Health officials report progress in battle against COVID-19

JACKSON, Tenn. — Health officials believe progress is being made in the fight against COVID-19. They share what may be helping this happen.

“We’re kind of holding our breath,” said Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department Regional Director Kim Tedford.

“It brings me some joy this morning to bring some positive news to you all,” said West Tennessee Healthcare Chief Compliance Officer Amy Garner.

“We’re monitoring and share the excitement and the cautious optimism of the numbers that we have,” said Jackson Mayor Scott Conger.

The health department reported 39 new coronavirus cases Wednesday, along with a 10.1% positivity rate.

“To put that in perspective a little bit, we were seeing increases in a weeks time of 500 and above during the month of December. Since last Wednesday, we’ve only increased 277 new cases,” Tedford said.

Jackson-Madison County General Hospital is reporting 73 COVID-positive patients. The last time the number was that low was in early October.

“We are seeing our numbers go in the right direction, and we’re very pleased about that. It takes a lot of pressure off our health system when our COVID numbers are low,” Garner said.

And the Jackson-Madison County School System is reporting 23 total students and employees in isolation, down from around 100 in December.

“Overall kind of mirroring what we’ve heard from other community leaders. Our numbers are going down, so we’re cautiously optimistic about it,” JMCSS Chief of Staff and Public Information Officer Greg Hammond said.

But what is attributing to this? Tedford says it could be a number of things.

“I think people saw what happened after Thanksgiving, and they were more cautious through the Christmas and New Year holidays,” Tedford said.

She also says vaccinations could have contributed, as well as antibody treatments. One of the people who received a treatment was state Senator Ed Jackson, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 last week.

“I did have a mild case to begin with, but that infusion just made all the difference. So anybody [whose] just been recently diagnosed, try to get that infusion,” Jackson said.

And while numbers are down and measures seem to be working, health officials still want you to be cautious. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning of new COVID-variants.

“I’m not aware of any in Jackson, [or] Madison County. I am aware the state has had two confirmed cases with this variant virus, and it was in Middle Tennessee,” Tedford said.

Tedford also confirmed the mask mandate in Jackson and Madison County that was set to expire Sunday will be renewed.