What are the chances that evacuation of COVID-19 patients during Hurricane Ida could set off yet another surge of the pandemic?
It's a question that came up amid hospitals evacuating COVID patients to other parts of the state for the storm. Ochsner Health Chief Medical officer Dr. Robert Hart said with the precautions they took, he's not worried about that setting off a fifth peak. But, he warns there are other factors that could.
"I want to stress, though: vaccination rates are going to affect this," said Dr. Hart. "When I look at the western part of the state, vaccination rates are only in the 30 percent range. That leaves a lot of people that potentially could...be infected."
Dr. Hart dais even though daily new cases, percent-positivity, and hospitalizations have all declined recently, people must still be cautious.
"I hope we don't see one like the fourth," Dr. Hart said, "but we could easily see one like the second or third."
