Iowa hospitalizations for COVID-19

KIMT News 3 talked with an Iowa hospital to see how they're dealing with the coronavirus.

Battle the virus./// covid?

"*19 is causing the numbr of hospitalization s to jump in many states.

Including iowa and minnesota.

Tonight a status report from one of our local hospitals... where there are actually fewer covid?

"*19 patients of late.

Kimt news 3's nick kruszalnicki is live in mason city with the details.

Nick?

George and katie ?

"* right now at mercy one north iowa ?

"* there are 26 people hospitalized with covid?

"*19.

That's down from 30 patients a couple of weeks ago.

I spoke with mercy one north iowa c?

"*- o rod schlader this afternoon.

He tells me bed space is tight ?

"* not with covid?

"* 19 pati but with medical and surgical patients.

The critical care unit holds 18 patients and that is also full... six of those are covid?

"*19 patients.

The hospital has set aside extra space for a covid surge, but have yet to use it.

Schlader says the length of time patients are in the hospital is we've been using rendsimvir so that wasn't available in march and that's readily available now, so that helps with the time that they're in the hospital.

We're also using some plasma in certain situations.

Schlader tells me they are using ventilators as a last resort ?

"* which is cutting down on hospital time.

Live in mason city nick thanks nick.

In minnesota there have been over nine thousand people hospitalized for covid?

"*19 since the pandemic began ?

"* over 25 hundred have required