The number of COVID-19 cases in Southwest Florida continues to rise as the Delta variant makes its presence known.

Officials at Lee Health are reporting record numbers of patients positive for the virus in their care, affecting those old to young.

On Thursday, Lee Health spokesperson Jonathon Little reported there were 209 emergency department visits at Golisano Children’s Hospital, where more than half where for symptoms of COVID-19.

“The delta variant is extremely contagious and is affecting younger people at a higher rate than last year,” Little said in an email.

Lee Health reported Thursday that since the beginning of July, 21 individuals under the age of 50 have died from COVID-19 in their hospitals, including three under the age of 30.

“This is not a pandemic that only affects older people, and the coronavirus can cause devastating illness in anyone of any age,” Little said. “Vaccination remains the best tool we have to protect against the coronavirus, including the delta variant. Everyone, including kids in school, should social distance and wear a facemask when in indoor public settings.”

Eligible individuals looking to become vaccinated can visit www.LeeHealth.org or call 239-343-0999 to schedule an appointment. The free vaccination clinic at Gulf Coast Medical Center in Fort Myers (13681 Doctors Way) is open Tuesdays, Wednesday s and Fridays from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. A parent or guardian must accompany a minor.

Antibody treatment preventative

Lee Health officials are hailing an antibody treatment that could greatly reduce the chances of hospitalization for those diagnosed with COVID-19 early on.

Monoclonal antibody (MAB) treatment, an infusion of laboratory produced antibodies that help support the body’s immune system to fight COVID-19, was called a “potentially life-saving early intervention treatment” by Lee Health officials in a Wednesday release.

“Monoclonal antibody treatment is a potentially life-saving early intervention treatment for patients with COVID-19,” said Lee Health spokesperson Jonathon Little in an email. “Lee Health has provided this treatment to over 1,000 patients since December, and it has been shown to help keep patients out of the hospital and shorten the length of their illness. In addition to Lee Health’s MAB clinics at our Complex Care Centers, the state recently opened a treatment location in Bonita Springs that is seeing hundreds of patients a day.”

He added that currently, Lee Health is utilizing MAB treatment for COVID positive patients who have mild to moderate symptoms and are at a high risk of developing severe symptoms of the need for hospitalization.

Officials said a physician referral is required for MAB treatment, and the patient must have a positive COVID-19 test, be in their first seven days of showing symptoms and meet certain risk factors as required by the FDA.

“Prevention through vaccination is the best defense against COVID, and MAB treatment is not a substitute for getting vaccinated. However, should you become sick, it is a viable treatment to fight off your illness,” Little said.

Visit Lee Health’s website for more information on MAB treatment.

By the numbers

As of Thursday morning, Lee Health had 657 COVID-19 patients isolated in system inpatient hospitals, including 87 new COVID-19 admissions and 70 COVID-19 discharges from Wednesday. Of those patients, 14 are children under the age of 18. Since the start of the pandemic, Lee Health has reported 870 patient deaths inside of their hospitals to COVID-19 related complications, including 10 on Wednesday.

Census as of Thursday morning was at 99% of staffed operational bed capacity. Staffed operational capacity reflects the number of beds for which the hospital has adequate staffing, not the total number of beds within Lee Health hospitals. Overall bed capacity fluctuates hour to hour as the system discharges patients throughout the day who are ready to go home.

As of Thursday, 51% of ventilators and 5% of ICU rooms are available for use across Lee Health facilities.

As of Thursday, there were 84 COVID-19 patients on ventilators and 114 in the intensive care unit.

COVID-19 is a highly contagious viral disease. For most individuals, symptoms are mild. For a minority, the disease becomes a type of viral pneumonia with severe complications. Especially at risk are those who are older, those with underlying health conditions and the immune-compromised.

With the number of COVID-19 cases again climbing due, in part, to the latest mutation of the virus, the CDC is recommending that even vaccinated individuals “maximize protection from the Delta variant and possibly spreading it to others” by wearing a mask indoors in public in areas “of substantial or high transmission.”

The CDC also recommends masks for those at high risk of serious illness from COVID, those with compromised immune systems, those who are older, and those with underlying medical conditions.

Vaccination is highly urged.

For more detail on Florida resident cases, visit floridahealthcovid19.gov.

To find the most up-to-date information and guidance on COVID-19, visit the Department of Health’s dedicated COVID-19 webpage. For information and advisories from the Centers for Disease Control, visit the CDC COVID-19 website. For more information about current travel advisories issued by the U.S. Department of State, visit the travel advisory website.

For any other questions related to COVID-19 in Florida, contact the Department’s dedicated COVID-19 Call Center by calling 1-866-779-6121. The Call Center is available 24 hours per day. Inquiries may also be emailed to COVID-19@flhealth.gov.

–Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @haddad_cj