KENT COUNTY, Mich — Doctors are warning that COVID-19 cases are surging in West Michigan, with more people seeking care in emergency rooms.
“We've seen like a doubling of the cases so that are presenting to the emergency room with symptoms,” said Dr. Lauren Snyder with Corewell Health. “And I think that's the important thing, is that we're seeing more people who are getting sick enough to go to the emergency room. We've also seen a significant increase in hospital admissions, particularly in our region. We are getting about 50 new cases admitted a week with COVID. When you break it down to the Kent County region and statewide, it's much larger.”
Snyder said the Nimbus and Stratus strains continue to be predominant. Symptoms can include sore throat, fatigue, fever, congestion and some gastrointestinal issues. She recommends people stay home if they are sick and keep COVID-19 tests on hand.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order last week expanding and protecting access to the COVID-19 vaccine.
“When you look at the recommendations from the CDC, they include people who are at higher risk of severe illness from COVID, which includes a long list of conditions, and it includes other conditions that may not be a list,” Snyder said. “Many of these conditions are being overweight, having obesity, being less physically active, having mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, having conditions like asthma, being a former smoker. There are many conditions that when you take them all together, the vast majority of Americans are people who would qualify for the COVID vaccine.”
For those who test positive, Snyder said the first step is to call a primary care doctor to learn about treatment options such as Paxlovid. If symptoms become more serious—such as shortness of breath, high fevers or being unable to stay hydrated—she said that is when patients should go to the emergency room.
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