TL Photo/JOSIE BURKHART Gabby Timko of the Belmont County Health Department puts on a mask and shows the take-home COVID-19 tests the department is making available to the county.
ST. CLAIRSVILLE – Health officials say a surge of COVID-19 has spread in Belmont County this summer.
Gabby Timko, nursing director for the Belmont County Health Department, said one possible reason for the summer surge is the lack of vaccines and booster shots that people are receiving. Timko said it’s difficult for people to get booster shots right now because the health department isn’t getting enough supplies. Some pharmacies are providing them, but she said she doesn’t know of any other source for the public.
Timko noted that these vaccines are no longer offered as frequently in medical clinics and doctor’s offices, but flu shots are almost always available.
“Our immunity is decreasing because we are not getting these booster shots,” she said.
Timko also said that COVID may spread faster than other diseases because of the virus’s genetic makeup, and that people do not have as much immunity to it as they do to other diseases, such as the flu, which have been around for a longer time.
According to the July 2024 Belmont County Epidemiological Report, there were a total of 361 COVID diagnoses from January to July, including 129 in the months of May, June and July.
Timko stressed that residents should stay away from anyone who is exhibiting COVID symptoms or even flu-like symptoms. She also said to be sure to wear a mask when around a sick person and get tested if those symptoms appear.
“It reduces the amount of particles that get into the air as they are spread through the respiratory tract. People cough and sneeze, and the mask provides some protection from that.”
Timko also reminded residents to wash their hands regularly and to clean and disinfect surfaces to avoid contracting the virus.
The health department does not conduct COVID-19 testing, but offers take-home tests that can be picked up at the office.
Even if a home test results in a positive result, the person should definitely go to the doctor for testing and confirmation, she said.
Locations where COVID testing is being conducted include doctor’s offices and urgent care centers, as well as the WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital drive-thru testing center.
If someone tests positive for COVID-19 and has symptoms, a prescription drug called Paxlovid is available to treat the virus.
Timko remembers her time in the cardiovascular intensive care unit and COVID unit at Wheeling Hospital when the effects of the virus were severe.
She said the impact of the virus is not as bad today as it was in 2020 because symptoms have changed and are more like flu. She added that vaccines have also helped create herd immunity.
“Enough people have been vaccinated so that the body fights off the disease when it comes into contact. It is no longer as strong, no longer weakens the body as much and makes it even sicker,” she said.
In a press release dated August 11, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “has streamlined its COVID-19 guidance to help people better understand their risk and help them protect themselves and others, what actions they should take if they become infected with COVID-19, and what actions they should take if they are sick or test positive for the virus.”
The CDC’s recommendations include wearing a high-quality mask for 10 days and getting tested on the fifth day after exposure to the virus. Additionally, people, regardless of their vaccination status, should isolate themselves from others if they are diagnosed with the virus. This isolation includes five days indoors and away from others and ends once the person tests negative.
“We are now in a stronger position as a nation, with more tools – like vaccinations, boosters and treatments – to protect ourselves and our communities from serious illness from COVID-19,” said Greta Masetti, PhD, MPH, MMWR author in the press release. “We also know better how to protect people from the virus, such as wearing high-quality masks, testing and better ventilation. These guidelines recognize that the pandemic is not over, but also help us get to a point where COVID-19 no longer has such a major impact on our daily lives.”
