New Projections Show South Dakota’s Coronavirus Resource Peak Coming in Mid-April

One of the most confusing aspects of dealing with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is knowing which projections to believe. In South Dakota talk of 'peak dates' has ranged anywhere from April to July.

Now there's a new forecast out there, looking at when the state's health care resources will be taxed at their maximum levels.

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation says that date for the Mount Rushmore State is April 27. That's the day they project the state's hospitals will reach their peak for resource use.

According to the IHME, South Dakota hospitals will need 354 patient beds on that peak day, well below the state's capacity of 1,805 beds.

The numbers for intensive care units in South Dakota paint a much different picture. On April 27 we're expected to see 71 ICU beds in use, just three bed shy of the state's capacity (74 beds).

By that time, 61 ventilators are expected to be in use statewide.

The projections also show an expected eight total Coronavirus deaths in South Dakota by April 27. As of April 8, six state residents had already passed away from COVID-19.

But just because the peak resource date is just a few weeks away doesn't mean the effects of the virus will subside anytime soon. The website estimates 189 South Dakotans are expected to die from COVID-19 by August 4.