As the COVID-19 numbers continue to rise again in Grundy County, it is hoped that with the FDA giving approval to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine the number of vaccinated residents will also see an increase.
Elizabeth Gibson, administrator of the Grundy County Health Department, said she believes there are those who were waiting for full FDA approval to receive a vaccine. With that news being released Monday morning, it is hoped the next Pfizer clinic, scheduled for Aug. 30, will see a full house. The benefits to getting a vaccine, she said, are two-fold.
“If you’re vaccinated you’re not required to quarantine unless you have symptoms,” she said, also noting that breakthrough cases, while they are occurring, are often less severe.
As of Monday morning, Grundy County has 58 active cases for a total of 1,511 total positive cases since the pandemic was declared in March 2020. The county also recorded one new death, bringing that total to 44. Ms. Gibson said there were several who were released from quarantine over the weekend.
Quarantining is a big issue as students return to class this week without a mask mandate in any of the area’s schools. Everyone should be prepared for quarantines and the likelihood of increased cases.
“I think we will see increased quarantines,” she said. “Just because it’s not mandatory (to wear a mask) doesn’t mean you can’t wear one. What you need to remember is that you’re contagious two days before you start showing symptoms and that’s why masking is so important. People do the right thing by staying home if they don’t feel good, but by the time you have symptoms, it’s already too late.”
The Delta variant is more contagious than what we were seeing in this area during the last school year and that is likely one reason the number of cases in younger children has increased. In addition, those under 12 cannot get vaccinated so they are at a disadvantage when it comes to contracting the virus. So, should children tested? Yes, according to Ms. Gibson.
“If they’ve had known exposure, they should be tested,” she said. “We want to know so they can be isolated, as well as those in their household and others they’ve had close contact with.”
She commented that those who are using home tests are calling the health department for guidance after testing positive. The reliability of those tests is pretty good, but she is far more worried about false negatives than a false positive. The main culprit of a false negative result would be how the specimen was obtained.
Ms. Gibson encouraged those who would like the Pfizer vaccine to call her office at 359-4196 to make an appointment for the Aug. 30 clinic.
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