La Salle County COVID-19 risk remains low as of Dec. 8

La Salle County remains at low risk for COVID-19, despite 44 other Illinois counties being designated at an elevated level by the Illinois Department of Public Health, including neighboring Marshall County.

La Salle County’s community level is based on these combined indicators. In the past seven days through Thursday, the rate of new hospital admissions of confirmed COVID-19 cases was 8.8 per 100,000 residents and 3% of staffed inpatient beds were in use by patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to the CDC website.

Statewide, there were 1,039 new COVID-19 hospitalizations reported, an increase of 20% over the previous week.

Data also show that broad acute respiratory hospitalizations are increasing across Illinois including COVID-19, flu and RSV. IDPH officials, according to a news release, are “especially concerned about pediatric ICU (PICU) capacity which is limited in many areas of the state.”

“As we anticipated, we are seeing an increase in respiratory viruses – including COVID-19, flu and RSV - both in Illinois and across the nation,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a news release. “IDPH is closely working with our health partners to educate the public, monitor our hospital capacity, and develop effective mitigation strategies as we experience this surge. One of those strategies is our new Infectious Disease Surveillance Report, an easy to use, interactive dashboard that provides vital information to keep our residents safe.

“During this critical period with hospitalizations rising, I encourage all of our residents to use the tools available to keep yourself and your families healthy and protected. These tools include COVID-19 testing (especially if visiting someone at risk for severe disease); enhanced ventilation; good hand hygiene; staying home and seeking treatment if sick; masking in crowded places; AND getting the COVID-19, flu, and RSV vaccines for which you or your loved ones are eligible. These tools are especially critical for those most at-risk for severe disease including those who are over 65, immunocompromised, or have chronic medical conditions. And parents and caregivers: please also protect those young children given the limited pediatric ICU capacity in many areas of the state.”

For Paxlovid, a COVID-19 treatment, the Paxcess Patient Support Program will provide free government funded supplies to those who have Medicaid/Medicare or are uninsured through a voucher system which takes five minute to enroll in. For those with commercial insurance, they will provide a $1,500 co-pay assistance card for those who self-attest they do not have full medication coverage. This should cover the current cost of a full course of Paxlovid, with no limits on the number of times the prescription could be filled in a year, but no sooner than 90 days from the last refill, given low risk of reinfection within 90 days.