An exterior view of Columbus Regional Hospital in Columbus, Ind., pictured, Tuesday, March 31, 2020. Mike Wolanin | The Republic
Columbus Regional Hospital is seeing its first COVID-19 hospitalizations in weeks amid a “little spike” in cases of the virus in Columbus and the surrounding area, officials said.
Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 infections at CRH have hovered between two and four for much of this past week, the hospital said. Before that, it had been weeks since anyone had been admitted to CRH due to a coronavirus infection.
“We’re definitely seeing a little spike,” said CRH spokeswoman Kelsey DeClue. “…We do expect to see this little increase; however … not nearly to the capacity of (previous) summers and other spike cycles.”
The update from CRH comes as COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S. start to rise for the first time since the beginning of the year, though they still remain near historic lows, according to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There were 8,035 COVID-19 hospitalizations in the United States the week of July 22, up from 7,165 the week before, according to the CDC. In Indiana, there were 95 hospitalizations in Indiana the week of July 22, up from 63 the previous week.
While deaths from the virus still remain at historic lows, about 400 to 600 people have been dying from COVID-19 each week since June, CDC records show.
The most recent Bartholomew County death from COVID-19 was on June 2, according to the Indiana Department of Health. The virus has killed a total of 268 Bartholomew County residents since it first swept across the world in spring 2020.
CRH officials, for their part, are urging people to be vigilant and consider getting tested if they are experiencing upper respiratory systems that are consistent with colds, allergies and other illnesses.
“Our advice would definitely be that folks should be aware of this increase in spread and just take caution, especially those at-risk populations and those who are unvaccinated,” DeClue said. “Most of what we’ve heard is that this strain or spike is producing mild to moderate illness. Be vigilant and consider being tested or taking a home test if you have symptoms, including upper respiratory symptoms that are usually associated with colds, allergies, etc. just to be sure.”
