Confirmed COVID-19 cases rise to 41 in Grafton
As Grafton’s confirmed COVID-19 case numbers rise to 41, the Worcester Regional Health Alliance warned the Select Board that treatment and overall knowledge of the virus remains untested.
“We’re flying the plane, but we’re building it while we’re flying it,” said Dr. Michael Hirsh, repeating a comparison he had heard from another professional.
With Worcester’s hospitals now at 85 percent capacity for coronavirus patients, “we’re right now in the teeth of the surge,” Hirsh said.
Gov. Charlie Baker on Tuesday announced the closure of public and private schools for the remainder of the year, continuing remote learning. Grafton’s last day of classes is June 12.
Hirsh is hopeful that the surge will begin to plunge in the state next week. There are currently 41,199 confirmed cases in the state and 1,961 deaths. Worcester County now has 3,341, according to the state Department of Public Health.
“We’re hoping to see both admissions go down and use of the ICU go down,” Hirsh said.
Hirsh praised the partnership of UMass Memorial Medical Center and St. Vincent’s Hospital during the crisis, singling out medical staff for particular praise. Only 140 hospital staffers have tested positive for COVID-19, with none requiring hospitalization — and many have returned to their jobs.
A study group is looking at death certificates since the start of the pandemic to determine if undiagnosed COVID-19 was a factor.
“It’s a very pesky virus,” Hirsh said. “It presents in very sundry ways we didn’t expect.”
The virus may be causing clotting issues, leading to heart attacks and strokes. Some patients complain of gastrointestinal issues while still others are infected but completely asymptomatic.
“We’re seeing unusual presentations in unusual age groups, and it may be related,” he said.
Also unknown: if those who recover from COVID-19 will be immune to the virus, or if it will become a recurring phenomenon.
“I know that many of us who are out there have this disease,” Hirsh said. “This is why we have to keep our foot off the accelerator.”
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