Hospitals See Decrease In Hospital, ICU COVID-19 Patients

Doctors have confirmed there has been a drop in patients in the hospitals and ICUs.

However, they noted the health care system is still being exhausted.

The state department of health said Oklahoma is 10th in the U.S. for coronavirus cases per 100,000 people and 24th in total number of reported cases.

Dr. Kersey Winfree with SSM Health St Anthony said they have been admitting fewer patients with the virus.

"Relief is a good word,” said Dr. Kersey Winfree, the Chief Medical Officer at SSM Health St. Anthony. “There have been at least 10 days where we have had less patients in the hospital due to COVID-19."

But hospitals have still been dedicating a lot of their time, space and staffing to battling the virus.

Dr. David Chansolme, the Medical Director of Infection Prevention with Integris Health, said there is one concerning number still trickling up: deaths.

"December was a very deadly month for the number of deaths and January is shaping up to be the same if not worse,” said Chansolme.

Doctors have predicted it could be a while before we see those drop.

As people do recover hospitals are now beginning to see some come back.

“We’ve seen a number come back in and even pass away of other things probably related to complications of COVID even though it was COVID itself,” said Chansolme.