The pace of new COVID infections continues after Thanksgiving

Main health officials reported 795 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday and continued to increase the pace of infection after Thanksgiving.

Two additional deaths were also reported, including an individual in his 40s.

The average number of cases for 7 days was 518, and last month’s average was 472. Health officials expect it to continue to rise even after holiday gatherings have accelerated their spread. The emergence of new Omicron variants may be more contagious, but there are concerns that they may be milder, creating yet another layer of uncertainty.

Currently, cases of Omicron mutants have been identified in five states. It has also been detected in other countries abroad since it was first classified by South African health authorities.

Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Maine, said this week that Omicron was concerned, but it wasn’t the cause of the panic yet.

“The question now is not whether it’s a concern, but whether it’s a threat, and if so, how much,” he said. “The conclusion is that we need more scientific data before we can reach a conclusion.”

According to data tracked by the Main Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Friday’s cases had 122,242 confirmed or estimated cases since the onset of the pandemic, killing 1,332 people. Both are at their lowest per capita levels in any state, even if they surge.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Maine was 329 on Friday, at least 300 for one consecutive day. Of these, 104 received critical care and 52 were on mechanical ventilation. According to the CDC, two in three hospitalized patients are unvaccinated, and about 90% of critical care patients are unvaccinated.

Hospitalizations are at record levels throughout the week, and regional hospitals servicing the Midwestern Maine continue to treat an unprecedented number of inpatients during the fourth week.

Augusta’s Maine General reported that it was caring for an average of 35.7 COVID-19 inpatients per night for the week ending Thursday. This is an increase from last week’s record of 28.4 per night. This week’s level is almost double the peak seen in 198-bed hospitals in the previous surge. Wednesday was the worst day ever reported, with 39 COVID inpatients being treated.

“We were fortunate to be able to maintain hospitalization services and didn’t need to divert patients at this time,” Main General spokesman Joy McKenna said in an email, if the surge continues. He added that he was ready to take steps to coordinate the service. Is required.

“Now that the holiday season has arrived, we are calling on all people in Maine to take steps to stay healthy. For COVID, get vaccinated,” she added.

Lewiston’s Central Maine Medical Center also hit a record high in the five days to Tuesday, with an average of 31.4 COVID inpatients treated daily from 26.6 last week. The 250-bed hospital recorded 35 inpatients in a record day on Friday, November 26th.

Record numbers can be seen even in small hospitals.

Brunswick’s Mid Coast Hospital also recorded 13.4 inpatients a day in the week leading up to Thursday, and Waterville’s Inland Hospital also recorded 4.9 to 5.7 nights last week. There are a total of 93 adult beds on the Mid Coast. There are 36 inland.

AR Gould, a small 48-bed critical care hospital in Presque Isle, treats an average of 11 COVID patients on the night of the week ending Thursday, more than double the previous high of 5.3 set last week. became.

The state’s largest hospitals, Portland’s Main Medical Center (615 beds) and Bangor’s East Main Medical Center (322 beds), both reported high numbers of inpatients, but both surged last winter. It was below the previous recording level set at times.

In terms of vaccination, Maine received a final dose of 919,629 vaccines, equivalent to 68.4 percent of all residents, and an additional immune dose of 313,836, suitable for 23.3 percent. According to Bloomberg trackers, Maine has the highest booster rate than any other state except Vermont.

However, immunization rates in Maine remain low in many areas. This means that unvaccinated people have large pockets driving the transmission. Cumberland, the highest vaccination county in the last 14 days, has the second lowest per capita virus infection rate of any county. Knox County, the county with the lowest infection rate in the last two weeks, is the third highest vaccination rate. Conversely, less vaccinated counties, especially Androscoggin, Oxford and Piscataquis, have recently seen a much higher proportion of cases.

Similar to Maine, the number of new cases has declined in the last few days in the United States due to the depletion of tests before and after vacations. But, as expected, things are recovering. As of Thursday night, the 7-day average of cases was 86,412, an 8% decrease from the average of 94,170 cases two weeks ago, according to the US CDC.

This story will be updated

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