St. Clair County health officials announce decline in COVID-19 deaths, hospitalizations

St. Clair County reported a decrease in deaths and hospitalizations but an increase in cases for the week of Sept. 23-29, health officials said during Wednesday’s weekly COVID briefing.

Overall, health officials announced five new deaths — down from nine the previous week. Additionally, hospitalization numbers in St. Clair County decreased from 37 last week to 32 this week, health officials reported Wednesday. The number of patients on ventilators also fell from five last week to three this week.

However, the county reported 469 new COVID-19 cases — up from 431 the period of Sept. 16-22. Overall, the county now has 39,239 cases and 542 deaths since the pandemic began.

The deaths this past week included a woman in her 40s, a man in his 40s and a man in his 60s, all with underlying health conditions; and a man in his 60s and a man in his 70s, both with unknown health conditions, according to health officials.

“We still need to be cautious,” said St. Clair County Health Department Director Myla Blandford. “Get your vaccine. That’s the best tool that we have. We’re making it readily available to anybody who’s interested.”

St. Clair County health officials continue to see high case numbers among the younger population, while noting some decreases:

• 57% of current positive cases are under 41, down from 60% last week.
• 28% of current positive cases are under 21, down from 31% last week.
• 13% of current positive cases are under 10, down from 16% last week.

St . Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern noted the amount of positive cases under the age of 10, further encouraging those who can get vaccinated to do so.

“So really that underscores the idea that anyone in that household really needs to get vaccinated to protect those who are unvaccinated and, certainly, kids (under the age of 12) can’t get vaccinated,” he said.

Added Blandford, “Right now Pfizer has submitted data to FDA for review for those who are 5-11. We’ll keep you posted as more information comes available.”

Kern on Wednesday also asked Blandford about getting a flu shot and COVID shot.

“They can go ahead and receive their COVID vaccine as the same time as their flu shot,” Blandford said.

COVID still hitting unvaccinated people hardest

The latest data from local medical facilities continues to show unvaccinated people stand a higher chance of being hospitalized than vaccinated people if they catch the COVID-19 virus.

During Wednesday’s weekly COVID-19 briefing, Blandford again presented a joint graphic from Touchette Regional Hospital, Memorial Hospital and HSHS St. Elizabeth’s hospital breaking down overall hospitalizations, ICU patients and those on ventilators among vaccinated and unvaccinated people.

Here are the results:

• Hospitalizations: 32 people total hospitalized, with 28 of them unvaccinated. Last week, 37 people were hospitalized with 30 of them unvaccinated.
• ICU: Six individuals total in the ICU, with zero of them unvaccinated. Last week, nine people were in the ICU with all of them unvaccinated.
• Ventilators: Three people on ventilators, all of them unvaccinated. Last week, five people were on ventilators, all them unvaccinated.

Madison County, Region 4 hospital figures

Meanwhile, as of Wednesday, nearby Madison County reported 616 new cases from Sept. 23-29, down from 650 cases the prior week. The county also reported a decrease in deaths from 12 the week of Sept. 16-22 to four this past week.

Overall, as of Wednesday’s data, Madison County had reported 38,248 cases and 580 deaths since the pandemic began.

The Madison County Health Department on Wednesday also reported 39 patients hospitalized due to COVID, down from 46 last week. The county reported six people on ventilators, down from seven last week.

St. Clair and Madison counties are part of what the Illinois Department of Public Health classifies as Region 4, which also includes Bond, Clinton, Monroe, Randolph, and Washington counties.

And, regionally, the number of patients hospitalized dropped from 95 last week to 78 this week, county officials reported Wednesday, with the number of people on a ventilator dropping from 15 last week to nine this week.

This story was originally published September 29, 2021 at 5:36 PM.