Atchison County Health Department gives update on COVID-19, vaccines

The Atchison County Health Department has reported four cases of COVID-19 in Atchison County June 1-22. They are:

1 female and 1 male, ages 10-19

1 male, age 30-39

1 female, age 40-49

As of June 22, there have been 464 total cases and 13 deaths. There are four active cases.

Health care professionals are very concerned with nearby counties in our region that are getting multiple new cases each day. Livingston (Chillicothe), Linn (Brookfield) and Worth (Grant City) counties were hot spots in the nation per capita last week. Livingston County had 286 new cases in the month of May and so far in the first two weeks of June, they have had 201 new cases. The Delta (India) variant and Alpha (UK) variant have been found in Linn and Livingston counties, which seem to be much more contagious, affecting the younger population and those who are unvaccinated. Other counties like Caldwell (Kingston), Gentry (Trenton), Andrew (Savannah) and Buchanan (St. Joseph) are on the rise with new cases. Per some projections, it is estimated that Atchison County will start to see a rise in cases by July. Julie Livengood, Atchison County Health Department director, said, “We are trying to prepare ourselves in case we would also experience a significant increase in cases again. One of the best ways to prevent this is through vaccinations.”

VACCINES

Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are available through the health department for many months. The health department has been offering walk-ins every day (Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.). These two COVID vaccines are for individuals 18 years of age and older.

The health department just recently obtained the Pfizer vaccine which has been expanded to allow vaccination of individuals 12 years of age and older. Due to the strict storage requirements for Pfizer, they are taking appointments to ensure less wastage. Call 660-736-4121 for more information. For those ages 12 to 17, an adult will need to be present during the vaccination.

All COVID vaccines are free.

VACCINE BENEFITS

There are benefits to being vaccinated, according to Livengood. With the most current CDC guidance, fully vaccinated persons do not have to quarantine with exposure, if they remain asymptomatic. Also at this time, CDC says that fully vaccinated individuals “may resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.” Fully vaccinated is defined as “two weeks after second dose in a two-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine such as Johnson & Johnson.”

With this being said, if there are any students interested in getting vaccinated, the vaccination process would need to be started as soon as possible to ensure they are “fully vaccinated” before school starts. The process would look like this: receive the first dose of Pfizer vaccine, wait 21 days, receive the second dose, and wait the two weeks for full vaccination status.

TESTING

The Atchison County Health Department continues to have BinaxNOW test kits which are available for testing by appointment Monday through Thursday. These tests are free. The rapid antigen test provides results within 15 minutes after collecting the sample. This is a great option in identifying positives before going to school or work, so that the health department does not have to quarantine multiple people due to exposure. Call 660-736-4121 if you are in need of testing.

“We know many people are over COVID; however, it won’t be surprising if we are still in this for another year!” said Livengood. “We would like to encourage everyone, regardless of vaccination status, to be vigilant and aware.”

COVID-19 IN ATCHISON COUNTY

6-22-21

FATALITIES 13

ACTIVE CASES 4

CASES REMOVED

FROM ISOLATION 447

TOTAL CASES 464

MALE 211

FEMALE 253

UNDER 20 YEARS 60

21-29 YEARS 44

30-39 YEARS 52