HARLINGEN — The fast-spreading omicron strain is pushing more vaccine holdouts to take the vaccine as short-staffed hospitals treat rising numbers of unvaccinated COVID-19 patients.
Across Cameron County, more unvaccinated residents are rolling up their sleeves amid a shortage of antibody treatments used to treat omicron patients, pushing one of the state’s highest vaccination rates to 78.80 percent, Josh Ramirez, the city’s health director, said Wednesday.
“There’s an increase in newcomers,” he said. “People are seeking vaccines. They’re local folks. They’re moving toward the vaccine. They’re more concerned of the variant or they’re finally getting the message — a lot of unvaccinated people are not surviving (COVID-19 infections). But we still have a small population of people unvaccinated.”
Meanwhile, vaccinated residents are lining up to take COVID-19 booster shots to bolster protection against the highly mutated variant that’s shown itself more resistant against initial vaccine doses.
“The cases are spreading faster so people are getting their boosters,” Ramirez said.
New cases climbing
In Cameron County, the spread of the omicron variant drove new COVID-19 cases from 62 to 83 from Tuesday to Wednesday, according to a report from County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr.’s office.
“What we’re seeing is increasing cases across the board, period,” Esmeralda Guajardo, the county’s health administrator, said, adding results stemming from high numbers of residents testing for COVID-19 are expected to show a spike as early as today.
In Hidalgo County, new cases soared from 67 to 400 from Tuesday to Wednesday, the county’s daily reports show.
Hospitals bracing for unvaccinated patients
Meanwhile, short-staffed hospitals are bracing to treat a rush of unvaccinated patients.
“Over the weekend, there was a spike in hospitalizations and emergency room (visits),” Ramirez said. “Some who were vaccinated were sent home.”
At Valley Baptist Medical Center, the hospital is expecting its number of COVID-19 patients to climb within the next two weeks, Dr. Christopher Romero, an internal medicine specialist, said.
“We’re in a significant spike of outpatient cases right now,” he said.
On Wednesday, Mayor Chris Boswell said a short-handed staff was treating hospitalized patients who numbered “in the teens.”
“They’re low but they’re increasing,” he said. “Right now, they’re in the teens but there’s staff that are out because of COVID.”
Nearly all hospitalized COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated, health officials said.
“The vast majority of COVID patients at Valley Baptist hospitals are unvaccinated,” Patti Tanner, spokeswoman for Tenet Healthcare Corp., stated from offices in San Antonio.
State shortage of drug used to treat omicron patients
For about two months, unvaccinated COVID-19 patients have been turning to infusion centers for antibody treatments, Ramirez said.
Now, the highly contagious omicron’s rapid emergence as the dominant stain comes amid a statewide shortage of sotrovimab, the only monoclonal antibody treatment shown effective against the variant, Treviño stated Tuesday.
“The ones being affected the most are the unvaccinated,” Ramirez said. “The ones reaping the benefits, which have been saving their lives, are the unvaccinated folks.”
