There’s a “night and day difference” between Wisconsin hospitals’ readiness to handle a potential surge in COVID-19 cases today compared to two months ago, said Eric Borgerding, president and chief executive officer of the Wisconsin Hospital Association.
As they resume non-urgent services and primary care appointments, health care providers are prepared to respond to a potential future wave of COVID-19 inpatients, he said.
To date, Wisconsin hospitals have not experienced extreme capacity surges during the pandemic, which public health leaders largely credit to the effectiveness of social distancing measures.
The rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations has remained largely steady over the past month, at about 350 patients, he noted. As of Monday morning, there were 379 COVID-19 inpatients in the state, up from 356 COVID-19 on Friday. Hospital leaders have said the region saw its peak of COVID-19 hospitalizations in mid-April.
Moving forward, Borgerding said, WHA will continue to monitor the number of COVID-19 inpatients as a key indicator of the stress the coronavirus is putting on hospitals’ capacity.