December 12, 2023 |
Photo – Different strains of COVID virus- Courtesy Medpage Today
Higher nation-wide COVID infection rates cause Carbon County Public Health to encourage local residents to get vaccinated.
During the December 5th Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Public Health Officer Dr. Duane Ables informed the board that COVID and Flu infections have increased across the country. Dr. Ables said he hopes that Carbon County has already seen the worst of this latest outbreak.
Dr. Ables said COVID-related deaths haven’t kept pace with the increasing incidents of infection. The county public health officer said he thinks that new COVID strains may be less deadly, but more information is needed.
Dr. Ables said the public seems to be unaware that contracting COVID may be more dangerous when a person is already suffering from another respiratory infection, such as the flu. Dr. Ables said the human body isn’t designed to fight off the combined attack of both viruses together.
The Centers for Disease Control collaborates with local health departments across the country to track the presence of the COVID virus in wastewater. Dr. Ables said wastewater evidence in Wyoming shows an increased amount of COVID. To prevent a surge in the virus, Dr. Ables encouraged residents to get vaccinated.
According to the CDC’s National Wastewater Surveillance website, our region’s wastewater contains lower than average levels of the COVID virus.
Commissioner Travis Moore asked Dr. Ables to explain how COVID virus levels in wastewater relate to higher infection rates. Dr. Ables said the virus can be detected in infected feces. The public health officer said the more viruses in the wastewater, the higher number of potentially infected people.
Carbon County Public Health offers vaccines for COVID and other diseases at clinics across the county. Residents who are unable to physically visit a medical clinic can request a public health nurse to perform an in-home vaccination. Call Carbon County Public Health at 328-2607 for more information or to schedule an in-home vaccination appointment.
