Fresno hospitals grapple with rising COVID burden, as new infections soar in the Valley
Hospitals in Fresno County are experiencing a marked increase in the number of people admitted with confirmed cases of COVID-19 – a growing burden on the medical system that corresponds to a near doubling of new coronavirus infections among residents over the past week.
As of Tuesday, the state Department of Public Health reported that a total of 232 confirmed COVID-19 patients were being treated at hospitals across Fresno County – an increase of 60 patients, or 52.6%, since Christmas Day when there were 152 people receiving inpatient care.
Tuesday was the second consecutive day in which the number of confirmed patients in hospitals for COVID-19 in Fresno County exceeded 200. It also marked the largest volume of coronavirus patients since Nov. 19, before the Thanksgiving holiday.
At Community Medical Centers on Wednesday, the county’s largest hospital system, a total of 184 confirmed COVID-19 patients were being treated between Community Regional Medical Center in downtown Fresno and Clovis Community Medical Center in Clovis. That’s up from 164 patients just two days earlier.
The two hospitals also had a combined 32 patients with suspected coronavirus infections for whom confirming test results were pending.
Patients aren’t the only ones being affected by the upswing in new cases. Among Community Medical’s 8,800 employees, 301 who work directly in providing care to patients are in self-isolation on Wednesday because of exposure to the virus, including 227 who have tested positive for the infection.
Another large Fresno hospital, Saint Agnes Medical Center, reported Wednesday that it has 49 COVID-19 patients, including six in its intensive care unit. Among the hospital’s staff, 90 are out from work in isolation, including 80 who are confirmed to have coronavirus infections, Saint Agnes spokesperson Kelley Sanchez said.
Across the central San Joaquin Valley, more infections over recent days were also spawning larger number of patients getting sick enough to be admitted to hospitals. Only Kings County had fewer hospitalized coronavirus patients on Tuesday than on Christmas Day – a drop of one, to 19 confirmed cases.
In other Valley counties:
- Madera County: 12 confirmed COVID-19 patients on Dec. 25, 23 on Tuesday, an increase of 91.7%. Tuesday’s patient count was the highest since Nov. 27.
- Merced County: 16 confirmed COVID-19 patients on Dec. 25, 33 on Tuesday, an increase of 106%. The patient count on Tuesday was the highest since Nov. 21.
- Tulare County: 47 confirmed COVID-19 patients on Dec. 25, 67 on Tuesday, an increase of 42.6%. Tuesday’s patient count was the highest since Dec. 13.
This story was originally published January 5, 2022 at 11:33 AM.
