Still a low hospitalization rate in the south
By GILLIAN SLADE on May 6, 2020.
gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade As of Tuesday morning… The number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase in the south zone but the hospitalization rate remains low. Alberta Health Services says there were five COVID-19 patients in Medicine Hat Regional Hospital on Monday and three of those within the ICU. There was only one other hospitalization in the south zone and that was at Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge. That patient is also in ICU. Between April 17 and 25 the number of people that had to be admitted to hospital, across the province, hovered from a low of 57 one day to about 77. Since April 28 the numbers were in the 80s and on two occasions reached 90. The total accumulative number of patients hospitalized across Alberta with COVID-19 has been 238 and of those 52 have required the ICU. Alberta Health says 4.1 per cent of those with COVID-19 require hospitalization, 0.9 per cent need ICU and the fatality rate is 1.8 per cent. The demographic that results in the most need for hospitalization are those 70 to 79 years of age and then those more than 80 years of age. There have been some cases requiring hospital in the 10 to 19 year age range. 9-8
