State health department reports 69 new cases in Escambia County in past few weeks
Escambia County is following a trend across the state of Alabama with a recent spike in positive COVID-19 cases as health officials continue to stress the importance of being vaccinated against the virus.
Jason Daniel, director of public affairs and marketing for the Escambia County Health Care Authority, said there as been a steady increase in positive cases for the past three weeks. Atmore Community Hospital reported 10 new cases from July 13 to July 20 and D.W. McMillan Memorial Hospital has reported 12 new cases of the virus.
The Alabama Department of Public Health reported Escambia County has seen 69 new cases of COVID-19 during the same period of July 13 to July 20 with one death.
Officials have not confirmed whether or not the spike in cases is coming from the new Delta variant of the coronavirus. Officials also note some of the new positive tests are coming from people who have already been vaccinated.
However, health officials said people who have had the vaccine are not seeing serious effects of the virus.
Brewton physician Dr. Dan Raulerson said getting the vaccine is the key, noting he now has three patients in the hospital with COVID-19.
“One hundred percent,” Dr. Raulerson said when asked if he recommends people get vaccinated.
He said while people who have been vaccinated can get infected, he said they have fewer symptoms and a less serious course of recovery.
“I push hard to get people vaccinated,” he said
Alabama ranks last in the United States with 33.7 percent of the population being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 despited the vaccine being offered free at multiple places.
He compared the COVID-19 vaccine to the flu vaccine, noting there are different strains of the flu that weren't included in the vaccine. However, people who get the flu after being vaccinated have a milder case.
Dr. Raulerson also said he's scared COVID-19 may “explode” when school starts and feels the COVID-19 vaccine should be part of the vaccinations required by schools.
Dr. Raulerson said the reasons he's heard from people who don't want to take the vaccine vary from it could make them sick to not trusting a vaccine that was created so quickly. However, Dr. Raulerson said research has been going on for years for coronavirus vaccines, noting COVID-19 was a different strain.
“People said when they got the second shot they had a reaction,” Dr. Raulerson said. “That should tell them that their immune system is working.”
Dr. Raulerson said if you've ever known someone who died from respiratory problems and couldn't breath, “It's a horrible way to go.”
“No way I'd take that chance,” he added.
