Bradenton area hospitals see increase in COVID-19 patients. Most weren’t vaccinated
Emergency rooms in the Bradenton and Sarasota area are once again feeling the pain of a surge in COVID-19 cases, part of what is seen as a global setback in the battle against the disease.
Many of the COVID-19 patients had not been vaccinated against the disease.
“Just one month ago, the number of COVID patients in Sarasota Memorial Hospital was in the single digits and we had no COVID patients in our ICU. As of this morning, we had 36 patients hospitalized with COVID. Of those, seven are in the ICU,” the hospital said in a statement on Monday.
Nearly all recent COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths across the U.S. have been among people who are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated, and Sarasota Memorial is seeing this same trend among its patients, including many who are younger than previously seen, including some in their 30s.
As for break-through infections, most cases continue to be mild. Of nearly 100 patients admitted with COVID to Sarasota Memorial during the past 30 days, only six have met the criteria for a break-through infection (patients who test positive for COVID at least 14 days after completing their COVID vaccine series).
Among the area’s breakthrough cases reported this week is that of Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, who had earlier been inoculated against COVID-19. Because he had been vaccinated, his case is mild enough that Buchanan has been able to quarantine at home.
“I look forward to returning to work as soon as possible,” Buchanan said in a statement. “In the meantime, this should serve as a reminder that although the vaccines provide a very high degree of protection, we must remain vigilant in the fight against COVID-19.”
In a joint message, Kevin DiLallo, group vice president for Manatee Healthcare System, and Andy Guz, chief executive officer of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, addressed the upturn in cases.
“Manatee Memorial Hospital and Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, have seen increases in COVID-19 positive ER visits and admissions. Most of the COVID-19 positive individuals that are in our care, have not received the vaccine. Today, MMH has 20 of these patients in-house, with three of these patients in the ICU. LWRMC has 19 of these patients in-house, with six of these patients in the ICU,” the statement said.
“We continue to have available beds at both of our hospitals; and have adequate equipment and staff to address the health needs of our community. We cannot offer any further comment on specific individuals or their care due to HIPAA patient privacy laws,” the joint statement said.
The joint statement closed with a reminder that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.
“We strongly encourage non-vaccinated individuals to explore where they can receive a COVID-19 vaccine in their area and follow CDC guidelines to limit the spread of this disease,” the statement said.
Doctors recommend wearing masks
Some Manatee County doctors are recommending that their patients who have been fully vaccinated wear masks in public as a precaution during the latest pandemic surge.
Dr. Jennifer McCullen, vice president of the Manatee County Medical Society, practices obstetrics and gynecology, and said that in her office, masks are mandatory.
When she goes into public, she also wears a mask, even though she has been vaccinated, to safeguard against any possible spread of the disease .
“We have a spike in cases. It’s lower than in November, but it is still higher than it was,” McCullen said.
Blake Medical Center released a statement Tuesday saying that it is seeing an increase in the number of COVID-19 patients that it is caring for in the hospital and that it will continue to monitor the situation carefully.
“At this time, most of the increases involve unvaccinated individuals. We have sufficient ICU capacity, supplies and equipment as we prepare for the possibility of a third COVID-19 surge. We continue to require masks be worn by everyone entering our hospital and at this time, we are not changing our visiting policy. We strongly encourage anyone who is able to get vaccinated to do so,” the Blake statement said.
A Blake spokeswoman said she could not release patient specific breakdowns, and referred inquiries about community statistics to the Florida Department of Health in Manatee.
Specific hospital data is scarce
The Florida Department of Health in Manatee and Manatee County Department of Public Safety, however, no longer receive reports on hospital capacity since there is no longer a state of emergency declaration. The state also took down the online dashboard that previously provided hospital capacity data and COVID-19 patients counts from Florida Agency for Health Care Administration.
Sarasota Memorial Hospital, a publicly owned hospital, has tended to be more transparent in providing statistical information about the number of COVID patients that it is treating than the corporately owned Manatee Memorial Hospital and Lakewood Ranch Medical Center (Universal Health Services) or Blake Medical Center (HCA Healthcare.)
COVID-19 symptoms may include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea, vomiting and or diarrhea, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
This story was originally published July 20, 2021 at 3:26 PM.
