ST. LOUIS — The number of new COVID-19 patients being admitted to St. Louis area hospitals continued a downward trend Thursday.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force reported 20 new coronavirus patients were checked into task force hospitals on Tuesday (the data is delayed by two days), which was a decrease of 31 patients from the day before.
The seven-day moving average of new hospital admissions also decreased. It had been holding at an average of 28 all week but went down to 27 on Thursday.
The new hospital admissions data is a trend St. Louis area leaders, including St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, are keeping an eye on as they evaluate the reopening process.
The seven-day average of total patients in the hospital also showed a promising decrease, going from 465 on Wednesday to 459 Thursday.
On Thursday, there were 448 total coronavirus patients in task force hospitals, which was an increase from 436 the day before. Wednesday’s number was the lowest it has been since the task force began keeping track of hospitalization data on April 5.
The full breakdown of data trends from the task force is below.
- New hospital admissions: 20, down from 31
- Seven-day moving average of new hospital admissions: 27, down from 28
- Hospitalizations: 448, up from 436
- Seven-day moving average of hospitalizations: 459, down from 465
- Patients in the ICU: 94, down from 103
- Patients on ventilators: 75, up from 69
Over the last 24 hours, 38 COVID-19 patients were released from task force hospitals, bringing the total to 1,996 coronavirus patients sent home from hospitals since the first case was reported in the area.
8 steps to stay healthy as cities reopen
Malls are reopening. Restaurants are welcoming diners inside. Churches are allowing the faithful to pray inside their places of worship.
Signs of what life was like before the coronavirus pandemic are beginning to make their way around St. Louis and St. Louis County.
But doctors say some of the changes we’ve made in our everyday lives need to stick around, possibly until a vaccine is approved.
“The virus hasn’t left. It hasn’t changed. It’s still here. It’s still very contagious and it’s still very dangerous,” Dr. Alex Garza said Monday. He’s the incident commander of the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force.
For weeks now, Dr. Garza has stressed the importance of social distancing, frequently washing hands and cleaning surfaces. He said as economies and businesses reopen, it’s especially important to continue those practices that helped slow the spread of COVID-19 in the St. Louis area.
“We also know that we’re never going to be at zero transmission until there’s a vaccine. So, we have to learn how to live with the virus and take all those important steps to keep it in check,” Dr. Garza said.
To help keep the coronavirus in check in the St. Louis area, Dr. Garza offered these eight steps to keep yourself, your loved ones and the entire community safe.
- Stay 6 feet apart from others – the exception being those you live with
- Wear a face mask in public
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
- Clean surfaces regularly, including phones, counters, light switches – anything that’s touched frequently
- Monitor yourself for signs of illness, contact your doctor if you’re experiencing COVID-19 symptoms
- Don’t gather with more than 10 people
- Stay at home if you’re vulnerable or at high risk of infection
- Don’t visit nursing homes or assisted-living facilities
“These are the steps we all need to make to keep the transmission rate low and to prevent the new surge in cases,” Dr. Garza said.