Hospitals in Houston see increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- With the COVID-19 positivity rate going up in Houston and a sudden uptick in cases, hospitals are getting concerned.
Over the summer, Houston hospitals were in surge capacity, which ultimately stressed the system and staff. Hospital officials said that's something they don't want to see happen again.
"We don't want to be back where we were in July. We're seeing the numbers of cases grow around the country," said President and CEO of Memorial Hermann Health System David Callender.
Hospitalizations for both positive and suspected COVID-19 patients are going up.
SEE MORE: Houston's virus positivity rate climbs from 5.6% to 6.5%
"So the numbers have come up from under 200 to 225 to 240 on a daily basis. We've seen this tick up gradually, and so we're concerned that it may go higher over the course of time," said Callender.
He said while they're seeing a lot of young people get the virus, the ones in the hospital are more middle-aged.
"(People in their) 40s, 50s and 60s, they tend to have a little bit more severe course of illness than the younger folks," said Callender.
He said while there's several reasons for the uptick, one thing they've noticed is that the spread is not happening in businesses, but rather from gatherings.
"We know that we're all a little tired of staying indoors, staying apart from our friends and family and it's easy, particularly when we're around those who are more familiar to say, 'I don't need a mask. You're probably okay.' Well that's dangerous behavior. Just remind everybody we're still at risk," said Callender.
It's a message we need to think about, especially during the holiday season.
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