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Decatur-Morgan Hospital officials say ICU beds filling up are "taking a toll" on staff

Morgan County Leaders caution people to be careful as we approach the holiday season.

DECATUR, Ala. — Decatur-Morgan Hospital officials say the number of positive patients is taking a toll on healthcare workers.

Officials says they currently have 29 patients with the virus there. Nine patients are now in the ICU, with only nineteen ICU beds.

Seven of those are on ventilators, up two compared to last week. Hospital officials say they are planning a "soft open" for the new "COVID unit" in about two weeks.

Hospital workers say the average age of those patients are ages 67, the oldest is 92, and the youngest is 40.

Leaders are encouraging people to continue to follow CDC guidelines ahead of the holidays.

"I caution everyone, we all are weary of COVID. We're ready to get back to what ever normal life was before all this happened, but we're not done. We still have to have vigilance and wearing our masks and distancing as much as possible," says Decatur-Morgan Hospital Chief Nursing Officer, Anita Walden.

Also, hospital officials say 16 employees are out sick today, and all of them tested positive for COVID-19. Twenty-six are in quarantine.

Walden says statewide, about 49% percent of positive patients with the coronavirus required ICU care. Of those in ICU, about 40% require a ventilator.

She says slightly more females have tested positive, than males. However, slightly more males have died than females. The age group most often positive is 25-49 years and more than 70% of the deaths are over 65 years old.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a plethora of information on how to protect yourself and other from the coronavirus.  

The virus can easily spread from person to person, so the CDC recommends you stay at least 6-feet apart from people not in your household. The virus is spread through respiratory droplets that are produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, breaths or talks, according to the CDC. Because of this, the CDC recommends you wear a cloth facemask when around others and in public. 

Additionally, the CDC recommends that you frequently wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. 

Symptoms to look out for include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, a sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting and diarrhea, according to the CDC. 

Click here to find more COVID-19 information from the CDC. 

If you suspect you have the coronavirus, you should seek out testing and self-quarantine. 

Click here to find more COVID-19 information from the Alabama Department of Public Health. 

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