COVID patient surge raises concerns for ‘dangerous situation’ in St. Louis area hospitals
The summer surge in COVID-19 patients is creating a “dangerous situation,” and regional hospital leaders urge everyone to get vaccinated and wear a mask to curb the number of infections.
Area hospitals report they have the capacity to handle the current wave, which has been fueled by the delta variant of the coronavirus and people who have not been vaccinated. But they don’t want to return to the number of COVID cases they faced in November and December.
“We still have capacity for everyone who is sick,” said Stephanie Zoller, public information officer for the St. Louis Pandemic Task Force, which is comprised of 24 hospitals, including three in the metro-east.
“We don’t want anyone to avoid care,” Zoller said. “But really we have to have that message out there that this is a dangerous situation. Our hospitals are very full and so we need to control the virus the best we can.”
The three metro-east hospitals in the task force are affiliated with BJC HealthCare. They are Alton Memorial Hospital, Memorial Hospital Belleville and Memorial Hospital Shiloh.
The News-Democrat contacted hospital officials to get information about the sharp increase in COVID-19 patients and their plans to handle the volume. Here’s what you need to know:
How many COVID patients are hospitalized?
In the seven metro-east counties classified as Region 4 by the state, the seven-day rolling average of COVID patients in southwestern Illinois hospitals topped out at 233 on Nov. 26. This average dropped to 12 by the third week of June.
Since then, however, the seven-day average has shot up to 67 COVID patients as of the latest statistics released by the state on Friday. There also have been increases on 24 days in the 30-day period that ended on Thursday.
This rise in COVID patients has occurred as the number of people getting vaccinations dropped and the delta variant became more widespread.
Region 4 includes Madison, St. Clair, Bond, Monroe, Clinton, Randolph and Washington. The 13 hospitals in this district are required to report their coronavirus cases to the Illinois Department of Public Health, which keeps updated Region 4 coronavirus statistics on its website.
Along with Region 4, the St. Louis Pandemic Task Force also reports a sharp increase in the number of patients hospitalized.
The task force hospitals on Friday reported a seven-day rolling average of 361 patients. This number had been down near 100 in June. The number of patients in task force hospitals peaked at 920 on Dec. 15.
Also, task force hospitals had 112 persons in intensive care units as of Friday and this number has been on the rise in recent weeks. On June 8, there were 29 ICU patients.
How many of the patients did not get COVID vaccination before being hospitalized?
Most of them had not gotten vaccinated before they were hospitalized, according to hospital officials.
Recent data from the St. Louis Pandemic Task Force, shows that 88.5% of the patients had not received the vaccine before going to the hospital.
Kelly Barbeau, the marketing and communications manager for St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O’Fallon, said that the majority of the current positive COVID-19 patients at the hospital are unvaccinated.
A representative for Gateway Regional Medical Center in Granite City and Red Bud Regional Hospital, which are operated by Quorum Health, said the same.
Where are your COVID patients coming from? Are any from southwest Missouri, where hospitals have been struggling to find room for COVID patients?
St. Elizabeth’s has not received any transfers of COVID-19 patients from southwest Missouri and current patients are mainly from the metro-east, Barbeau said in an email.
Dr. Clay Dunagan of the St. Louis Pandemic Task Force said during a briefing this week that “some transfers” from southwest Missouri have been treated at task force hospitals but most of the patients are from the St. Louis area.
How many more patients can you take? How close to capacity are your hospitals?
Touchette Regional Hospital in Cahokia Heights has experienced an increase in patients testing positive but most of these patients have been healthy enough to be treated on an outpatient basis, said Steve Tomaszewski, director of communication and development planning for SIHF Healthcare, which operates the hospital.
“Inpatient cases remain low with capacity in both the medical floor and ICU,” he said in an email.
Beth Ann Gailey, director of public relations and marketing for Gateway Regional Medical Center, said the hospital has additional capacity if needed.
“As always, should patient acuity or capacity levels become a concern, we work closely with public health officials and other regional hospitals to facilitate quick access to the most appropriate level of care for patients,” she said in an email.
Springfield-based Hospital Sisters Health System, or HSHS, has four hospitals in Region 4. Along with St. Elizabeth’s, it operates St. Joseph’s Hospital in Breese, St. Joseph’s Hospital in Highland and Holy Family Hospital in Greenville.
“While we have seen an increase of COVID-19 patients in the recent weeks, we are not near the totals seen prior to vaccine availability,” Barbeau said in an email.
“Should positive cases return to high pandemic levels, we can coordinate within our system that has nine hospitals in Illinois and continue to serve patients in our communities.”
Where can I get a COVID vaccination?
Local health departments, hospitals and pharmacies continue to offer free COVID-19 vaccinations.
The St. Clair County Health Department has a clinic at 330 W. Main St. in Belleville. It is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. People can use the drive-up option for the Pfizer vaccine, but need an appointment for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.
For more vaccine information, go to the county’s website.
Additional options include chain stores such as Walgreens and CVS or local pharmacies like the Freeburg Pharmacy and the Smithton Pharmacy. There is walk-in availability, but appointments are recommended.
Also, New Life in Christ Church, 689 Troy-Scott Road, O’Fallon, will host the following vaccine clinics:
Friday, Aug. 20, and Saturday, Aug. 21: 5-8 p.m. Pfizer second dose.
For more information on this clinic, call 618-632-6542 or email nlreceptionist@nlicic.org.
In O’Fallon, you can go to the HSHS Drive-Thru Care to get a COVID shot. Visit hshs.org/vaccine to make an appointment. Also, no-appointment necessary vaccines are offered 2-4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Amy Yeager, director of community health public information officer for the Madison County Health Department, said pharmacies in the county are giving the vaccine.
She also recommended calling local pediatrician offices because a lot of them are giving the vaccine to people who aren’t even their patients.
