VALDOSTA – South Georgia Medical Center continues reporting only low single-digit numbers of virus-related patients since reporting zero COVID-19 patients hospitalized more than a month ago.

SGMC reported zero patients April 8, which was the first time in more than two years, March 17, 2020, since the start of the pandemic, that the medical center had no virus-related patients hospitalized.

In the past week, SGMC has reported an average of about four COVID-19 patients hospitalized. Four virus patients were reported hospitalized Friday morning, May 13.

On April 7, the number of hospitalized patients in SGMC dropped to two, which was the first time the hospital had only two virus-related patients since March 18, 2020. Several weeks ago, SGMC reported a low of three virus patients which fluctuated with a few numbers higher throughout the past several days.

The hospital has reported 530 virus-related deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Lowndes County has reported 281 virus-related deaths since the start of the pandemic, with no increase reported the past couple of weeks. Not all SGMC patients are Lowndes County residents.

The SGMC patient number was at 50 hospitalized COVID-19 patients at the end of February. The number of hospitalized SGMC virus patients reached a high of 112 during the omicron variant.

The record high during the past two years of the pandemic was 113 patients reported hospitalized Aug. 22, 2021, during the delta variant surge at the hospital.

SGMC had reported COVID-19 patients in the low single digits at Christmas rising to triple digits within a few weeks of the new year.

SGMC has discharged 3,129 COVID-19 patients throughout the pandemic.

Lowndes County has reported more than 15,350 COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic and has reported 281 virus-related deaths, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. More than 15,770 antigen cases have been reported; antigen cases are results from rapid virus tests.

Statewide, Georgia has reported more than 1,960,000 cases since the start of the pandemic, with about 31,700 virus-related deaths – which is about 150 more deaths statewide in the past couple of weeks, according to the GDPH.