COVID-19 hospitalizations overwhelm many states



[ad_1]

The number of people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 surpassed 60,000 on Tuesday, breaking all previous records as coronavirus outbreaks increase across the country. The rise in the number of critically ill COVID-19 patients comes as health officials across the country say hospitals are running out of beds in intensive care units.

The total number of coronavirus cases in the United States topped 10 million in a third wave of the country’s pandemic that first accelerated in September.

Experts like Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warn a “severe winter” is coming for the United States; scientists are worried about hospitals being overloaded and infections increasing unless the flare-up is dulled.

“We have just seen everywhere that when cases overwhelm public health systems, overwhelm hospitals, deaths will increase,” global health lawyer Alexandra Phelan of the Center for Global Health Science and Science told BuzzFeed News on Monday. Georgetown University Security.

In North Dakota, hospitals have reached their patient limit. Governor Doug Burgum announced on Monday that state health officials have changed a rule allowing infected healthcare workers who do not have symptoms to continue working to help manage the overwhelming workload on the units COVID-19 from hospitals.

In Des Moines, hospitals “are almost full, because we are treating the most hospitalized COVID-19 patients since the start of the pandemic,” warned the medical system UnityPoint Health – Des Moines. The Decatur County Hospital has banned visitors except to accompany minors or fill out paperwork, citing the outbreak there. “We must stop the spread of this new and dangerous virus,” the hospital warned in its announcement.

According to the Iowa COVID-19 tracker, there is a record 1,135 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in the state, a record 196 of them are in intensive care beds and a record 166 people were admitted within the last 24 hours.

In Tulsa, Oklahoma, where health officials warned there were no more intensive care beds available in the city on Monday, the mayor pleaded with residents to comply with efforts to slow down the spread of the virus.

“The Tulsans cannot fight this alone,” Mayor GT Bynum wrote on Facebook. “I again implore the state and our neighboring communities to listen to these medical professionals who are calling for action to be taken to slow the spread of this virus. Politically timely rhetoric on freedom and personal responsibility does not preclude not our ICUs to develop to the maximum. “

Compared to patients hospitalized with the flu, COVID-19 patients are five times more likely to die in hospital, according to the CDC.

Peter Aldhous contributed reporting for this story.

[ad_2]

Source link