This blog was originally posted in 2020. Some information may be out of date. For the latest updates on vaccines, testing, screening, visitor policy and post-COVID support, visit EEHealth.org/coronavirus.

Now that the coronavirus has become the primary, if not only, topic of conversation we have anymore, we’re taking a step back to look at the messages we’re conveying.

Every day, we hear updates from officials tracking the number of new cases and the number of people who have died from COVID-19. We hear analysts discussing whether we’re flattening the curve or whether we’ve reached a peak.

We’ve heard so much about how sick people are when they become hospitalized.

But we feel it’s also important to shine a light on how many people are recovering from COVID-19 and leaving the hospital.

We’re sending a lot of people home, and we wanted to create a visual representation of this positive news.

We are now acknowledging each inpatient we've treated for COVID-19 who has been discharged from Edward Hospital or Elmhurst Hospital with a 24-inch, decorative daffodil lawn ornament outside our hospitals. We’ll also post banners showing the total number of patients with coronavirus who have been discharged across the system, and we’ll update it daily.

Traditionally a symbol of rebirth and new beginnings, the daffodils provide an uplifting representation of those who are winning the fight against this deadly virus.

We’re putting hope on display.

Each inpatient we've treated for coronavirus will leave the hospital with a real daffodil and note of encouragement as well.

To date, we’ve discharged hundreds of patients with coronavirus. Let’s watch as our fields of daffodils — and the number of patients who are healing and recovering — grow over the coming weeks.

Get the latest information on what Edward-Elmhurst Health is doing about coronavirus.