The current number of confirmed COVID-19 active cases and probable active cases reached an all-time high in Pecos County on Aug. 31.

The 74 current active confirmed cases tested in Fort Stockton and 17 probable active cases tested at Iraan General Hospital raise the total case number to 91 in the county – three higher than the previous record in Pecos County, which was 88 active cases on Dec. 29, 2020.

The total confirmed active case number jumped from 53 to 74 on Aug. 31 and the increase falls in line with the number of hospitalizations at Pecos County Memorial Hospital.

PCMH CEO Betsy Briscoe stated during a Pioneer Facebook Live COVID-19 Update (still available on Pioneer Facebook page) that the hospital is near full capacity as the facility was having to use their emergency room to house COVID-19 patients due to their COVID wing filling up.

The hospital has had to send out multiple patients to locations as far as Arkansas and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

As of the morning of Sept. 1 there are nine COVID confirmed positive patients or presumed positive that are hospitalized at PCMH.

Vaccination rates continue slow rise

In the past three weeks, the number of Pecos County residents to get a vaccine has seen a steady increase after a lull before the Delta variant surge.

The percent of residents in the county that have received a vaccine has risen from 61% percent on Aug. 9 to 67% percent as reported on Aug. 31. The percent of residents fully vaccinated has seen a smaller increase, growing from 51% to 54%.

There are now 8,824 residents of the county to be vaccinated at least once and 7,143 residents that are fully vaccinated.

There are 13,080 people eligible to get the vaccine in the county.

Since the Delta variant spike began on July 28, there have been 143 vaccine-eligible people who have had confirmed positive tests in Pecos County. Of those 143, 112 have not been vaccinated (78%).

Briscoe said that PCMH will get another set on vaccines towards the end of the week and will likely have another vaccine clinic for Moderna and Pfizer shots next week.

Boosters are scheduled to become available in the county on Sept. 20.

PCMH starts Monoclonal Antibody Therapy

Pecos County Memorial Hospital gave out their first three Monoclonal Antibody Therapy infusions on Aug. 31 on the west side of their walk-in clinic.

The treatments are doctor prescribed and treat patients that started showing symptoms within the past 10 days but no greater than 10 days.

“To receive the treatment, the earlier we catch the COVID positive the better, but it has to be no more than 10 days out from when the person first started showing signs of COVID and was tested. So long as it’s within that timeline,” Briscoe said.

The infusion last for 30 minutes and patients are observed in the walk-in clinic for an additional 60 minutes following to ensure there is no reaction.

PCMH started with 50 doses of the infusion and have already placed another order due to high positive test rates in the county.