GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — Although the average rate of COVID-19 infection seems to be slowing down, daily case numbers are inching up as Northeast Wisconsin hospitals still see a high number of COVID patients.
The 7-day average of new cases per day is now under 8,000, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. That's the lowest it's been since Jan. 5, when the Omicron surge was growing. However, daily reported cases this week are trending upward: There were 5,869 new cases reported on Monday; On Tuesday there were 7,748 new cases; and on Wednesday there were 8,025 new cases reported.
Data from the Wisconsin Hospital Association shows ICU beds in Northeast Wisconsin are 90% full, which is a slight drop from the past few weeks. But doctors said we're not out of the woods quite yet.
"With omicron, we're seeing a lot of these breakthrough cases, because of course this virus has mutated so much it's capable of evading our immune system," said Dr. Raul Mendoza, Aurora BayCare pulmonologist & medical director of respiratory services.
Mendoza said getting fully vaccinated and following public health guidelines, such as masking and proper hand hygiene, are key to squashing the pandemic.
“Experts have predicted that this pandemic will last several years; three to four years," Mendoza said. "The vaccines are still a good line of protection and still are very good - 95% protection when you’re triple vaccinated - against hospital admissions, serious illness or death.”
Dr. Ashok Rai, Prevea Health president & CEO, said their hospitals are also seeing patients with a variety of winter illnesses, like RSV, influenza and the coronavirus.
"Every day we have new admissions, but we also have discharges," Rai said. "Our COVID numbers are staying very high, but consistent."
With that, there is some light at the end of the tunnel for those who had to reschedule non-urgent surgeries due to previous limited capacity.
"We're probably doing better this week than we were last week, because bed availability and staff availability is a little better," Rai said. "There still is a high demand for getting these procedures done and we're working them in day by day."
Mendoza and Rai remind people to stay home if they're not feeling well, even if it seems like a cold.
