Hospital admissions for COVID-19 patients in Pima County are climbing, with 67 new patients admitted Aug. 11 — the highest number in one day in more than a month.
As of Aug. 12, the last day Pima County data was updated by the Health Department here, 348 out of the county's 356 intensive care unit beds were in use and the number of occupied surge beds peaked at 1,451 last week, leaving just 51 beds out of the 1,502 total. Surge beds are set up during health crises to handle overflow.
Unvaccinated people and the spread of the highly contagious COVID-19 delta variant are two of the primary reasons for the increase, health experts say. The delta variant has become the dominant strain, and is up to six times more contagious than other strains.
There were over 145 cases per 100,000 people here as of Aug. 14, county health data show. That's a threefold increase in the number of cases in the past two weeks, and the agency has made an urgent request for everyone to do what they can to protect public health by getting vaccinated, wearing masks when indoors and social distancing.
In addition to a growing number of cases in school settings, the county is reporting an increasing number of pediatric cases where COVID illness is seriously affecting young children. This has resulted in more children being seen in emergency rooms due to COVID-19 illness, as well as for other reasons including lung and respiratory infections.
Area hospitals report being very busy but there are still beds available.
"While Northwest Healthcare hospitals are busy, we have capacity in both our medical and critical units, and we are prepared to care for all patients who need medical attention," said Faith Lane, senior marketing associate with Northwest Medical Center, 6200 N. La Cholla Blvd., and Oro Valley Hospital, 1551 E. Tangerine Road.
Keith Jones, the spokesman for Tenet Health, said they still have capacity at Tucson's St. Joseph's and St. Mary's hospitals here.
"Though we are very busy, we continue to have the capacity within our system to meet the health care needs in our community at this time," said Rebecca Ruiz Hudman, spokeswoman for Banner-University Medical Center Tucson, 1625 N. Campbell Ave.
Tucson Medical Center, 5301 E. Grant Road, had 28 COVID-positive patients hospitalized as of Tuesday and none were pediatric patients.
"We have seen an increase in children coming through our emergency department with various respiratory issues such as (respiratory syncytial virus), but we’ve only admitted two COVID-positive children in the last month," said Angela Pittenger, communications specialist with TMC.
The majority of children that have tested positive for COVID have not been ill enough to be hospitalized, she said.
Additional dose
for vulnerable
To help people who are more vulnerable to the variants that are now arising, the Health Department is offering a third dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine for certain immunocompromised people.
Currently, the CDC is recommending an additional dose for moderately or severely immunocompromised people, including the following:
- Recipients of active cancer treatment for tumors or blood cancers
- Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome and Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
- Organ transplant recipients who are taking immune-suppressing medications
- Stem cell recipients (in the past two years)
- Advanced or untreated HIV patients
- Patients undergoing active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other immune-suppressing medications.
Pima County residents are encouraged to talk to their health care provider for guidance on whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for them. People who are moderately to severely immunocompromised are more at risk for serious and prolonged illness from COVID-19. The CDC does not recommend additional doses or booster vaccines for any other population at this time.
The county is making this offering following an Aug. 12 decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to allow additional doses of vaccines under certain circumstances, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorses.
The additional dose should be the same mRNA vaccine as the two primary doses. However, if not available, the other brand of mRNA vaccine can be used. The additional dose should be at least 28 days after completion of the initial two-dose series.
Anyone who is moderately or severely immunocompromised and has completed the initial two-dose mRNA series at least 28 days ago can get an additional dose at the following Pima County clinics or contact the Health Department at 520-222-0119 if they are homebound:
- Theresa Lee Public Health Center, 1493 W. Commerce Court, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays, from 1 to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays;
- The North Clinic, 3550 N. First Ave., from 8 a.m. to noon on Mondays, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursdays;
- The East Clinic, 6920 E. Broadway, Suite E, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, from 8 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays;
- The Abrams Public Health Center, 3950 S. Country Club Road, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays;
- The Walter Rogers Clinic, 175 W. Irvington Road, from 6 to 9 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
For more information about finding a mobile or "pop-up" vaccination event visit pima.gov/covid19vaccine.
Rey Rocha, a store manager at Fry's Food Store on East Grant Road, received a $1 million check from the Kroger Community Immunity Giveaway on Aug. 16.
