ABOUT WHAT COULD BE IN STORE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. BECAUSE CASES ARE TRENDING DOWN BUT HOSPITAZALITIONS E ARSTILL HIGH, EXPERTS SAY THEY'LL BE MONITORING THE METRICS CLOSELY OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS TO SEE WHERE WE STAND WITH THIS SURG E. THOUGH DAILY CASES HAVE SE EN A DIP FROM THE OVER 14 THOUSAND WSAE JUST ABOUT A WEEK AG- O U-A-M-S DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEAL STHAYS THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE ARE OUT OF THE WOOD S. SOT (MARK WILLIAMS // DEAN, FAY W. BOOZMAN COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH, UAMS) "Now it emses like just because there isn a apparent change in the trajectory, that it looks like it is over. 7,000 cas es is a huge number of cases for a state the size of Arkansas. If our numbers keep trending at that level, we are still in the midst of s aurge." HOSPITALIZATIONS HAS BN EE A KEY METRIC TO DETERMINING HOW THE SURGE IS IMPACTING US. ON THE LATEST COVID FORECAST U --A-M-S IS PREDICTING A CONSTANT INCREASE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS OVER THE NEXT FEW WEE. KS SOT (MARK WILLIAMS // DEAN, FAY W. BOOZMAN COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH, UAM S) "We are hoping that it doesn't go up that far, but I would not be surprisedo t see an increase in hospitalizations at least through the first week of February." DR. MAI RTSHARKEY SAYS THE NEXT FEW DAYS WILL BE A GREAT INDICATOR AS TO WHAT IS TO COME - BUT THERE ISN'T A TIMELINE ON WHEN THIS SURGE COULD BE OVER. SOT (DR. MARTI SHARKEY // FAYETTEVILLE CITY HEALTH OFFICE R) "I don't have a timeline because COVID has taughte m not to have one but we do expect cases to go down d an once they do start goi ng down we do expect them to go down pretty sharply, very quickly, just as they ro, se and that is based on what we have seen with Omicron in different communities." COMING UP TONIGHT AT SIX YOU'LL HEAR MORE FROM U-A-M-S AND WHAT SOME OF THEIR MAIN OBSTACLES H
Health experts monitoring COVID-19 metrics to determine where surge stands with Arkansas
Experts say numbers over the next week will give a better idea about when the surge could fall off.
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Updated: 7:47 PM CST Jan 27, 2022
Active COVID-19 cases are down several thousand from last week, when Arkansas totaled an increase of more than 14,000 cases in a day. However, hospitalizations hit a record high recently. Thursday, the Natural State saw a single-day increase of about 6,000 cases."If our numbers keep trending at that level, we are still in the midst of a surge," said Mark Williams, dean of the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health at UAMS.According to Fayetteville City Health Officer Dr. Marti Sharkey, the number of cases and hospitalizations over the next week will be a good indicator as to what we can expect with this surge moving forward."I don’t have a timeline because COVID has taught me not to have one, but we do expect cases to go down and once they do start going down we do expect them to go down pretty sharply," she said.Though hospitalizations declined by 31 Arkansans Thursday, Williams told 40/29 News that hospitals are still largely full, and health care workers are stretched thin because of how omicron is spreading." a goodly amount of personnel who are out sick or in quarantine. Under those circumstances, we are struggling with a shortage of staff on a number of levels," he said.Click here to find an at-home COVID-19 test.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Active COVID-19 cases are down several thousand from last week, when Arkansas totaled an increase of more than 14,000 cases in a day. However, hospitalizations hit a record high recently. Thursday, the Natural State saw a single-day increase of about 6,000 cases.
"If our numbers keep trending at that level, we are still in the midst of a surge," said Mark Williams, dean of the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health at UAMS.
According to Fayetteville City Health Officer Dr. Marti Sharkey, the number of cases and hospitalizations over the next week will be a good indicator as to what we can expect with this surge moving forward.
"I don’t have a timeline because COVID has taught me not to have one, but we do expect cases to go down and once they do start going down we do expect them to go down pretty sharply," she said.
Though hospitalizations declined by 31 Arkansans Thursday, Williams told 40/29 News that hospitals are still largely full, and health care workers are stretched thin because of how omicron is spreading.
"[UAMS has] a goodly amount of personnel who are out sick or in quarantine. Under those circumstances, we are struggling with a shortage of staff on a number of levels," he said.
Click here to find an at-home COVID-19 test.
