COVID-19 Hospitalizations In Tuscaloosa Climb To Highest Point Since Winter Surge

TUSCALOOSA, AL — DCH Health System in Tuscaloosa has seen its number of COVID-19 hospitalizations nearly double in the last two weeks to hit its highest inpatient total since February.

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According to the most recent patient data published by DCH on Wednesday, the hospital system reported a total of 46 inpatients testing positive for the virus. This comes amid a noticeable surge in new hospitalizations, as experts worry of vaccine effectiveness waning for many after the last year and in the face of new COVID-19 variants.

Of those hospitalized, DCH reports that 58.7% are fully vaccinated.

Testing data from the state health department shows a total of 308 positive tests reported for Tuscaloosa County over the last week, which comes out to a positivity rate of 28.6% of the 1,077 COVID-19 tests performed.

To date, DCH reports that 904 patients have died after being admitted to the hospital and testing positive for COVID-19, with approximately 124 deaths since Jan. 1. The Alabama Department of Public Health puts the death toll for Tuscaloosa County at 794 since tracking the data first began in 2020.

When looking at the lethality of the latest surge in hospitalizations, patient data shows eight coronavirus-positive individuals have died at the Tuscaloosa hospital since June 29.

While the numbers do underscore a worrisome trend of increased community spreading coupled with added vulnerability for those who have not received vaccines since they first became available, it's important to note that the latest spike in cases remains well below levels that placed a concerning strain on the hospital system in the past.

For instance, at its worst, the pandemic has seen the inpatient count for DCH climb into the neighborhood of 200 or so on more than one occasion.

DCH reports that since the beginning of the pandemic, 19,342 individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 at its testing sites. When looking at the state's testing data for Tuscaloosa County, that numbers swells to 61,311.

As the summer comes to a close, it's worth noting that 2022 has seen more COVID-19 cases identified in Tuscaloosa County (21,634) than either of the previous two years of the pandemic. This likely has to do with heightened public awareness and advancements in COVID-19 testing, as 19,915 cases were confirmed last year for Tuscaloosa County and 19,762 in 2020.

According to the latest vaccination data provided by the Alabama Department of Public Health, a total of 92,933 Tuscaloosa County residents have completed their vaccination series, which is still less than half of the population of the metropolitan area.

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