DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – The number of people being treated in North Texas hospitals for the coronavirus has surpassed the July peak and has reached a new high.
Stephen Love, President and CEO of the DFW Hospital Council said Monday, Nov. 16 there are nearly 2,200 lab-confirmed Covid-19 patients hospitalized in the North Texas region, which is the Trauma Service Area “E.”
Love said, “It’s more than we had in July. And the thing that we’re worried about, is we’ve got colder weather, as you know, coming and we’ve got holidays coming. When you combine all of that, we could have much more community spread.”
Records posted on the Texas Department of State Health Services website shows the peak over the summer came July 22, when 1,965 Covid-19 patients were being treated in North Texas hospitals.
The numbers first climbed past 2,000 Saturday when the state reported 2,015 Covid-19 hospitalizations in the region.
Love said hospitals have enough PPE and staffing, though the workforce he said is stretched thin.
He said facilities are in the process of expanding capacity on their campuses to treat those with the virus. “Having the capacity and staffing that bed is so important. When you have traveling nurses or you have what we call nurses that you can bring in or clinical staff to supplement your staff, that’s one thing. But the whole nation is looking for them.”
Texas DSHS shows on Monday there are 15,970 total staffed hospital beds.
Statistics show the following are still available: 1,814 hospital beds, 142 ICU beds, and 1,964 ventilators.
A total of 12,980 people are hospitalized in the North Texas region according to the state.
The percentage of patients being treated for the coronavirus compared to total hospital capacity is 13.4%.
Governor Abbott’s latest executive order last month set a process in place when openings would be scaled back.
That would happen when the percentage of Covid-19 patients hospitalized is higher than 15% of total hospital capacity for seven consecutive days.
Openings would be able to resume when the percentage of hospital patients with the virus drops to 15% and below for seven consecutive days.
New positive test results continue to be reported in North Texas and in much of the state.
Texas DSHS shows Dallas County has the second most active cases in the state with 14,120, an increase of 664 from Sunday when it had 13,456 active cases.
Only El Paso County has more with 34,327 active cases.
The state has surged supplies, tests, and medical personnel to help that region handle the increased number of people with the virus.
Tarrant County saw its active number of cases rise by 720, from 9,543 to 10, 263 Monday.
Collin County saw the active cases of the virus drop by 236 to 1,897 Monday from 2,133 Sunday.
Denton County’s active cases remained at 1,127.
Patients are considered recovered after 14 days.
Love said there is good news in that doctors have learned a lot about treating the virus since the pandemic began. “With the use of steroids with the use of Remdesivir, with things they’ve learned about some of the treatments they can do for this disease, they’ve learned to do it more effectively. What I’m hearing and seeing when I talk to physicians is thankfully, the death rate is coming down. Unfortunately, it can still be fatal. And we just want people to know how serious it is. We’ve got to do our part to stop the spread.”
As of Monday, a new therapeutic by Eli Lilly is being distributed by the federal and state governments, which is designed to help Covid-19 patients.
Love said, “If they get it, and they get it in time, it can prevent them from going to the hospital. It’s my understanding that once you’re in the hospital and hospitalized, this is not a medication that would be used.”
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