Virus continues its rampage; some hospitals 50-60 percent full with COVID-19 patients

COVID-19 infections rose again statewide after a brief dip while hospitals remain stressed, state health officials said in a briefing Oct. 28.

In some hospitals, 50 percent to 60 percent of beds are taken by patients infected with the virus, Dr. Anne Zink, the state medical director, said in the briefing.

Infections overall remain at a high plateau. Dr. Joe McLaughin, the state epidemiologist, said “We’re not seeing a decrease in cases. We’ve been at about the same level for the last six weeks to two months.”

“Hospitalizations tend to lag infections so we do not expect to see a significant drop in hospitalizations until we see a drop in infections,” McLaughin said.

Dr. Zink said hospitals are reporting more “boarding” of COVID-19 patients in emergency rooms while waiting for beds in Intensive Care Units to open.

When there aren’t enough ICU beds patients have to be held, or boarded, in emergency rooms. It’s an unpleasant experience for patients because of the noise and bustle that is normal for emergency rooms, Dr. Zink said.

There were 233 COVID-19 patients in hospitals Oct. 28, taking up 20.8 percent of hospital beds statewide, according to data available in the briefing.

Of the 123 ICU beds available in hospitals 106 are filled with 30 of these on ventilators for artificially supported breathing. Six hundred and ninety five Alaskans have died of COVID 19 to date.

Some good news is that number of Alaskans fully vaccinated continues to slowly increase, with 60 percent of Alaskans 12 and older having taken both shots of a vaccine. For Alaskans taking the first of two doses the percentage has reached 65 percent.

There is some protection against the virus with just the first shot.

Anchorage was almost 64 percent fully vaccinated as of Oct. 26 while Fairbanks was at 52.5 percent and the Kenai Peninsula at 50.2 percent. Juneau was 80 percent fully vaccinated, while the Yukon-Kuskokwim was at 77.2 percent.

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough trailed the state with 43.2 percent of people vaccinated and fully protected.