COVID numbers plummet but health care workers urge caution

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - COVID-19 numbers have plunged in the last three weeks. Several businesses, and schools are now removing their COVID-19 restrictions and beginning to return to business as usual. Hoover City Schools, for example, is transitioning to optional masking on school grounds.

The Alabama Hospital Association says there is more availability for elective procedures. Perhaps a large reason why is the drop in COVID cases.

At one point we had over 17,000 cases reported in the state in one day...but according to Alabama Department of Public Health data, the state only saw 543 on February 8th.

Still while the numbers have dipped drastically, some in the healthcare field are warning about potential repercussions.

“Things are moving in the right direction, but it is not time to declare victory. All we will do if we declare victory now and try to revert to pre-surge behaviors is we are going to drive more people in to the hospital, we will see increased transmission and unfortunately we will likely see more people die,” said Alabama Hospital Association President Don Williamson.

Williamson believes the state is on the right track but asks for patience, so the positivity rate can drop further down.

“I think it is unlikely that we are going to eliminate this virus from the human experience. I think that what will happen is as the virus continues to change and more people either through vaccination or exposure develop underlying immunity and we get better vaccines that provide broader immunity what we’re going to see this simply become an endemic virus. Every year a few people will get the virus, maybe a lot of people will get the virus but it won’t disrupt society in the same way.”

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