Delaware is seeing an increase in post-holiday Covi-19 cases and hospitalizations, according to a monthly report from the Delaware Division of Public Health.
Although the increase is anywhere near as high as the 2022 post-holiday surge, the Delaware Division of Public is advising individuals to take steps to prevent the spread of the virus.That includes saying at home when sick, taking at-home tests and staying up to date on vaccinations.
A year ago, Delaware reported the highest number of new positive daily cases since the start of the pandemic at 3,666 on Jan. 6, 2022, and 759 hospitalizations on Jan. 12 of that year.
The latest data posted to the My Healthy Community dashboard Wednesday reported 266 new cases on Jan. 6, 2023, and 202 hospitalizations for Jan. 10, 2023. While the reduced number of cases reported does not take into account the large number of likely positive results from at-home testing, the fact that hospitalizations remain so much lower is a good indicator that there is not as much serious illness being caused by Covid-19, DPH noted.
At the same time, having that number of people in the hospital puts a strain on the healthcare system, especially when coupled with other respiratory ailments. The number of critically ill patients with Covid now stands at 24. This week, Beebe Healthcare in Sussex County warned of longer wants at its main emergency center, due to an influx of sick patients. The situation at hospitals and other facilities is sometimes described as a “tridemic” – a combination of Covid, RSV and flu cases.
A Centers for Disease Control dashboard app reports that Kent and Sussex counties in Delaware are in the high risk category for Covid-19, while New Castle County is in the low zone. Portions of Kent and Sussex have low vaccination rates, due to misinformation on vaccines and other political and social factors.
DPH reported the updated bivalent booster provides the best level of protection against serious illness and hospitalization as it strengthens antibody response. It does not guarantee that the individual can escape the virus.
Health experts say if has been eight months or more since your last vaccine, protection is limited and a booster is advised.
If an individual tests positive, especially if they are more likely to get very sick from the virus due to a health condition, treatments are available that reduce the risk of being hospitalized or dying from the disease. Those who test positive should contact a healthcare provider immediately to determine if treatment is appropriate. Treatments must be started within five days of when symptoms first appear, and the sooner treatment is started, the sooner it begins working to fight the virus.
Individuals should ask about treatment if they test positive for COVID-19 and are either:
COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations:
- Total positive cases since March 11, 2020: 324,137*
- 7-day daily average of new positive cases: 221.3, an increase of 62.2 average new positive cases reported since Dec. 15.
- 7-day daily average for the percentage of total positive tests: 15.5 percentage points, an increase of 6.1 percentage points reported since Dec. 15, 2022
- Hospitalizations: 202 current hospitalizations, 24 critical hospitalizations
- Total COVID-19 deaths: 3,220 – increase of 35 from last month including 29 from vital statistic review between Oct – Dec.
*Case and testing data are based on reporting of lab-confirmed COVID-19 tests only. The number of Covid-19 cases in the community is higher than what is reported because of the use of at-home test kits.
COVID-19 Vaccinations:
- Total number of doses administered in Delaware: 2,099,714
- Percentage of Delawareans 5+ who are fully vaccinated (CDC data): 77.2%
- Percentage of Delawareans 12+ who are fully vaccinated (CDC data): 81.3%
- Percentage of Delawareans 18+ who are fully vaccinated (CDC data): 82.9%
- Percent of Delawareans who are fully vaccinated (CDC data): 73.1%
COVID-19 Case Vaccination Status Report:
The following reports capture a weekly breakdown of non-boosted cases, deaths and hospitalizations for the time frame of Jan. 2, 2023 – Jan. 8, 2023.
- Not up-to-date: Case – Hospital – Death
| Weekly Overview (01/02/23 – 01/08/23) | |
| Not up-to-date Cases | |
| Total Not up-to-date Cases | 1,232 |
| Total Cases | 1,448 |
| Percent of Not up-to-date Cases | 85% |
| Not up-to-date Hospitalized Cases | |
| Total Not up-to-date Hospitalized Cases | 290 |
| Total Hospitalized Cases | 357 |
| Percent of Not up-to-date Cases | 81% |
| Not up-to-date Deaths | |
| Total Not up-to-date Deaths | 2 |
| Total COVID-19 Deaths | 2 |
| Percent of Not up-to-date Deaths | 100% |
