Rising COVID-19 Cases Starting To Strain Hospital Resources, Staff

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2020/04/RS39977_Hospital_submissions-3.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:2155;s:6:"height";i:1212;s:4:"file";s:42:"2020/04/RS39977_Hospital_submissions-3.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"RS39977_Hospital_submissions-3-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"RS39977_Hospital_submissions-3-336x189.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:189;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"RS39977_Hospital_submissions-3-768x432.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:432;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"RS39977_Hospital_submissions-3-771x434.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:434;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:40:"RS39977_Hospital_submissions-3-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"RS39977_Hospital_submissions-3-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"RS39977_Hospital_submissions-3-300x300.jpg";s:5:"width";i:300;s:6:"height";i:300;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"RS39977_Hospital_submissions-3-553x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:553;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"RS39977_Hospital_submissions-3-470x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"RS39977_Hospital_submissions-3-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"4";s:6:"credit";s:15:"Amanda Chambers";s:6:"camera";s:9:"NIKON D40";s:7:"caption";s:154:"UAB medical professionals wearing PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) are caring for a COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease) patient in UAB Hospital, April 2020.";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:10:"1586356220";s:9:"copyright";s:9:"UAB Photo";s:12:"focal_length";s:2:"55";s:3:"iso";s:3:"450";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:17:"0.033333333333333";s:5:"title";s:64:"Medical Professionals Working with COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"1";s:8:"keywords";a:6:{i:0;s:7:"doctors";i:1;s:6:"nurses";i:2;s:8:"patients";i:3;s:8:"medicine";i:4;s:8:"hospital";i:5;s:20:"protective equipment";}}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => UAB Media Relations
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_wp_attachment_image_alt] => Array
        (
            [0] => Medical professionals care for a COVID-19 patient at UAB Hospital.
        )

)
1662524113 
1605628960

Hospitals across the state are feeling the strain of a growing number of COVID-19 cases but are managing to keep up with patient needs, the president of the Alabama Hospital Association said Tuesday.

“We are in a very precarious and potentially dangerous place right now in dealing with COVID cases,” said Dr. Don Williamson, a former state health officer who heads the Hospital Association. “Caseloads in hospitals are worsening fairly rapidly. Today we had 1,289 people in hospitals with COVID. Our seven-day average is now over 1,200 people a day. A month ago, that number was about 850.”

The growing number of people who are being treated in hospitals for the coronavirus is spread throughout the state, he said.

UAB had 83 patients under treatment for the disease on Tuesday. That compares with more than 100 patients a day at times during the summer. That number dropped below 50 several weeks ago before beginning a steady rise.

The Huntsville Hospital Health System, which operates eight hospitals across the Tennessee Valley, reported 222 COVID patients systemwide on Tuesday, half of them in hospitals in Madison County. It said 54 of the overall number were in intensive care units, with 22 on ventilators.

Williamson said about 15% of the ICU beds in Alabama hospitals are available.

“The biggest threat that we’re facing right now is not beds — it’s staffing,” he said “That’s because as COVID cases rise, patients with COVID need more intensive care than patients without COVID, so that takes more staff.”

The Alabama Department of Public Health reported 1,616 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 220,848 since the pandemic began in March. The agency’s dashboard showed 3,301 deaths from the disease.

Over the past week, the state has averaged 2,003 new cases a day — up from 1,241 on Nov. 1.

Hospitals so far have been able to maintain the personal safety supplies they need, Williamson said, but access will tighten as the number of patients grows nationwide.

Still, he said, the system will deal with the strain on supplies, facilities, staffing and other needs.

“We know we can handle up to 1,600 COVID patients in hospitals because we did that in July,” Williamson said. “When we did that, it created major stresses on hospital infrastructure. I would anticipate that happening again if we get to 1,600, but we will have capacity.

“Hospitals will make it work. It just gets increasingly difficult, the more patients with COVID you have.”

 

Jim Jarmusch’s ‘Father Mother Sister Brother’ wins top prize at Venice Film Festival

Jim Jarmusch's quietly humorous relationship triptych won the top prize on Saturday. The film about the relationships between siblings, and with their parents, stars Adam Driver, Vicky Krieps and Cate Blanchett.

ICE arrests at a Georgia Hyundai plant create new tension with South Korea

South Korea's foreign minister is considering a trip to the U.S. to meet with the Trump administration after hundreds of South Koreans were arrested in Georgia at an electric vehicle battery plant.

Davey Johnson, who won 2 World Series with Orioles, managed Mets to title, dies at 82

Davey Johnson, an All-Star second baseman who won the World Series twice with the Baltimore Orioles as a player and managed the New York Mets to the title in 1986, died Friday.

Ken Dryden, Hall of Fame goalie for the Montreal Canadiens, dies at age 78

Dryden backstopped the NHL's most successful franchise to championships in six of his eight seasons in the league from 1970-71 to '78-79. He died after a fight with cancer.

‘Twinless’ is a dark comedy that doubles up on the twists

Dylan O'Brien and James Sweeney craft a kind of chemistry that is equal parts funny and heart-wrenching.

Russ & Daughters in NYC celebrates ‘100 years of appetizing’ and family

At Russ & Daughters, it takes three months to learn how to slice salmon. NPR's Scott Simon visits the 100 year-old appetizing store to try his hand at the fine art and talk about their new cookbook.

More BirminghamWatch Coverage