DCH Coronavirus Update 7-27-21

DCH’s COVID-19 Remote Site to CONTINUE Vaccines

The public demand for COVID-19 vaccines at DCH’s remote site has continued to decrease and DCH previously announced that it would stop offering vaccines at its remote site on August 6. However, we are seeing an increase in COVID-19 inpatient cases and have consistently found that the majority (90 percent or more) of those patients have not been vaccinated. Vaccination for COVID-19 continues to be the most effective defense against the virus.

It is critically important that community members get vaccinated. Because of this need, DCH has made the decision to keep its remote vaccination site open on Fridays from 7 a.m. to 5:50 p.m. You can register to receive a vaccine by visiting https://www.dchsystem.com/covidvaccine/.

Reminder: Update to the Limited Visitation Policy

DCH is enacting additional patient visitation limitations. Starting at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, July 28, only two support people will be allowed per day in most areas (visitors will no longer be allowed to rotate). No support person will be allowed for any COVID-19 positive patients other than end-of-life events, palliative care and/or corresponding consultations.

All visitors must bring and wear a mask at all times.

The full revised limited visitation policy can be found here https://www.dchsystem.com/~/covid-19/visitation-policy2/

COVID-19 Information

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 3:02 p.m. on 7/27/21:

• 58 inpatients within the DCH system who are positive for COVID-19.
• 13 inpatients who are positive for COVID-19 are being treated in the ICU.
• Five or fewer inpatients who are positive for COVID-19 are on ventilators.
• Five or fewer who are positive for COVID-19 are on a BiPAP.
• 9,108 (cumulative) unique positives for COVID-19 tests including results from the ED, triage tent and inpatient. These individuals are not necessarily in the hospital.
• 46,278 (cumulative) unique negatives for COVID-19 at DCH sites.
• 11,060 (cumulative) positive COVID-19 at DCH sites. These individuals are not necessarily in the hospital.
• 90,291 (cumulative) negative tests at DCH sites.
• 3,208 inpatients (cumulative) who were positive for COVID-19 have been discharged.
• 559 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.
• 315 Tuscaloosa County residents (cumulative) who were positive for COVID-19 have died (per the Alabama Department of Public Health).