Jimu news reporter Li Lili
Indiana, Ohio and Michigan have been hit harder by the coronavirus in recent weeks than any other state in the United States, According to Reuters. With about a quarter of the beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, understaffed and overwhelmed health systems, these Midwestern hospitals are ready for the "worst."
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), intensive care units have a greater impact, with more than a third of the beds here being used to treat COVID-19 patients.
Image source: Associated Press
Ohio Hospital Association spokesman John Palmer warned that patients at Ohio hospitals have more than doubled since early November, and the state's northeastern health care system, including Cleveland, is on the verge of collapse.
His association has data on 250 hospitals and 15 health systems. With 78 percent of inpatient beds and 81 percent of ICU beds full, hospitals across Ohio are delaying surgery and moving some patients to other wards.
"If these hospitalizations continue to rise, it will reach a tipping point." "We've always had the best hopes for Omicron, but we're preparing for the worst, and too many people in Ohio aren't vaccinated," Palmer said. ”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 55 percent of Ohio's eligible population has been vaccinated, well below the national average of 62 percent. As of Dec. 15, 94 percent of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the state had not been fully vaccinated.
Last week, Ohio Gov. Mike Dewan mobilized more than 1,000 National Guard soldiers to support hospitals, including 150 medically trained professionals.
But the local hospital apparently couldn't wait. On December 20, local time, according to CNN, Ohio's largest newspaper published a full-page advertisement. The ad has only one word, "Help."
Twitter screenshots
This is the six health systems in Cleveland, Ohio, united to send out desperate requests to address their staff shortages.
"We need your help." There is also a small line at the bottom of the ad, "Now we have more COVID-19 patients in our hospital than ever before, and the vast majority of people are not vaccinated." ”
Bad news is coming from other states. 82 percent of the regular beds and 87 percent of the ICU beds in Michigan's hospitals are occupied by COVID-19 patients. And 76 percent of hospitalized patients are unvaccinated.
This week, Biden announced the dispatch of a federal emergency response team to six states in dire need of help, each with more than 100 health workers.
The six states are Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Arizona, New Hampshire and Vermont.
According to Reuters, as of last week, 4 out of 6 states had the top 10 hospitalization rates for COVID-10 in the United States.
Susan Blysdale, director of infection prevention and control medicine, also warned: "The number of beds for COVID-19 patients at the University of Illinois Health Hospital in Chicago has surged faster than last winter. With the number of cases doubling every two to three days, our health system is likely to be overwhelmed. ”
CDC data shows that Omi kerong has overtaken Delta as the main variant of the virus in the United States, accounting for 73% of the new crown virus infection in the United States.
For more exciting information, please download the "Jimu News" client in the application market, please do not reprint it without authorization, welcome to provide news clues, and pay as soon as you adopt it. 24-hour reporting hotline 027-86777777.