Science

Local COVID-19 Hospitalizations Spike as Alabama Faces Shortages in Number of Available Healthcare Workers

For the eighth day in a row, Alabama has logged more than 2,000 Covid-19 hospitalizations — and experts predict that number will continue to rise in the coming weeks.  Those record-high numbers mean hospital staff are being stretched thin, a problem made worse by the fact that many are getting sick themselves. And as Birmingham-area hospitals see their ICU beds fill with COVID-19 patients, many are starting to provide ICU-level care in other parts of the hospital, such as the emergency room or the post-anesthesia area. The state reported Monday that 2,286 people were hospitalized with the virus. That’s a sharp increase from just one month ago, when hospitalizations hovered around 1,200 patients. Don Williamson, president of the Alabama Hospital Association, says that number is likely to reach 2,500 by Jan. 1. Read more.

by Angela Fu

Hospitalizations at Record Level, Number of New Cases Down in COVID-19 Report

The number of new cases of COVID-19 in Alabama dropped, but the rate of hospitalizations rose to a record level in Monday's daily update by the state Department of Public Health. The agency reported 2,264 new cases of the disease, down from 2,790 the previous day but up from 1,731 for the same day last week. There have been 297,895 cases in the state since the pandemic began in March.  There has been a steady increase in recent weeks in the number of people being treated in Alabama hospitals for the coronavirus. The figure stood Sunday at 2,284, up from 2,021 one week ago and 1,731 two weeks ago. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Where and When to Get Tested for COVID-19

COVID-19 cases are on the rise statewide and predicted to continue increasing into January, at least. The Alabama Department of Public Health has advice if you’re considering getting tested for the disease and a list of locations where you can get tested. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

UAB Predicts COVID Hospital Patients Will Double by Christmas

Thanksgiving holiday travel and gatherings have doubled the number of COVID-19 patients being treated at UAB Hospital. “We reasonably expect, based on the numbers of these cases diagnosed every day over the last two weeks, that the rate of cases we see will more than double again over the next few weeks,” Dr. Sarah Nafziger, co-chair of UAB’s Emergency Management Committee, said during a joint UAB and Jefferson County Department of Health press conference today. “That means we expect a doubling by Christmas Day of the number of patients who are in our hospital being treated, if not before,” Nafziger said. She said the spike to 159 COVID-19 patients at UAB is a “significant increase” that has again required a reduction in the number of surgeries and procedures that require inpatient beds. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 Rise to Record Levels

The spread of COVID-19 across Alabama has pushed the number of people in hospitals for the disease to another record, the state Department of Public Health reported Friday. The agency reported 3,853 new cases to raise the overall count to 288,775 since the pandemic began in March. The ADPH daily updated showed 52 deaths, for a total of 4,086. A record 2,170 people were in Alabama hospitals for the disease on Thursday, the most on a single day so far. That compares to 1,779 on Dec. 1. UAB on Thursday reported 159 COVID patients, the most ever. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Alabama’s COVID-19 Death Toll Tops 4,000 Mark as Case Numbers Reach Record Level

The number of COVID-19 deaths in Alabama soared past the 4,000 mark on Wednesday as the daily count of new cases and hospitalizations reached record levels. The Alabama Department of Public Health's daily update added 49 deaths to bring the total to 4,034 since the pandemic began in March. There were 4,735 new cases of the coronavirus in Thursday's report, but ADPH said about 10% of those were from labs that were late in reporting results of tests from Oct. 5 to Dec. 7. The resulting total of about 4,261 new cases for the day exceeded the previous record of 3,928 on Dec. 2. The state has recorded 284,922 cases. The number of people in Alabama hospitals for the coronavirus climbed to a record 2,111 on Wednesday, up from 1,779 on Dec. 2. UAB also set another record with 159 inpatients who have tested positive for COVID-19, up by 10 from Wednesday. The hospital was caring for 79 coronavirus patients on Thanksgiving Day, and the count has steadily risen since.  Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Alabama’s COVID-19 Numbers Surging to New Records Daily, Hospitals Taking Steps to Make Room for More Patients

Like much of the rest of the nation, Alabama day after day is seeing record-setting COVID-19 numbers, as new cases associated with the Thanksgiving period begin to make their way through the health care system. In BirminghamWatch’s weekly analysis of the trends in new cases, hospitalizations and deaths, virtually every measure reached new highs every day of the past week. The 7-day moving average of daily new cases stood at 3,337 on Wednesday, and the 14-day average was 2,919.21. Both averages are more than double their levels of a month ago. Read more.

by Robert Carter

Gov. Ivey Extends Mask Order Into 2021

WBHM Governor Kay Ivey is extending Alabama’s Safer-at-Home order until Jan. 22. In making her announcement, she said there will be no additional changes or adjustments.

by Janae Pierre, WBHM

COVID-19 Cases Up By 3,522, Deaths by 43

The COVID-19 toll in Alabama continued to climb with 3,522 new cases and 43 deaths in Wednesday's daily update by the state Department of Public Health. There have been 280,187 cases of the disease and 3,985 deaths since the pandemic began in March. The number of people in Alabama hospitals for the coronavirus reached another record level on Tuesday, with 2,097 across the state. That included a record 140 at UAB on Tuesday morning. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Alabama’s COVID-19 Count Reaches 276,665, Death Toll at 3,942

The Alabama Department of Public Health added 4,436 cases of COVID-19 to the state's total Tuesday, including a backlog of cases reported from last week. The increase included 2,925 for the past day and 1,511 that two labs were late in reporting for the period of Nov. 30 to Dec. 5. That brought the number of cases in Alabama since the start of the pandemic in March to 276,665. The average number of new cases per day has been 3,395 for the past week. The ADPH daily report also added 50 deaths, for a total of 3,942 over the course of the pandemic. The state is averaging 31 deaths a day over the past week. Read more.

by Glenn Stephens