The situation with the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve rapidly, and all members of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health (D-HH) system are seeing marked increases in active COVID-19 cases in their organizations.
As of Dec. 1, D-HH members are treating a total of 62 COVID-19 patients, including 33 patients at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, 15 at Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, 1 at Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital (APD) in Lebanon, 4 at Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center in Windsor, VT; 2 at New London Hospital; and 7 being followed by Visiting Nurse and Hospice of Vermont and New Hampshire.
D-HH member hospitals are also prepared to take steps as they become necessary, to reduce or delay non-emergent surgeries, among other strategies to make bed space available for COVID-19 admissions.
The state of New Hampshire now has 400 people hospitalized with active COVID-19 infections.
As of November 23, 2021, New Hampshire had the third highest per capita daily average of new COVID-19 cases out of the 50 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia. New Hampshire is also surging in terms of hospitalizations, in comparison with other U.S. states that have seen at least a 40% rise in the past 14 days. At present, around 18% of hospital inpatients in New Hampshire have COVID-19 (39% in ICUs).
Overall, 65% of the NH population is fully vaccinated, with many having also received or signed up to receive a booster dose. Unfortunately, this is still insufficient to stop the spread of the virus, with lower rates of vaccination in younger age groups who have had less social distancing and mask use in public (<50% fully vaccinated under the age of 30).
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health continues to strongly advocate for COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters, as well as continued mask wearing, physical distancing, and thorough hand washing.
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