CADILLAC â At first, the evidence wasn t compelling enough for Munson doctors to prescribe the antibody therapy. But that s changing.
The original monoclonal antibody treatments during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic were just a single drug. Munson Healthcare s infectious disease experts, however, didn t think the efficacy data was strong enough. And so the balance of doing something because you can versus doing something because it works and it s safe, you knowâwe just didn t feel like the data showed that yet, said Dr. Christine Nefcy, Munson Healthcare s chief medical officer.
But new data is based on a combinedârather than singleâmonoclonal antibody treatment.
That may mean that mass vaccination clinics and drive-throughs will soon fade, giving way to pop-up clinics at neighborhood centers, high schools, churches and mosques, or being offered a vaccine at a doctor’s office during a routine visit.
“We ve kind of hit all those people who wanted it, who were fighting to get their vaccines, who were jumping in front of everyone else,” said Sarah Oleniczak, deputy health officer at District Health Department, which covers 10 central Michigan counties. “Now we can take a breath and we can go off-site.”
Getting Michigan to herd immunity by having at least 70 percent of its population vaccinated or otherwise immune won’t be easy. Few thought it would be. The strategy now shifts to a more arduous ground game into the nooks and crannies of Michigan.
CADILLAC â Hospitalizations in the Munson Healthcare system appear to be down from the peak at midnight Tuesday. Munson officials on Tuesday reported 100 people hospitalized with COVID-19 but that number had slipped on Wednesday to 91.
Positivity rates also appear to be dropping; though they re still multiple times higher than the World Health Organization s 5% standard (when rates are above 5%, it means enough people aren t being tested), in Wexford County the rates are at least back on the chart. From March 27 until April 16, the 7-day-average rate was above 20%. Though data is incomplete, the 7-day-average on April 19 was 18.1% in Wexford County, according to state data.
CADILLAC â Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 are at their peak in the Munson Healthcare region, the healthcare system s medical director said Tuesday.
Cases are increasing, and while the positivity rate has dropped very slightly, said Dr. Christine Nefcy, our cases per 100,000 continue to increase, and our hospitalizations continue to increase.
As of midnight Tuesday, there were 100 patients positive for COVID-19 in a Munson hospital. That is the highest number of inpatients we ve had since this pandemic started, Dr. Nefcy said.
Munson Medical Center had 61 of those patients while Cadillac Hospital had 14.
Tuesday saw Wexford County add 12 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and reach an even 2,300 cases throughout the pandemic. Missaukee County added two and reached 1,131; Lake County added five and reached 507 and Osceola County added four cases and reached 1,444 total.
9 & 10 News
April 20, 2021
Munson Healthcare says once again, cases continue to rise throughout northern Michigan. Overall case numbers are up and hospitalizations are also increasing. Munson hosted its weekly community update with several local health departments.
Grand Traverse Co. Health Department Health Officer Wendy Hirschenberger says, “We currently have the most active cases we’ve ever had in the community at 1,240.” Grand Traverse County is seeing a new high for active cases. Numbers appear to be leveling off, but it may be too soon to tell. “Our metrics are still high, but they’ve stabilized…. We’ll have to see over the next week or two if that is a trend or not.”