Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue.
Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading.
Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.
Welcome! We hope that you enjoy our free content.
Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading.
Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading.
Thank you for signing in! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.
Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.
Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.
Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.
Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.
Rain and snow showers this evening transitioning to snow showers overnight. Some mixed winter precipitation possible. Low near 25F. SW winds shifting to NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 60%..
Rain and snow showers this evening transitioning to snow showers overnight. Some mixed winter precipitation possible. Low near 25F. SW winds shifting to NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 60%.
Updated: January 6, 2022 @ 8:56 pm
With record numbers of patients flooding Sentara hospitals, leaders are asking the public not to come to the emergency department for routine COVID-19 tests.
For the second week in a row, the health system — including Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital — is seeing what it calls a record number of patients descending on its emergency departments across the state.
Many are asymptomatic seeking a COVID-19 test or have mild COVID-like symptoms, health leaders reported in a Thursday news release.
“We ask the community to only visit the emergency department if you are experiencing a medical emergency or worsening COVID-19 symptoms,” the release stated.
Anyone who may have been exposed to COVID-19 should find a testing site or at-home test kit. Given the current problem with limited testing supplies, anyone unable to find a testing location and are experiencing mild symptoms should assume they have COVID-19 and follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines for isolation.
The health system also is experiencing the largest increase of hospitalized COVID-19 patients of the pandemic.
Locally, Sentra Halifax Regional Hospital was treating 15 patients for COVID-19 on Wednesday, nearly double of a week ago.
Statewide hospitalizations have nearly reached the levels of last winter’s surge. In a vertical climb, nearly 3,100 patients were being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals across the commonwealth on Thursday.
The majority of people hospitalized continues to be those who are unvaccinated. However, booster shots are becoming critically important to fend off infections also, health experts report.
“We urge everyone who is eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster dose,” Sentra leaders said. “The booster vaccine has shown to offer increased protection against severe illness and hospitalization.”
To find a vaccination location nearby, visit www.vaccinefinder.org.
After adding 53 new COVID-19 cases in Thursday morning’s update from the Virginia Department of Health, Halifax County is now averaging about 35 new infections a day.
Sotrovimab is the only COVID-19 monoclonal antibody that has been shown to be effective against omicron, Sentara reports. Previously offered antibodies are not effective against Omicron. In alignment with national and state guidance and other health systems, Sentara will stop offering the previous versions, effective immediately.
However, the supply of sotrovimab is extremely limited across the United States but Sentara will continue to offer appointments as supply allows. Due to this limited availability, patients will be prioritized based on Virginia and North Carolina departments of health criteria. The highest risk patients receive treatment.
Oral antiviral treatments of molnupiravir and Paxlovid have been granted emergency use authorization for outpatient treatment of COVID-19. These medications are not approved for initiation in hospitalized patients with COVID-19, Sentara officials said.
Sentara outpatient pharmacies are working closely with the Virginia Department of Health and Office of Health and Human Services to obtain inventory. Supply is expected to be extremely limited at first. Sentara providers will work to coordinate offering these medications from Sentara To Home outpatient pharmacies and community pharmacies as inventory allows.
There are certain restrictions placed on use of these medications by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, such as age, days of symptom onset, risk factors for progression to severe COVID-19 and others. Patients are encouraged to ask their pharmacist or health care provider for more information about these medications to ensure they are appropriate and safe for them.
