Emergency Coordinator addresses COVID concerns
For many, they have put COVID-19 to rest, but Grimes County Emergency Management Coordinator David Lilly expressed concern for the new Delta variant that is impacting the county.
“This is probably no secret to everybody, but COVID-19 has not gone away,” explained Lilly. “If anything, it is becoming more obvious. It is asserting itself even more than it has in the past. With the new Delta variant going on, we are definitely in the middle of that and we are seeing an increase in cases and impact on our hospitals.”
Lilly said all Intensive Care Unit beds in Brazos County are at maximum capacity. Brazos County has 64 total ICU beds between all hospitals in the county, but Lilly said they are at capacity with COVID-19 causing devastation.
“The problem with ICU beds being full is that if someone has a heart attack or sustains serious injuries from an accident, the farthest they are going to get is the emergency room,” said Lilly. “They are not going to get a bed and will have to be transported to another location which puts your life at even greater risk.”
Progressing in the fight
Lilly said at this point a lot of the COVID-19 spread is preventable for the most part. “At this point last year, we didn’t have vaccines. We were struggling to figure out what was going on, where the hotspots were and how to protect people. We started having people wear masks and wash their hands and that helped, but we needed some way to help stop the virus in its tracks. That meant having a way to get vaccinated and protect our citizens, and now we have that.” As Emergency Management
Coordinator Lilly understands his role. “I am not a medical expert and I will be the first to tell you,” he said. “My job is to monitor the level of threat to our citizens. I see the numbers and I see the impact this virus has had on this county.”
Lilly said the county and the Trant family were directly impacted by the virus. “We lost our County Treasurer Janice Trant to the virus, then a few months later her son, Jim Bob, who took her place also died from the virus. Later, Janice’s husband also contracted virus and died.”
Discussing vaccines
Although he understands people have concerns about the various vaccines, Lilly believes the benefits outweigh the risks.
Some of the reasons people oppose the vaccine Lilly said are: That it was developed quickly, and people don’t trust it; the FDA has only granted emergency use authorization and not full approval; and it does not fall under the definition of “vaccine.”
“People question whether COVID-19 shots can be considered real vaccines because the definition of a vaccine is that it is developed from a dead portion of the actual virus,” stated Lilly. As an example, he referenced the flu vaccine. “The flu vaccine is developed from the dead portion of the flu virus, and your body reacts to it as if it were the virus.”
Whether or not the COVID-19 vaccines were developed the same as the flu vaccine, Lilly said the method works the same. “The shot you receive generates a response like you have COVID and you start generating antibodies that will fight COVID if you actually get the real one introduced to your body. From that perspective it is effective in preventing the virus.”
Lilly said if someone is on the fence about vaccinations, he urges people to remember, “this is another step in the battle to stop the spread. It’s not only about you personally, it is about all of us because if you get the vaccine it reduces the spread of the virus.”
Even though the vaccinations don’t prevent the virus completely, Lilly said the odds of being significantly impacted by COVID-19 or the Delta variant decrease.
Grimes County has hosted several vaccination clinics and Lilly is planning future clinics as well. As of Wednesday, Aug. 4, Lilly said the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) stated out of 24,735 residents over age 12 that are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, 12,956 have received at least one dose and 10,943 arefully vaccinated.
“We need to be at 80% vaccinated not only in Grimes County but statewide and nationwide to finally say we are ahead of the curve and are winning the battle against COVID-19,” said Lilly.
To find out more about vaccination clinics visit the Grimes County Emergency Management website, https://www.grimescountytexas.gov/page/Emergency%20Management or call 936-873-4404.