Covid Update-During the week of June 23 – June 29, 2021

June 30, 2021

During the week of June 23 – June 29, 2021, there were 22 new cases of COVID-19. Currently, there are 28 active cases with 7 residents hospitalized. Of these 22 new cases, 4 were vaccinated and 1 was a reinfection who was not vaccinated.

Macon County is continuing an upward trend in cases in mainly unvaccinated residents. Of the last 127 new cases, only 6 were vaccinated. In April we had an average of 6 new cases each week; May we had an average of 9.5 new cases each week; and, June so far, we are averaging 20.5 new cases each week. We have seen the Delta variant present in our sewershed (wastewater) and have had one person test positive for the variant per DHSS although not all cases are being tested for the variant. The presence of the Delta variant would support the high transmissibility we are currently experiencing and the increasing case trend.

For several months we had not had any new cases of reinfection, where a person who once had COVID-19 become reinfected at a later date. However, with the current trend, we are now starting to see early indication of reinfection. In a June 28 article from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Dr. Jane O’Halloran stated, “If you’ve already been infected and then you get vaccinated, you get a boost to your antibody levels. The vaccine clearly adds benefit, even in the context of prior infection, which is why we recommend that people who have had COVID-19 get the vaccine.”

The following reflects COVID-19 in Macon County as of the end of the day on June 29, 2021 –

28 active cases

7 hospitalized

18 deaths

1,725 total cases since March 2020