Health experts say COVID-19 not over, despite reduction in reporting, cases

As Alachua County sees fewer COVID-19 precautions, health experts are warning that the community should still be wary due to inadequate reporting of positive tests and the upcoming holidays.

Dr. Kartik Cherabuddi, a University of Florida professor of infectious diseases and global medicine, said that UF Health is still seeing people come into the emergency room with the virus presenting “low to moderate infections” and presenting signs of post-COVID or long COVID, where symptoms are prolonged.

But due to various reasons, he adds, the number of known cases is inaccurate and underreported.

“A lot of people are either not testing or performing the antigen test at home,” he said. “It’s hard to know the true prevalence in our community than is being reported out because we’re not doing as much testing.”

After Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration scaled back the release of testing numbers, clinics have also stopped reporting and largely stopped testing patients for the virus.

“I think we are undercounting significantly what’s prevalent in the community right now,” Cherabuddi said.

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As of Monday, UF Health has a total of 53 patients that were admitted with COVID-19. Out of those patients, 25 were positive and 28 were no longer infectious but still hospitalized. Nine are currently in the intensive care unit.

The number of total patients with COVID-19 is an increase from Friday’s number of 43.

According to the Florida Department of Health COVID-19 dashboard for the week of Nov. 25 through Dec. 1, there were 167 new cases with a 7.5% new positivity rate. Data also shows that 39 people who were six months or older had received the COVID-19 vaccine.

Doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine are drawn out by a UF Health nurse during a vaccination clinic at Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in Gainesville on Jan. 29, 2021.

Sarah Rockwell, a newly elected school board member, said when she goes out still makes the active choice to follow COVID-19 precautions.

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“My family takes pretty intensive precautions because my daughter has medical risk factors and so we are extremely careful with her,” she said. “But we realized with vaccines available, fewer people are taking precautions so it’s left to us.”

In Alachua County, cases have largely remained stable, said Paul Myers, the spokesperson for the Alachua County Department of Health.

“The last time we were over a 10% new case positivity rate was back in September. Ever since then we have ranged anywhere from 5% to 8% over the last 60 to 90 days identifying a little less than 200 cases,” he said.

As the holiday comes up, experts still advise that people begin to plan out how they’re going to stay flu and COVID-19-free if traveling.

Getting treatment quickly after symptoms start can decrease the chances of being sick longer, Cherabuddi said, adding that people should still seek out getting another COVID booster shot.

“I wouldn’t say you have to be masking all the time, but when you’re in high-risk exposure settings, indoors in smaller areas where a high-quality mask,” Cherabuddi said. “We are seeing folks, especially with more risk factors, continue to be admitted to the hospital, so it’s not going away even though the general perception we’re getting is that COVID is over. People continue to struggle with it.”

Gershon Harrell is an education reporter at The Gainesville Sun. He can be reached by phone at (352)338-3166, by email at Gharrell@gannett.com or on Twitter at @GershonReports.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Health experts warn COVID still prevalent, despite fewer cases