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Northeast Georgia Health System on Fourth Wave of COVID-19

Scott Rogers/The Gainesville Times via AP

The Northeast Georgia Health System held a news conference this morning, regarding the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the system’s hospitals. Dr. Deepak Aggarwal discussed those numbers.

“The number of COVID positive patients in Northeast Georgia’s Medical Hospitals has jumped from 20 to 110,” according to Dr. Aggarwal. “Roughly half of the patients are under the age of 60 and we have cared for some as young as 18.”

He says 85% of those hospitalized are not vaccinated. NGHS currently needs an additional 550 traveler nurses to address the current situation. Health officials say they expect the peak of cases to come in the first week of September.

But the key thing is that getting vaccinated dramatically protects you against severe infection, reducing the chance that you will die from COVID or be hospitalized for COVID.

Dr. Erine Raybon-Rojas is encouraging area residents to consider getting vaccinated.

“We’ve told people that it’s not a cure, getting vaccinated will not guarantee you that you won’t get COVID,” Raybon-Rojas said. “But the key thing is that getting vaccinated dramatically protects you against severe infection, reducing the chance that you will die from COVID or be hospitalized for COVID." For more information, visit NGHS.com.

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