Bellingham hospital reports record high, as Whatcom’s COVID-related hospitalizations grow
St. Joseph’s hospital in Bellingham reported it surpassed its previous pandemic record high by caring for 40 COVID-related patients on Saturday, Sept. 11, as Whatcom County saw its highest weekly total of reported hospitalizations last week.
The 40 COVID patients Saturday surpassed the hospital’s previous high of 39 set less than two weeks earlier on Aug. 30.
The total dropped five on Sunday, but climbed two Monday to sit at 37, the hospital reported.
News of the new record came as PeaceHealth Regional Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sudhakar Karlapudi told The Bellingham Herald that the hospital, which is operated by PeaceHealth, was still “at that cusp” of facing a COVID crisis like many other hospitals around the state and country.
“We don’t want to experience a situation like they have in other states,” Karlapudi told The Bellingham Herald. “ We don’t want to experience that agony, that grief. It’s too painful.”
In an effort to avoid that type of crisis, Karlapudi urged Whatcom County residents to renew their efforts to avoid contracting COVID, including mask wearing in public areas, avoiding large indoor and outdoor crowds, practicing social distancing, washing their hands and getting vaccinated.
“I want to create awareness. I want to create a sense of urgency. I do not want to create a sense of hysteria,” Karlapudi said. “PeaceHealth and our caregivers are going to be prepared for most of the challenges we are going to face with COVID. ... But I think, without the help of the community, we will not be 100% successful.”
Whatcom County has had a total of 644 COVID-related hospitalizations during the pandemic, according to the Friday, Sept. 10, report on the Washington State Department of Health’s COVID dashboard.
Though the state adjusted Whatcom’s pandemic total down by two on Friday, the county still saw 40 hospitalizations reported last week, which was its highest weekly total so far, beating out the 26 it saw the week before and the previous record high of 31 reported the week of Aug. 8.
Whatcom’s weekly hospitalization rate as of Friday for completed epidemiological data between Aug. 26 and Sept. 1 stood at 10.53 hospitalizations per 100,000 people. That was up from 9.21 a week earlier (for data between Aug. 19 and 25).
Despite seeing 309 cases reported over Labor Day Weekend, Whatcom County’s weekly reported case total saw a significant decrease last week. The state reported 447 new confirmed cases in the county last week — going from 11,863 reported Sept. 3 to 12,310 reported Friday — which was the smallest increase Whatcom has seen in three weeks, beating the 569 that were reported the week before.
The case total included 33 new confirmed cases on Friday, which was the county’s lowest reported increase in a month since it had eight cases reported Aug. 10.
More Whatcom numbers
Other Whatcom County COVID data shows:
▪ Whatcom had 69 additional probable cases reported last week, including 13 on Friday, resulting from a positive antigen test not confirmed by a molecular test. The county has had 865 probable cases reported during the pandemic.
▪ Whatcom’s two-week infection rate increased to 538.16 cases per 100,000 residents based on the state’s most recent complete epidemiological data between Aug. 20 and Sept. 2, according to the state dashboard on Friday, up from 510.09 a week earlier for data between Aug. 13 and 26.
▪ Though no new COVID-related deaths were reported Friday, five were reported last week. The county has now seen 124 deaths linked to COVID during the pandemic.
▪ The state reports that 0.9% of Whatcom’s 13,175 total cases (confirmed and probable cases combined) have resulted in death — better than the statewide 1.2% average.
▪ The state’s vaccination report on Friday showed the county has now administered 249,477 vaccine doses — an increase of 2,130 last week, which was less than the 2,856 reported the week before. The state estimated that 64.3% of the total population in the county had initiated vaccination and 58.6% had completed it. Both percentages were ahead of the averages across the state, which reported that 61.5% of the state’s total population initiated vaccination and 55.7% are fully vaccinated.
▪ Whatcom’s weekly COVID test positivity rate for completed data Aug. 18-24 was 6.8% (580 positives out of 8,482 tests). That’s up from 7.1% (539 positives out of 7,599 tests) a week earlier and higher than Whatcom’s pandemic positivity rate of 3.5%.
▪ The CDC’s COVID Data Tracker on Monday continued to list the level of transmission in Whatcom County at “High” (the highest of four classifications). All 39 counties in Washington state are listed in the “High” category, as are 93.9% of all counties nationwide.
Whatcom vaccine clinics
Four COVID vaccine clinics are planned for Whatcom County this week, according to the Whatcom County Health Department:
▪ East Whatcom Resource Center: 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Sept. 14, at 8251 Kendall Road in Maple Falls. All three vaccines will be available and recipients will receive a $25 gift card to local grocery stores.
▪ PeaceHealth Cordata Clinic: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16, and 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18, at 4545 Cordata Parkway in Bellingham. The Pfizer vaccine will be available.
▪ Old Lynden Middle School Gym: 3 to 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 17, at 516 Main St. in Lynden. the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be available and recipients will receive a $10 credit for Bordertown Mexican Grill’s food truck.
