THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, OCTObER 2, 2020 Page 5 Area hospitals prepared for winter COVID G By Christopher Roberson oing into the latter part of the year, hospitals are ready should there be a second surge of COVID-19. David Cecere, spokesperson for the Everett campus of Cambridge Health Alliance, said “slight upticks” in the number of cases have been detected during the past two months. However, he is optimistic moving forward. “We learned a great deal about COVID-19 during the first surge, and we feel prepared to handle an influx of patients,” he said. “Our testing turnaround time has improved; we have sourced more personal protective equipment and we have experience with different treatment options.” Dr. Davidson Hamer, an infectious disease specialist at Boston Medical Center, said there is “clearly a risk” of a second wave. Yet, he is not overly concerned about the upcoming confluence of influenza and COVID-19. “There’s been a lot of talk about a “twindemic,” but honestly, this probably isn’t going to happen,” said Hamer. Although remdesivir has proven to be beneficial for many patients, Hamer emphasized that it should not be viewed as the drug that would end the pandemic. “It helps but it’s not a cure,” he said. “That’s just one part of treatment.” Hamer said that during the past six months healthcare professionals have gained a tremendous amount of knowledge about the overall behavior of the virus and how it spreads. “We’ve learned more about transmission,” he said. “We’ve learned a lot more about testing.” In addition, Hamer said steroid drugs and contact tracing have become part of the standard protocol. Dr. Robert Colgrove, interim chief of infectious diseases at Mount Auburn Hospital, said the possibility of a second wave is very real, adding that cities such as Chelsea, Everett and Lawrence have been especially hard hit. He also said the virus could be mutating. “There are no hard and fast rules,” said Colgrove. “This is a classic case of hope for the best and prepare for the worst.” In addition to remdesivir, he said, the corticosteroid dexaThe Coronavirus Count State reports 54 new confirmed Everett COViD-19 cases; city at “high-risk” for COViD-19 with state’s 7th F or the second consecutive week, Everett had the seventh highest average daily incidence of COVID-19 cases among Massachusetts communities over a recent two-week period, according to statistics released on Wednesday (Sept. 30) by the state Department of Public Health (DPH). The city had a daily incidence rate of 13.2 new cases per 100,000 over the period of Sept. 13 through Sept. 26. Only North Andover (26.2), Lawrence (25.4), Nantucket (18.9), Chelsea (18.8), Revere (17.6) and Haverhill (14.0) had higher rates over that time span. This marked the eighth consecutive week that Everett has been among a group of communities marked in red on a state map – the designation for a high-risk community for having a daily rate of 8 or more cases per 100,000 over the most recent 14-day reporting period. Meanwhile, the state reported 54 new cases of the Coronavirus in Everett over the past week, raising the total to 2,281 confirmed cases. The most recent statistics showed 27,094 city residents have been tested for the virus so far – including 4,060 over the past 14 days. Of those tested, there were 121 confirmed cases of the virus for a positivity rate of 2.98 percent during that time. That is more than three times the average state positivity rate of .87 percent. Last week’s positivity rate was 2.96 percent, which was more than three times the average state positivity rate of .85 percent. People can compare the number of COVID-19 cases confirmed in Everett to the cases in neighboring cities and towns as well as communities of similar size by going to the DPH website at https:// www.mass.gov/info-details/ covid-19-response-reporting – click on COVID-19 cases by city/town. Here’s how nine area communities compare to Everett – and the statewide totals: Lynn: 4,862 cases, 202 total positive tests in the last 14 days, 3.33 percent positivity. Average daily incidence rate per 100,000 last 14 days – 10.1, 13th highest in the state. Revere: 2,672 cases, 192 total positive tests in the last 14 days, 3.82 percent positivity. Average daily incidence rate per 100,000 last 14 days – 17.6, fifth highest in the state. Everett: 2,227 cases, 121 total positive tests in the last 14 days, 2.98 percent positivity. Average daily incidence rate per 100,000 last 14 days – 13.2, seventh highest in the state. COUNT | SEE PAGE 9 Be Heard. Shape Your Future. Your required response helps fund vital community resources. Dale. Forma a tu futuro. Su respuesta es importante y ayuda a financiar recursos vitales de la comunidad. highest rate over last 14 days methasone has performed well against COVID-19. However, like Hamer, Colgrove agreed that this is only a part of solving the overall puzzle. “These are helpful, but they’re not miracle drugs,” he said. In addition, Colgrove said influenza has proven to be quite serious in its own right. “We’ve had pretty nasty flu seasons during the past 20 years,” he said. He also said the Spanish flu was fairly mild when it began in February 1918. However, he said, it quickly morphed into a killer and triggered a “horrific wave” during the winter. By the time it finally subsided in April 1920, the virus had claimed approximately 50 million lives worldwide. 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