LNP Sunday op-ed by Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Chief Clinical Officer Michael Ripchinski, MD
Celebrating with family and friends is one of the greatest joys of the holiday season.
This year, the holidays come as we face the continued spread of the COVID-19 delta strain and the emergence of a new variant. While we learn about the omicron variant, we are currently facing a more immediate concern with a new surge of COVID-19 infections in our community.
That spike in infections has led to very high numbers of inpatients with COVID-19 at Lancaster General Hospital. In fact, our hospital teams are now treating between 110 and 120 COVID-19 patients each day. This is equal to the highest numbers of COVID-19 patients ever hospitalized during the pandemic—a milestone previously reached between December 2020 and January 2021.
All of this is particularly worrisome as we approach the winter season, when hospitals and medical practices typically see a large volume of patients with multiple respiratory illnesses. In fact, we have already begun to see influenza in our community this year.
As we prepare to celebrate the holidays with our loved ones, I’d like to share the latest on COVID-19, including what we know about the omicron variant and steps you can take to make your gatherings as safe as possible.
Challenging variants
Since the beginning of the pandemic, several COVID-19 mutations, or variants, have developed, which is normal behavior for a virus. The omicron variant was first detected in Africa in mid-November. Since then, cases have been reported worldwide, including in Pennsylvania.
The emergence of omicron is concerning in part because, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is likely to spread more easily than the original COVID-19 virus. We heard some positive news last week: A third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in a small study offered significant protection against serious disease from the omicron variant. Hopefully, continued study will demonstrate the effectiveness of other COVID-19 treatments against omicron as well.
Beyond the omicron variant, we are seeing continued breakthrough infections in people who are fully vaccinated and have not had a booster.
Booster vaccines are now approved for everyone ages 16 and older (on Thursday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the CDC approved the Pfizer booster for teens ages 16 and 17). Boosters are recommended at least six months after a second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or at least two months after a Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine. Please consider getting your booster as soon as possible.
Delta still dominates
While it is prudent to think about omicron and booster vaccination as you consider your holiday plans, the delta variant remains a far greater concern for us in Lancaster County. We are currently experiencing an overall COVID-19 incidence rate of almost 300 cases per 100,000 residents. This is three to six times the rate we would need to achieve in order to gain some measure of control over the spread of the virus.
Until our infection rates significantly decrease, we will continue to see relatively high numbers of hospitalizations and deaths. Between 80% to 85% of our hospitalizations are of patients who are not vaccinated. While there is variation based on the time within the pandemic, and factors such as age and diagnoses, those hospitalized with COVID-19 have a 1 in 10 chance of death overall. This is five times higher than our pre-pandemic annual death rate at LGH.
Currently, if you are in the intensive care unit and on a ventilator, your chance of death is as high as 50%—or 1 in 2. Our local data is consistent with previously published studies.
Because hospitals like LGH are treating so many patients with COVID-19, we must take steps to ensure our ability to provide care to anyone in our community who needs it. This includes balancing our surgical schedules to accommodate patients with more urgent or emergent needs, as well as other measures for patients requiring emergency care, or those who are discharged from the hospital. Again, this situation will not improve until our COVID-19 infection rates decline.
Steps to take
Fortunately, there are steps we can take this holiday season to protect ourselves and our loved ones from COVID-19, including the variants.
Vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself, while also doing your part to slow the spread of COVID-19 and the emergence of new variants. If you are hosting or attending a holiday gathering, certainly it’s recommended that all guests be vaccinated and get their booster if they’re due. For the latest information on how to get your vaccine or booster shot, go to the Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health website or call 717-588-1165.
If you feel ill or show any symptoms of COVID-19, skip the party, stay away from others and get tested. You can find more information and guidance on testing on our website.
As we mark our second holiday season of this pandemic, we all look forward to the days when we can once again celebrate with our loved ones without the need for restrictions. In the meantime, thank you for helping us to make the season as safe as possible for everyone in our community. May you and your family have a safe and happy holiday season!