Medical professionals encourage vaccinations to slow spread and prevent further variants from mutating

Medical professionals have faced a challenge determining the number of positive COVID-19 cases within their communities. At home testing and the various reporting procedures by different entities provided hurdles in calculating possible positive cases. 

Thanks to hard work and no small amount of digging, Sheridan Memorial Hospital Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Addlesperger, Nurse Manager Debra Haar, Jennifer Graves from Sheridan County Public Health and a team of dedicated individuals, the accuracy of that number has greatly improved. 

Sheridan Memorial Hospital Chief Executive Officer Mike MCCafferty. 

Addlesperger added that with at-home testing available, there are still going to be discrepancies in the amount of positive cases within the community.

Viruses mutate constantly, Addlesperger said. The public only hears about the mutations that allow the virus to spread more easily to the public, such as the delta variant. 

With every new infection comes a chance for the virus to change and become more transmissible. The most effective way to stop the spread and mutations of the virus is to get vaccinated, Addlesperger said. 

Although the delta variant can be transmitted to those who have received the vaccine, those individuals are less likely to spread that virus to others, symptoms are much less severe and they are much less likely to be hospitalized.    

According to McCafferty, individuals seeking testing for the virus have increased over the last week. On average SMH administers 20 to 25 tests a day, that has increased to 35. 

According to Graves, COVID-19 cases among Sheridan County residents since the beginning of the pandemic is 2,629 total lab confirmed cases, an increase of 23 in the last 24 hours. 

Due to the accumulation of information by dedicated individuals  Public Health has a better estimation of active cases in the community are 46 (PCR test) and 11 Antigen tests, totaling 56  active cases in the county.

Sheridan County has experienced 31 deaths among its residents due to complications resulting from COVID-19. 

Currently, five patients are hospitalized in Sheridan County suffering from COVID-19.

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