EDINBURG, Texas - Top administrators at DHR Health are growing increasingly concerned about an increase in COVID-19 cases.
The number of patients with the virus has shot up from two to 28 in recent weeks.
“It is a little bit concerning. We are starting to see an uptick in the number of cases. They are presenting themselves at the hospital and they are a different demographic,” said Dr. Robert Martinez, chief medical officer at DHR Health.
“This time around, a lot of the patients are under 40. A lot of them under 30, 20. Much younger patients with different symptoms. However, still continuing to require hospitalization, evaluation and treatment, which is concerning.”
According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the highly transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus now accounts for 83% of all sequenced cases in the U.S. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said last week: “This is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated.”
In a video interview on Facebook, Dr. Martinez said every variant does things a little differently.
“They survive differently and they attack a little differently. At the beginning people were coming in with chest pains, not being able to smell. Severe shortness of breath,” Martinez said.
“Now we are starting to see more run of the mill symptoms like runny nose, stuffy nose, some shortness of breath, cough, The symptoms are completely different to what they were before. That is because we are likely seeing an evolution of the virus. We are also seeing an evolution of the symptoms.”
Asked about the Delta variant, Martinez said: “It is just another virus that has mutated. We have let it survive long enough in the community. We haven’t done away with it. So it has evolved, just like everybody else, it gets smarter and it learns to get around things and defenses. Those defenses being people’s shots, the vaccines or the treatments.”
That said, the Delta variant is not as deadly as the original coronavirus, Martinez explained.
“Probably not as deadly. But it is much more infectious. There will continue to be more the longer this exists in the community. Because it will continue to spread and get smarter at every level.”
Martinez was interviewed by Marcy Martinez (no relation), director of public relations and corporate communications for DHR Health. She said the number of COVID patients has risen from two to 28 at DHR,
“It has not gone. Come get vaccinated. That is your safest bet right now, to get vaccinated. It is free. We are a hub. We have 8,000 a week to give out, of the Pfizer vaccines,” Martinez said, pointing out that pharmacists are mixing the Pfizer vaccine at the Edinburg Conference at Renaissance.
“The vaccine is the golden ticket. It is the unvaccinated people that are making up 98 percent of the patients being seen in hospitals right now. It is a very small amount of vaccinated people,” said Dr. Martinez.
“The vaccine works very, very well. Even if it loses its efficacy over time, which all vaccines do, we know it still prevents severe and significant disease so that you are very unlikely to die, even if you get Covid.”
Dr. Martinez said the danger occurs when people haven’t been vaccinated.
“A vaccinated person picks up the infection. They may or may not know it but it is transmissible to the grandma or the young child who has some kind of debilitating illness. You can see where that turns very ugly, very quickly,” Dr. Martinez said.
“No. 1, No. 2, No. 3. Get vaccinated, get vaccinated, get vaccinated. It’s so easy, it is here, it is free, it works. And it is very safe. There is no good reason you shouldn’t be getting it.”
Dr. Martinez said health officials know that the un-vaccinated get a lot more sick.
“We have the tools in our hands now. It is very different from a year ago. Everybody was just running scared. We have the answer today. It does not make any sense not to get vaccinated,” he explained.
Marcy Martinez said any Valley resident can get the COVID-19 vaccine, with no appointment necessary. Edinburg Conference at Renaissance has been converted into DHR Health’s vaccine center. It is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday thru Friday.
Marcy Martinez said no documents are needed but those getting the vaccine will have to give their name and birthdate. They will also be required to get a second dose. For more information call: 956-362-6843.
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