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Task force reports 'really good news' as COVID-19 patients take up fewer than 10% of hospital beds

"This has been the first time in a long time that we have been below that yellow mark for our total in-patient census," Dr. Garza said

ST. LOUIS — Patients with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 took up fewer than 10% of all hospital beds in the St. Louis area for the first time in months, according to data reported by the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force Monday.

On Monday, task force commander Dr. Alex Garza said suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients took up 9.4%, below the 10% threshold that had put the task force in the yellow zone indicating a cause for concern.

"Our bed occupancy, really good news to report with this, this has been the first time in a long time that we have been below that yellow mark for our total in-patient census," Dr. Garza said.

The number of ICU beds in use by COVID-19 patients also continued to trend down. According to the task force, 13.8% of ICU beds were in use. That number remains in the task force's yellow zone but is down significantly from the peak in December 2020.

Overall, 78% of staffed hospital beds and 80% of ICU beds are in use at St. Louis area hospitals.

One reason why COVID-19 hospitalizations are trending down is a reduction in admissions. The task force has said they are concerned when more than 40 new COVID-19 patients are admitted per day. In late November 2020, the seven-day average for new admissions was more than three times higher than that. But on Monday, the task force reported a seven-day average of 54, and that average has been declining quickly.

The underlying data, like virus prevalence in the community and transmission rate, are also on the decline, which means admissions should continue to decline. 

The reproductive rate in the region was 0.81. Anything below one means mitigation efforts are slowing the spread of the virus, and the number reported Monday is among the lowest in the region since this summer.

Dr. Garza said the improvements have been due to the hard work done by residents in the area.

"Just to remind everyone, the way to prevent deaths is to prevent people from getting sick enough to come into the hospital, and the way to do that is to prevent cases," Dr. Garza said. "And the way to prevent cases is through prevention: wearing masks, socially distant, not gathering in groups."

Dr. Garza said that plan should not change now that Missouri has reported its first cases of the UK variant of the coronavirus. He said although the variant can be spread more easily, the way to slow the spread remains the same.

Dr. Garza said the task force remains a significant part of the vaccination plan in the St. Louis area. Task force hospitals will receive 15,600 doses per week to be distributed by member hospitals. With the current distribution rate, Dr. Garza said they are still a long way from returning to somewhat normal activities.

"With that 15,600 [doses], and a population of over 700,000 who are currently eligible to be vaccinated — and remember that's the greater than 65 years old or 18- to 64-year-olds with a health condition — you can see how much time it's going to take to get through that population so we can get to other groups," Dr. Garza said.

RELATED: Pandemic task force updates vaccine efforts in Missouri, St. Louis area

The briefing began with a guest speaker, Dr. Brian Richter, a pediatric psychologist with St. Louis Children's Hospital. Dr. Richter stressed the importance of reaching out for help with mental and behavioral health for both children and adults.

He said the isolation and changes due to the pandemic have affected everyone, but it has been more damaging to certain groups.

"We've really seen this affect pretty much everybody in different ways," Dr. Richter said. "It's affected teenagers. Parents have been super affected, and their stress levels are off the charts. Our kids with medical conditions are really struggling right now because of all the groups, they might be the ones that tend to be the ones who are going to be taking more precautions."

Dr. Richter said there are few things that parents can do. One is to keep an eye out for behavioral changes in their children. Another is to talk with their children about how their children are feeling. He said that can even mean asking some difficult questions.

"I also always make sure to tell parents, 'Don't be afraid to ask.' If you are worried that your kid is thinking about suicide, ask them. That's so important," he said.

If parents do notice changes, Dr. Richter said to schedule an appointment with a primary care physician. He said one way to know if you need to take that step is if the behavioral changes are getting in the way of your child's everyday life.

Beyond going to your primary care physician or taking your child to their pediatrician, St. Louis Children's Hospital has a hotline you can call: 314-454-TEEN. If you or your child is in a crisis, call 911 or visit Behavioral Health Response online at BHRSTL.org or over the phone at 314-469-6644. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.

The following data are the combined figures from the four major health systems (BJC HealthCare, Mercy, SSM Health, St. Luke’s Hospital) that are part of the task force, for Feb. 8.  

  • New hospital admissions (data lagged two days) decreased - from 42 yesterday to 41 today.
  • The seven-day moving average of hospital admissions (data lagged two days) decreased – from 57 yesterday to 54 today.
  • The seven-day moving average of hospitalizations decreased - from 442 yesterday to 431 today.
  • Inpatient confirmed COVID positive hospitalizations increased – from 411 yesterday to 419 today.
  • Inpatient suspected COVID positive hospitalizations increased – from 33 yesterday to 34 today.
  • The number of confirmed COVID positive patients in the ICUs increased – from 81 yesterday to 87 today.
  • The number of confirmed COVID positive patients on ventilators increased – from 64 yesterday to 65 today.
  • The number of COVID deaths increased – from 1 yesterday to 6 today.
  • The seven-day moving average of COVID deaths remained the same at 7 today.
  • Across the system hospitals, 41 COVID-19 patients were discharged to home yesterday, bringing the cumulative number of COVID-19 patients discharged to 18,350
  • Today, staffed bed hospital capacity is at 78%, an average across our task force hospitals. The ICU’s are at 80% of their total staffed bed capacity.

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