Louisville Metro now at ‘medium risk’ as COVID cases rise

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - In previous years, the arrival of warm weather and getting outside resulted in a decline in COVID cases. But not this year.

“People are more relaxed, we’ve got better treatments and other things happening so numbers are going to go up,” Dr. Sarah Moyer, Louisville Metro Public Health Director said. “Hopefully those hospitalization numbers stay low. And that’s what we’re really trying to prevent.”

On Tuesday, Moyer announced the city dropped from green to a yellow status indicating a medium risk for COVID.

Total confirmed cases from the previous week in Jefferson County indicated a slow springtime climb to 1,800 patients. Hospitalizations were also increased, but remained relatively low with 17 COVID patients counted.

Most catch something that feels a lot like the flu.

“We’re seeking more of these chills, night sweats, the sinusy symptoms that are worse and not helped by our typical allergy medications, as well as the cough, the muscle aches, and some patients have also told me about low back pain,” Dr. Monalisa Tailor, a Norton Healthcare internal medicine physician said.

“Folks aren’t having as much of that loss of smell, loss of taste as we were seeing,” Tailor added. “So it’s just more sinus symptoms along with the chills, the night sweats and the muscle aches.”

As always, the unvaccinated and unexposed are urged to be extra cautious.

“If you’ve never been exposed, whether you’ve never been vaccinated, never have had COVID in the last two years,” Moyer said, “it’s just as severe as it was the first time around.”

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