AdventHealth's COVID hospitalizations decrease to 790 in Central Florida

Palm Coast Observer
News

The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 continues to decrease, and today there are about 790 in AdventHealth’s hospitals across seven Central Florida counties. About 130 of those are receiving ICU-level care.

AdventHealth remains at “green” status and continues to operate normally, with no disruptions to scheduled procedures.

AdventHealth Centra Care’s statewide seven-day rolling positivity rate has decreased to 31.6%. While the trend is headed in the right direction, the figure still represents the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant throughout the community.

Vaccines, boosters:

Physicians say the community’s best defense against Omicron, which is more contagious than previous strains even among those who are vaccinated, is for those who haven’t received COVID-19 booster shots, to get them.

Those who have not begun their primary vaccine series will still benefit from doing so and will receive protection from the variant.

Masks:

Physicians continue to recommend people wear masks in crowded indoor spaces or when in close contact with others. This includes students and teachers in classroom settings. Social distancing and good hygiene practices are also recommended to help cut down on community spread of the virus.

Covid testing and treatment:

Where to go for testing:
- The Florida Department of Health publishes a list of COVID testing sites located throughout the state.
- Emergency departments should be reserved for medical emergencies, such as severe symptoms, difficulty breathing or worsening symptoms, including a fever, that are not responding to over-the-counter medications.
Who should get tested:
- Those who have been exposed to COVID but do not have symptoms do not need to be tested.
- Those who develop symptoms should be tested and, if positive, isolate for at least five days to protect others who could be more vulnerable to the virus.
Monoclonal antibody therapy treatment:
- The Florida Department of Health publishes a list of monoclonal treatment sites throughout the state.
- AdventHealth has an extremely limited supply of monoclonal antibodies, and a physician referral is required.