Hendrick physician: COVID-19 taken 'precipitous decline' in Abilene, the area

Only one Hendrick Health employee currently is quarantined for COVID-19, said Chief Medical Officer Dr. Rob Wiley Monday.

The number was one of several data markers that indicated COVID-19 in Abilene has "significantly declined, which is very encouraging," Wiley said during a Monday media briefing.

"I feel like what we've seen is what the rest of the country is seeing, that omicron hit us really hard with lots of cases in our community and now has taken a precipitous decline," he said.

During the last week, Taylor County's COVID-19 positivity rate has fallen by half, he said. And, coronavirus inpatients at Hendrick's hospitals in Abilene and Brownwood total less than 30, he said.

The growing availability of COVID-19 home tests "makes it a little more difficult to understand what our personal positivity rate in our community is," Wiley said. "That's why I'm following the hospitalizations. I see capacity is much more relevant to our community."

After lowering its COVID-19 Community Safety Dial to Level 4: Severe last week (the dial tops out at Level 6: Emergency), Hendrick Health modified its patient visitor policy. Changes include allowing two visitors per non-COVID-19 patient and children can visit if accompanied by an adult.

But, screenings of all visitors and the wearing of masks inside Hendrick facilities remain in place, Wiley said.

Another recommended measure to guard against COVID-19 is the vaccine, he said.

"Vaccines continue to still be the best prevention for COVID, and we are still strongly encouraging vaccines," Wiley said.

New variants of COVID-19 do not seem to be on the horizon, he said.

"As you watch what's going on around our country, I think everybody is kind of preparing for COVID to become more of a mainstay," Wiley said.

"It may be starting to take a picture of looking more like the flu. Whether we will have another surge or not, I do believe we'll have another little surge. What variant, I do not know."

He was not ready to reclassify COVID-19 from pandemic to endemic, like seasonal flu or RSV (respiratory syncytial virus).

"I do not believe the United States has passed out the pandemic as far as the CDC is defining it, but we are definitely moving in that direction," he said.

Wiley also noted that the region has experienced an uptick in flu cases.

"Some of the surrounding states have had high incidence of the flu. We're seeing a little of that right now," he said.

Allergies that are common this time of year also can present as symptoms of COVID-19.

"COVID still presents with cold-like symptoms – fatigue, headaches, sore throat, runny nose, cough, congestion, fevers. And, during the spring when we're having the allergies starting to spike, it just makes it very difficult," Wiley said.

"I do still believe that if you have fevers or you feel like you've been exposed to COVID, being tested is a wise thing to do."

Laura Gutschke is a general assignment reporter and food columnist and manages online content for the Reporter-News. If you appreciate locally driven news, you can support local journalists with a digital subscription to ReporterNews.com.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Hendrick physician: COVID-19 taken 'precipitous decline' in Abilene