Local Leaders Discuss Second COVID Wave

Sydney Martin was in Huntsville where she learned more about the current coronavirus situation here in north Alabama.

No threat to the community.

A second wave of coronavirus could soon hit north alabama.

Today- local leaders in madison county held their weekly coronavirus update... thye discussed how the state is handling the virus right now... pam hudson crestwood hospital "hospitalizations have begun to creep up.

Today, the hospitalization number in our state is 823.

That is not alarming.

It is certainly well within the capability of our state hospitals, but is higher than the rate we have been seeing for the last 5 weeks or so in the low 700s."

Good evening and thank you for joining us.

I'm najahe sherman.

And i'm dan shaffer.

Waay 31's sydney martin is live in huntsville after learning more about the current coronavirus situation here in north alabama.

Dan, najahe- doctor pam hudson told me today- despite - many counties in north alabama being placed at high risk on the department of public health's coronavirus risk indcator -- right now, madison county seems to be doing a good job stopping the spread of the virus.

Pam hudson, crestwood hospital ceo "i believe the wave as it's been called that we are fearful of is that we would have another spike like we experienced here in the summer.

Or new york city would have like they experienced."

Crestwood hospital c-e-o doctor pam hudson told me she believes madison county experienced it's first big wave of coronavirus over the summer when more than one hundred people were hospitalized in madison county- and the virus was spreading rapidly in the community.

Although the virus, hasn't gone away- hudson explained the safety measures we are taking are helping stop transmission.

Pam hudson, crestwood hospital ceo "the virus is out there.

And it is maybe in some people in this room.

We cheat the virus by staying away from each other and masking and washing our hands.

All we are trying to do is keep the transmission level down."

Hudson said defining a wave can be difficult and she believes they're out there all the time.

She believes what's important is not letting an uptick in cases get out control.

Pam hudson, crestwood hospital ceo "in the winter, if we have an uptick in cases it might be a gentle wave that's what we are trying to do.

In the beginning we talked about flattening the curve, we are trying to keep it a nice low-level undulating transmission rate in the community where we stamp out cases as they occur and we don't get to a place where the transmission that simply doing public health measures is not enough."

Right now, madison county is at low risk on the risk indicator map that the alabama department of public is updates every friday- but half of the counties in north alabama - are currently rated as very high risk.

Live in huntsville sm waay 31 news.