COVID rate lower, but following last year's trends

From left, Heidi Wheeler, Nebraska Plains Healthcare Coalition Coordinator; Don Barenberg and Keith Heathers, staff at Mid Plains Community College McCook Campus.

SWNPHD photo

McCOOK, Neb. — The rate of COVID-19 infections is following a similar path as last year, but numbers are a fraction of what they were in those pre-vaccine days.

COVID-19 cases in 2020 numbered 79 in August, 101 in September, 685 in October and 1,152 in November, according to the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department, and this year reached 262 in August, 411 in September and 464 in October, with November yet to be seen.

“Late fall, especially November and December, saw the highest case counts last year, and this year is seeing some of the same pattern,” said Myra Stoney, health director for the agency which serves nine counties in Southwest Nebraska.

SWNPHD continues to recommend residents protect themselves against the ongoing spread of COVID-10 in Southwest Nebraska, which includes avoiding crowded closed spaces, staying home when sick and vaccination for eligible ages.

Stoney credited the decrease in infections to the combined efforts of healthcare providers, pharmacies, public health and many others who worked to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to more than 50% of Southwest Nebraska’s residents.

“SWNPHD owes a great deal of thanks to the many people who made this work possible, such as the staff at McCook’s Mid Plains Community College, who provided an ultracold freezer that needed to store the Pfizer vaccine until SWNPHD could arrange to get one,” she said.

SWNPHD had 101 new cases of COVID-19 reported from Oct. 26 to Nov. 1, bringing the weekly average to 111 cases per week in the last 30 days. A breakdown by age includes: 0 to 19 – 24; 20 to 29 – 10; 30 to 39 – 6; 40 to 49 – 11; 50 to 59 – 10; 60 to 69 – 23; 70 to 79 – 12; 80 and over – 5. The total number of cases is 5,135. 

 Visit swhealth.ne.gov for information on COVID-19. You can also follow SWNPHD on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. SWNPHD serves Chase, Dundy, Frontier, Furnas, Hayes, Hitchcock, Keith, Perkins, and Red Willow counties.  SWNPHD is located at 404 West 10th St (1 block north of Arby’s) in McCook and can be reached by calling 308-345-4223.