Hospitalization data provides insight into pandemic's effect

Eighteen Cape county residents have been hospitalized for COVID-19 since early March, according to data by the Cape Girardeau Public Health Center.

During March and April, Southeast Hospital had an average of two to four COVID-19 patients in the hospital at a time, according to vice president of marketing Shauna Hoffman. In June, there were an average of seven to 10 virus patients staying in the hospital each day. This number is not new hospitalizations; it reflects how many total patients were being treated at a time, and patients stayed for multiple days.

Since March 21, 51 patients have been hospitalized in the COVID Care Unit at Saint Francis Medical Center, marketing coordinator Elena Tanner said. The highest number of patients in the CCU peaked the first week of April, with 17 patients being treated in the CCU at a time. This number does not reflect new hospitalizations, and only records the number of patients in the CCU each day.

Hospitalizations at Saint Francis declined through March, hitting a low point May 26. Since then, hospitalizations have increased and are currently at 12 patients in the CCU.

Statewide, there are currently 886 individuals hospitalized for COVID-19.

Of the Cape county residents that have been hospitalized, seven are female and 11 are male. The youngest hospitalization is a 44-year-old man who experienced the onset of COVID-19 in early March. Seven of the hospitalized individuals are from Cape Girardeau, five are from Jackson and six from elsewhere in the county.