Based on the reports from Lyon County Public Health three times a week, it appears we are now beyond the crest of the COVID-19 omicron wave.
New cases per day spiked at 187 on Jan. 18, just after we had almost 900 confirmed cases the week of Jan. 9. So far this week, we have had 227 new cases with another report due out Friday afternoon.
While the overall numbers are trending down, the use of bed space at Newman Regional Health is still high. Chief Executive Officer Bob Wright had details on KVOE’s Newsmaker segment Thursday, saying active cases have declined slightly but 13 beds are currently claimed by people with possible or active infections as well as those recovering from COVID. Another full area — for varying reasons, including recent weather — is the emergency room.
COVID patients are generally staying a week — on average. Wright says the actual length of stay can vary widely, depending on patient condition.
Chief Administrative Officer Cathy Pimple says staff strain is “certainly there,” but she credits them for working together to handle the ongoing situation — especially with staff getting hit harder by this wave than other peak periods.
Both Pimple and Wright say the critical blood supply seen at the end of January has eased, but there is still a shortage. Wright also says it has become easier to transfer patients out of Newman Regional Health, in large part because Stormont-Vail in Topeka opened up a special pre-discharge unit that has relieved some of the pressure. There is a shortage of outpatient treatment medications, and there is a shortage of testing supplies. Both are due to supply chain issues, according to Wright and Pimple.
