Hospitalizations at Johnson Memorial Hospital nearly doubled in the last week, and the local health department’s COVID-19 test site recorded record numbers of new tests.
Johnson County this week remained in the orange, according to the state’s color-coded metric system, but local health officials say the situation is worsening as COVID-19 becomes more widespread, and the disease becomes more severe.
Johnson County on Wednesday reported 142 new COVID-19 cases, adding to its nearly 1,000 cases in the last week, with a 12.8% average positive test rate over seven days.
Statewide, case numbers show an even bleaker picture. The state on Wednesday reported 6,143 new cases, with a 12.2% average positive test rate over seven days. And 354 more Hoosiers died in the last week.
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryState officials on Wednesday said the numbers are troubling, though no new restrictions were added. Instead, Dr. Kristina Box, state health commissioner, asked Hoosiers to stay home for the holidays and consider online shopping rather than participating in Black Friday shopping.
And as the state’s college students prepare to go home for the holidays, Box asked college students to consider quarantining at home for 14 days.
<strong>Hospitalizations increase, disease intensifies</strong>
Johnson Memorial Hospital is seeing its highest number of COVID-19 hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic, and cases are more severe than any hospital staff have seen in months, said Dr. David Dunkle, the hospital’s president and CEO.
On Wednesday, 15 COVID-19 patients were being treated at the Franklin hospital, double the hospital’s peak during the spring, he said.
Hospitalizations are nearly double where they were just six days ago. Eight patients were being treated Friday; that number jumped to 15 Wednesday, Dunkle said.
The number of hospitalizations is already higher than Dunkle ever expected to see, but hospital staff are gearing up for an even greater influx as positivity rates continue to climb, he said.
This week, four more rooms on the hospital’s first-floor medical wing were converted to COVID-19 treatment rooms, and a construction crew is converting four more rooms on the second floor, which would bring the total to 18, Dunkle said. Those extra isolated rooms are expected to be ready for patients by the weekend, he said.
If all 18 rooms fill up, the hospital will turn to regular hospital rooms next, and surgery recovery rooms as a last resort, Dunkle said. His hope, though, is that community spread will slow.
Initially, Johnson Memorial was treating COVID-19 patients in the hospital’s new emergency wing, where up to 26 could have been treated. However, since there were never more than seven hospitalizations — until now — Dunkle thought it made sense to open the new emergency room and move COVID-19 patients to the medical wing, he said.
“We never thought we would need more than 10. We thought it would be more than enough. Unfortunately, that is not turning out to be the case,” Dunkle said.
The COVID-19 beds that are in use aren’t opening up as quickly as before because more patients are severely ill, with one on a ventilator and several others requiring higher doses of oxygen to survive, he said.
Previously, most COVID-19 patients stayed less than a week, typically two to five days, Dunkle said. Now, several have more severe infections and have had to stay longer, some for more than a week, he said.
The hospital has 14 ventilators, but only six of those are designed to be used in an intensive care capacity. The other eight would require extra care by staff to keep the machines running 24 hours a day, Dunkle said.
Unfortunately, he said, those aren’t the hospital’s only challenges right now. Nursing staff shortages and testing supply scarcity are also causes for concern.
And Johnson Memorial is not alone. The district, made up of Johnson County and surrounding Central Indiana counties, has nearly surpassed the highest number of hospitalizations ever recorded for COVID-19. On Wednesday, the district was just nine hospitalizations away from the record.
Hospitalizations are also surging statewide, with more than 3,000 Hoosiers hospitalized Wednesday. Hospitals are stretched thin.
The recent outbreak, Dunkle said, is due to a lack of care by people around the county, state and country who aren’t following recommended infection control steps that have been championed since March. Wash hands frequently, stay home when possible and avoid large gatherings. Sacrifices now will spare lives later, he said.
“We, time and time again, are saying what needs to be done. It is just that people aren’t doing what they need to do,” Dunkle said.
