COVID-19: Taylor County adds 2 deaths, 96 cases Wednesday
Hendrick Health System expects COVID-19 hospitalizations to surpass 200 after Christmas and New Year s Day holidays, according to a video statement from medical director Dr. Robert Wiley.
As of Wednesday afternoon, 39 of the 154 total COVID-19 inpatients at its facilities are on ventilators, and there are no ICU beds, he said. These are our parents, our grandparents, our friends within our community, Wiley said.
Patients will be on ventilators for two to four weeks, but half of these patients will not come off ventilators. That is a significant number, Wiley said.
In the Emergency Room, 16 patients, some not positive for COVID-19, have been waiting two to 12 hours for a hospital bed, Wiley said.
COVID-19: Taylor County adds 1 death, 103 cases Monday
The Abilene-Taylor County Public Health District on Monday reported one more death linked to COVID-19, 103 new cases and 78 recoveries.
The deceased in a man in his 80s with preexisting health conditions, officials said. He is the 175th county resident whose death is connected to the coronavirus.
COVID-19 inpatients in Abilene total 106, which is six more than reported Sunday.
Hendrick Health System on Sunday reported the COVID-19 inpatients number was 13.82% of total hospital beds in Abilene s trauma service area, falling below 15% for the second day in a row.
The Hendrick Health COVID-19 Community Safety Dial increased to Level 6: Emergency on Dec. 8 after that number had been above 15% for seven consecutive days, and will remain there until the rate has been under that threshold for an equal amount of time.
Vials of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine arrived Thursday at Hendrick Medical Center North. This is the beginning of the end for this pandemic, I hope and pray, said Greg Perry, Hendrick pharmacy clinical manager, as he opened a box containing the vials in a video released by the health system.
Hendrick received three boxes of 195 vials each, and at least five doses can be pulled from each vial, and possibly a sixth, Perry said. This is our best opportunity today to end the shutdowns, to end having to wear masks, to end the pandemic and the pain and suffering that goes with it, Perry said. The vaccine is what will lead us to the herd immunity if you will.
Taylor now has reached 167 deaths.
The deceased are two men: one in his 70s with preexisting conditions and the other in his 60s with unknown medical predisposition, officials reported. The average age of all deceased is 77.
The county has reported 50 COVID-19-linked deaths in December, compared to 41 in November and 16 in October.
The 125 new cases are based on 65 polymerase chain reaction tests and 60 antigen tests.
Active cases number 2,440 (943 PCR cases and 1,497 antigen cases), which is 177 fewer than the total of 2,617 reported a week ago on Dec. 9.
COVID-19 inpatients at Abilene hospital declined by two to 100, compared to Tuesday s update of 102, city officials reported.
COVID-19: Taylor County deaths climb 3 more, plus 110 new cases
The number of county deaths connected to the coronavirus is 165.
The deceased are a man and a woman each in their 80s with preexisting health conditions and a woman in her 70s with unknown medical predisposition, health officials said.
In the past eight days, Taylor County has reported 39 COVID-19-linked deaths.
The 110 new cases are based on 57 polymerase chain reaction tests and 53 antigen tests.
Active cases total 2,481 (913 PCR cases and 1,568 antigen cases).
There are 102 COVID-19 inpatients at Abilene hospitals, which is eight fewer than reported Monday, city officials said.
Hendrick Health System on Tuesday reported the COVID-19 inpatients number was 17.25% of total hospital beds in Abilene s trauma service area, an increase from Monday s rate of 16.38%.