Shannon COVID Hospitalizations Rise 63% in One Week

COVID positive hospital patients at Shannon Medical Center rose by 19 between January 11th and January 18th.  The number went from 41 to 67 patients, a 63% rise.  

Mayor Brenda Gunter spoke with KLST on the 14th and said Shannon CEO Shane Plymell noted most patients were admitted for another reason but tested positive for COVID-19.  However, he expressed concern to the Mayor about staffing levels and Shannon's ability to care for a surge in admissions.  

City Council met yesterday and only Council member Tommy Hiebert wore a mask.  The talk was about cybersecurity:

The goal is for our city to be safe from the threats posed from the world of technology … the problem is that many don’t know have the tools to protect themselves against those threats. We’re going to change that.

COVID was not on the printed agenda.  Our community has tools to protect ourselves from COVID and they are ignored on a widespread basis.  There were two COVID deaths yesterday and two more announced today.

Update:  Hospitalizations rose to 74 in today's COVID update from the City.  That's a 10% rise in one day.  I pray Shannon is not overwhelmed by our city's casual approach to Omicron.  If people don't care enough to protect their neighbors from real viruses, why should they care about technological ones? 

Update 1-21-22:  Hospitalizations reached 77 in today's COVID report.  The positivity rate remains dangerously high at 50.2%.  There have been over 3,000 hospitalizations and 492 deaths since the pandemic began. 

Texas COVID case hospitalization
Complex: $378,052 -- (4th highest in the U.S.)
Noncomplex: $63,647

 That's a significant cost to our community.  

Update 1-26-22:  After dropping to 68 on Monday, hospitalizations rose to 88 yesterday and 95 today.  There is no information from Shannon or the City Health Department regarding this rapid rise.  Hospitalizations have roughly doubled from the 48 when Mayor Gunter made her observations to KLST.

Update 1-28-22:  Hospitalization stand at 84 today with 14 of those in the ICU.  COVID deaths reached 501.  There have been 14 deaths reported in the last eleven days.  The test positivity rate was 44.5% for the week.  All of these statistics indicate people should be taking action to protect the medically vulnerable neighbor by wearing masks, getting vaccinated and practicing social distancing.  

Update 1-31-22:  Deaths stand at 504 with 80 patients currently hospitalized.

Update 2-2-22:  Deaths reached 509 today with 76 people hospitalized.