As part of The Red & Black’s health news coverage, we are publishing weekly reports on news relating to COVID-19 and its recent statistics.
Major updates
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the highly transmissible omicron subvariant BA.2 is currently the leading coronavirus strain in the US, causing more than half of the COVID-19 infections last week.
On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration approved a second COVID-19 booster for patients 50 and older. People over 50 can now get a second dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna mRNA vaccines at least four months after their first booster shot.
COVID-19 cases have decreased slightly at the University of Georgia, according to the university’s reporting system. UGA reported 13 new cases during the week of March 21-27 compared to the 20 cases during March 14-20.
The surveillance testing positivity rate decreased during the week of March 21-25 to 0.578% compared to 1.145% during the week of March 14-18.
The university conducted 173 surveillance tests during the week of March 21-25 compared to the 262 tests during the week of March 14-18. Fewer tests performed may mean fewer positive cases reported.
Many Georgia counties are classified as high or moderate transmission geographical areas for COVID-19, according to the CDC. Athens-Clarke County is classified as a moderate transmission geographic area.
According to the Georgia Geospatial Information Office, Georgia’s hospitals have about 21% of their intensive care unit beds left for sick patients. The percentage of intensive care unit beds left in Region E — which includes ACC and several surrounding counties — is about 11%.
From March 20-26, the majority of the COVID-19 cases in the southeastern U.S. were omicron cases, according to the CDC. About 39.4% were BA.2 cases.
The majority of people hospitalized with COVID-19 are unvaccinated.
Data breakdown: University of Georgia
There were no positive tests reported at the University Health Center. There was one positive test reported through Athens testing sites, one positive test from UGA surveillance testing and 11 positive tests from UGA community members reporting from other testing sites.
Students that test positive for COVID-19 off-campus are required to report it through DawgCheck, UGA’s monitoring tool. Because students may have tested positive off-campus and not reported it, the actual number of COVID-19 cases in the UGA community may be higher.
For the week of March 21-25, the UHC administered 55 vaccines. Cumulatively, the UHC has administered 33,593 vaccines.
Students and faculty may book a vaccine appointment through the UHC Vaccine Portal or get vaccinated at any University System of Georgia school. Students may also get tested for COVID-19 at the UHC with walk-in appointments. Appointments can be scheduled here. Due to vaccination status being verified on-site, individuals should bring their original vaccine card to the appointment.
Data breakdown: Athens-Clarke County
Note: The following data for ACC and Georgia also portray a backlog of cases being reported from January during the omicron surge.
From March 25-30, the county reported 27 new confirmed cases, compared to eight cases from March 19-24, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. The county’s seven-day average positivity rate was 4.6%. The World Health Organization recommends communities maintain a positivity rate below 5%.
This week, ACC reported one confirmed COVID-19 death.
According to the Georgia Geospatial Information Office, the number of current hospitalizations in Region E — which includes ACC and several surrounding counties — was six as of March 30.
According to the Georgia DPH, about 49% of the county is fully vaccinated.
Data breakdown: Georgia
Statewide, the weekly number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases increased.
According to the DPH, Georgia reported 12,360 confirmed COVID-19 cases between March 25-30. This is an increase from the 2,997 cases recorded between March 19-24. The state’s seven-day average positivity rate as of March 30 was 4.8%.
The number of confirmed deaths in the state increased. Georgia recorded 200 confirmed COVID-19 deaths between March 25-30, compared to 171 between March 19-24.
On March 30, about 421 individuals were hospitalized due to COVID-19 in the state.
According to the Department of Public Health, approximately 5.8 million Georgians have been fully vaccinated, or about 56% of the state. In comparison, the U.S. has a current full vaccination rate of 66%. Approximately 6.6 million Georgians, or 63% of the state, have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
The CDC has also released guidelines advising vaccinated individuals in areas of high transmission to still wear masks when in public, indoor settings.
