Thursday town hall session to address COVID-19, West Nile virus

ALBANY – Albany residents can get an update on West Nile virus activity and COVID-19 during a Thursday town hall meeting scheduled by City Commissioner Jon Howard.

The meeting will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Club at Thornton Park, located at 210 Thornton Drive.

Speakers for the event are Jacqueline Jenkins, the director of epidemiology and surveillance/health promotions for the Southwest Health District, and Sam Green, Dougherty County environmental control manager.

Howard said he included the West Nile virus as a topic for discussion because 2024 has been a heavy year for the disease, and it has been in the national news in recent weeks.

So far in 2024, there have been West Nile cases confirmed in 33 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including six cases in Georgia. Most recently, the disease was confirmed in a patient in Chatham County.

Most West Nile cases in the United States occur between July and October, with the peak coming during the first two weeks of August, according to the CDC.

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