Cass County COVID-19 cases rise, hospitalizations remain static

COVID-19 numbers are continuing to increase in Cass County, but the situation has changed.

Fargo Cass Public Health Director Desi Fleming tells WZFG Radio’s Steve Hallstrom, on the Need To Know Morning Show, in May, many of the cases seen in Cass County were in the long-term care population. Now, ages 15 to 29 is the highest positive group.

“We did pretty well getting it out of long-term care,” Fleming said. She does indicate, however, that the county is seeing “spillage” back into the elderly population.

With regard to the 15 to 29 age group, Fleming says colleges have played a part in it, but not totally.

“It also speaks to a lot of people who may be asymptomatic, out and about, and lax,” she says.

With Cass County in particular, Fleming says hospitalizations have been “fairly static,” but notes that transfers of COVID-19 patients from the western portion of North Dakota continue to come in, as hospitals there are becoming burdened with higher numbers of symptomatic cases.

Fleming says there is research that shows a trend in younger, healthy people–they are having long-term effects after contracting COVID-19.