DCH Coronavirus Update 12-9-20

Revised Visitation Policy

Due to the current high numbers of COVID-19 positive inpatients, DCH is revising its visitation policy to allow only one visitor per day (visitors can no longer rotate throughout the day) in most areas. Visitors will not be allowed while a patient is known to be positive for COVID-19 except for certain extenuating circumstances including end of life. The visitation entry hours will now be from 8:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. The revised policy will go into effect tomorrow, Dec. 10, at 12:01 a.m. Additional adjustments will be made and announced as needs are identified.

Please click on the link below to view the updated policy.

https://www.dchsystem.com/~/covid-19/visitation-policy/

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 4:52 p.m. on 12/9/20:

• 137 inpatients are positive for COVID-19.
• 31 inpatients who are positive for COVID-19 are being treated in the ICU.
• 11 who are positive for COVID-19 are on ventilators.
• 7 who are positive for COVID-19 are on a BiPAP.
• 5,321 (cumulative) unique positives for COVID-19 tests including results from the ED, triage tent and inpatient. These individuals are not necessarily in the hospital.
• 30,443 (cumulative) unique negatives for COVID-19 at DCH sites.
• 6,515 (cumulative) positive COVID-19 at DCH sites. These individuals are not necessarily in the hospital.
• 50,456 (cumulative) negative tests at DCH sites.
• 1,575 inpatients (cumulative) who were positive for COVID-19 have been discharged.
• 286 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.
• 140 Tuscaloosa County residents (cumulative) who were positive for COVID-19 have died (per the Alabama Department of Public Health).