LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has increased by more than a third since late September, and the number of people in intensive care has more than doubled.
Hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients are at a record high, while ICU use is at a five-month high. And while ample space for both hospital and ICU beds remains, Gov. Andy Beshear warned Thursday that if cases continue to spike, the state’s hospitals may get overwhelmed as they have been in other states.
A surge in cases in Wisconsin has prompted officials there to admit the first patient into a field hospital. Rising cases in Utah are threatening to overwhelm hospitals there.
“This is something that we don‘t want to see here,” Beshear said.
When hospitals get overwhelmed, additional people die, he said.
Kentucky continues to see a spike in cases and deaths, with both measures on track to hit record highs this week.
Kentucky reported another 1,380 COVID-19 cases Thursday. That’s a record for a Thursday and the second-highest daily case total overall, excluding a day this month that included hundreds of backlogged cases.
For the week, the state has recorded 5,638 cases, which is 761 more than last week at this time. Last week produced a record number of cases.
Cases are going up even though testing is going down. The state so far this week has conducted 73,500 tests, or about 28,000 fewer than last week at this point.
Beshear also said that another 17 people who tested positive for the virus had died. With two days to go, this week already is the second-deadliest week since the pandemic began. Kentucky counts COVID-19 deaths as those where the patient would not have died, or would not have died as early, if it weren’t for the virus.
Graphic by WDRB Media. Data source: Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
Since the pandemic began, 1,380 Kentuckians have died. About half were at least 80 years old. Another 25% were 70-79. The state does not release data on whether those who died had underlying conditions, but people with such conditions are much more likely to have a severe case of the illness and die. Only 10 people under age 40 have died out of nearly 45,000 cases.
The state’s mortality rate, or the share of people who die while being infected with COVID-19, has fallen dramatically since the early days of the pandemic and is now near 1.5% overall, though it remains near 15% for people over 80. Despite the lower mortality rate, the sheer number of new cases is now pushing up the daily death toll, which both Beshear and State Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack had predicted a few weeks ago when cases began rising.
Graphic by WDRB Media. Data source: Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
Beshear said that 800 COVID-19 patients were in hospitals in Kentucky on Thursday, an all-time high, and up more than a third from late September, according to data from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. The Kentucky Hospital Association said Tuesday that more than 3,800 hospital beds in the state remained available.
Beshear also said Thursday that 214 COVID-19 patients were getting intensive care in Kentucky, more than double the number in intensive care on Sept. 28, according to state data. The hospital association said Tuesday that 275 intensive care beds remained available.
Gov. Andy Beshear warned people to take extra precautions for Halloween and to make sure that everyone wears masks and keeps at least 6 feet apart. He urged adults to refrain from having Halloween parties this year to prevent a further spread of the virus.
For tips on how to make Halloween safer this year, you can visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
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