Edward Hospital reported its highest COVID-19 hospitalization count since the start of the pandemic, with 116 people being treated Tuesday at the Naperville facility.
The number exceeds the previous record high of 97, which was set Nov. 13, 2020, hospital records show.
It’s also another big jump in just a week, when the hospital reported 94 patients admitted for COVID.
In Naperville, there were 3,712 COVID-19 cases reported in the last 14 days as of Tuesday, a new record for the city, according to Naperville’s COVID-19 dashboard.
With the ongoing surge, Edward has decided to postpone all elective surgeries until mid-January, as recommended by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Health and Hospital Association so that beds remain available for COVID-19 patients.
The hospital also is no longer allowing visitors for anyone other than patients who are critically ill or dying or are in the pediatric/infant or mother-and-baby units. Cafes, coffee shops, gift shops and waiting areas have been closed.
“What we’re seeing is this widespread infection throughout the community, whether in vaccinated or unvaccinated individuals,” said Dr. Pinsky, Edward’s medical director of infection control and prevention.
“It’s been very disheartening to say the least,” he said. “Each week it’s been progressively increasing.”
The omicron variant is to blame, Pinsky said. It is more easily transmissible than other strains of the virus, can evade immunity from past infections and can infect even those who are fully vaccinated, he said.
However, the vast majority of those being admitted to the hospital with severe symptoms — between 80% and 90% — have not been vaccinated, Pinsky said.
While Edward has had 188 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, there have been none in the last five days, hospital officials said.
Edward also was able to discharge 26 COVID patients between Monday and Tuesday, pushing the number of people successfully treated to more than 3,100 over the course of the pandemic, hospital data shows.
Edward has enough beds right now to accommodate people who need to be admitted for COVID, “although we’re running on a narrow margin,” Pinsky said. According to Naperville dashboard data, 23% of available beds at Edward were open as of Dec. 30.
While Chicago and Cook County are now requiring restaurants, bars, gyms, stadiums/arenas and venues that sell food and drinks to check patrons’ COVID-19 vaccination cards, no such mandate has been implemented in Naperville or in DuPage and Will counties.
However, some organizations are adopting the rule on their own. The DuPage Children’s Museum in Naperville will start requiring proof of vaccination Monday and the Fry Family YMCA-Naperville will do the same starting Feb. 1.
Pinsky said while vaccination proof may help, curbing COVID transmission requires a multifaceted approach.
“We can’t just rely solely on vaccines to protect us. It’s about masking, distancing, staying away from social gatherings, the vaccines. All these things will help us be protected from COVID-19,? he said.
According to the Illinois Department of Health, between 65% and 87% of residents in Naperville Zip codes are fully vaccinated.
raguerrero@tribpub.com
