‘Pretty Bad Right Now’: COVID In Journal Country

Editor’s Note-With this week’s South Dakota News Watch story discussing COVID-19 concerns statewide, it would also be beneficial to understand what’s happening closer to home. For that, the Journal spoke with Marshall County Healthcare Center Certified Nurse Practitioner Sara Raabe.

When you glance at South Dakota Department of Health’s COVID-19 dashboard where case numbers are shared, things might not look that different from a few months ago. But unfortunately, the dashboard no longer tells the whole story. Healthcare providers statewide and locally agree, COVID cases have substantially increased in the last weeks and months.

Raabe explains, “We are experiencing a community endemic right now. I would say it’s pretty bad.” She adds though it’s very hard to judge numbers. While the dashboard might say Marshall County has about 18 active cases right now, Raabe thinks the real numbers are much higher due to at-home testing.

For their numbers, the state relies on positive PCR tests that a person would take at a clinic, hospital or public health. With the availability of at-home tests though, most people aren’t going in to be tested so even if they are infected, that would not be reported through the state.

“We will probably never know the real numbers, but people should be on high alert,” adds Raabe. The BA.4 and BA.5 variants of the virus that are going around are more transmissible than previous variants and are likely to infect people even if they are vaccinated.

Raabe said many of the symptoms of the latest COVID variants are familiar. “Body aches, fevers, headaches, sore throat and some ear pain are being reported. You may also experience a mild cough, though we’re not seeing as bad of respiratory symptoms.” She added that people may still find their sense of taste or smell are affected as well.

Though she encourages people to test themselves if they think they might have COVID, Raabe emphasized that one negative test doesn’t mean you’re virus free. “If you test when the viral load is not high enough, you might get a false negative. Having to retest later is reasonable.”

Above all, Raabe said that people should stay home if they’re feeling sick. “No matter what you have, please avoid socializing if you are sick. We also have strep and roseola going around as well, so it’s not just COVID.”

If you do have COVID, Raabe notes that you can treat the symptoms supportively. Get your fever down and push fluids. She also says that antivirals may be right for some people, though those are proving to be in short supply locally.

Raabe added that though most people won’t need to go into the clinic, if you’re concerned about respiratory distress or dehydration, do seek the advice of your physician. “You’re never wrong for getting evaluated if you’re worried,” said Raabe.

Vaccinations are still available for those six months and older. “Anybody who qualifies should be vaccinated,” stressed Raabe. They also recommend a booster dose for those over the age of 12.

COVID may be part of our daily lives at this point, said Raabe. But she hopes people are still taking it seriously, being cautious and smart if they do get infected. “We love and care about each other here in our small towns. We don’t want to see anybody get sick or God forbid, die, so be mindful and look out for others.”