COVID-19 hospitalizations increasing in Alabama

If you thought COVID-19 was a thing of the past, you thought wrong.

“We are seeing what I think most of the country is seeing and that is an increase,” Alabama Hospital Association President Dr. Don Williamson said.

He gave us an update on the COVID-19 hospitalizations statewide.

“Yesterday we had 255 COVID-19 inpatients in Alabama hospitals,” said Williamson. And really that increase has happened about the last week or so of July and continuing obviously into August. It’s been a slow, but persistent increase.”

Williamson said ICU numbers have increased as well.

“We have seen the number of people in ICU go from 5 or 6, now we are at 47,” Williamson said. “We have been in the 30-40’s range for the last week or so.”

Whether we like it or not, COVID-19 is not gone from our community either.

WVUA 23 spoke with DCH Health System Vice President of Marketing and Communications Andy North, who gave us an update on conditions at DCH.

“We have five or fewer COVID positive inpatients who are in the ICU at the moment,” North said. “Our total population of COVID is 21. That kind of shows you a little bit, that while people are catching COVID, it doesn’t seem to be as severe in this case.”

There is good news. Williamson told us we have not have a COVID-19 death in the last few weeks. He said EG.5 is still the most prominent variant statewide.