MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Between the Delta variant and people’s refusal to get vaccinated, there’s growing alarm. Memphis health officials have been pleading with the public with a message that takes three simple words: get the shot.
Dr. Lisa Piercey, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health, says the state has seen more than a 200% increase in cases since July 1, and the numbers continue to grow.
Dr. John Eick with Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare says he was just starting to think we we’re getting a taste of freedom from COVID-19, going weeks without treating someone with the deadly virus. But now, the wave of heartbreak is back.
“Everybody is honestly a bit demoralized by it,” Eick said.
On June 24 there were 14 COVID positive patients across the Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare system. Now, there are 87 patients with the virus.
“It’s a struggle mentally just to see it rising just adding to the tragic stories that we’ve already collected from the past year and a half. Especially when we know that this was all preventable,” Eick said.
He says it’s preventable with the COVID-19 vaccine.
MLH says they looked at 40 COVID positive patients admitted earlier this month. Ninety-five percent of them were unvaccinated.
Doctors we talked to today said they have seen some cases of breakthrough infection, meaning someone was vaccinated for COVID-19 but still got the virus. They tell us those numbers are low.
“As we see increasing cases in our community, we will see cases of breakthrough infection. However, the main jobs of the vaccine are to keep people out of the hospital and prevent them from dying,” said Dr. Shirin Mazumder with Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. “Most of these breakthrough infections, however, patients have symptoms that are much milder symptoms that most of us would associate with a cold.”
As we see more COVID-19 cases, experts tell us they do expect the number of deaths to increase as well.
The push and plea from doctors are clear: get vaccinated.
“The thing that I want to remind you of is that in almost all of the cases that are resulting in severe illness, so things that are resulting in hospitalization and death, almost all of them are amongst the unvaccinated,” Piercey said.
Eick mentioned at the beginning of the pandemic we talked about doing your part to protect your community, your family and your friends. He says now, get the vaccine to protect yourself.
