Thursday, March 28, 2024

Riverside Says Overwhelming Majority of COVID-19 Patients are Unvaccinated

Riverside Doctors' Hospital Williamsburg/ (WYDaily/file photo)
Riverside Health System reports that approximately 80% of COVID-19-related hospitalizations over the last month have not been fully vaccinated. (WYDaily/file photo)

HAMPTON ROADS– Riverside Health System reports that approximately 80 percent of those who are hospitalized for conditions that are COVID-19-related are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.

Riverside, among healthcare organizations in the local region, is seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant.

In a Sept. 9 release, Riverside provided a summary of COVID-19 positive patient demographics discharged over the last 30 days.

The medical system stated that the Delta variant cases are nearing the initial COVID-19-related total numbers that it saw during the peak in January 2021.

In new data recorded through Sept. 7, Riverside reports that approximately 80 percent of COVID-19-related hospitalizations are patients who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, stating that it is “an overwhelming majority.”

Riverside goes on to state that 92 percent of patients in the 19-49 age group that were discharged over those 30 days that were confirmed positive for COVID-19 were unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.

Out of the 50-64 age group that were discharged over the 30 day reporting period that were confirmed positive for COVID-19, 93 percent were unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, and out of the 65-95 age group, 61 percent were unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.

In the intensive care unit, 83 percent of patients were unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, and 17 percent were fully vaccinated.

Riverside also shared that 3 percent of its COVID-19 cases resulted in deaths, and 100 percent of those patients were unvaccinated.

The health care system stated that amid the high number of COVID-19 cases, it is facing a shortage of healthcare workers.

“Staffing is lower than before the pandemic began,” Riverside stated in the release. “The demands on health systems are only increasing, impacting many areas as the need for hospital beds to treat COVID-19 patients increases. We recognize that some of you have had to reschedule elective surgeries that require an overnight stay. Others are experiencing longer-than normal wait times in our hospital emergency departments. Our dedicated teams are working hard to care for COVID-19 patients and those experiencing life-threatening illnesses and conditions.”

Riverside noted that a vaccinated person who contracts the virus typically does not require hospitalization, and those that do are typically the result of other, non-COVID-related conditions such as congestive heart failure, obesity, and diabetes.

Riverside urges those that are experiencing mild symptoms, such as a sore throat and a low-grade fever, to consider visiting their primary care provider or local urgent care facility rather than the emergency room.

For more information or to schedule an appointment to receive a vaccine, contact your healthcare provider or visit the website for Vaccinate Virginia.

Sentara Healthcare has also provided data reflecting all 12 of its hospitals.

“Roughly 86% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients across all Sentara hospitals are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, which is in line with other national data,” Sentara said in a statement to WYDaily.

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