<strong>Mask complaints spike, testing sets records</strong>
Since Gov. Eric Holcomb’s updated emergency order took effect last week, more than 300 mask complaints were submitted to the Johnson County Health Department, said Betsy Swearingen, director.
Of those complaints, most originate from big-box and convenience stores, though a number of complaints have been made about local bars.
“The big-box stores are our biggest problem,” Swearingen said. “They are failing to enforce the mask mandate. It would be simple to put someone at the store entrance and ask people to put on a mask.”
After each complaint, health inspectors visit the business to see if there is an observable violation in progress, Swearingen said. If a violation is found, a warning is issued, she said.
Upon a second violation, the health department will issue a $100 fine, Swearingen said. Upon a third violation, the health department will suspend the business’s license and it will have to cease food operations, she said.
At big-box stores, that would mean delis, meat counters and salad bars would have to close, but the rest of the store could stay open, Swearingen said. A bar or restaurant would be shut down, she said.
The health department is not receiving many complaints about locally-owned stores.
“Smaller, locally owned businesses are doing a great job,” Swearingen said. “If they can do that (enforce the mandate) with a few employees, I don’t see the trouble with the big-box stores.”
The health department is also managing an influx of proposed event plans. All events with more than 50 attendees must be reviewed and approved by the department. Simultaneously, the department is dealing with a record-breaking demand for COVID-19 testing. Since last week, 980 tests were given at the department’s CARES Act-funded testing site at the Johnson County fairgrounds.
On Monday, department nurses and local emergency medical technicians administered a record 282 tests. They administered 180 tests Tuesday, a shorter day.
Increased testing has caused delays in results. Results this week are coming back within 48 to 72 hours, but a large batch last week took nearly a week, Swearingen said.
Most tests are processed at the Indiana State Department of Health’s laboratory. However, increased testing prompted the state lab to outsource some tests to partner labs. Tests sent to partner labs are taking longer to return, she said.
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<strong>Franciscan Health changes hours of operations for drive-through COVID-19 testing</strong>
Franciscan Health Indianapolis on Tuesday changed its hours of operations for drive-through COVID-19 testing.
Located on the east side of the campus (8111 S. Emerson Ave.), adjacent to the emergency department, the new hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Testing will not be conducted on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s.
Patients must have a doctor’s order and register the day they wish to be tested and not in advance. Registration can be made by calling 317-528-8974.
Upon arrival, patients will remain in their vehicles and must wear acceptable cloth or blue surgical masks. Masks with air vents are discouraged.
<strong>Community Health initiates visitor restrictions as COVID-19 cases rise </strong>
Community Health Network is limiting the number of visitors at its hospitals in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19, effective Wednesday.
Visitation will not be allowed in the following hospital units/sites of care:
<ul>
<li>Surgery</li>
<li>Inpatient</li>
<li>Oncology</li>
<li>Emergency Department</li>
<li>Ambulatory</li>
</ul>
Visitation will be limited in the following units/circumstances:
<ul>
<li>Maternity (1 support person)</li>
<li>Pediatrics (1 parent/guardian)</li>
<li>NICU (parents/guardian)</li>
<li>End of life (2 visitors)</li>
</ul>
Masks must be worn and screening is required for all who enter Community Health Network facilities.
Sources: Franciscan Health Indianapolis and Community Health Network
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<strong>Johnson County </strong>
New cases: 142
Weekly cases: 997
7-day positivity rate: 12.8%
Hospitalizations: 15
Weekly deaths: 0
<strong>Indiana </strong>
New cases: 6,143
Weekly cases: 38,385
7-day positivity rate: 12.2%
Hospitalizations: 3,040
Weekly deaths: 60
Source: Indiana State Department of Health; Johnson Memorial Hospital
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“We never thought we would need more than 10. We thought it would be more than enough. Unfortunately, that is not turning out to be the case.”
— Dr. David Dunkle, Johnson Memorial Health
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