DCH Coronavirus Update 1-27-21

Expanding Vaccination, Discontinuing Testing

The demand for COVID-19 vaccinations has been high and available supply has slowly increased. Additionally, COVID-19 testing demand has slowed at DCH and multiple locations around Tuscaloosa now offer testing. Because of this, starting Monday, Feb. 1, DCH will no longer offer COVID-19 screening and testing at its remote site in the Laundry Lot just west of DCH Regional Medical Center. All hours will now be dedicated to providing vaccines to those who currently qualify.

Starting Monday, Feb. 1, the new hours are:

COVID-19 Vaccine Administration

- Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 6:20 p.m.

COVID-19 Screening and Testing

- Discontinued

Additionally, more appointments per 10-minute slot are being added, so additional times should soon show up for next week and beyond in the registration system. These changes should allow us to double the number of vaccinations we can provide per week.

COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility and Changes

The Alabama Department of Public Health has defined the timing and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines. Currently we are still in phase 1a of the ADPH plan. However, ADPH has indicated that a few groups from 1b (but not all of 1b) are now eligible to receive the vaccine. Those groups are law enforcement, firefighters and those who are 75 years or older. Per ADPH, others in phase 1b are not yet eligible.

In an effort to reduce confusion and streamline the process further, two changes are being made to the DCH vaccination registration page. First, in the dropdown to “Select your qualifying category,” the “Other” option will be removed. If you are not part of one of the listed categories, please do not register at this time. When ADPH adds qualified categories, we will add those groups to the available options and communicate the change publicly.

Second, the option to register for a second dose will be removed. You will now schedule your second dose when you come for your first dose. Please do not schedule more than one appointment per eligible individual.

Vaccines will be administered at DCH’s screening, testing and vaccination building in the Laundry Lot (parking lot) just west of DCH Regional Medical Center. An appointment and identification are required.

Details on how to register can be found at https://www.dchsystem.com/covidvaccine/. Please note, it may take up to 24 hours before changes to the form and additional appointments appear.

The most current list of phases can be found here: https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/covid19/assets/adph-covid19-vaccination-allocation-plan.pdf.

Full details on who is currently eligible can be read in the ADPH release found here: https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/news/2021/01/08.html.

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 Health System internal counts as of 3:16 p.m. on 1/27/21:

• 144 inpatients within the DCH system who are positive for COVID-19.
• 30 inpatients who are positive for COVID-19 are being treated in the ICU.
• 12 who are positive for COVID-19 are on ventilators.
• 14 who are positive for COVID-19 are on a BiPAP.
• 7,995 (cumulative) unique positives for COVID-19 tests including results from the ED, triage tent and inpatient. These individuals are not necessarily in the hospital.
• 35,205 (cumulative) unique negatives for COVID-19 at DCH sites.
• 9,644 (cumulative) positive COVID-19 at DCH sites. These individuals are not necessarily in the hospital.
• 63,086 (cumulative) negative tests at DCH sites.
• 2,575 inpatients (cumulative) who were positive for COVID-19 have been discharged.
• 476 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.
• 192 Tuscaloosa County residents (cumulative) who were positive for COVID-19 have died (per the Alabama Department of Public Health).