With COVID-19 numbers dropping in Bemidji and other parts of the state, medical professionals have been seeing fewer hospitalizations as well as a decrease on visits with general COVID-related symptoms.

For Bemidji and various other parts of northern Minnesota, the delta variant caused a surge that went from September to late December that strained area resources. Not long after that was when the omicron variant took over, which doctors say blew in and out quite strongly and quickly towards early February. But the question still remains: what now?

Dr. David Wilcox of Sanford Health in Bemidji says that Sanford Bemidji Medical Center has reached 0% capacity for COVID patients just last week, and for a couple of days, it’s been back up to only two. But, Wilcox adds that they’re very pleased that it is not straining any more of their resources.

And, for the first time since July of 2020, they haven’t had anyone actively ill with COVID-19 in their hospital.

With various sources from across the U.S. talking about a possible next COVID wave, Dr. Wilcox is staying positive. He’s hopeful that vaccinations will continue to keep COVID numbers down, and with the recent changes in CDC guidelines, he recommends the fourth booster shot for patients 50 years of age and up.

He adds that within the medical field, they’re starting to normalize COVID-19 as part of their practices, and as long as COVID-19 is around, there will still be variants, and each one brings forth a new set of questions that doctors will be put in the file of answers as they move forward.

Though masks are not required in many areas around Bemidji and the state, visitors and employees within medical settings are still required to wear a mask in clinics and hospital facilities.

By — Emma Hudziak