DOTHAN, Ala. – Hospitalizations linked to COVID-19 have jumped about 20% in less than two weeks in Alabama, a trend that health officials said Tuesday they were monitoring but don’t consider a sign of another coming crisis in the pandemic.
Statistics from the Alabama Department of Public Health showed 362 people were hospitalized Monday for the illness caused by the new coronavirus. Though up from the 301 patients just 10 days earlier, the total was still just a fraction of the 3,070 patients who pushed the state’s intensive care wards to near capacity in mid-January.
Admission numbers at Dothan hospitals have remained stable for now. On Tuesday, Flowers Hospital reported six COVID-19 patients, down from 16 last week, and Southeast Health reported eight hospitalizations, the same number reported exactly one week ago.
The increase in cases is concerning but doesn’t immediately threaten the state’s health care system because the number of people being treated remains far below levels from earlier this year, said Dr. Don Williamson, chief executive of the Alabama Hospital Association.
Also, he said, a major spike in the number of severely ill patients isn’t expected because more and more people are being vaccinated and increasing numbers of patients are young people, who tend to fare better than older patients with health complications.
