Larimer County has entered “medium” COVID-19 risk

Larimer County health officials hosted a virtual update on the state of the COVID-19 virus as the county moves from low to medium risk according to the Centers for Disease Control’s metrics.

Medium risk is defined by the CDC as greater than 200 new cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people over a seven-day period, or if hospital admissions exceed 10 people per 100,000 and more than 10% of inpatient beds are occupied with COVID-19 patients.

Currently, Larimer County is at 238.8 new cases per 100,000 residents, with 5.3 hospital admissions per 100,000 residents and 1.3% of inpatient beds occupied with COVID-19 patients.

Jared Olson, population epidemiologist for the county, said that an estimated one out of every 108-150 Colorado residents are currently infectious, and said that heightened precautions might be wise.

“For those who are medically vulnerable, older adults, folks who are concerned about the impacts of infection, folks who it might be very disruptive to their work or their personal life, you should know that it’s time to increase your precautions a little bit,” Olsen said during the virtual update.

He added that statistics are more imprecise than during previous waves of the virus, as the proliferation of at-home tests combined with more asymptomatic carriers means that fewer cases are being reported to state health agencies, compared to how many might exist.

Health officials said that wider availability of treatments for COVID-19, like paxlovid, remdesivir, and other drugs that can reduce the threat of severe infection if administered immediately after the onset of symptoms, means that risk is lower even if people do test positive for the virus, but only if they act quickly.

Larimer County Public Health Director Tom Gonzales said that making a plan, including keeping test kits on hand, talking with primary care providers and being ready to seek treatment as soon as symptoms appear is crucial.