COVID-19 vaccines work.

Jared Smith, CEO of UT Health Hospital in Quitman, briefed the Mineola City Council on the COVID-19 situation locally Monday.

He said he has no agenda on vaccines other than caring for communities. He noted that full approval of the Pfizer vaccine was given by the Food and Drug Administration Monday. Some 30% of adults are indicating they are waiting on approval to consider the vaccine.

What UT Health has seen, Smith said, is that those who are vaccinated are “much, much less likely” to get COVID-19, they are much less likely to be hospitalized if they do get a breakthrough case, and if they do have to be hospitalized, they are much less likely to go on a ventilator or die.

He noted that some areas of the country are more adoptive of vaccines, and one New Jersey hospital reported only seven recent cases of the virus.

By contrast, a hospital in the UT Health system reported 100% of it patients were COVID-19 cases.

And one day last week there were no more ICU beds anywhere in Texas for COVID patients.

Smith began his remarks noting that a couple months ago, there was a large decline in cases and things were looking promising.

Then the delta variant resulted in a surge in cases “like no other.”

“This is the worst in Texas it’s ever been,” he said. “We are getting slammed like never before.”

He said that when looking at the January-February spike in cases, this time is 36% higher.

“I want you to be aware of the fight health care workers are in each day,” Smith said.

The steep up trend in cases has been nearly straight up. It was not expected and had not been seen before, he noted.

Adding to the problem is the number of nurses who retired following the last surge and the amount of health care workers who went to other professions, Smith said.

After having just 246 reported cases for March through June, Wood County added 222 cases in July and 643 so far in August, through Monday.

The death count also continues its upward trend after several months with none. There have been six residents die since the surge resumed for a total of 88.

Wood County has had 4,384 cases since the pandemic case counts began in March 2020.

Mineola schools reported 15 students and three staff members have tested positive for the disease in the first week and a half of school.

Alba-Golden ISD reported a case on Friday of a first grade student. On Monday the district reported four active staff cases and four additional students in the elementary grades and three students in the secondary grades.

Scott Berkley with the UT Health emergency medical system presented challenge coins and certificates of thanks to Mineola Fire Marshal David Madsen, Police Chief Chuck Bittner and City Manager Mercy Rushing for their help and support during the winter weather crises Feb. 14-20.

He recounted the efforts of the UT Health staff to meet the challenges posed by the storm, adding, “We didn’t do it alone,” but with the community’s help.