DPH reports 19 cases of COVID-19 variant
♦ In four days, 105 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Gordon County.
The Georgia Department of Public Health confirmed there are now 19 cases of the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7 in the state.
This is the same variant discovered in the U.K. and several other countries and at least 30 other states. So far, no other COVID-19 variants have been reported in Georgia.
The B.1.1.7 cases in Georgia are in individuals ages 15 to 61, eight males and 11 females. Those who have been identified as having the variant live in Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fulton, Gwinnett and Paulding counties. The variant has not been discovered in Gordon County, though experts are predicting it will be the dominant strain in the United States by the end of March.
“The CDC has said this U.K. variant is likely to be the dominant strain in the U.S. by sometime in March,” said Kathleen Toomey, a commissioner with the Georgia Department of Public Health. “We must ensure we are taking every precaution right now to prevent transmission of COVID and to avoid a surge in hospitalization and loss of life.”
Dr. Gary Voccio, health director for the 10-county Georgia DPH Northwest Health District, has gone on record about the continued importance of social distancing, wearing masks that properly cover the face and mouth, handwashing and avoiding large gatherings whenever possible. He has also advocated for the COVID-19 vaccine, which he received during the first phase of Georgia’s Vaccination Plan.
To those who may be afraid to take the vaccine or who are hesitant to do so, Voccio said it is nothing to fear. Though he experienced slight soreness and swelling in the arm of the injection after his first dose, both were mild and temporary. The second dose seemed to have slightly worse side effects, like muscle aches or fever, but he said those went away within a day with Tylenol.
“The side effects are very minimal after the first dose,” he said. “In about a third of people who have gotten the vaccine and reached back out to us, they’ve reported muscle aches or low fevers for a day after the second dose. They can be treated with Tylenol and are nothing to worry about. This vaccine is extremely effective. It is 95% effective in the Moderna trials, and that is the vaccine we are distributing here in our area.”
Information about the B.1.1.7 variant is evolving quickly. Early reports from the DPH suggest that it will be slightly more contagious than its earlier predecessor and may increase the risk of death in those infected. Both Pfizer and Moderna have said their current vaccines appear to work against the variant.
Positive cases of COVID-19 increased by 15,300 across the state from Friday to Monday evening, with 105 new cases in Gordon County. Deaths statewide rose by 339. Three of those deaths occurred in Gordon County.
For more information about COVID-19, visit www. dph.georgia.gov/novelcoronavirus or www.cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.