WATCH: Dr. Matthew Grzegozewski, MRH Emergency Department Director, discusses how COVID-19 is spreading in the Moffat County community again and why getting your vaccine can keep you and those you encounter safe.

Dr. Matthew Grzegozewski

Although the total number of COVID-19 cases has improved since Moffat County was hit hard in late 2020, a recent surge of positive COVID cases and hospitalizations is cause for concern for local healthcare experts.

Memorial Regional Health has recently seen an increase in COVID-positive tests and patients admitted to the hospital and Rapid Care for the virus, including a recent death. Patients range between the ages of 20 and 70. The identification of variant strains has also appeared in the community, which is concerning because these strains are typically more contagious and can spread more quickly.

Moffat County’s rise in positive cases and hospitalizations is consistent with the statewide COVID trends. Dr. Matthew Grzegozewski, Medical Director for the MRH Emergency Department and Craig Rapid Care, wants the community to be aware of what is happening in Moffat County.

“We’re not at the finish line yet,” he said. “Even with the last year of progress, if we don’t take the right steps and don’t get our community’s vaccination rate to at least 70 percent, the risk of the virus spreading will continue to be the problem. It will continue to mutate and change, putting all of us at risk. The longer this continues, the more dangerous this virus can get.”

In order to control and eradicate the virus, Moffat County must get to a point where it isn’t rapidly spreading around in the community. As of right now, that’s not the case.

“While we are maintaining normal operations in Moffat County, we are concerned that the Delta Variant of COVID-19 is overwhelming the healthcare delivery system, stopping transfers for other critical cases from rural locations like Craig,” said Andy Daniels, CEO of Memorial Regional Health. “Moffat County tends to run behind other parts of the state when it comes to an uptick in cases, so we are watching this trend in other counties carefully.”

Learn more about the Delta variant and how it’s affecting our community here.

Increase in positive tests, hospitalizations

In the past year, 22 people in Moffat County have died from COVID-19, and 600,000 others across the country.

“This is not a benign illness,” Dr. Grzegozewski said. “This is a terrible illness and affects everyone in our population, especially those who are most susceptible.”

Moffat County’s percentage of fully vaccinated residents is well below the average. Only 37 percent of the county’s total eligible population has received at least one dose of vaccine compared to the state’s 55 percent and the nation’s 53 percent. Of the 64 counties in Colorado, Moffat County’s COVID vaccination rate is ranked 54^th.

“The low vaccination rate is going to delay our recovery from all of this,” Dr. Grzegozewski said. “We’re still seeing one of the third highest positivity rates in the state and an increase in positive cases among those who are not vaccinated. Please know that this virus is not going to wait for anybody.”

On the flip side, the positivity rate for vaccinated individuals is almost negligible. The vaccine has proven to be extremely effective and has limited the infection rate among these individuals significantly. More than 60 percent of those ages 65 and older in the community have received their COVID vaccine. For the small percentage of those who are vaccinated and do happen to get COVID-19, most are asymptomatic and do not experience as burdensome symptoms, hospitalization or death.

This susceptible population is shrinking, which is a step in the right direction, but people who are not vaccinated are experiencing the same infection rates as in the past.

It may sometimes appear as if the total number of positive cases is low, but that is only the case when the vaccinated population is included. When that population is removed from the data, COVID-19 positivity rates are still climbing — which could be due to the decreased mask usage and loosened protocols among individuals who are not vaccinated.

Reminder: The relaxed CDC mask mandates are intended for vaccinated individuals and allow these individuals to be in close quarters with others who are vaccinated. If you are not vaccinated, you must continue to wear a mask and physical distance from others.

“New COVID-19 variants are more infectious and more mobile, which is concerning as this disease progresses — especially if the community is not vigilant about vaccines or following safety precautions,” Dr. Grzegozewski said. “We don’t want to get regress back to where we were in late 2020. That’s the last thing anybody wants.”

How getting the vaccine protects you and others

Every time an individual becomes sick with COVID-19, the virus is given a chance to replicate and evolve. The person becomes a host for the virus to keep evolving, ultimately allowing it to continue to spread in different forms, delaying its elimination.

All three authorized vaccines — Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson — are effective at protecting against COVID-19, including the current variants, but to varying degrees. Getting the community vaccinated is important to prevent the spread of disease and subsequent development of new strains that these vaccines may not be effective against. It’s also a way to protect the at-risk community from getting sick with the virus, as these individuals may not have the ability to fight off COVID-19.

If you haven’t received your vaccine or have been hesitant to this point, healthcare professionals are urging you to reconsider. It could help save your life, the life of someone close to you, or one of your neighbors or community members.

“There is a misconception the vaccine isn’t safe, even though more than 170 million people have been vaccinated already,” Dr. Grzegozewski said. “The vaccine studies were worked on thoroughly and no steps, clinical phases or trials were skipped when the vaccines were being developed. You should consider this vaccine as safe as any others you may receive — for example, measles, flu, pneumonia and meningitis vaccines.”

The COVID vaccine and kids

Children may react differently to the vaccine than adults do, and that’s totally normal, according to Dr. Linda Couillard, pediatrician at MRH. Childrens’ immune and inflammatory systems typically react in different ways than adults with other vaccines, too. They are still safe and effective — several clinical studies and trials have proven this.

“COVID-19 is still a real threat to families in our community, especially with the appearance of different various strains,” Dr. Couillard said. “Your pediatric team encourages all eligible adults and children to get vaccinated to protect those in the community — or in your household — who are unable to get their vaccine.”

As more information becomes available, the MRH pediatric team will provide updates on the COVID-19 vaccine to parents in the community. Our team can also connect you with medical facilities that offer the Pfizer vaccine, which is currently the only vaccine approved for children.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom. Many individuals in the community have worked hard this past year to do what’s best for themselves, their families, their friends and their neighbors.

“I am incredibly thankful for those who are vaccinated and reaching out to others about getting vaccinated,” Dr. Grzegozewski said. “I am also thankful for the sacrifices everyone has made in the past year to protect others in the community, especially with mask-wearing and social distancing.”

What a COVID-19 booster shot might look like

Did you get your COVID-19 vaccine already? You’ve done everything you can to this point to protect yourself and your community from the virus and its spread. Although it’ll be hard to know if and when a COVID-19 booster shot may be necessary, it’s important to know how and why this follow-up shot could be beneficial.

Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are highly effective against the virus for at least six months after the second shot. Medical experts are unsure exactly when and if the efficacy of these vaccines will wane over time. So far, evidence shows Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are waning, but time will tell.

If a booster is needed, healthcare experts are still unsure if it’ll be because the initial vaccination weakens over time or because the virus mutates and evolves, rendering the vaccine less effective — or both. It’s still too early to speculate if COVID-19 shots will be routine much like annual flu shots; however, boosters are common for many other vaccines, according to the CDC.