Park County Hits Highest Number of COVID-19 Hospitalizations

Active COVID-19 cases in Park County may be on the decline, but hospitalizations remain higher than at any other point during the nearly two-year pandemic.

Park County finds itself in a difficult situation. While the county’s overall number of COVID-19 cases continues to drop, no relief is available in regional hospitals.

The steady decline in COVID-19 cases observed over the past few weeks continues. As of Tuesday, Oct. 19, there were 121 active cases of COVID-19 in Park County – the lowest number since late August. In terms of infections and active cases, the latest surge seems to be on its way out.

However, both Cody Regional Health and Powell Valley Healthcare are busier than ever, filled with severe cases of COVID-19. Hospitalizations remain at the highest levels Park County has ever encountered.

Courtesy Wyoming Department of Health

As recently as Sunday, Oct. 17, there were 24 COVID-19 hospitalizations in Park County – fourteen in Cody and eight in Powell – and no open I.C.U. beds in either hospital.

Park County Public Health Officer Dr. Aaron Billin added a somber note to the numbers.

“(Park County’s hospitalization numbers) don’t include the sickest who have been transferred to tertiary care hospitals in multiple states,” he stated in an Oct. 19 Facebook post.

The most severe cases of COVID-19 are typically transferred to out-of-state hospitals – like Billings Clinic and St. Vincent’s – so patients can receive more specialized care. But this continues to be difficult as hospitals continue to be at or near capacity with COVID patients.

Hospitalizations have dropped since this update – but only slightly. As of Tuesday, Oct. 18, there were 22 COVID-19 hospitalizations in Park County with two open I.C.U. beds. Unfortunately, the county’s COVID-19 death count has risen to 68 individuals.

Cody Regional Health continues to release information on its COVID-19 patients. While not going into specifics on any patient, they are publishing trends observed in the hospital’s Emergency Department.

Courtesy Cody Regional Health

The numbers out of Cody Regional Health are clear – no age group is safe from COVID-19 infection.

On Wednesday, Oct. 20, the hospital released a graphic of COVID-19 data. It shows that multiple patients from every age range were seen in the Emergency Department for COVID-19 in September. While the average age of a patient was 52, the youngest patient seen was only ten months old.

There is another clear trend – Cody Regional Health saw more people between the ages of 50 and 80 for severe COVID-19 symptoms than every other age group combined.

Previously, Cody Regional Health released the vaccination status of those patients seen by the Emergency Department in Sept. 2021. Of the 155 people seen in the C.R.H. Emergency Department in September, 126 of them – over 83% – were unvaccinated.

COVID-19 vaccination continues to be offered at no cost at several local entities, including Walgreens, Walmart, and Albertsons. In addition, Park County PuICUblic Health continues to offer vaccination clinics at its Cody and Powell offices.