As positive COVID-19 cases in Michigan increase to seven-day average highs not seen in more than a month, the looming question is whether hospitals are more prepared with staff, supplies, drugs, equipment and ICU beds for a second coronavirus wave.
Executives and physicians at several health systems in metro Detroit say they are more prepared now than in March and April for what they all believe will be another strong surge of COVID-19 patients in the coming months.
But the various predictive models that health systems rely on range from twice as many COVID-19 cases this fall that may again strain the health care delivery system to a simple slow burn of peaks and valleys of positive cases that the system has the capacity to handle.
At the height of the COVID-19 crisis in early April, Michigan hospitals were treating more than 5,200 inpatients, including more than 1,400 on ventilators. As of July 10, hospitals have 366 COVID-19 inpatients, up from 315 on July 2, the state said.
Over the past month, Michigan has seen increases in daily cases from about 262 on July 1 to 653 on July 11. The seven-day averages have increased to 451 July 10 from 150 on June 13 compared with a high of 1,632 on April 7.
On Thursday, a health care and business coalition advising Gov. Gretchen Whitmer released a statement that indicated concern over the rising positive COVID-19 rates in Michigan.
Tina Freese Decker, president and CEO of 14-hospital Spectrum Health of Grand Rapids, said “worrisome trends in Michigan” are emerging as other states, like Florida and Texas, have experienced serious outbreaks in recent weeks.
“We are seeing the early signs of an upturn in Michigan. We can lower our risk if we all work together,” Freese Decker said. “We must continue to be vigilant by wearing masks, staying 6 feet apart and washing our hands.”
