Yuma Regional Medical Center reports second day without any COVID-19 hospitalizations
News 11's Adonis Albright speaks with YRMC's Chief Nursing Officer about whether this trend means things are heading in the right direction
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - On Wednesday, Yuma Regional Medical Center (YRMC) reported zero new hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients. It's a far cry from this same time last year, where the hospital had nearly 100 patients admitted with the coronavirus. But with the Memorial Day weekend now in the rearview mirror, YRMC says it will be monitoring the situation very closely over the next couple of days.
“We’re being optimistically cautious, hoping we won’t see a surge in 7 to 10 days", said Deb Aders, the Chief Nursing Officer at YRMC.
Although Yuma Regional is seeing fewer COVID-19 hospitalizations, not to mention a lower number of overall reported cases countywide, that's not to say there aren't coronavirus positive patients walking through the hospital's doors. Aders says the hospital is still seeing some patients who have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, but are not being admitted for their symptoms.
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Yuma County is inching closer to herd immunity when it comes to vaccinations. As of Wednesday, roughly 44% of the population has received the vaccine. The threshold for herd immunity sits at around 50 to 90%, according to Aders. Despite the good news, it doesn't necessarily mean the virus is going away any time soon.
“I really think that you’re gonna have to deal with COVID like you deal with flu, like we dealt with H1N1, it’s always going to be around", said Aders.
This same time last year, YRMC saw a massive spike in COVID-19 hospitalizations after the Memorial Day weekend, from about 30 patients to more than 80. A month later in July, that number shot up to almost 180 hospitalizations. The hospital is optimistic it won't see similar figures this time around. However, YRMC says it has plenty of PPE and COVID-19 protocols in place in preparation for whatever may come through their doors in the coming days.
YRMC is encouraging the public to get their COVID-19 shot if they haven't already done so. With the state-supported POD site at the Yuma Civic Center closing its doors by the end of the month, it's a better time than any to get vaccinated. The last day to get your first shot will be this Saturday, June 5. To register for an appointment, click here.
