DCH Sees Sustained Rise In COVID-19 Hospitalizations

DCH Regional Medical Center has seen a continued uptick in inpatient and intensive care unit COVID-19 cases at its three hospitals over the last two weeks. Across the system, DCH on Wednesday in its daily update reported 99 total inpatients currently being treated for COVID-19, compared to 61 patients on July 8.

The Alabama Department of Public Health, in its latest report, cited 368 new cases confirmed over the last two weeks for the county. In total, Tuscaloosa County has seen 3,282 cases confirmed and 57 deaths, with two deaths listed as probable. Over the previous two-week period, the county saw nine new deaths.

DCH Vice President of Marketing and Communications Andy North told Patch via email this week that the hospital system continues to adjust its approach to best address the ongoing changes brought by the pandemic.

"For example, at Regional some of our licensed rooms are double occupancy but with COVID, we have worked to keep everything single occupancy,” North said via email. “Another example, we have 72 ICU beds between Regional and Northport but have converted rooms to function as ICU when needed so the total varies regularly at the moment.”

As far as the ICUs in the DCH health system are concerned, 20 patients are currently being treated, compared to 15 patients two weeks ago. The number of DCH COVID-19 patients on ventilators also increased over two weeks from six to 10 on Wednesday.

Click here to view Wednesday's report from DCH.

Apart from those currently being treated at the hospital, the latest data from DCH reports a cumulative total of 460 inpatients who tested positive for COVID-19 have been discharged since the onset of the pandemic.

North, along with Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox, will both speak to the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama Friday via Zoom. North is expected to provide updates on the health system’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, while Maddox will also give updates on a range of issues, including face-covering mandates.

The Zoom call will begin at 9:30 a.m. Click here for more information.