Reports of COVID-19 cases have declined, but one local health care official is seeing an increase and believes even those numbers don’t tell the full story.
Steven Miracle, chief executive officer at Georgia Mountains Health, said last week his providers are seeing about one out of every five, or 20%, of COVID-19 tests produce positive results.
This mirrors the latest numbers from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The organization’s latest report from July 6 said the number of positive cases reported was 16.2% of all those tested.
After a spike of 54 cases recorded January 19 of this year, COVID-19 cases had been steadily decreasing in Fannin County. From about the third week of February through the first week of June, the average fell to less than one positive case a day, with days at a time seeing no positive reports.
As of July 6, when four cases were reported, Fannin’s seven day moving average had increased to 2.6 cases. That trend began June 11.
The death toll in Fannin County now stands at 134 directly related to COVID-19.
Miracle believes the number of positive case reports is low due to the availability of home test kits and the current, weaker strain of the virus many people are experiencing. Positive tests from these kits are not reported and people affected are self medicating and not seeing their doctors.
But this does not stop the danger created by COVID-19 to the patient and to others.
Miracle urges everyone who has not received a COVID-19 vaccine to do so, and says those who have not received the booster vaccinations should do the same. The vaccine and boosters are still free of charge.