COVID-19 delta variant surge continues

The surge of COVID-19 cases continues to hit the area, straining health resources and raising risks to local residents, including children.

The nation again is seeing high rates from the pandemic, with the seven-day average for new cases listed Saturday at 142,006 a day, for hospitalizations at 12,297 a day and for deaths at 846 a day. That is an increase from the week before of 2.8 percent for new cases, of 5.7 percent for hospitalizations and 11 percent for deaths.

The numbers also are climbing in Montana. The update this morning to the state tracking map showed 3,374 new cases added since last Monday. With recoveries included, that brings a new total of 4,822 active cases compared to 3,784 last Monday. The number of active hospitalizations was 223 and the number of deaths rose to 1,787, with 27 new deaths listed since last Monday.

And the rate of infections might be higher. The rate of confirmed cases only is for people who submit for testing.

Blaine County Health Department in its report Thursday said that, in addition to the confirmed cases in the county, many Blaine County residents were showing symptoms similar to what COVID-19 causes, raising the question if the actual rate of cases is not higher - perhaps much higher - than what the tests show.

The same is true in the other counties in this region, across Montana and throughout the nation. The number of actual cases of COVID-19 likely is higher than what the confirmed case number reports.

In Hill County at least, the situation is further complicated by a lack of funding for extra staff at the Hill County Health Department, leaving the department straining to deal with the increased number of cases.

Increased risk to children

The latest surge in COVID-19 cases, driven by the delta variant of the virus that causes the disease, is causing Montana and the rest of the nation to scramble to deal with the threat, including what appears to be a greater risk to children.

The newest national surge of COVID-19 cases has included a larger number of children needing to be hospitalized, with agencies reporting children being hospitalized for the disease in record numbers including child hospitalizations in Montana.

Hill and Blaine county health departments had not responded by print deadline this morning for requests on how many children have been hospitalized in those counties during the delta surge.

And while the disease rarely is fatal for children, children are dying from complications of COVID-19. CDC reports on its website that, through Aug. 21, the last date data was available by printing deadline for this story, 141 U.S. children from birth to age 4 and 313 U.S. children from ages 5 to 18 had died from complications of COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic started in America.

Newspaper headlines for more than a year have been reporting COVID-19-related deaths in children.

One of the latest was reported Friday. A 17-year-old Florida girl awaiting release from quarantine died of complications of COVID-19 before she could start her senior year in high school. Her family said she was not vaccinated.

A pandemic of the unvaccinated

And while breakthrough cases are occurring, new cases locally are following the national trend of confirmed cases primarily being in unvaccinated people. Hill County reported that in 89 cases in a two-week period 11 cases, or 12 percent, were in vaccinated people.

Local health officials also report that, also following a nation- and world-wide trend, cases in vaccinated people tend to have milder symptoms, although serious illness and death still can occur.

But studies of data indicate that only about one-half of one percent to 5 percent, depending on the state examined, of people with serious illness or dying due to COVID-19 are vaccinated, with almost all serious illness in the unvaccinated.

In Montana, the situation has been complicated by a bill passed this year by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Greg Gianforte prohibiting "discrimination" against unvaccinated people. That has been interpreted to mean health agencies and institutions like school districts can't quarantine unvaccinated people unless they also quarantine vaccinated people, in contradiction to recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Studies indicate that the variant behind the latest surge, the delta variant, is more likely to be spread by vaccinated people than previous variants were, leading to the recommendation that all people, vaccinated and unvaccinated, wear masks when indoors in public areas to reduce the spread of the virus.

But vaccinated people still are less likely than unvaccinated people to spread even the delta variant, leading CDC to recommend that vaccinated people do not need to quarantine when they are exposed to the virus, although they should receive a COVID-19 test three to five days after exposure and wear a mask indoors in public for 14 days or until a negative test result returns.

Vaccinated people are recommended to isolate if they test positive for COVID-19.

The CDC recommends that all unvaccinated people exposed to the virus quarantine to reduce its spread and to isolate if they test positive for the disease.

This would allow vaccinated teachers and staff to remain in the schools even if exposed, reducing the need to shut down schools or turn to remote learning. 

But the interpretation that the new state law requires all or none to be be quarantined means that no one is quarantined, increasing the chance of the spread of the virus, or all be quarantined, leading to remote learning or school shutdowns.

Officials urge people to slow the spread

During this surge, health officials have continued their message basically from the start of the pandemic.

People should stay home if they don't feel well, the officials say, should regularly wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with soap or with a hand sanitizer including at least 60 percent alcohol, should regularly wash and sanitize surfaces, should wear a mask when in indoor public spaces, and anyone who can should get vaccinated.

In Hill County, vaccinations are available through Bullhook Community Health Center, 406-395-4305; the Hill County Health Department, 406-400-2415; Northern Montana Health Care's Specialty Medical Center at 406-265-7831 or it's family Family Medical Center at 406-265-5408; Western Drug Pharmacy, 406-265-9601; Gary & Leo's Pharmacy, which takes walk-ins; Walmart; and the Rocky Boy Health Center, 406-395-1655.

Vaccinations are available in Blaine County through Blaine County Health Department, 406-357-2345, and Fort Belknap Health Center, 406-353-3219.

Vaccine is available in Chouteau County at the Chouteau County Health Department, 406-622-3771, and Big Sandy Pharmacy at 406-378-5588.

People can call Liberty County Health Department at 406-759-5517 to schedule a vaccination.