COVID hospitalizations increase nationwide according to CDC, Southeast Health sees slight uptick

DOTHAN, Ala. (WTVY) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID Data Tracker shows an increase in hospitalizations nationwide in the most recently reported week. The latest report showed a more than 12 percent increase in hospital admissions in the U.S.

Health experts explain hospitalizations and cases remain overall low compared to past reports amidst surges of the virus.

Here in the Wiregrass, Southeast Health Medical Center is also seeing a slight increase.

Dr. George Narby is the Chief Medical Officer at Southeast Health. He said over the last several months the hospital has had between one to five COVID patients, but that number has gone up a bit over the last week or so.

As of Thursday afternoon, the hospital had eight COVID inpatients. This is up one from Wednesday.

“It remains a relatively mild disease at this point with fever, congestion, cough, and maybe some body aches, a typical viral illness,” Dr. Narby said. “The variants or the severity of the illness remain unchanged. The later variants of COVID have become less severe and present with more mild symptoms and I think this goes along with what I think we are seeing in the hospital. Most of the patients who are found to have COVID in the hospital happen to have symptoms and are really admitted for other reasons other than COVID itself.”

Dr. Narby encourages people to get vaccinated against the virus if they have not already.

“I think common sense prevails,” Dr. Narby said. “Just like any illness, if you’re not feeling well if you have a fever, don’t go to school, don’t go to work, and really try and use common sense to really try and prevent spreading your illness, whatever it may be, to your colleagues.”

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