals were filled up as well, said Dr. Phillip Coule, vice president and chief medical officer of Augusta…