Average COVID-19 hospitalization is 7.5 days at Verde Valley, Flagstaff medical centers
Social distancing ‘helping to flatten the curve,’ Pontikes says

Tyffany Laurano, interim chief nursing officer for Flagstaff Medical Center, answers questions during Northern Arizona Healthcare’s April 16 media briefing. VVN/Bill Helm

Tyffany Laurano, interim chief nursing officer for Flagstaff Medical Center, answers questions during Northern Arizona Healthcare’s April 16 media briefing. VVN/Bill Helm

COTTONWOOD -- COVID-19 patients checked into either Cottonwood’s Verde Valley Medical Center or Flagstaff Medical Center stay an average of about 7.5 days.

That’s what Chief Quality Officer Josh Mougin said Thursday during Northern Arizona Healthcare’s weekly media briefing via Zoom.

Should those patients require time in intensive care, their stay averages eight days. If they require a ventilator, they stay an average of 9.3 days.

According to Mougin, Northern Arizona Healthcare has discharged 69 COVID-19 patients from its Verde Valley and Flagstaff medical centers.

Fever, as well as a dry cough and shortness of breath are symptoms of COVID-19. According to Derek Feuquay, chief medical officer for Flagstaff Medical Center, “some (people with the coronavirus) are asymptomatic and don’t even know they have it.”

Symptomatic

Since March 26, Northern Arizona Healthcare has collected specimens to be tested for COVID-19. According to Mougin, NAH “still has the same challenges obtaining test kits.”

On average, about 20 people are showing each Monday and each Thursday at Verde Valley Medical Center’s specimen collection site to be tested for COVID-19. The site, Mougin confirmed, is open from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.

“We’re testing all who are symptomatic and with increased risk factors,” Mougin said.

Of the 55 patients checked into Verde Valley Medical Center according to its census taken at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, five are positive for COVID-19. As of NAH’s 1:15 p.m. media briefing Thursday, nine had tested negative and 13 were waiting for results to their tests, according to Ron Haase, chief administrative officer for Verde Valley Medical Center.

-- Follow Bill Helm on Twitter @AZShutterbug42


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