More COVID-19 patients are staying in the hospital than most months

FILE – In this Nov. 11, 2020, file photo, medical works operate a testing tent at a COVID-19 mobile testing site in the Brooklyn borough of New York. School systems in several states are giving up on in-person classes, and some governors are reimposing restrictions on bars and restaurants or getting more serious about masks, as the coast-to-coast resurgence of the coronavirus sends deaths, hospitalizations and new infections soaring. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

by: DJ Summers

Posted: Nov 13, 2020 / 12:32 PM MST

Updated: Nov 13, 2020 / 04:48 PM MST

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DENVER (KDVR) — Hospitals aren’t just admitting more coronavirus patients than ever. More of those patients are staying in the hospital.

Colorado’s statewide glut of new COVID-19 cases has prompted public officials from local and state levels to tighten restrictions, leading to fears of another lockdown. On Nov. 11, the state clocked its highest-ever count of daily case with 4,591. Every day in November has produced over 2,000 new cases.

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Along with the caseload come the highest-ever number of patients in the hospital with COVID-19 either confirmed or suspected. As of Nov. 12, there were 1,322 patients in hospitals statewide, and more patients admitted on a daily basis than any point since mid-April.

Hospitals are not cycling these patients in and out at quick clip. They are discharging larger numbers of patients, but that is only because the admissions numbers are high altogether. Hospitals are discharging a smaller percentage of incoming COVID-19 than most points of time.

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment averages show the gap between admissions and discharges has been steadily growing since mid-September.

Most recently, the average daily COVID-19 patient intake was 158 per day versus the average discharge of 112 per day. This means the state’s hospitals are keeping a seven-day average of 29% of COVID-19 patients.

This average has dropped in the last week, but is still higher than most points in pandemic history after a steady climb starting in September.

Oct. 30 saw the highest percentage of patients kept in hospitals than any point. Healthcare facilities kept an average 42% of COVID-19 patients.

Since Nov. 8, however, that number has fallen from 40% to 29%, dipping below the average from the wave of hospitalizations seen in mid-July.