happening is that these people are being screened for Covid before their procedures and if they test positive then their covid positive status is added to their hospital problem list. This is entirely appropriate. For one thing, if someone has chronic kidney disease or congestive heart failure this remains on their hospital problem list so that everyone is aware of underlying issues that may cause complications. Like we know to be careful with IV fluids in heart failure patients or NSAIDS in renal failure patients even if they aren’t hospitalized FOR those reasons. And in the case of a covid positive patient you want the fact that they are positive to remain on their problem list so that you use the proper PPE and isolation precautions. Even if they aren’t there for Covid those things are needed especially if they are just asymptomatic because you caught the case early. And let’s say someone who comes in for a knee replacement suddenly has fevers and respiratory failure after surgery? If you already know they are Covid positive because it is on their problem list then it takes a lot of money and effort out of trying to figure out why.

And when you are discharged from the hospital you get a print out of things that were on your problem list. That would include being covid positive if you tested positive for Covid while in the hospital.

As far as “being counted as a covid hospitalization “ your girlfriend the nurse has no idea what this means because neither do I. She’s not reporting anything herself to the state or the cdc or anyone else and she isn’t involved in the covid reporting process at all.