By Sudhiti Naskar and Jeri Davis
Eight months into the global pandemic, Nevada is set to roll out a COVID-19 vaccination program, the guidelines for which were prepared in October.
Washoe County District Health Officer Kevin Dick discussed in detail today how the program will look during his weekly COVID-19 update. Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak held a press briefing in the afternoon, echoing and elaborating upon much of what Dick discussed. Sisolak said the first vaccinations in Nevada could begin by mid-December.
However, he stressed that vaccines will be available only on a limited basis to begin with and that Nevadans must continue following COVID-19 safety guidelines in order to “create a bridge” until they become widely available.
Health care workers and long-term care facilities will be prioritized to receive the vaccine first, per the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Health care workers will be part of the first in a tiered system for vaccine delivery, as will police officers and correctional staff.
“Thanks to the development of vaccines, there is hope on the horizon,” Sisolak said. “There’s no doubt this will play a pivotal role in helping combat this disease, but we must build a bridge that gets us from today to the day we have large-scale vaccination throughout America. In order to avoid a scenario where Nevada experiences devastating loss and an overwhelming of our health care system, our bridge must be built upon a foundation of vigilance, not complacency.”
Candice McDaniel and Shannon Bennett of the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services discussed in greater detail the tiered priority system by which the vaccine is expected to be delivered. They estimate 173,000 Nevadans fall within the top-priority tier.
Nevada Tribes will be receiving the vaccine through the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Bennett explained that vaccines made by two companies, Pfizer and Moderna, will be deployed throughout the state. Both, they said, exceed 90% efficacy. Bennett noted that because of the side effects–including flu-like symptoms–expected from the vaccines, nurses at hospitals will be vaccinated in intervals, so as not to cause a workforce shortage.
Increased hospitalizations after Thanksgiving “will compromise COVID patient care as well as medical care, overall.”
Sisolak also stressed that it may take 30 days for vaccinations to become effective.
Pfizer’s vaccination must be kept in cold storage. For Moderna’s this is not a requirement. Both are anticipated to require two doses to be effective.
Health Officer Dick said WCHD aims to vaccinate everyone whether they have had COVID or not because “it’s very unknown” how much immunity one gains once they’ve had COVID-19.
Washoe County officials anticipate using the Pfizer vaccination and an interval of 28 days between the two doses. Washoe County will actively stay in touch with people between the two dosages to remind them when they’re due to receive their second, booster dose.
The county is working with the state and federal partners to streamline the process.
Many are calling the health district’s already busy helplines pressing to be among the first to be vaccinated, Dick said. He requested people to be patient as it might be a while before a vaccine is available.
According to Sisolak, it will likely be spring or summer for widespread availability.
The district does “not yet have emergency use authorization provided by the CDC and FDA [Food and Drug Administration] for the use of the vaccine,” Dick said. “While this is light at the end of the tunnel, [it] may take us a while to get out of the end of the tunnel.”
There are still some unknowns about the vaccine, including how long it will be effective.
Dick said they don’t yet know the exact duration of the vaccine’s effectiveness, but once a person is vaccinated they are likely to enjoy the benefits for much longer than three to four months based on their understanding of the data from vaccine evaluations and trials.
It’s still unknown if people will need annual booster shots, said Dick.
The health district has detailed information on the vaccine and resources on its website. 
63 deaths in the past two weeks
The seven-day moving average of COVID-19 is down to just over 390 new cases per day. That’s fewer than last week but it could be due to a decreased number of people getting the test, or fewer test results received from labs during the Thanksgiving holiday.
The county reported an increasing number of deaths since last week through Wednesday. Over the last 14 days there have been 63 deaths from COVID-19. The district dashboard is also showing an alarming upward trend.
Dick also mentioned a report for Nevada dated Nov. 29, released by President Trump’s task force. The report says the COVID-19 risk to all Americans is at a “historic high.”
The daily national COVID cases after Memorial Day and before the summer surge was 25,000 a day and is now more than 180,000 new cases per day.
Fatalities have more than doubled.
“We are in a very dangerous place,” the report warns, forecasting that increased hospitalizations after Thanksgiving “will compromise COVID patient care as well as medical care, overall.”
The report recommends anyone 65 or older and with significant health conditions not enter any indoor facility where anyone is unmasked. They should have groceries and medicines delivered. The task force report also said if people older than 65 develop any symptoms, they must be tested immediately as the majority of therapeutics work best during the early stages of infection.
For people under 40, the report suggests it will be wise to acknowledge that they might already have the disease if they socialized outside of their immediate family circles during Thanksgiving.
“Most likely, you will not have symptoms,” the report says, and will potentially be spreading the disease unknowingly.
Washoe county is also seeking public feedback on its efforts. More information is available on its website.
Hospitalizations
Washoe hospitals are strained trying to provide care for a surging number of COVID-19 patients. There was misinformation shared by the President about Renown’s temporary care facility in its parking garage to the frustration of health care workers and providers.
The hospital opened up its Mill Street parking garage as an alternate care site early in the pandemic but only last month started using it to house patients.
“We are currently caring for 30 patients in our Alternate Care Site. All of these patients have mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 and do not require intensive care,” the hospital said in a statement to This Is Reno. “As of today, Wednesday, Dec. 2, there are 194 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 at Renown hospitals.”
More than 200 patients have used the care site to date.
Like the state, Washoe County continues to experience a lack of staff and skilled nurses in assisted living facilities. Many nursing and medical staff have been infected with or exposed to COVID-19 and are isolating. The county is still enrolling volunteers to make up for the staff shortage. A form may be found online. One can also email [email protected] to get on a roster and eventually be signed up.
Nevada yet to endorse new isolation recommendation
While a recent CDC recommendation says that one may end isolation for COVID-19 after 10 days if they do not show any symptoms, like fever, chills or shortness of breath among others, Nevada has not yet endorsed the guideline.
Until further notice, county officials are sticking to the previous recommendation of isolation for 14 days.
Numbers at-a-glance
- Total COVID-19 cases in Washoe County: 25,870 up from 23,264 last week
- Deaths: 295, up from 258 last week
- Recovered: 15,585 up from 14,747 last week
- Active Cases: 9,990 up from 8,259 last week
- Tests performed: 242,721 up from 229,746 last week
According to the Nevada Hospital Association, in Washoe County as of Dec. 2:
- 91% staffed hospital beds are occupied (+5% since 12/1)
- 77% of all licensed hospital beds are occupied (+3%)
- 57% of all Intensive Care Unit beds are occupied (+5%)
- 34% of all ventilators are in use (+3%)
NOTE: Numbers are for all hospital patients in Washoe County and not just COVID-19 patients.
