Hospitalization Down In Puget Sound, But Eastern WA Is A Concern
SEATTLE — A mixed update from the Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA) this week: Hospitalization trends in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties are on the decline for the first time in weeks, but their progress may be negated by increasing hospitalizations in Eastern Washington.
According to the WSHA's briefing Tuesday, Washington's hospitals averaged 2,286 COVID-confirmed patients over the past week, a six percent increase from the week before.
"This is an improvement, though, from the last few weeks, when we saw much larger increases from week to week," said WSHA Executive Vice President Taya Briley.
Included in those counts were an average of 216 new hospitalizations each day. Washington also saw between 18 and 30 confirmed COVID-19 deaths each day last week.
"These are really sobering numbers, and this is following what, unfortunately, has become something of a well-worn trend of the number of COVID cases goes, up then the number of hospitalizations goes up, the number of folks on ventilators go up, and then, unfortunately, we see more deaths," Briley said.
While the omicron wave hasn't peaked or plateaued yet, case counts and hospitalizations are not rising as quickly as they once were, and Washington may reach that peak soon, mirroring a nationwide trend that is seeing the omicron surge peak for much of the country. However, it's still too soon for Washington's health care professionals to celebrate, as they brace for a "second chapter" of the omicron surge in Eastern Washington and Idaho. According to the WSHA, Eastern Washington hospitals do not have the capacity to keep up with rising case counts, meaning some patients may be shipped west to hospitals that are already struggling to keep pace with demand.
"Increasing hospitalizations on the eastern side of our state will impact Western Washington hospitals that are already stretched and stressed," Briley said.
Last week marked a 38 percent increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations in Chelan County, a 31 percent increase in Yakima County, a 23 increase in Spokane County and a roughly 15 percent increase in Kitsap and Clark counties.
Meanwhile, three health districts in southern Idaho have recently declared "crisis standards of care," meaning that hospitals there are so overwhelmed, they have begun rationing health care to patients who are most likely to survive. The last time that happened, Washington saw an influx of Idaho patients crossing the eastern border, looking for care when they couldn't find it in their home state.
"If an individual from Idaho presents on their own to a Washington emergency department, they cannot be turned away," Briley said. "In the prior crisis stage, when Idaho declared crisis standards of care, it began in the north and then spread south and Washington hospitals were definitely affected.
Compounding the issue, more caregivers are testing COVID-19 positive than ever before. According to Briley, Washington's health care system saw between 800 and 850 new COVID-19 cases among caregivers each day this past week.
All together, Washington hospitals remain in dire straights, but there is still hope that a reprieve is on the way. Last week, Washington State Department of Health Chief Science Offer Dr. Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett warned that the pandemic would "continue to be difficult" for the coming few weeks, but said that case counts appeared to be peaking in Western Washington. A federal analysis also found that most states would see omicron on the decline by mid-February. While the state waits for the wave to crest, Washington's top health leaders continue to urge residents to practice COVID-safe behaviors by avoiding crowds, wearing masks in public, and seeking vaccination or booster shots if they are eligible for either.
"It's more important than ever to do all we can to support our healthcare workers," Kwan-Gett said. "Hospitalizations and deaths are higher among unvaccinated than vaccinated individuals. Get vaccinated as soon as possible."
This article originally appeared on the Seattle Patch
