ID Doctor: Cottage Hospital preparing for ‘maximum readiness’ for likely worsening of COVID-19

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Canceling Halloween and other Fall social activities right now is just what the doctor ordered.

NewsChannel 3 talked to Dr. David Fisk, an Infectious Disease specialist at Cottage Health and Sansam Clinic. Fisk said current COVID-19 numbers are the lowest the staff at Cottage Hospital has seen since March.

"We're thrilled about that," said Fisk.

In the past seven months, from March 1 to October 1, Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital cared for 262 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, according to information provided by Cottage Health spokeswoman, Maria Zate.

The Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital emergency staff cared for an additional 245 patients with COVID-19 who did not require admission and were discharged from the Emergency Department for home isolation.

As of Monday afternoon, October 26, Cottage Hospital had zero COVID-19 patients.

However, Fisk anticipates that number will quickly change.

"Our team is also preparing in terms of maximum readiness and preparation for likely worsening of COVID in the coming weeks and months," said Fisk.

"And, improving our resources for care and our systems for care and sort of continuing, pushing ahead to be the best place we can for the care of COVID. We are continuing to look at new research protocols for experimental treatments that may potentially benefit patients and evaluate those as well. So, more to come."

Dr. Fisk and the medical staff at Cottage Hospital and Sansum Clinic are closely monitoring COVID-19 numbers in other states and in Europe. European nations are imposing new restrictions as COVID cases soar to record numbers in some areas.

For more information about Cottage Health and local COVID-19 information, click the following link: https://www.cottagehealth.org/coronavirus-covid-19/updates/

For more information about Sansum Clinic and local COVID-19 information, click the attached link: https://covid19.sansumclinic.org/