Nineteen people were hospitalized Friday for COVID-19 at Edward Hospital in Naperville, the lowest count since Nov. 12, data showed.
Just a week earlier, 32 people had been hospitalized, and at the peak of the omicron variant surge on Jan. 13, the count had reached 123.
The 85% hospitalization drop and only 812 new COVID-19 cases reported over the last two weeks in Naperville — the lowest two-week count since early December — are clear signs the omicron surge is on the wane.
“I think we’re out of the worst of that surge, which is great news,” said Dr. Jonathan Pinsky, Edward’s infection control and prevention medical director. “But we still have to be prepared.”
The sharp surge and decline mirrors what happened in countries first hit by the omicron variant, such as South Africa and the U.K., Pinsky said. The more contagious variant hit many social circles hard but eventually there were less people for the virus to infect, he said.
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Despite the record number of people infected this winter, Pinsky said, “there still a lot of people who haven’t had COVID.”
“My message would be while cases are down and transmission is lower, it’s still a great time to get vaccinated. This will provide protection in the future should cases go up again,” hesaid.
As of Friday, 228 have died from COVID-19 at Edward.
Pinsky said the reduction in hospitalizations has shrunk the hospital’s need for COVID-19 bed space. COVID-19 patients are now confined to the fifth floor and the ICU unit; at its peak, Edward used four units and ICU for COVID-19 patients.
Locally, the full vaccination rate in the Naperville Zip codes ranges from 69% to 90%. According to Illinois Department of Public Health data, 44% of children ages 5 to 11 in DuPage County and 30% in Will County are fully vaccinated in DuPage and Will. Among children 12 to 17, 73% and 61% are fully vaccinated in DuPage and Will, respectively.
There were 4,865 COVID-19 cases reported in DuPage County over the last two weeks as of Friday, down from a peak of 29,833 on Jan. 13. In Will, 2,630 cases were reported over the last two weeks, down from a peak of 21,449 on Jan. 16.