Coronavirus Infections Appear To Be Slowing In NH: Update

CONCORD, NH — New coronavirus infections appear to be slowing from peaks during the holiday season as the State Joint Information Center has been reporting single-day positive test result cases of less than 400 for the third straight day.

The state reported 364 new infections on Monday including 61 children. Slightly more than half the new cases were males. More than two-thirds of the new cases were discovered via polymerase chain reaction tests while the rest were found by antigen tests. The new infections came from 51 specimens collected Saturday and 313 samples from Sunday. More than 15,750 tests were taken on Saturday and Sunday.

Most of the new cases live in Hillsborough County outside of Nashua — 92, while 82 reside in Rockingham County, 31 live in Merrimack County, and 28 live in Nashua.

According to the state's data dashboard, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, and Jan. 24, reported positive test result numbers that were the lowest since Christmas Day, when 349 new positive infections were reported, and Nov. 23, when the state reported 353 new positive test results.

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State health officials also reported two new deaths — a man from Belknap County and a woman from Rockingham County. One of the two fatalities lived in a long-term care setting while one was 80 years of age or older and the other was between 70 and 79.

Officials said 1,059 people or about 2 percent of all cases have died due to COVID-19.

The state said 193 are currently in the hospital in New Hampshire while 60,337 people have recovered from the virus. In the state, 599,882 Granite Staters have been tested via PCR tests while 36,570 have been tested via antibody lab tests.

Snowstorm And Vaccines

Most of the state of New Hampshire is expected to get anywhere from 8 to 18 inches of snow before the day ends on Tuesday and that has put a crimp in the vaccination strategy.

The state's two testing sites, in Concord and Londonderry, will be closed Tuesday. But health officials are rescheduling appointments.

"The safety and well-being of our state's vulnerable populations is our highest priority," Laura Montenegro, a public information officer for the health department, said. "After receiving the latest weather update yesterday, the state team quickly reached out to all individuals scheduled to receive their vaccine at a state-managed site on Tuesday and moved up their appointments to today."

In cases where an individual was not available Monday, they were rescheduled for another date and time, she said.

Obstetrician Offers Vaccine Advice

Health officials, including OB-GYNs, believe the COVID-19 vaccines are very promising — but also that it is a personal decision for pregnant and breastfeeding women to get vaccinated.

Dr. Julie Braga, a section chief at General Obstetrics and Gynecology at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, said moms should have conversations with their healthcare providers before deciding what to do.

"It really is about balancing the potential benefits and risks of getting the vaccine," she said. "There is no reason to think that this vaccine would be dangerous while lactating. Women who receive the vaccine do not need to stop or pause breastfeeding after receiving the vaccine."

But, there are other concerns.

While the vaccine does reduce the chance of getting COVID-19 and both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have proven to be highly effective in clinical trials, those trials did not include pregnant women. However, "based on the technology for how the vaccine was created, there is no evidence to suggest it would be dangerous for pregnant or breastfeeding women or their babies," she said.

Research shows pregnant women are more likely to have complications and require intensive care if they were to get COVID-19. These risks increase if a woman has diabetes, is obese, or older in age, she said.

After getting the vaccine, some have reported side effects including fatigue, muscle aches, headaches, and fevers. Having a high temperature can be harmful to an expected child — so pregnant women who choose to have the vaccine and get a fever of more than 100.4 F should make sure they take acetaminophen, Braga said.

People who have had severe allergic reactions to any other vaccine should not be vaccinated, she said.

Kearsarge Nurses Receive Vaccines

All Kearsarge Regional School District nurses have received at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the school's superintendent, Winfried Feneberg, who made the announcement on Monday.

Feneberg commended all of the six nurses, three assistants, and several substitute nurses, saying they worked hard to support a reopening plan and "demonstrated a sincere commitment and dedication to serving our students."

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Stop The Spread Of COVID-19

The COVID-19 virus is spread through respiratory droplets, usually through coughing and sneezing, and exposure to others who are sick or might be showing symptoms.

Health officials emphasize residents should follow these recommendations:

• Avoid any domestic and international travel, especially on public transportation such as buses, trains, and airplanes.
• Practice social distancing. Stay at least 6 feet from other people, including distancing while in waiting areas or lines.
• When you can't practice 6 feet of social distancing, wear a face covering.
• Anyone who is told to self-quarantine and stay at home due to exposure to a person with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 needs to not go out to public places.
• If you are 60 years or older or have chronic and underlying health conditions, you need to stay home and not go out.
• Avoid gatherings of 10 people or more.
• Employers should work from home as much as possible.
• There is increasing evidence that the virus can survive for hours or possibly days on surfaces. People should clean frequently touched surfaces, including door handles, grocery carts and grocery basket handles, etc.

Take the same precautions as you would if you were sick:

• Stay home and avoid public places.
• Wear a face covering.
• Cover mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.
• Wash hands frequently.
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

More information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services about coronavirus can be found here on the department's website.
COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Schools, Employers, Employees and Businesses (Can your employer force you to get the vaccine? It depends).
COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Healthcare Providers and Public Health Partners

• Guidance to schools can be found here.
• Instructions for returning travelers to self-observe for symptoms of COVID-19 are available here.
• For more information on COVID-19 in NH, visit its site here.
• For the latest information from the CDC, visit its site here.
• To access the state's COVID-19 data dashboard, click on this link here.
• To access the state's COVID-19 Interactive Map Dashboard, click on this link here.

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