SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — COVID-19 has been surging in South Dakota lately.
But Avera Health’s Dr. Chad Thury says the surge seems to be driven by younger people, returning to school.
“That does somewhat bode well as they are less likely to need medical intervention, less likely to need hospitalizations.”
A forum on the pandemic featuring health experts from Avera and from Sanford Health was held at the Washington Pavilion on Monday, hosted by the Downtown Rotary Club.
The discussion ranged from the recent surge in cases to personal safety to when a vaccine might become available.
“..planning and preparing as if we’re going to get on November first or around there, so we are trying to shore up our supply chains and make sure we have everything in place,” says Dr. Thury.
The experts acknowledged that some people may not want to get the vaccine, but an acceptance rate of around 60 percent will likely be needed to get the country back to normal, back to where it was before the pandemic hit.
Social distancing and other safety precautions were taken at the forum, as expressed by Sanford’s Dr. Michael Wilde.
“We are all sitting here wearing masks, trying not to touch things. Hopefully all of us will douse with hand sanitizer as we walk out of this great facility.”
