South Heartland Health seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases

HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) - South Heartland District Health Department (SHDHD) executive director Michele Bever reported rising COVID-19 cases in staff and residents at long-term care facilities, increasing virus levels in local wastewater, and identification of XBB.1.5 variant among local cases.

Bever said four long-term care facilities had reported new COVID-19 cases, totaling seven staff and 10 residents testing positive in the past two weeks.

“We are also monitoring the virus levels in the community through wastewater surveillance, which is showing that the virus is continuing to circulate in the community and the number of infections in the area is significant,” Bever said. The most recent wastewater surveillance report for Hastings shows the trending levels of the virus that causes COVID-19. The results from samples collected on February 7 show virus levels classified as Very High.

Bever reported the variant XBB.1.5 (sometimes referred to as the ‘Kraken’ variant) is now the predominant variant in Nebraska and has been identified in the South Heartland health district. Preliminary data from Nebraska’s Genomic Surveillance Report, shows that variant XBB.1.5 is responsible for 44 percent of Nebraska COVID-19 cases, while the percentage of cases caused by other variants has declined - BQ.1.1 (13 percent), BQ.1 (11 percent), BA.5 (11 percent), and BA.2.75 (9 percent).

Bever said the ongoing virus mutations and recombinations leading to new variants means that it continues to be important to stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines. “We are fortunate to have vaccines that offer strong protection against COVID-19, including against the new variants. According to recent analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Preventio n, people who were vaccinated with the bivalent booster were 14 times less likely to die from COVID-19 compared to people who were not vaccinated and three times less likely to die from COVID-19 compared to people who only got the original COVID-19 vaccines.”

Janis Johnson, a registered nurse and South Heartland’s immunization manager, said it continues to be important to stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines, which are effective against known variants and are proven to be safe. “You are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines when you complete a COVID-19 vaccine primary series and receive a bivalent booster dose. Being up to date helps protect you against getting seriously ill if you become infected,” she said. “Our local data shows that most people needing hospital care for COVID-19 illness are either not vaccinated or not up to date with their vaccinations.”

SHDHD offers walk-in access to free COVID-19 vaccine primary series and free bivalent boosters from 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of February and March (February 22, March 8 and March 22).

For other locations offering COVID-19 vaccine in Adams, Clay, Nuckolls and Webster counties, refer to the SHDHD website, southheartlandhealth.ne.gov, or call the health department office, 1-877-238-7595.

“Prevention is still our best way to reduce our risk of getting infected and getting very sick or needing hospitalization,” Bever said. “Help keep yourself and your family protected by practicing good hygiene and staying home when you are sick to reduce the spread of any respiratory illnesses. Most important of all, stay up-to-date on all of your vaccinations to reduce the spread of preventable illnesses,” she said.