Ursula and Bob Bateman of Southern Shores continue to do well, experiencing no adverse effects, more than 40 hours after they were vaccinated Wednesday with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at the Thomas A. Baum Senior Center in Kill Devil Hills.
Mr. Bateman played tennis yesterday. Mrs. Bateman said she feels a little stiffness when she raises her vaccination arm, but no pain at the injection site. The vaccination itself, she said, “was nothing.” Like a pin prick.
Thanks to Mrs. Bateman, who inquired of medical personnel at the vaccination event, The Beacon reported on Wednesday afternoon already that Dare County had vaccinated 300 people that day. The Dare County Dept. of Health and Human Services later confirmed the number online.
Mrs. Bateman said that after she and her husband checked in at the Baum Center upon arrival, they waited only about 10 minutes before they received their vaccinations. She estimated that there were five to six vaccinators on site, whom she thought were likely nurses. She also observed many members of the Dare County Emergency Services on hand, as well as Dr. Sheila Davies, director of the DCDHHS.
After they were vaccinated, the Batemans were taken to a room where they were monitored for 15 minutes for any adverse reactions before they could leave. Rare instances of anaphylaxis, which is a severe allergic reaction, have reportedly occurred in response to COVID-19 vaccination.
Each of the Batemans received an appointment card for a second-dose vaccination on Feb. 3, four weeks later.
Mrs. Bateman described the vaccination event as smooth and well-handled. She was impressed.
The Beacon has learned that a number of Southern Shores homeowners have appointments for vaccinations on Monday at the Parks and Recreation Center in Kill Devil Hills.
LOCAL CASES CONTINUE TO INCREASE DRAMATICALLY
The DCDHHS reported yesterday two days’ worth of new COVID-19 cases locally. (See The Beacon’s report, 1/8/21.) The total was 110: 78 Dare County residents and 32 nonresidents.
We have just received unconfirmed word that a petition is circulating online to compel the Dare County Board of Commissioners to take action to enforce the Governor’s mask mandate, 10 p.m.-to-5 a.m. curfew, restaurant capacity restrictions, and other COVID-19 prevention actions. We are not aware of how local law enforcement departments are handling violations of the Governor’s executive orders. But we have heard anecdotally that some local restaurants are exceeding capacity.
We will report further on this development as we gather the facts.
ON A PERSONAL NOTE, I have just received word from a good friend of mine in Maryland that her 49-year-old stepson died Wednesday of COVID-19, more than a month after being diagnosed.
This young man was healthy and fit, with no underlying medical conditions. After testing positive for the virus, he isolated at home, where he was under the care of his personal physician. He thought he would be fine and advised his family not to worry.
But three weeks after his diagnosis, he had to be transported by ambulance to a hospital where he worsened and was placed on life support. I do not have all of the medical facts, but I know that he delayed going to the hospital because he just did not believe the severity of his condition. After all, he was healthy and young.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 50 percent of the COVID-19 spread is caused by asymptomatic people. See U.S. sets covid-19 death record as researchers point to asymptomatic cases – The Washington Post
Ann G. Sjoerdsma, 1/8/21
The Southern Shores Beacon 