MACON, Ga. — Leaders at Navicent Health are warning of challenging months ahead for Georgia and the rest of the country if people don't follow COVID-19 safety guidelines, especially during the holiday season.
As of Thursday morning, Navicent Health had 45 COVID-19 patients across its three hospitals in Macon, Peach County, and Baldwin County.
It's broken down by: 36 in Macon, 8 in Baldwin and 1 in Peach.
Acting President and CEO Dr. Tom Oliver says that is up from numbers in the 20s and 30s just last month. He did note, however, it is well below their peak in July and August, which was nearly 130 patients.
During an online discussion, Director of Infection Prevention Dr. Jeff Stephens urged people to wear a mask, social distance, and get a flu shot ahead of the holidays.
"This is a time when people are together indoors and people travel, and that really is a recipe for disaster, so the recommendation is to try not to do that," he said.
Stephens says at the start of the pandemic, COVID-19 patients were typically older in age. He says they've started to see younger patients come in, and now they have a mix of age ranges at their hospitals.
Stephens says he's encouraged by Pfizer's vaccine proving 90% effective.
He says to compare, typically a flu shot is around 40-60% effective, though he still encourages people to get one to avoid what health experts call a 'twindemic.'
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