SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – The Springfield-Greene County Department of Health on Wednesday reported another 37 deaths related to COVID-19. 24 of the 37 deaths reported in the past week occurred in December; 13 took place in January.
Kathryn Wall with the Springfield-Greene County Health Department said the reason for delayed reporting is because a thorough investigation needs to be completed to determine the involvement of COVID-19 in each death.
“This idea that someone who dies with COVID-19 is considered a COVID-19 death is not the case,” Wall said. “We only count those who are found to have died of COVID-19 as COVID-19.”
Health leaders listed the victims:
- A man in his 40s who had no underlying health conditions
- Two men in their 50s
- A man in his 60s
- A woman in her 60s
- Four men in their 70s
- Two women in their 70s
- Ten men in their 80s
- Six women in their 80s
- Five men in their 90s
- Three women in their 90s
- A man in his 100s
- A woman in her 100s
“We still hear this misconception that it’s just something, a disease that affects those who are very old or very ill,” Wall said. ‘The numbers this week reflect that this is not the case, and we need to remember people to take it seriously. ‘
Wall said that although the number of deaths in January so far is lower than the number recorded in the first twenty days of December, it does not necessarily mean that the virus is stopping.
“It’s a difficult thing to put a finger on and gain confidence in, because deaths are a backward indicator,” Wall said. ‘We do not know for a good time; someone tested positive and what happened out of it. ‘
Local hospitals are currently reporting fewer COVID-19 hospitalizations. CoxHealth CEO Steve Edwards tweeted on Wednesday that Cox’s Springfield locations currently have fewer than 100 COVID-19 patients.
Mercy Hospital tells KY3 that 55 COVID-19 patients were admitted to the hospital on Wednesday. That’s almost half of what the hospital reported to KY3 at the end of December.
“Our hope is ideal because we are starting to see the number of cases of decline, and that the hospitalizations are starting to decline that this is an indication that the deaths will also be reduced, but we just can not be sure.” Wall said.
She said the health department is hopeful that the vaccine already has an impact, but wants people to know that they do not have to watch yet.
Wall said we were just a week away from the one-year anniversary of the first news release from the Department of Health, COVID-19. At that time, they were preparing for when the virus would come to Missouri. Now they are working on plans to distribute the vaccine to the public.
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