Oglethorpe County didn’t escape the latest COVID-19 surge.
There were 33 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county over a two-week period ending July 20, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 County Indicator Report.
That’s six more than the 26 reported over the previous two weeks, dating to June 23. That total included a high of six positive cases reported on July 2, which was the highest since 10 confirmed cases on June 1.
Dr. Robert Pitts at Oglethorpe Ear, Nose & Throat, which gives COVID-19 tests, said in an email that last week that it had a 42% positivity rate in one day.
“Our positive rate is as high as it has been since the pandemic began,” Pitts said. “We are seeing patients every day with COVID symptoms — if they test negative, often they may turn positive over the next five days.”
Pitts said patients are coming in this summer with more COVID-19 and flu symptoms than last year, and his practice is about 30-40% busier than it has been since opening 2½ years ago.
The most common symptoms are a sore throat and cough, Pitts said, although some people may also have a fever. Overall, Pitts said he believes Oglethorpe County has done a good job handling COVID-19.
“I think it is an upward trend and will not peak until fall,” he said. “This trend will be complicated by an upward trend of flu and other typically winter time viral illnesses. I strongly encourage everyone to stay up to date on their boosters.”
Data for the DPH County Indicator Reports are submitted by each county and updated every Wednesday. As of July 20, DPH reported that 7,574 people, or 51%, of Oglethorpe County residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 7,023 people, or 47%, are fully vaccinated.
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 reached the highest number this summer on July 2, with 18, according to the Northeast Health District. They have slightly decreased since, with nine on July 20.
COVID-19 peaked in Oglethorpe County in January with 38 confirmed cases on Jan. 20 and 30 on Jan. 21, leading to a high of 40 on Jan. 27, according to the DPH.
Cases decreased to single-digits daily, for the most part, in February, but began to rise in June.