An Update on COVID-19 and Our Hospital Capacity
March 2, 2022: We are continuing to see declines in COVID-19 cases in the community. The number of patients admitted to Seattle Children’s for COVID-19 has fallen to below 10 for the first time since December 2021. The overall inpatient census fell over mid-winter break but is expected to rise to high levels again. We continue to see very high numbers of patients needing mental and behavioral health care. The numbers of patients with RSV continues to be low. We have not seen any significant influenza activity.
An Update on COVID-19 and Our Hospital Capacity
From: Dr. Brianna Enriquez, Medical Director of Emergency Management and Dr. Elaine Albert, Medical Director, Inpatient Access
Washington state:
- This has been a very challenging few months in the pandemic, as the omicron variant led to all-time highs in COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths.
Seattle Children’s announces temporary suspension of COVID-19 testing for the community
Due to a shortage of testing reagents combined with a surge in demand for testing, we must temporarily decrease the number of COVID-19 tests administered at Seattle Children’s. We have temporarily suspended COVID-19 testing for the community. Effective immediately, we are not accepting referrals from primary care providers for COVID-19 testing.
An Update on COVID-19 and Our Hospital Capacity
Seattle Children’s system-wide number of positive COVID-19 swabs has been approximately doubling every week for the past four weeks and is about three times higher than any other time in the pandemic. Not only are the raw numbers increasing but our positivity rate has gone from about 2% a few weeks ago to nearly 20% last week.
High Patient Surge Strains Hospital and Emergency Department: How You Can Help
After a dip in census over the Thanksgiving holiday, the Emergency Department (ED) and the hospital had a high surge of patients on Monday, November 29. The ED was at 200% capacity Monday evening with a mental health surge of 16 patients (40% of the normal ED bed capacity).
COVID-19 Update on Boosters and Referrals for Antibody Infusion
Boosters Now Available at Main Campus
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has removed qualifying criteria to expand who can get the COVID-19 vaccine booster doses for extended immunity. Seattle Children’s now is able to administer booster doses under an emergency use authorization to any individual who is 18 years and older and has:
- Received two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least six months ago
- Received the single-dose Janssen vaccine at least two months ago
Reminder: Strains On Our ED and Inpatient Capacity – Your Help Requested
As a reminder, we continue to experience a very high number of Emergency Department (ED) visits due in large part to respiratory illnesses, mental health concerns and COVID-19.* The ED is using every available space to treat patients, including lobby space, a converted storage area and tents. Seattle Children’s Urgent Care clinics also are experiencing high demand and are full most days.
All Ambulatory Clinics Are Now Conducting Suicide Screening
Seattle Children’s ambulatory clinics are now screening all patients 10 years of age and older for suicidal ideation. This includes patients at our regional clinics. Screening was rolled out in phases starting in May. Since then, 9,000 ambulatory patients have been screened and over 700 screened positive and received follow-up interventions. Suicide screening has been in place for more than two years in our Emergency Department and inpatient units.
New Flyers in 5 Languages Address Mental Health for Children and Teens
Three leading U.S. pediatric health organizations declared a state of emergency in youth mental health on October 19, 2021. We want to take this opportunity to share several new flyers from Seattle Children’s intended to help families find a qualified and available mental health counselor for their child. We encourage our provider partners in the community to share them with patients and families.
