LEXINGTON, Ky. – Gov. Andy Behsear continues warning Kentuckians about the significant danger posed by COVID-19 as deaths and hospitalizations continue to increase rapidly. 

Eighty of Kentucky’s 120 counties are in the “red zone” as positivity rates as of Monday, Nov. 9, were the highest in the Commonwealth since May 5. 

As a result of the ongoing increases in COVID-19 cases, hospitals are implementing measures to handle the subsequent rise in hospitalizations. University of Kentucky HealthCare is seeing its highest number of COVID-19 inpatients since the pandemic began and hospital leaders emphasize the health system is prepared and equipped to handle a surge but also plea with the public to do their part to continue to prevent the further spread of the virus. Since mid- to late-summer, UK HealthCare has averaged about 25-to-30 COVID-19 positive inpatients but in the last 10 to 14 days, the number of inpatients has increased to 45 to 50.

University of Kentucky executive vice president for health affairs Dr. Mark F. Newman said despite this increase, UK HealthCare hospitals – UK Chandler Hospital, UK Good Samaritan Hospital and UK Kentucky Children's Hospital – are still running within regular capacity. If cases of COVID-19 continue to increase, however, the hospital has the capability to surge to 320 ICU beds in UK Chandler Hospital Pavilion A, which was designed so every room could convert to an intensive care, negative-pressure room.

With the increase in cases throughout the state, hospital leaders also stressed the need for everyone to do their part to prevent the spread of the virus.

“We want to reiterate the basic practices for the protection of you and the people around you and the people you love,” said Colleen Swartz, UK HealthCare vice president for hospital operations. “They are fairly simple: mask-wearing, social distancing, hand washing – and then if you or a family member has been tested – make sure you are following the recommendations from the local health department given to you if you or someone who is a close contact has tested positive.” 

Also important to remember during the pandemic is to not put off or delay routine screenings and especially not to wait to seek care when needed. 

“The hospital really is one of the safest places to be due to the measures we take to protect our staff and our patients,” Newman said. “Unfortunately, right now our case mix index (CMI), which is an indicator of how sick our patients are when they come to us, is higher than it has ever been. I can't stress enough that whether it is coming to our hospital or clinics or one in your community, to not put off getting the care you need.”

Swartz added that while health care officials are always worried about capacity during flu season, this year brings its own challenges with two diseases where some symptoms are very similar but the treatments can be very different. UK HealthCare has begun offering a dual test where one swab can test for both flu and COVID-19.

“We want to differentiate whether we are dealing with the flu or COVID as quickly as possible when a patient presents for care,” she said. 

And while preparing for an increase in COVID-19 patients as the flu season begins, there is some good news. 

“During the past six or seven months, we have learned a lot and we are much better prepared, we have much better access to testing and we also are seeing overall mortality rates going down because we are more effectively treating patients and finding success with treatments such as dexamethasone and remdesivir,” Newman said.

Hospital leaders say while patients and families can be assured that they have the preparedness plans and expertise to care for patients, it is vital that everyone do their part to protect themselves and those they come in contact with social distancing, mask-wearing and hand washing.

“We can definitely step in and blunt this wave that we are seeing now by doing some very simple day-to-day practices,” Swartz said.

Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) operates rural hospitals in Barbourville, Harlan, Hazard, Hyden, McDowell, Middlesboro, Morgan County, South Williamson and Whitesburg, Kentucky, and Beckley and Summers County, West Virginia. As rural counties continue seeing record numbers of COVID-19 cases, ARH Chief Medical Officer Dr. Maria Braman said there is a plan in place to not only treat patients but also protect visitors and staff. 

“We have reduced the number of entrances to our facilities with screeners at each available entrance,” Braman said. “Beckley ARH currently has no visitation except for special circumstances and we are regularly updating our Visitation Information to meet the needs of our patients and their families amidst the pandemic.”

The COVID-19 response at Georgetown Community Hospital continues to evolve along with the pandemic. The hospital has restricted visitors, closed common areas, and adheres to Kentucky Department for Public Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.

“Georgetown Community Hospital has limited entry points to our facility and are screening everyone – employees, providers, patients and the visitors with exceptions – who enters the building,” according to a press release. "Until otherwise notified, everyone entering the facility should come through the ER or main hospital entrance. All other entry points will be closed until further notice. All patients, visitors with exceptions and staff entering the facility will be screened with questions regarding respiratory symptoms and travel history, per CDC recommendations. Patients with symptoms will immediately be provided masks and managed per CDC guidelines. Based on the screening, individuals may be asked to take their temperature, speak further with someone, or come back at a later date. If any visitor with exceptions is experiencing any respiratory symptoms or has a fever, they will not be permitted to visit a patient - even if they are wearing a mask. Screening will occur upon every entry. We have closed our common areas, such as the gift shop, chapel, and cafeteria, as another step to minimize the risk of exposure to patients, visitors, employees and providers. Our cafeteria will continue to operate for patients, employees and providers only.”