COVID Cases Creeping Up At Cookeville Regional: Key Said Here To Stay

Cookeville Regional CEO Buffy Key said that they have seen a slight uptick in COVID cases at the hospital recently.

Key said her best estimate is they have fewer than nine. Nationwide, weekly new hospitalizations jumped 21.6% this past week, the CDC said, marking a fifth straight week of increasing admissions.

“There is a new strain out to my understanding, and I may be saying this wrong but I believe it’s called Eris, E-R-I-S, and there should be a new COVID vaccine booster that’s coming out at the end of September, that’s what our pharmacy experts are telling us,” Key said. “But other than that, that’s basically what we’re seeing. I think COVID is here to stay just like the flu and everything else.”

Key said they currently are not seeing many flu cases. She said typically the hospital will see an uptick in those cases starting in the fall.

Key said flu season runs from October to March. She said the hospital begins flu vaccines in October to get ahead of flu season.