Colquitt Regional Medical Center official talks surge in COVID-19 cases

COLQUITT COUNTY, Ga. – Tuesday, there were 40 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Colquitt County according to the Georgia Department of Public Health website.

At their peak Colquitt Regional Medical center was treating around 60 people with acute COVID-19 symptoms.

Towards the end of may, Colquitt Regional was able to get COVID-19 hospitalizations down to the single digits.

But now, the hospital is caring for over 32 COVID-19 patients.

Dr. Howard Melton

“We’ve had a few extra cases over the normal over the last couple of weeks,” says general surgeon Dr. Howard Melton.

Dr. Melton says some of the patients are in the intensive care unit but that there is some good news, “Generally speak what we’re seeing now is a lower acuity than what we had a couple months ago, people are not getting as sick or they’re tolerating the disease better.”

Melton says this is because younger people are contracting the virus.

“You get younger, healthy people going out and they spread this disease amongst themselves which isn’t generally a big deal for the 22-year-old the 28-year-old. When they get it it doesn’t seem to be as bad.”

However it is bad for the people that may come in contact with the person carrying the virus. People that might have underlying health issues.

“Those patients then get very ill very quickly.”

Dr. Melton says he understands people are bored at home so he suggests people follow the three W’s when out in public to help contain the spread of coronavirus, “Wear a mask, they need to wash their hands, and they need to watch their distancing and if they do that we can keep this under control but if they don’t its going to be a continuous problem.”