VALDOSTA – The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients has reached the highest number since late February, according to the South Georgia Medical Center report released early this week.

And for the first time in several weeks, the hospital has reported two virus-related deaths.

SGMC reported 35 hospitalized coronavirus patients at the beginning of the week – the highest number of patients since the hospital reported similar numbers of patients five months ago.

SGMC reported 22 patients in early July. Since, the number of hospitalized virus patients has fluctuated between the mid to high teens and the lower 20s, rising to the low 30s late last week. 

The number stayed in the single digits for about three months, from late March to late June. The hospital reported no virus patients on two dates in March and April – the first time no virus patients were reported since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

SGMC has reported 535 virus-related deaths since the start of the pandemic. That’s up two virus-related deaths since last week, according to the hospital.

The hospital has released 3,321 virus patients in the past two years and several months. It has released about 30 hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the past week.

The average age of SGMC COVID patients is 58 years old; 63% are unvaccinated, according to the hospital’s daily report.

Lowndes County has reported 16,367 virus cases since the start of the pandemic – up about 200 cases in the past week.

Lowndes County has reported 285 virus-related deaths – with no additional virus-related deaths reported in the past week – since the start of the pandemic, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. 

Statewide, Georgia has reported more than 2,104,000 cases since the start of the pandemic, an increase of about 20,000 in the past week, and more than 32,300 virus-related deaths, according to the GDPH.