Norton Hospital says COVID-19 surge not yet a concern for capacity

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- While the number of COVID-19 cases soar in Indiana and Kentucky, one of the areas largest health care systems said it is in good position to handle whatever the virus brings next.

Currently, Norton Healthcare is treating 117 patients that are COVID-positive across it's entire hospital system.

"We've certainly seen an increase in the month of October, and it seems to be continuing a bit into November," Norton Chief Medical Officer Dr. Steven Hester said.

Of those 117, 33 are being treating in an intensive care unit with 22 needing the assistance of a ventilator.

Back at the start of the pandemic, there was some fear that a surge of cases like those seen in New York state could prove to be overwhelming for hospitals across the country. It was such a worry that Kentucky spent $6 million to construct a field hospital. Cases declined during the summer, and health professionals said that lull allowed hospital not only to become better prepared for a surge but to gain a better grasp of the virus and how to treat it.

"In the early part of the pandemic, there was a lot of unknowns," Hester said. "Still continue to be some unknowns but a lot more understanding of what we're dealing with and how to manage the situation."

The 117 COVID-positive patients represent about 10% of the 1,500 or so hospital beds Norton has. Occupancy of those beds as of Friday was about 1,100, Hester said.

"If we were to see a huge escalation, we would make some changes internally to adapt for that," he said. "But where we are right now, I feel comfortable with those numbers."

On Friday, Kentucky reported more than 2,300 new cases of COVID-19. Indiana reported 4,714 new infections.