This report from the Missouri Hospital Association is designed to help you stay abreast of recent developments related to COVID-19.

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Dashboard Spotlight

Missouri’s Delta Variant Trajectory

Staff Contact: Mat Reidhead or Jackie Gatz

Throughout the last week, hospital leaders from across Missouri have shared their experiences with the ongoing surge of hospitalizations driven by the Delta variant of COVID-19. The warnings from hospital leaders in Springfield to their colleagues have been particularly stark. Be prepared, they say, because Delta moves quickly through communities and through infected patients, with the progression to severe illness requiring ventilation or resulting in death occurring much more rapidly than with previous variants of the virus, and among younger patients. To illustrate their point, last year on March 9 after the first confirmed COVID-19 case in Missouri, it took nine months for hospitals in the Southwest Region to reach 500 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. This year, between mid-May and July 14, it took less than two months for the region’s hospitals to increase from 86 to more than 500 patients, an increase of 509%.

New COVID-19 cases precede hospitalizations and deaths. Reviewing data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services case reporting system suggests that other regions of the state soon will share the Southwest Region’s early experience with unvaccinated patients hospitalized with Delta, which now is widespread throughout the state. The Central Region, for example, added 276 cases per 100,000 residents last week – exactly where the Southwest Region was just two weeks prior. Reports from the state suggest shortages of personal protective equipment and beds are not as much of a constraint this year as is staffing, with traveling respiratory therapists virtually impossible to find. Hospitals across the state should begin preparing for a second surge and expect increased rates not previously experienced during the pandemic.

Weekly COVID-19 Cases per 100,000 Residents in Missouri by Region Through 7/15/21

Access The DHSS Public Health Dashboards

Staff Contact: Dave Dillon or Jackie Gatz

MHA created a video to assist with accessing the Public Health Dashboards on the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services’ website.

Govenment Action

HHS Extends Public Health Emergency

Staff Contact: Sarah Willson or Jane Drummond

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a declaration that a public health emergency still is in existence related to COVID-19. The previous declaration was set to expire July 19. The renewal will be effective for 90 days, or until Monday, Oct. 18. MHA will continue to monitor the impact of the renewal related to current and future waivers.

Hospital Operations

DHSS Restores LTCF Bed Availability Portal

Staff Contact: Sarah Willson or Jackie Gatz

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services restored the portal that hospitals and long-term care facilities can use to communicate bed availability, decreasing time spent searching for an accepting facility. The site first launched in November 2020; however, as COVID-19 numbers decreased, the department stopped maintaining the site. The rise in COVID-19 across the state has created new challenges for hospitals trying to find placement for patients. MHA produced FAQs on the site when it initially launched.

Disease Surveillance Remains High Priority

Staff Contact: Keri Barclay or Kara Amann-Kale

At the center of any infectious disease surveillance program is the ability to identify and screen for infectious disease. There was a reminder to continue to identify, isolate and inform this past week when a case of Monkeypox was identified in the U.S. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services released a notification, and the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center provided additional information related to Monkeypox, including the integration into the surveillance process.

Education

Massachusetts Hospital Association Hosts Emergency Preparedness Webinar

Staff Contact: Jackie Gatz or Kara Amann-Kale

The Massachusetts Hospital Association is hosting a webinar, “Emergency Preparedness 2.0: The Next Crisis,” at noon on Tuesday, July 27. This webinar will cover key lessons learned in capacity management, analytics, communication and staffing. Expert faculty Paul Biddinger, M.D., and Raymond Liu, M.D., will discuss how to leverage these lessons learned from the pandemic to build an integrated, all-hazards preparedness program with designated staff and funding. The webinar will cover how to address health disparities, provider well-being and data-driven solutions early and throughout crisis management. Registration is required.

COVID-19 Update | July 20, 2021

This report from the Missouri Hospital Association is designed to help you stay abreast of recent developments related to COVID-19.

Dashboard Spotlight

Missouri’s Delta Variant Trajectory

Access The DHSS Public Health Dashboards