LANSING, Mich. — A major Detroit-area health care provider reported another drop in COVID-19 patients Thursday, its lowest number since April 1, and said it has reached a plateau in battling the coronavirus.
Henry Ford Health System cautioned that the crisis is far from over, but said it’s encouraged enough to start scheduling surgeries unrelated to the virus and suspending plans to create extra space for COVID-19 patients.
Henry Ford, which has five hospitals in southeastern Michigan, said it had 617 COVID-19 patients. More than 1,300 have been sent home in the last 30 days.
It “places us more on a plateau phase of this pandemic,” said Dr. Betty Chu, who is leading Henry Ford’s response to the coronavirus. “This is, of course, great reason for hope. We hope that we’re continuing to flatten the curve as we’re not seeing as much of a surge. However, it’s certainly not a time to get complacent.”
Chu said the hospitals are using 68% of their ventilators, critical devices that help patients with respiratory disorders to breathe.
