CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — According to data from the Texas Department of Health State Services (DSHS), the Corpus Christi region hospitals have no extra intensive care unit beds.
This chart,created with data from the DSHS, shows all 172 ICU beds as occupied, with 37 percent of those beds being used by COVID-19 patients as of August 10.
Another chart, created with data from the DSHS, shows the total number of regular hospital beds that are available, as of August 10. These figures show 85 percent of these beds being used, with 28 percent being used by COVID-19 patients.
This comes after the Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District reports they received notification ofnine COVID-19 related deaths and 425 new cases Tuesday afternoon.
Annette Rodriguez, City/County Public Health Director told Corpus Christi City Council members Tuesday that COVID-19 cases are rising rapidly across Nueces County.
"We are in a very bad place in a very short period of time," she said.
The most alarming rise, said Rodriguez, is among the pediatric population. About 100 cases among children are now being reported daily.
Rodriguez warned that with schools now opening, the numbers will continue to rise and that the health department is working with local schools to try to control the spread of the coronavirus.
The alarming statistics have prompted the city/county health department to pivot back to testing.
Rodriguez informed the city council that on Monday, 550 people were tested for COVID-19 at the old Spohn Memorial Hospital. 104 of those tests were sent to rapid analysis, 36 turned out positive. Rodriguez says those test results indicate we have a 36% positivity rate which she considers a high percentage.
On the positive side, Rodriguez says vaccinations have climbed from 1,000 a week to 2,000 a week. She said residents can also keep numbers down by wearing a mask.
Dr. Lonnie Schwritlich with Physicians Premier said that the younger population is being affected.
"Young unvaccinated people need to worry, need to understand they can get this virus and they can get this bad effect from it," he said.
He also said that if someone is to become infected with the virus there a new medications to help.
"Regeneron is a combination of two different Monoclonal antibodies, that has been put together and that will decrease their chance of being admitted to the hospital by 70 percent."