A top South Dakota health official says rising COVID-19 cases are beginning to stress hospitals.
Dr. Shankar Kurra is vice president of Medical Affairs at Monument Health in Rapid City.
“Anytime you have a rising number of cases, it's going to put a strain on the health system,” Kurra said. “And we're seeing that here, we're seeing that everywhere, actually, most big health systems are basically having to say we are full.”
As few as 15 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 earlier this summer in South Dakota. The number recently surged above 140.
Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration is fully approving Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for people age 16 and older. The FDA previously authorized the vaccine for emergency use.
Kurra said vaccines remain the best way to stop the coronavirus, including the delta variant. He adds the majority of current COVID-19 hospitalizations are unvaccinated people.