Jo Co PHO: It’s Still COVID But Not Like Last Year

Public Health Officer Dr. Mark Schueler talked with Sheridan Media about COVID-19 and its effects on the community and today we get his final thoughts on the status of the virus in Johnson County.

Dr. Schueler said numbers of infections with the virus are equivalent to the height of the pandemic, but serious illnesses and deaths are fewer now, and that those that have not been vaccinated are more likely to catch and spread the Delta variant than those that are vaccinated, although vaccinated people can still catch and spread it as well.

He talked about natural immunity and an expected spike in cases with kids returning to school, natural immunity from those that have had COVID-19 and recovered, and suggested getting the vaccine may help boost the ability to fight the virus.

Schueler said the current virus that is here is still COVID, but the current situation is not the same.

Schueler said he “feels good about the fact that those that were afraid of dying from the virus got the vaccine, got the protection. They might get sick but almost none of those folks have to worry about dying from it.”