Coronavirus: 521 patients hospitalized in the area; 6 new deaths in Shelby
Registered nurse Holly Cote administers COVID-19 nasal swabs at a drive-thru testing site over the summer at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian file)
For the fourth day in a row, there were more than 500 COVID-positive patients in area hospital beds.
As of 5 p.m. Thursday, there were 521 COVID-positive patients in area hospitals, according to the Tennessee Healthcare Resource Tracking System.
According to the HRTS, 93% of area intensive care unit beds and 92% of area acute care beds were in use.
About 37% of patients in area ICU beds were either COVID-positive (142) or suspected of having coronavirus (6). About 20% of patients in area acute care beds were either COVID-positive (379) or suspected of having coronavirus (55).
The area had 30 ICU beds and 198 acute care beds available.
The capacity data includes all hospital facilities in Shelby, Tipton and Lauderdale counties in Tennessee; Crittenden County, Arkansas; and DeSoto County, Mississippi.
The Shelby County Health Department reported 298 new coronavirus cases and six new related deaths on Friday, Dec. 4.
The 298 cases come from 1,749 tests, giving the day a positivity rate of 17%.
(Courtesy: Shelby County Health Department)
Shelby County’s reported coronavirus total is now 49,929 cases, including 45,858 inactive cases (recoveries), 3,382 active cases and 689 deaths.
Tennessee’s Department of Health reports statewide coronavirus figures at 2 p.m. daily.
As of Thursday, the agency reported 388,252 coronavirus cases, including 4,781 deaths, 2,476 current hospitalizations and 347,412 inactive cases (recoveries).
About 4.6 million coronavirus tests have been performed in Tennessee.
Topics
coronavirus Shelby County Health Department Tennessee Department of Health Tennessee Healthcare Resource Tracking SystemElle Perry
A native Memphian, Elle Perry has earned graduate degrees from the University of Memphis and Maryland Institute College of Art. She’s written for publications including the Memphis Business Journal, Memphis Flyer and High Ground News, and previously served as coordinator of The Teen Appeal.
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.