OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — According to the Douglas County Health Department (DCHD), a total of 178 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19. Six of those people are children.
The department also reported an additional 193 new cases of the virus since midnight the previous day for a total of 78,338 since the pandemic began in March of 2020.
No new deaths were reported so that total remains at 750.
Other data from the department:
- According to the most recent local hospital report received yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon
- Medical and surgical beds were at 80% occupancy with 289 beds available and adult ICU beds were occupied at an 86% rate with 42 beds available.
- There were 178 individuals hospitalized who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, with 67 of them receiving adult ICU level care.
- There were two additional COVID-19 persons of interest (generally waiting for test results), and both were adults.
- Thirty-one individuals who were confirmed or suspected of having COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The department also provided the following:
The Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, usually referred to previously as the Pfizer vaccine, was given the brand name Comirnaty. That seems to have created some confusion.
The Douglas County Health Department (DCHD) wants to clarify that the Pfizer vaccine and Comirnaty are the same thing. Nothing has changed and Comirnaty is not better than what was known as the Pfizer vaccine.
“They are the exact, same product. They are identical,” Health Director Dr. Lindsay Huse said. “It also is an excellent vaccine, and I encourage anyone who is not yet vaccinated to do so soon.”
The Douglas County Health Department will hold COVID-19 vaccination clinics on Thursday and Friday in the DCHD offices at 1111 S. 41st St. from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Here are a few more points to clarify. When we say 0.54% of the Douglas County residents who have been vaccinated were breakthrough COVID-19 cases, that means just more than half of 1% of them later tested positive. It means half of 1% tested positive, not half of those individuals who were vaccinated.
DCHD also wants to emphasize that diabetes is not considered an underlying condition that qualifies someone for a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. People currently being treated for blood cancers or tumors qualify, but not everyone who has been treated in the past for cancer qualifies for the third dose. If you are unsure about your status for a third dose, please see your provider.
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