Colorado settles on COVID-19’s stubborn plateau, hospitalized, officials say | Subscriber-only content

Colorado’s benefits to the coronavirus have been hit by a surge this week, and the number of infections and hospitalizations hit what state officials said on Friday as a frustrating plateau.

“We haven’t seen a clear increase, but we’re on a higher plateau than we expected at this point,” state epidemiologist Rachel Harley said in a press conference.

According to state data, cases are still below those in mid-September. However, Colorado reported more than 2,000 new coronavirus infections on Thursday. During this recent surge, states were usually less diffuse than the national average, but national rates continue to decline and are now catching up with Colorado, Harley said.

A similar trend can be seen in El Paso County. The average number of cases has declined from its peak in September, but has leveled off at a high level, said spokeswoman Michelle Bale. According to El Paso County statistics, the county confirmed 2,034 new cases last week, or about 280 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days. The average virus-positive rate among El Paso County residents reached 10.96% on Thursday, the highest this year and a sign of widespread virus epidemic.

The number of people in the county in need of hospital care also increased this week to about 180 patients with COVID-19 or suspected of having it. Last week, the maximum number of patients in need of COVID care at a local hospital was 175, according to health officials.

At UC Health in Colorado Springs, healthcare providers and nurses were working on additional shifts to meet the needs of patients, said spokeswoman Erin Emery. Managers and other non-clinical employees have also picked up shifts to help patients bedside.

Both Colorado Springs hospital systems have restricted or postponed non-urgent procedures to maintain capacity.

Professor Glenn Maze of the Colorado School of Public Health said he did not expect hospitalization in El Paso County to level off until the number of new cases identified daily began to decline. High positive rates are also a “troublesome sign,” said the chairman of the Maze Health System Management Policy Department.

Throughout the state, the number of people in hospitals infected with COVID-19 continues to be vigilant, said state COVID-19 incident commanders Herlihy and Scott Bookman. As of Thursday afternoon, 909 coronadans were confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 and were hospitalized, with an additional 81 suspected of being infected with the virus. Numbers have declined since Wednesday, but remained high compared to this latest wave peak. The 909 patients confirmed in the hospital were the fourth highest total since January.

According to Bookman, bed use in the intensive care unit remained higher than at any point in the pandemic. State data show that on average 91% of ICU beds have been used over the past week. As of late September, Herlihy said that approximately 40% of the 1,519 occupied beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients and the rest were filled with “what is commonly found in the ICU”.

“In the conversation I had with the hospital, there are now quite a few cancellations,” Bookman said. “Patients enter the room, many are hospitalized for a short period of time and then discharged. ICUs using ventilators are beginning to see an increasing number of patients with just one type of long-term stay (COVID-19). The provider) can’t really drop them off and leave them. “

Throughout the state, 7.2% of patients tested for the virus are infected with COVID-19, well above the state’s target of 5%, the highest since January. This number is of particular concern, as Harley said, “Autumn is a transitional period” and “it’s very difficult to predict what will happen as more people move indoors and their behavior changes.” Said that.

Bookman said vaccinated Coloradoan is one-eighth likely to be hospitalized as an unvaccinated resident. The data show that 76% of COVID-19 patients in Colorado hospitals were unvaccinated.

In El Paso County, nearly 70% of the population had been vaccinated with at least one coronavirus vaccine by Friday.

Mary Singh of The Gazette contributed to this report.