As North Texas COVID-19 hospitalization rates drop, nurses remain on alert
DALLAS - Hospitalizations related to COVID-19 are down by almost half from this time a month ago in Dallas County.
The state reported its lowest COVID-19 patient numbers since June 30. But the good news is being paired with a warning from healthcare workers.
Nurses are describing what they are seeing as a rollercoaster ride. Patient numbers are declining now, but they fear another wave is imminent.
Hospital workers in Dallas County are able to briefly exhale as they continue to care for coronavirus patients.
When FOX 4 spoke with Parkland Hospital Director of Nursing Kathy Doherty in early July, Parkland hospital was opening its fourth COVID unit. Hospitalizations were high and rising.
“We were tipping over 170 to 180 patients that were admitted into the hospital,” Doherty said. “It was a significant volume of patients.”
On Wednesday, the patient number was nearly half that.
“We still have all four units open, but the capacity in the unit has dropped,” Doherty said. “So we are somewhere around 80 patients between the four units.”
Dallas County reported 428 hospitalized COVID-19 patients Wednesday. A month ago on July 18, there were 794 COVID-19 patients in Dallas hospitals.
Health officials all say masks have made the difference in slowing the spread, but they remain on alert.
“I think that we may see waves where we will go down and people will get comfortable and stop wearing their masks or we will start to see mass gatherings and masks will go to the wayside,” Doherty said.
Doherty says she continues to talk to her teenage children about limiting the amount of friends they spend time with, believing another uptick could be soon.
“They are starting to appreciate that mom gets home a little earlier now, so that’s a good thing because things could get better,” she said. “But I tell them don’t develop a false sense of security that this has gone away.”
Parkland officials say while it seems minor, don’t forget to wash your masks consistently to help with taking precautions to fight the virus.