WILLMAR — More than 40% of the patients in Carris Health-Rice Memorial Hospital Wednesday were admitted because of complications of COVID-19.
It’s the highest percentage and the highest number of COVID-19 patients the hospital has had, Dr. Ken Flowe said at a news conference Wednesday morning. Flowe is an emergency physician and on the Carris Health incident command team overseeing the response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Willmar medical community is seeking the community’s help in keeping the coronavirus pandemic under control in the area.
Cases began to rise about a month ago, and the county now has an average of 65 new cases per day over the past two weeks. In the spring, the average was 17 cases per day.
Currently, the county has 578 active cases. Deaths have risen, too.
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The virus is spreading in every community in the county and in multiple settings.
The advice from the medical community: Wear a mask that covers the nose and mouth, wash hands, use social distancing, and, most of all, stay home on Thanksgiving and other holidays.
Holiday gatherings could contribute to the spread of COVID-19 into the winter. Someone without symptoms could spread the virus to people at a gathering who spread it to others, and the spread would lead to someone’s death.
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