NJ COVID Omicron update: Teaneck hospital sees drop in hospitalizations, ICU patients

ByAnthony Johnson WABC logo

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

NJ hospital sees drop in COVID hospitalizations, ICU patients

COVID case rates are on the decline in New Jersey, including at one hospital in Teaneck that is seeing hospitalizations drop.

TEANECK, New Jersey (WABC) -- COVID case rates are on the decline in New Jersey, including at one hospital in Teaneck that is seeing hospitalizations drop.

In the first frightening wave of COVID-19, Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, was the epicenter of pandemic.

It went through waves of sick patients and staffing issues.

The recent omicron variant came right at the height of the holidays and once again more patients needed help.

"It was just the perfect storm for a very contagious variant, if it was any other month where we didn't have as much gathering, I wonder if we would've seen the peak that we did," Executive Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Michele Acito said.

For those who came into the hospital seeking help, there were lots of options.

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"We give them steroids we give them Remdesivir, and the IV treatment is for five days, the ones that we give by mouth are over a 10-day period," Acito said.

Just two weeks ago, Holy Name Hospital had 94 COVID patients. Now that number has dropped to 64.

There were 12 in ICU following the holidays, now there are just four, and three unvaccinated patients need help breathing.

"For the unvaccinated, this is a much longer length of stay, longer treatments and often these are the patients that end up on ventilators," Acito said.

The numbers are going in the right direction, but the staff is ready for an uptick in hospitalizations.

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A new unit has been added to handle COVID patients.

"We've done everything we can that everybody remains safe," Acito said.