Community case numbers will dictate COVID-19 patient load, says Thunder Bay hospital chief of staff

The chief of staff for the Thunder Bay regional hospital says the recent increase of cases in the Thunder Bay area is a concern, which has also corresponded with a rise in patients being hospitalized with the virus.

In a two-week span, the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre had gone from 10 patients hospitalized who had tested positive for COVID-19, reaching as high as 35 over the weekend and now at 29 on Tuesday.

The hospital reopened its COVID-19 unit on Feb. 15, initially with a capacity of 13 beds. As patient numbers have climbed, the unit now covers the hospital's 3A ward.

Dr. Zaki Ahmed, the hospital's chief of staff and a critical care physician, said as case counts grow in the community, so will the number of people requiring hospital care, as well as treatment in the intensive care unit.

"Our community numbers will dictate how many patients we get in the hospital. As that increases, we're going to get to a point where we're stretched," he said.

The Thunder Bay District had 374 active cases on Tuesday, with 96 announced in a two-day span.

Over the past two weeks, the hospital has seen the number of patients in its intensive care unit triple. As of Tuesday, there were nine patients who had tested positive for COVID-19 requiring intensive care. To address that volume, the hospital has expanded its capacity to provide intensive care in other areas of the facility beyond just that unit.

Ahmed has been involved in treating patients in both the COVID-19 and intensive care units.

"Everyone who is being admitted is afraid. They don't have the support of their loved ones, which they would usually have," Ahmed said, adding while those patients are able to use devices to communicate virtually, it's not the same as having in-person visits.

"Those that are ill are fairly ill. They're requiring support in the ICU and we're trying to manage that as best we can."

Ahmed said the hospital's surge plan, which includes preparations to increase capacity, also changes the focus of their surgical plans.

"We've had to focus on day surgeries and short-stay procedures, simply because of capacity," Ahmed said.