By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Chief Operating Officer for Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System Wes Hoyt is concerned about the number of hospitalizations they are seeing of late from COVID-19.
"We're looking at reopening a unit, the only problem is, it's probably going to be the COVID unit again, just because of what we're seeing as an uptick here recently," Hoyt said. "As of 11 p.m. last night, because I haven't gotten the 7 a.m. report yet, we had eight patients in the hospital that were COVID positive."
They just don't have enough staff.
"According to our license, we have 190 beds," Hoyt said. "Right now, our census is right at 70. We are stretched, very stretched, just to staff those 70 with the conditions that we're in."
The problem is that there are many more things people can also be hospitalized for rather than COVID and those are continuing.
"The uptick really started about three weeks ago," Hoyt said. "It was a slow roll. There was a point when I had no COVID patients at all in the hospital and we were starting to see an increase in some severely ill. Really folks had put stuff off for the last 18 months and suddenly, they can't do it any more. Now, they are coming through the door, through the Emergency Department. They're presenting. COVID is also hitting us and if you think about it, you're almost facing the perfect storm."
Most of those who have been hospitalized are not vaccinated.
"In July, we identified 31 COVID positives that came to the hospital, either through outpatient, ED or inpatient," Hoyt said. "Of those 31, 25 were unvaccinated. We have a certain percentage that are vaccinated that are getting it, these breakthrough cases, but by far, three fourths of those we're seeing, they are not vaccinated."
Hoyt does not know of a single case of a breakthrough infection at HRMC that has resulted in a death.
"People who are exposed to this new variant are manifesting symptoms somewhere between the three to four day mark, which is drastically different than what we had before, roughly between seven and ten days," Hoyt said. "You're going to know fast and it's going to hit you hard. The group that's really being affected right now, they're younger, they're fitter, they also generally tend to be the folks that aren't vaccinated."
Hoyt knows of a young infant that was hospitalized along with other family members.
"There is really nothing out there that tells you how to treat that," Hoyt said. "Through the exceptional work of the pediatricians and others, you can overcome it, but it reminds you of how infectious this disease is, really."
Hoyt is urging anyone who can to get vaccinated. If you're sick, stay home. Wear your mask. Practice good hand hygiene and if you have nursing training and can pick up even one shift a week, please contact the hospital for more information. Call Kayla Orellana at (620) 665-2227.