DCH Coronavirus Update 8-26-20

Visitation Policy

Per the “Safer at Home” order issued by Governor Kay Ivey, DCH’s limited visitation policy remains in force. DCH is continually evaluating the situation and will continue to do so in the future. While the total number of inpatients who are positive with COVID-19 has recently been on a gradual decline, a large number of college students have recently returned to town. With this influx, DCH has decided to maintain its current visitation restrictions and monitor changes over the next few weeks. The policy can be found by clicking on the gold “Coronavirus” bar at the top of the DCH website.

18-25 Demographic Information

Included are demographics charts similar to those previously provided. The bottom right chart shows a breakdown by age groups. The other three charts show only the 18-25 year old range. The green color labeled “Lab Test/ED” in the key is the same as the light blue “Outpatient” numbers on other charts previously shown. This “Lab Test/ED” designation means a test result came back positive for COVID-19 (from the remote site or ED), but the person did not need inpatient care. These results do not include any COVID-19 testing conducted by The University of Alabama.

The top left chart shows 583 COVID-19 positive results among this group to date. Of those individuals, only 4.3 percent (small dark blue bar) have needed inpatient care. Inpatient care has been needed among 6.4 percent of women and 1.6 percent of men.

These charts will be included on a regular basis due to an increasing number of requests for information on this specific age range.

Testing and Confirmed Cases

To protect patient privacy, DCH has established a minimum threshold of five for reporting numbers of inpatients with laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19.

DCH internal counts as of 3:10 p.m. on 8/26/20:

• 60 inpatients are being treated for COVID-19.
• 27 inpatients who are positive for COVID-19 are being treated in the ICU.
• 6 who are positive for COVID-19 are on ventilators.
• 7 who are positive for COVID-19 are on a BiPAP.
• 2,817 (cumulative) unique positives for COVID-19 tests including results from the ED, triage tent and inpatient. These individuals are not necessarily in the hospital.
• 18,264 (cumulative) unique negatives for COVID-19 at DCH sites.
• 3,653 (cumulative) positive COVID-19 at DCH sites. These individuals are not necessarily in the hospital.
• 25,177 (cumulative) negative tests at DCH sites.
• 784 inpatients (cumulative) who were positive for COVID-19 have been discharged.
• 151 inpatients (cumulative) who were positive for COVID-19 have died at DCH. This is not an indication of the cause of death, only that the individuals were positive for COVID-19 at the time of death.
• 87 Tuscaloosa County residents (cumulative) who were positive for COVID-19 have died (per the Alabama Department of Public Health).