Cottage Hospital Activates COVID Unit

In Santa Barbara, COVID is on the increase, with Cottage Hospital converting one area into a COVID unit to handle the 33 patients who are currently positive, seven of them in critical care. As well, the triple whammy of influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 has sent the bed count in the intensive care units of Santa Barbara County hospitals on a roller-coaster ride during the past couple of weeks.  However, the low of nine available ICU beds on December 1 could just be a reflection of the number of nurses available, said Jackie Ruiz of the Public Health Department, explaining that staffing is one criteria for the available bed count. Today, the ICU availability figure countywide is 14.

The new COVID ward at Cottage is a return to the pandemic years of personal protection equipment, specialized air flow, and up-to-date training. “Our staff are very familiar with these safety precautions that have been successful in helping to keep our hospitals safe for care throughout previous COVID surges,” said Cottage spokesperson Maria Zate.

Statewide, the California Department of Health reports a steadily increasing number of positive COVID tests over the past month, rising from about 2,400 average daily cases to more than 5,400 statewide. The number is a fraction of actual positive tests, as so many are done at home and go unreported, but the trend indicates increasing cases overall.