Health officials issue plea in face of COVID surge

The Elkhart Truth, Ind.
·2 min read

Jan. 22—ELKHART — The Elkhart County Board of Health made a plea on Friday urging residents to resume wearing face masks and to get vaccinated to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

"We're seeing record levels of hospitalizations in Elkhart County due to COVID," said Dr. Richard Hostetter, interim health officer for Elkhart County. "Please mask up and get vaccinated. It will help."

Hostetter said the board isn't issuing a mandate but a plea.

"The majority of people being hospitalized for COVID are unvaccinated," he said. "They have very little protection from the disease. Wearing an N95 mask will make a difference. Cloth masks are just not as effective in preventing the spread, but if you only have a cloth mask please double up."

Dr. Daniel Nafziger, chief medical officer at Goshen Hospital, said those who aren't fully vaccinated have a weaker immune system.

"Or, even if you're fully vaccinated but live in an area like ours where transmission levels of the disease are high, please wear a mask," Nafziger said. "This is for your own protection. We can get through this. But we need to work together."

Michelle Bache, vice president of medical affairs at Elkhart General, said hospitals have limited treatment options and added that the most effective strategy is to reduce the spread of the contagious variant.

"I encourage people to wear the best mask available to them such as an N95 or KN95," she said. "Even if you're not worried about your own personal risk for COVID, masking is an effective way to limit the opportunity for omicron to infect other vulnerable members of our community."

Hostetter said masks will help mitigate the uptick in local hospitalizations.

"Please wear the most protective mask you can, and if it's cloth double up," he said.

The vaccination rate in Elkhart County remains low, at 45.5 percent, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. That compares with a state rate of 55.6 percent and a national rate of 67.3 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.