COVID variants making way into SW Nebraska
Cases of the COVID Delta variant are increasing throughout the state and in southwest Nebraska.
In the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department, the Delta variant cases have been related to travel, as well as large gatherings, said health director Myra Stoney.
Confirmed positive cases in vaccinated persons were sent to the Nebraska Public Health Lab for sequencing to find out if they were caused by a variant of COVID-19, Stoney said.
Over 90% of the COVID cases in vaccinated persons in Nebraska so far have been from variants, and most of these cases have had mild illness.
Persons who had COVID-19 last fall and are not currently vaccinated may not have an immunity to the Delta variant, Stoney said.
All current hospitalized cases of COVID-19 in the health district are in unvaccinated people ages 20 to 49, she added.
Researchers have found no evidence that having had COVID-19 before offers any protection against being reinfected with one of the variant strains, she said.
Stoney said SWNPHD is concentrating on vaccinating children age 12 and older before the start of the school year.
The vaccine is available in six of the nine counties in the SWNPHD in the following areas.
In Chase County, the vaccine is available at Adams Drug and the Chase County Clinic.
Individuals should call the locations directly to schedule a vaccine appointment.
Case update
SWNPHD had 33 new cases of COVID-19 reported from June 22 to July 11. Ten of these cases were identified in an audit of previous case data from the fall peak.
A breakout by county includes Chase County-5, Dundy County-1, Frontier County-7, Furnas County-11, Hayes County-2, Hitchcock County-0, Keith County-1, Perkins County-0, and Red Willow County-6, bringing the total number of cases to 3,900.
SWNPHD and its local partners have vaccinated 16,836 individuals against COVID-19. So far 39% of southwest Nebraska residents have been vaccinated.
Additional COVID-19 information can be found at swhealth.ne.gov.