Samaritan sees fewer COVID-19 patients

The number of patients with COVID-19 at Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake appears to be steadily declining, while Grant and Adams counties have a high community transmission rate.

There were eight COVID-19 patients Thursday, three of whom were in the intensive care unit, according to online Samaritan information. One of the patients was on a ventilator.

Five of the eight were in the medical surgical unit, two of whom were vaccinated. There were no COVID-19 patients in the mother-baby unit or the emergency department.

But on Nov. 11, there were 11 COVID-19 patients at the hospital, five of whom were in the ICU, while six were in the medical surgical unit. One was on a ventilator and one was vaccinated.

On Nov. 3, there were 18 COVID-19 patients, and on Nov. 1, there were 19.

As far as overall capacity, eight of the ICU’s 12 beds were in use Thursday, while 16 of the medical surgical unit’s 25 beds were in use. Eight of the mother-baby unit’s 13 beds were being used.

There were 202 COVID-19 cases in Grant County as of Wednesday, within the previous seven days, which was about 207 cases per 100,000 people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID Data Tracker. That equals a 21% drop, according to the CDC, but the community transmission rate was still deemed “high.”

High community transmission rate includes having equal to or more than 100 cases per 100,000 people in the previous seven days, the CDC stated. The county’s death rate from COVID-19 was not listed.

There were 12 new hospital admissions as of Tuesday, within the previous seven days, which was a 20% increase, the CDC stated. Additionally, there was a 13% increase in ICU bed usage in the same timeframe.

In Adams County, there were 21 cases as of Wednesday, within the previous week, which was about 105 cases per 100,000 people, and a 50% drop, according to the CDC. The community transmission rate was considered to be high. A death rate was not listed by the CDC.

There was one new hospital admission in Adams County as of Tuesday in the previous week, which was a 0% increase. The ICU bed use was not available.