DCH Reports 112 Total Hospitalizations, Breaking Previous Record

TUSCALOOSA, AL. — DCH Health System added 23 more coronavirus inpatients to its wards on Friday, bringing the system's total in Northport and Tuscaloosa to 112 — the highest number of coronavirus hospitalizations reported during a single day since the beginning of the pandemic.

Friday's total of new coronavirus cases is also the highest number of new patients admitted for care in a single day, topping the previous high of 21. According to the system's update on Friday, the number of patients receiving treatment in intensive care units (ICUs) is also up to 28, while nine patients are on ventilators and another 10 are on BiPAP. The spike in hospitalizations represents an 83% increase for the system in just the last 14 days and follows disturbing nationwide trends of surges for hospitals.

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DCH Vice President of Marketing and Communications Andy North told Patch on Friday that over the past week, the hospital has converted some of its normal patient care areas back into negative pressure areas with portable HEPA filtration systems that are exhausted externally.

North also told Patch earlier in the week that DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa recently converted a meeting area into treatment space for observation patients, incorporating special air scrubbers and modifying rooms to be able to quickly convert them to negative pressure. More staff has also been brought in to assist with the influx.

"This has allowed us to expand our COVID-19 treatment capacity," he said.

The rise in hospitalizations has been attributed to the community spread of the virus, with government and medical professional alike underscoring the difficulty of contact tracing of the spread. It also comes on the same day Tuscaloosa topped triple digits for its 7-day average for new cases for the first time, which further highlights the severity of the latest surge.

"We ask the community to please help out by wearing masks, avoiding gatherings, maintaining social distancing and conducting regular hand washing," North said.

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DCH reports that a cumulative total of 1,501 inpatients testing positive for COVID-19 have been discharged since the onset of the pandemic.

Additionally, the system says 272 inpatients testing positive for the virus have died at DCH since the beginning of the pandemic, with many being patients who were brought in from outside of the area. The hospital says the numbers aren't an indication of the cause of death, but rather that the individuals were positive for the coronavirus at the time of their death. Locally, the Alabama Department of Public Health reports that 130 Tuscaloosa County residents who were positive for COVID-19 have died since the pandemic began.

Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox also said this week that city officials would be closely monitoring the situation at the hospital to then inform its policy decisions with respect to increased mandates and public health guidelines.

"Our public policy on this matter has been driven by protecting our healthcare system and if DCH feels at any point their system could become overloaded, that the integrity of the system could be compromised, the city will act, make no mistake about it," Maddox said Thursday. "We have to protect our healthcare system. Not just for coronavirus patients … you need to have the best healthcare possible, minutes away."

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