When it comes to coronavirus in Kentucky, the state’s health commissioner has a priority wish in 2023. Dr. Steven Stack said he hopes more people would get vaccinated against the viral disease. For those 65 and over, less than 40% have received the bivalent booster. Stack said the risk of catching COVID may be a year-round possibility.
“COVID has not yet demonstrated that it will be a seasonal disease like influenza which typically flares up in the fall and in the winter. COVID spreads so much more easily than influenza. And it may well be that this remains a year-round infection for a long time to come,” said Stack.
If that’s the case, Dr. Stack said it’s never too late to go out and get a booster shot. The head of public health noted several eastern Kentucky counties are registering red for transmission. Stack said it’s not a static situation. He added the color code refers to a combination of health care capacity and disease spread.
Stack said most people in public health anticipate an annual fall booster to protect against coronavirus.
“That the pharmaceutical companies will do their best to try to take the most common and prevailing strains or evolutions in the virus and tailor the newer vaccines to the most dangerous and or the most common versions of the virus. And that, each year, they’ll try to provide that update,” said Stack.
While the most recent variant of COVID has been labeled highly transmissible, it has not resulted in more serious symptoms. Dr. Stack said hospitals across Kentucky are faring ok. Stack noted about 600 people are being treated in hospitals for COVID. He added that’s less than one-seventh of the all-time peak of hospital cases.
