<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602167449399.jpeg" alt="Dr. Davin Turner/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Davin Turner/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostMosaic Life Care reports a spike in COVID hospitalizations in
St. Joseph with the latest numbers indicating a leveling off.Mosaic Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Davin Turner, says 68 COVID
patients were being treated at the St. Joseph hospital Wednesday, up from 59
previously.“We have seven patients in our ICU. Four of those patients are
on ventilators,” Turner tells reporters. “We have two positive patients in our
hospital in Maryville.”Mosaic Thursday morning reported a drop in hospitalizations,
with 55 patients in St. Joseph and two in Maryville.The 5th floor of the St. Joseph hospital, which has
48 beds and is the hospital pandemic ward, is full. Ten patients were being
treated on the 2nd floor Wednesday as the 4th floor, with
another 48 beds, is being prepared for coronavirus patients.“This is dynamic. As the numbers will start to plateau and go
down, we’ll eventually just end back up on 5, completely,” according to Turner.
“You need to continue to watch the city numbers. As you see the city numbers,
positivity on a daily rate, go up it should not be a surprise that we have an
increased number of hospitalized patients.”St. Joseph health officials reported 82 new coronavirus cases
on Tuesday, 75 on Monday. The numbers Wednesday fell off of those highs with 45
new cases reported in Buchanan County, bringing the total county number since
the pandemic began to 2,978.St. Joseph health officials also reported the county’s 36th
coronavirus-related death, a man in his 70s with an underlying health condition.Turner says Mosaic in St. Joseph has the space, equipment, and
staff to handle the current number of COVID-19 patients, though he says the increase
is stretching the Mosaic nursing staff.“Staffing’s tight. When we’re at this level and you have this
many COVID patients in your house, it’s tight. I’m not going to tell you it’s
not,” Turner says. “We have staffing, but our staff, our nurses, our techs, I’m
telling you, our cleaning people, they are working around the clock to take
care of these folks, but it’s tight. I’m not going to tell you it’s not.”Mosaic has now tested 35,861 area residents with 2,831 testing
positive for COVID-19.

Mosaic prepares for the worst as hospitalizations rise