While Covid-19 cases in Ky. are on the rise, Beshear says "We should not be scared" because cases are less severe; Booster for 5-11-year-olds nears finish line

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

As Covid-19 cases and the share of Kentuckians testing positive for the virus went up again this week, Gov. Andy Beshear stressed that Kentuckians are not getting as sick from the virus and that is good news. 

"And that means, in my opinion that, yes, we should be mindful of what's going on. We should be cognizant. We should make good decisions to protect ourselves. We should not be scared because these numbers again are staying low, which suggests that whatever we are dealing with now does not cause severe illness nearly at the level of what we have dealt with before," Beshear said at his weekly news conference. 

The state's weekly report, for the last Monday-to-Sunday reporting period, showed Kentucky is averaging 920 cases per day, up 63% more than the 565 daily cases the week before. The positivity rate last week was 9.35%. This rate has been increasing steadily for six weeks, rising from a rate of 1.97%.  The figures do not include results of home tests. 

The report also shows hospitalizations rates went up just a bit, while intensive care and ventilator patients remain low. 

Health Commissioner Steven Stack encouraged Kentuckians to use the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention risk map as their guide for what type of Covid-19 precautions are needed  in your community, instead of the state's daily seven-day infection rate map. Kycovid.ky.gov post the CDC's color-coded map on Friday mornings, along with community level guidance for each color.

Stack said that's because the CDC's weekly ratings are based on new virus cases, Covid-19 hospitalizations and the percentage of staffed inpatient beds occupied by Covid-19 patients, instead of just cases per 100,000 people. 

"Cases are not translating in the same proportion to serious or severe illness or death," he said. "Now please don't misunderstand me, Covid is still a serious disease. It's really important that you go out and get vaccinated and stay boosted with your vaccine. . . . But this composite map now reflects the reality that getting Covid doesn't necessarily mean you're going to end up in an ICU or on a ventilator or dead even if you have some medical risks." 

He added that this change in the way we measure risk to the virus is possible because so many people have been vaccinated or have natural immunity. 

Stack added that while it's important to not ignore the virus as we learn to live with it, it's also time to stop "navel gazing" every little detail related to it. 

Stack encouraged Kentuckians who have been exposed to the virus or have tested positive to the virus to go to the state's website to find tests and treatment locations, including monoclonal antibodies and a link to pharmacies that are participating in the national Test to Treat program. This program allows you to get tested for Covid-19 and, if eligible, to receive a prescription for an oral antiviral medication all at one time. 

The website also has a link to order free at-home Covid-19 tests, of which the Biden administration just approved eight more.  

"U.S. households are now able to order an additional eight free at-home tests at COVIDTests.gov—bringing the total number of free tests available to each household since the start of the program to 16," the White House said in a fact sheet. 

On Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a Pfizer-BioNTech booster vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 who have completed their primary vaccine series at least 5 months prior. ABC News reports that the CDC's independent advisory committee approved the measure today and that it now awaits the final approval of CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. 

Beshear said his 11-year-old daughter will get the booster when it becomes available. 

Asked why it's important for this age-group to get vaccinated, Stack said one of the key reasons is because we don't fully understand all there is to know about long-Covid, a condition that affects people of all ages. 

"We do know that those vaccines reduce the severity of the disease for people who are vaccinated. And there is some early evidence that getting vaccinated may help lower your risk for long-Covid. It may even help people who have long- Covid generate a response that helps them to improve," he said. 

Stack encouraged parents to talk to their pediatrician about getting their child vaccinated if they have not yet done so. 

In Kentucky, only 23% of 5-to-11-year-old children have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. Of last week’s 6,443 new cases, 16% were in people 18 and younger.