Northwest Arkansas covid hospitalizations
Monday — 15
Tuesday — 14
Wednesday — 15
Thursday — 14
Source: Northwest Arkansas Council
The number of people hospitalized with covid-19 this week in Northwest Arkansas fell to its lowest since early June.
Fourteen people in the region were hospitalized with the virus Thursday, according to the Northwest Arkansas Council. The number of patients hovered around 15 for the rest of the week.
The area had a similar number of patients this time last year, with nine patients on March 22, 2021, and 12 patients on March 23, 2021, according to Nate Green, council spokesman.
The last time the number of hospitalized patients fell below 20 was the first week of June, when area hospitals reported 10 patients, council data shows. Numbers began to increase the second week of June, and the region hit a high of 173 patients Aug. 11, during the delta variant surge, and 183 patients Jan. 24, during the omicron surge.
In the River Valley, there were eight covid-positive patients at Mercy Fort Smith on Friday, up slightly from six last week, according to spokeswoman Mardi Taylor. Six patients were in intensive care units Friday, she said.
Baptist Health-Fort Smith had two covid-19 patients Friday, down from three last week. Only one of the patients was in the covid critical care unit and on a ventilator, said Alicia Agent, hospital marketing manager.
The number of new cases was also low Thursday. Benton County reported 15 new cases, and Washington County reported 11 new cases. In comparison, Benton County reported 50 new cases, and Washington County reported 16 new cases March 18.
At least 10 cases of the new BA.2 omicron subvariant have been identified in Arkansas, according to Dr. Jennifer Dillaha, chief medical officer for the Arkansas Department of Health. The state monitors variants by sending samples from covid-19 tests for genetic testing, according to the weekly variant report for March 21. Since the pandemic began, about 2.2% of tests have been sent for testing, it states.
Dr. Marti Sharkey, Fayetteville’s public health officer, said local officials expect an increase in cases due to the subvariant in the next few weeks.
Dillaha said she hasn’t seen any reports that show the subvariant is any more severe than the original omicron variant. However, it could result in an increase in hospitalizations if there is a large enough increase in cases, she said.
There are reports that show the new subvariant is more contagious, Sharkey said.
Keeping cases low
In order to keep covid-19 numbers low in the community, everyone should do their part and get up to date on vaccinations, Dillaha said.
People who have had their primary covid-19 vaccines and a booster, if they are eligible, are much less likely to get infected and spread the virus in the community, Dillaha said. Even if they happen to get covid-19, they are likely to have lower levels of the virus in their system and spread it for a shorter period of time.
In Benton County, 55.6% of the population was fully vaccinated Friday and 56.9% was fully vaccinated in Washington County, according to the Department of Health. Numbers were lower in the River Valley, where 46.5% in Crawford County and 49.1% in Sebastian County were fully vaccinated.
People who are ill should get tested so they can avoid spreading the virus and so they can get antiviral or monoclonal antibody treatments if they are at high risk, Dillaha said. Even if people test negative, they should stay home because some home tests are less sensitive to the omicron variant and it’s best to avoid spreading any virus, she said.
Sharkey also emphasized the importance of getting tested, even for mild respiratory symptoms that seem like allergies, as well as staying home when feeling sick. Other preventative measures include handwashing, social distancing and wearing a mask, she said.