COVID-19 hospitalizations in Alabama fell 69% from their peak in January; 11% of the population received the first dose of vaccine
MONTGOMERY – Alabama coronavirus metrics have continued in the right direction over the past week, with hospitalizations continuing to decline sharply.
According to BamaTracker, a website that collects government data on the virus, 951 Alabamians were at the hospital with COVID-19 on Friday. This is less than 1,258 a week ago and constitutes a notable drop from the peak of 3,084 on 11 January.
On the vaccination side, the Alabama Department of Health (ADPH) is reporting that 530,021 received one dose of the vaccines and 186,578 individuals completed the two-dose regimen.
The extreme winter experienced in some parts of the state delayed some consultations this week, which were largely rescheduled for the weekend.
Alabama recorded an average of 710 new cases of the virus in the past seven days. That seven-day average metric dropped from 967 a week ago and peaked at 3,080 on January 11.
Of the 67 counties in Alabama, 54 reported a new case of coronavirus on Friday.
By including rapid tests and other methods of detecting COVID-19, instead of counting exclusively laboratory-confirmed PCR tests, Alabama’s average new cases rises to 935.
The 14-day average of positive coronavirus tests is currently 9.5%, down from 11.8% a week ago.
In Alabama, at the moment, 5.91 tests are being given for each positive test that returns.
About 10% of new coronavirus cases end up needing treatment at the hospital, according to state health officer Dr. Scott Harris.
“It’s just a breath of fresh air for all of us in the healthcare field,” said Dr. Sarah Nafziger, vice president of Clinical Services at UAB Hospital, at a news conference on Friday.
The number of deaths from the virus in Alabama is now estimated at 9,573. ADPH officials confirmed that 7,514 were due to the coronavirus, with the other 2,059 listed as “probable” COVID-19 deaths. During the course of the pandemic, very few cases listed in the probable category have not been confirmed to be caused by viruses.
As of Friday afternoon, 1,032,175 doses of the two approved vaccine products were delivered to Alabama.
Of these, 717,477 were delivered to citizens, which represents 77.65% of all doses administered.
Harris shared at a briefing in Montgomery on Friday that the weekly distribution of the first doses received in Alabama is scheduled to reach around 90,000 starting next week. The state had received about 70,000 in the previous weeks.
Both approved vaccines are administered in two doses administered three to four weeks apart.
In total, 530,021 Alabamians received one or more doses until Friday afternoon. This represents about 11% of the state’s population, which is estimated at about 4,900,000 people.
Recent scientific studies have suggested that two weeks after the injection, a single injection of the vaccine products is 85% or more effective in preventing a case of the virus.
Harris said on Friday that Alabama will continue to follow federal guidelines and administer the two-dose regimen, which is how the two vaccines were studied in clinical trials.
However, the increase in the percentage of individuals who received a single dose is probably contributing to the decline in cases seen in the state.
Harris also noted on Friday that the primary benchmark Alabama needs to reach for ADPH to expand eligibility is a drop in demand among those currently eligible.
Currently, citizens aged 65 and over, health professionals, first responders and frontline employees are eligible to receive vaccines.
“We are not out of danger, but we see how to get out of the forest,” said Harris on Friday. “I think we are more optimistic since it all started.”
Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: [email protected] or on Twitter @ HenryThornton95.