Maui Health Interview: Hospital COVID-19 Count Rises

https://www.facebook.com/mauinow/videos/1614488105380796

By Wendy Osher

*Update: As of Aug. 21, the COVID-19 count associated with the recent hospital infections has risen to 47, including 26 patients and 21 health care workers.

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The number of COVID-19 cases at the Maui Memorial Medical Center has risen to 36 as of noon on Aug. 19.  Maui Health confirmed that there are 19 health care workers and 17 patients at Maui Memorial Medical Center who have tested positive for COVID-19.

Maui Health released a statement this afternoon saying, “Just as we are witnessing the pandemic surge across the state, particularly in Oʻahu, we are also experiencing a community surge on Maui.”

Tracy Dallarda, Communications for Maui Health / Maui Memorial Medical Center said, “Testing of all patients, employees and providers continues, as well as testing all patients upon admission and again on day six of admission if they continue to be a patient at the hospital. The reason behind this testing is to understand the prevalence of the virus in our community. Because our patients, employees, and providers are a direct reflection of our community, it will provide valuable information on viral incidence on Maui and help identify symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, and allow us to further isolate, quarantine, and limit further transmission.”

As the second-round of testing on some patients concludes, several patients are now testing “double negative.”  Dallarda said this “allows them to move into a quarantined space, and we are able to reduce the two recently converted warm units into one.”

We interviewed Dr. Michael Shea, Intensivist and EOC Physician Lead at Maui Health who provided us with the video interview above.