IU Health doc: Decline in COVID-19 numbers easing hospital pressure
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) The Indiana Department of Health says COVID-19 hospitalizations and positivity rates are declining statewide.
Some medical experts believe that a drop in COVID cases is easing some of the immense pressure on Indiana’s hospitals.
IDOH reported approximately 3,519 COVID hospitalizations in January. On Wednesday, the number of Hoosiers hospitalized with COVID-19 was 1,525.
Dr. Warren Gavin, a hospitalist at IU Methodist, is following the trends in hospitalizations at Methodist as well as at IU Health Indiana University Hospital in Indianapolis.
“If you looked back just a month ago, that number was 184. That’s a good number of hospitalizations. If you fast forward two weeks, that number fell to 140. So, we started to decompress, and I looked at the numbers just yesterday. We were down to almost 72 patients. We can see that there is a steady, precipitous decline,” Gavin said.
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Gavin says that at the beginning of the pandemic, there was a lot of fear. Now, things feel different as the pressure on hospitals eases.
“I have a feeling that the overwhelming consensus in the hospital is optimism and excitement that these numbers are coming down,” Gavin said. “It feels good not to treat COVID all day long. To be able to walk into a room and not have to put on a face shield and not have to put a gown on. And not have to use a lower-end stethoscope to listen to somebody. Family may be at the bedside. Care is so much easier.”
Despite the decline, Gavin urges Hoosiers to an err on the side of caution and follow the guidelines laid out by the IDOH.