Local officials continue to be concerned as more cases of COVID-19 are being seen in Desha County. According to the CDC, Desha County is currently one of sixteen counties in the state who have been labeled as having a "high" infection rate.
The CDC guidance for counties with the "high" designation recommends people wear masks in indoor public places. In areas designated as "medium" risk, the CDC recommends at high risk for infection and those with compromised immune systems discuss masks with their healthcare providers. According to McGehee Hospital officials, as of midnight Monday
night, the positivity rate for the hospital and McGehee Family Clinic was 40.2% for the month of July with a rolling seven-day average of 33.3%. Those numbers are a significant rise from the 5% seen in early June.
As of Monday night, Desha County had 73 active cases of COVID- 19, but officials say that number could be higher because home tests are usually not reported to the Arkansas Department of Health. Statewide, 307 people are hospitalized, 13 of those in southeast Arkansas.
Health officials say infection rates being seen now have not been reached since February at the peak of the omicron variant.
Officials say the current rise is due in large part to the new dominant strains of omicron, BA4 and BA5. Currently, BA5
is the dominant strain in the U.S. According to the CDC, the BA5 variant is "particularly good at evading immunity from vaccination and prior infection."
One study found that antibody responses against BA4 and BA5 were twenty times less than that of the original omicron
variant seen earlier this year. The FDA has instructed vaccine manufacturers to revise current vaccinations to more specifically target the two newest, highly transmissible variants. An updated vaccine booster is expected to be available by this fall. Until then, health experts are recommending people return to taking more precautions against infection.
