Doctor: Compared To Other States, Colorado's Cautious Approach Helps Keep Coronavirus Positivity Rate Low

DENVER (CBS4) - If Memorial Day is any indication, Colorado will likely see an uptick in COVID-19 hospitalizations from the 4th of July, but health officials are optimistic overall. 

"We did see an uptick after Memorial Day and usually it's about a 10-to-14 day period where we see an increase in hospitalizations and then if the disease is severe, the deaths happen around the 21st day is an estimate," said Dr. Monique Butler, an internal medicine physician and Chief Medical Officer at Swedish Medical Center. 

But what is an uptick? For Butler, it's going from 6 new patients in house to 10 after some of the restrictions were lifted over the last month. 

"That's actually low for us. That's actually some of our lowest numbers. We got down to 6 and we saw as I mentioned a bit of an uptick after some of the relaxation of the parameters around social distancing," she said. 

Over the entire HealthOne system, there are approximately 29 cases, overall, not an increase for HealthOne. Other hospitals are reporting similar numbers. UCHealth says it has seen an increase of 15 cases in the last week for a total of 50, but still, low. 

More than 80 percent of hospitals across the state are reporting numbers there are 173 patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 compared to almost 900 in April. 

While the number of positive cases in Colorado has increased, especially in young people, Butler believes the state's cautious approach to reopening has helped keep the positivity rate low -- relative to other states. 

"The fact that the positive rate here in Colorado is only 4 percent is promising to me as the chief medical officer here at Swedish and as a physician -- because currently right now Arizona is seeing a positivity rate of 25 percent," said Butler. 

She is painfully aware that things can change quickly and believes the governor's recent decision to scale back service in bars and nightclubs was wise.

"Ya know, COVID-19 is here to stay until we get an efficacious vaccine, so we will see COVID patients in our hospital, just like we see flu patients during flu season. So the number 10 is not of a concern for us right now." 

She says the hospital has the capacity to take on more, but she encourages people to take restrictions seriously. Wearing masks was her number one piece of advice.

"We just need to be wise and to hold on a just a little while longer. Other parts of the country are starting to surge and if we're not careful, we will surge again," said Butler.