DCH Coronavirus Update 10-29-20

New Entry Process at DCH Regional Medical Center

For several months now, the main screening point and entry and exit for DCH Regional Medical Center has been the discharge waiting area. This interim measure has worked, but it created a bottleneck due to everyone coming and going through the small space. Now, the main south entrance to the hospital has opened back up and features some modifications to increase the flow and safety of staff and visitors.

A walled-in space with screening stations has been created just inside the south entrance. Staff members enter to the left through the large revolving door, and visitors enter through the individual door to the right. Visitors and staff should all exit through the discharge waiting area.

We will continue to monitor the new process and make updates as needed.

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 2:30 p.m. on 10/29/20:

• 70 inpatients are being treated for COVID-19.
• 17 inpatients who are positive for COVID-19 are being treated in the ICU.
• Five or fewer who are positive for COVID-19 are on ventilators.
• Five or fewer who are positive for COVID-19 are on a BiPAP.
• 3,764 (cumulative) unique positives for COVID-19 tests including results from the ED, triage tent and inpatient. These individuals are not necessarily in the hospital.
• 25,503 (cumulative) unique negatives for COVID-19 at DCH sites.
• 4,797 (cumulative) positive COVID-19 at DCH sites. These individuals are not necessarily in the hospital.
• 39,744 (cumulative) negative tests at DCH sites.
• 1,178 inpatients (cumulative) who were positive for COVID-19 have been discharged.
• 226 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.
• 116 Tuscaloosa County residents (cumulative) who were positive for COVID-19 have died (per the Alabama Department of Public Health).