The news is good but the advice is caution.
Hospitalizations related to COVID are down at both Medical Center Hospital and Odessa Regional Medical Center but health officials were clear during Tuesday’s Zoom news conference that social distancing, masks and other precautions need to continue to protect against the virus.
ORMC Chief of Staff Dr. Rohith Saravanan said the most recent Delta variant surge in Odessa is “hopefully on the way out.” He added that there are other variants out there but “we hope the new variants will be susceptible to the vaccines.” He said health officials are tracking variants but reminded that staying on top of risks can make all the difference as the holidays are just around the corner.
He recommended be careful with gatherings and making sure that those who gather to celebrate are practicing social distancing and have been vaccinated and that hand-washing remains important.
Of the lower numbers, Saravanan said “we see it ebb and flow…this is our third surge we peaked and are on our way down.. it is not coming down as fast as we would like or expect it to and the main reason is the unvaccinated population.”
MCH CEO Russell Tippin said MCH had 49 COVID patients on Tuesday with 19 in critical care and 14 on ventilators. He said the ages range from 31 to 93 and that the majority of patients are from Ector County.
ORMC CEO Stacey Brown said there were 16 patients with seven in ICU and four of those were on ventilators. She said about 87 percent were unvaccinated and that all were from Ector County.
Tippin said he believes the Regeneron clinic is helping keep the patient load smaller at the hospitals. He said the hospital has a good supply of the treatment. “Not as much as we were getting but our supply is steady.”
That treatment requires a positive COVID test and a referral from a physician.
MCH Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Experience Officer Christin Timmons said elective surgeries will return in a limited manner on Monday. “Those that require an overnight stay we will expand on a limited basis of bed availability.”
Saravanan said ORMC has remained at that state and that everything for electives remains tied to bed availability. “As the COVID census goes down we can accommodate more and more elective procedures.”
Odessa Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Rodd Huber via text said more than 1,000 vaccines have been given out at the free site at UTPB and that most have been the Pfizer vaccine. He said 1,569 have been treated at the Regeneron clinic.
Also, free testing is open again at McKinney Park from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
COVID NEWS/ REMINDERS
NEED A VACCINE?
>> The City of Odessa, University of Texas Permian Basin and the Ector County Health Department will continue a COVID-19 vaccination clinic Tuesdays to Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the UTPB soccer complex parking lot.
>> Drivers are asked to not line up on the Highway 191 frontage road. First and second shots will be offered. Third shots will be available for those who have passed the 6-month threshold, unless a doctor’s note is provided.
>> Information on booster shots is subject to change in accordance with CDC guidelines. The vaccination clinic is open to the public. Five-hundred (500) vaccines are available each day. No appointment or pre-registration is needed. Both Pfizer and Moderna will be available.
>> Bring a vaccination card (wait times are expected to increase without vaccination card) and your driver’s license.
>> The Regeneron Infusion Center continues on the MCH campus at One Doctors Place, Suite 700 (500 N. Washington). Regeneron is two medications – casirivimab and imdevimab – that make up this particular monoclonal antibody therapy.
Monoclonal antibodies are lab-made proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful pathogens, such as viruses. This therapy is for patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 and are at risk for hospitalization. Not only can it help prevent hospitalization, but it can also ease the symptoms of COVID-19 sooner.
A provider can make a referral for patients to receive the monoclonal antibody therapy. The provider will need to confirm their patient is a candidate and would benefit from the therapy, then call (432) 640-2022 to make the appointment. There is also an email to send appropriate documentation at [email protected].
The infusion center will be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The therapy is free, and the entire process takes about 90 minutes.
