Lewiston hospitals see record levels of virus inpatients, while numbers stay flat or fall elsewhere
There s no clear explanation for the shifting geography of hospitalizations, the Maine CDC says.
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Hospitalizations for COVID-19 remained flat at a high level across Maine for a third week running – an encouraging sign – but hit record levels at both of Lewiston’s hospitals.
The burden of caring for people acutely affected by the coronavirus has shifted around the state over the past two months in ways that have so far defied easy explanation, hammering Bangor’s Eastern Maine Medical Center in December before shifting south to hospitals in Portland and Lewiston.
COVID-19 hospitalizations remain high across Maine but have spread out
Hard-hit EMMC saw its burden ease for second week, while Maine Med had its heaviest COVID-19 inpatient week yet.
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Hospitalizations for COVID-19 remained heavy statewide in Maine this week, but the burden has spread out more evenly across hospitals.
Wednesday was the worst day yet of the pandemic in terms of the number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus – 207, with 64 in intensive care. Tuesday was the heaviest day yet for ICU use, with 68 people being treated. The overall inpatient count fell slightly Thursday to 193.
The distribution of patients across the state was more even this week, with many hospitals seeing heavy COVID-19 burdens but only one – Maine Medical Center in Portland – setting a new weekly record.
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For the third week running, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 shattered records at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor even as patient counts flattened at most of the state’s other hospitals.
EMMC, the largest hospital in the eastern half of the state with 352 inpatient beds, saw an average of 51.9 COVID-19 inpatients per day for the week ending Thursday, up sharply from 44 the week before and 26.6 the week before that. Three weeks ago the figure was 12.1, and for much of the summer it stood near zero.
Despite the unprecedented burden, the hospital’s senior clinician again said that it is still able to handle the burden without canceling scheduled surgeries and other non-COVID-19 medical care.
Bangor hospital reports week with most virus patients yet, but counts mostly stable elsewhere
Southern Maine Health Care Medical Center Medical Center and Presque Isle’s hospital also had their biggest inpatient burdens of the pandemic.
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For the third week running, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 shattered records at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor even as patient counts flattened at most of the state’s other hospitals.
EMMC, the largest hospital in the eastern half of the state with 352 inpatient beds, saw an average of 51.9 COVID-19 inpatients per day for the week ending Thursday, up sharply from 44 the week before and 26.6 the week before that. Three weeks ago the figure was 12.1, and for much of the summer it stood near zero.