Today’s Stats
As of today, Lee Health has:
- 190 COVID-19 patients isolated in our hospitals
- Submitted 46,462 specimens for testing
- Discharged 2,108 patients since the start of the pandemic
- 225 employees quarantined; 9 exposed at work and positive for COVID-19
- Currently 63% of our ventilators and 22% of our ICU rooms are available for use
- Current census is at 81% of staffed operational bed capacity, with 17.3% of those being COVID-19 patients.
- Yesterday, we had a 20.1% positivity rate on COVID-19 tests processed through Lee Health Labs. This represents Lee Health only, and not Lee County as a whole.
Today’s News
A Message from Dr. Larry Antonucci
The Lee Health mobile collection sites hit a significant milestone on Wednesday—the 30,000th specimen collected for COVID-19 testing. Early on in our fight against coronavirus, our teams mobilized to set up the collection sites to increase access to testing for our families, friends and neighbors in Fort Myers and Cape Coral. The teams manning these sites have worked tirelessly in the heat (in full personal protective gear) and rain, and while facing their own fears and anxieties from this novel virus to serve our community. Thank you to our exceptional team members and leaders, including our partners in Lee County and at the City of Fort Myers, the Cape Coral Fire Department and the City of Cape Coral, for providing this service that has and continues to help so many.
Convalescent Plasma Can Save a Life
If you have recovered from COVID-19, and your symptoms have resolved, help us save more lives by donating convalescent plasma to the Mayo Clinic Convalescent Plasma study. Convalescent plasma is blood plasma collected from COVID-19 survivors, which is then used to treat critically-ill patients as part of the clinical trial.
All donations collected by Lee Health stay in our community and are used exclusively for Lee Health patients. To volunteer to donate, email COVID.Plasma@LeeHealth.org.
Studies Show That Wearing a Mask Works
At this time, the only available methods to protect ourselves from COVID-19 are wearing masks or face coverings when out in public, keeping distance from others and frequent hand-washing. Current trends show that wearing a mask or face covering in public settings is most effective at stopping the spread of the virus. In the latest Healthy News Blog, K. Alex Daneshmand, D.O., MBA, chief quality and patient safety officer, shared recent studies supporting mask use and its protective benefits. To read his blog, click here.
A Note About this Publication
To streamline communications, and because this information is also shared on our social media platforms, we are discontinuing this weekly publication. To stay up-to-date on COVID-19 stats at Lee Health, follow us on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/LeeHealth) or Twitter (www.Twitter.com/Lee_Health).