Good news from Peterson Health faced tempering by the harsh reality of the severity of COVID-19's delta variant on Monday.
The good news was Peterson saw its hospitalizations fell to 29, but nine of those patients were in the intensive care unit. It's one of the heaviest ICU loads for the 14-bed unit.
It was the first time since Aug. 19 that Peterson had less than 30 people hospitalized with COVID-19. The downward trend followed a broader statewide number that saw hospitalizations fall to 13,000.
However, the state reported more than 8,000 new cases on Monday. Peterson reported 37 new cases — the lowest weekend number since the beginning of August. Peterson’s reporting has accounted for 239 Kerr County cases since Sept. 1 — a similar tally to the first 13 days in August.
The exact number of active cases has been something of a guessing game — it’s possible as many as 300 people may have active infections. The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 199 active infections.
The impact on Peterson came into clearer focus on Monday after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provided new data — compiled from Peterson — that showed as many as 783 people may have been hospitalized with COIVD-19 since the start of the pandemic. The low end of that tally could be 633.
Since Aug. 1, approximately 198 people have been hospitalized at Peterson with COVID-19. Nearly half of those patients have been between 50 and 69 years of age. Before Aug. 1, Peterson saw 54% of its COVID-19 admissions came from those 70 years old and older.
For the last three weeks, including on Monday, Peterson has averaged eight or more ICU patients every day — the most during the pandemic. More than 100 people per week have sought care from Peterson’s emergency department since July.
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