New York State’s total Covid-19 hospitalizations have been flat and “even a tick down,” according to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Tuesday, and Stony Brook Southampton Hospital’s confirmed Covid-19 admissions appear to be following suit.
Because the increase in cases at the hospital had been gradual — and not a spike, as in other places — Stony Brook Southampton was not sure earlier this week “whether it’s going one way or the other,” according to Barbara Jo Howard, the director of communications and marketing for the hospital. By yesterday morning, Bob Chaloner, the hospital’s chief administrative officer, said hospital officials were “cautiously optimistic that we are beginning to experience a flattening of the curve.” Nevertheless, he said “it is important to continue to be vigilant in following social distancing and other C.D.C. guidelines.”
As of midday yesterday, Suffolk County was reporting 332 confirmed cases in Southampton Town, 105 in East Hampton Town, and 6 on Shelter Island. There were 23,368 cases reported countywide by yesterday morning, but the Suffolk County health commissioner, Dr. Gregson Pigott, acknowledged Tuesday that people who are currently living in the county but have primary residences elsewhere may not be counted among the county — or town — totals. Countywide on Tuesday, 1,608 patients were hospitalized with the virus, 531 of them in intensive care units.
Declining to report specific numbers, on Tuesday Ms. Howard did confirm that Stony Brook Southampton Hospital — which saw Suffolk County’s first Covid-19 patient in early March — had its largest number of coronavirus patients since the beginning of the pandemic, but she also confirmed yesterday that a number of Covid-19 patients had been discharged on Tuesday.
In addition, Ms. Howard said the hospital had a high number of patients under investigation, believed likely to have the virus by the hospital’s clinicians. “They’re pretty astute and these patients will, typically after testing, confirm positive,” she said.
Over the past two weeks, the hospital’s capacity has been increased from 94 to at least 184 beds. Ms. Howard said the number of beds could be as high as the state’s mandated increase to 188 by press time, but she did not have the latest update as of Tuesday afternoon to confirm it. The hospital has increased its intensive care unit beds from 7 to 21, and Ms. Howard said that not all of them were occupied on Tuesday, nor were all the ventilators taken.
Southampton’s hospital continues to admit patients who do not have the virus and are facing other health crises, some of whom have been transferred from Stony Brook University Hospital, which is concentrating on treating patients with Covid-19. Southampton continues to deliver babies and offer emergency care as well.
The requirements the hospital must follow for testing are still stringent and based on the clinician’s determination after examining the patient. Those who are not patients in the hospital have the option of using testing sites in Riverhead or Stony Brook, once prescreened by a health care provider. Those results are also fed into the county’s total by the state’s health department.
Acknowledging that everyone is hopeful for good news, Ms. Howard warned that an abatement of new cases will not mean the virus is going away. When that happens, “it’s not suddenly over. It’s still here. How long it will flatten and plateau will be interesting. No one can tell” from what we know now, and how the South Fork population behaves after that may be the real test.
“There is going to be no epiphany . . . no morning when the headline says ‘Hallelujah, It’s Over,’ “ Governor Cuomo said in his daily briefing on Monday. “When there’s a vaccine, that’s when it’s really over . . . but there will be points between now and then where we should feel more confident.”
As an example of its cautious outlook, the hospital has canceled the Edie Windsor Backyard BBQ, typically held over Memorial Day weekend. Its annual summer party held in early August may be postponed in favor of some alternative interactive fund-raising activity.
Ms. Howard said convening a large crowd in a small area, as the hospital usually does every year under air-conditioned tents in a field opposite the east end of the hospital, “may not be in the best interest of the community and everyone’s health in the community.”
As of Tuesday, some nonprofit organizations on the South Fork, such as the Parrish Art Museum and Guild Hall, were still selling tickets for their summer benefits online, but many others had canceled their summer fund-raisers.