Thread by @ScottMAustin, 1/ It's sad how quickly Covid patients are overwhelming hospitals across America. I [...]

1/ It's sad how quickly Covid patients are overwhelming hospitals across America.

I wanted to understand the scope so I searched local news sites around the country and found anecdote after anecdote illustrating the dire situation...

(Please consider sharing this thread)

2/ In El Paso, overstretched hospitals are airlifting patients halfway across Texas, after a 100-bed ICU at the convention center filled up.

One of the destinations? Austin, nearly 600 miles away, farther than NYC to Ohio...
https://kfoxtv.com/news/coronavirus/austin-mayor-states-capital-is-now-taking-hospital-patients-from-el-paso-to-free-up-beds (KFOX El Paso)

3/ El Paso's morgues are paying jail inmates $2/hour to transport a backlog of bodies awaiting autopsy. https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/local/el-paso/2020/11/16/covid-19-el-paso-county-jail-inmates-help-bodies-awaiting-autopsy-during-coronavirus-pandemic/6313740002/ (El Paso Times)

The Office of Medical Examiner has even posted job ads for "Morgue Attendants." https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/elpasocounty/jobs/2915205/internal-only-office-of-medical-examiner-morgue-attendant-temporary-assign?pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs

4/ In Reno, Nev., an overfilled hospital has had to move coronavirus patients to its parking garage. Forty patients are being treated there but it can handle more than 1,000. https://www.rgj.com/story/news/2020/11/16/coronavirus-surge-has-reno-hospital-caring-patients-parking-garage/6318401002/
(Reno Gazette Journal)

5/ In North Dakota, small-town hospitals are so desperate for healthcare workers they are allowing infected staff to treat Covid patients...
https://www.grandforksherald.com/newsmd/coronavirus/6753876-With-North-Dakota-hospitals-at-100-capacity-Burgum-announces-COVID-positive-nurses-can-stay-at-work (Grand Forks Herald)

Over the past week, N.D. has the most Covid cases and deaths per capita in the nation...

6/ It's worth reading today's Grand Forks Herald story about how a small town became the Covid capital of N.D: "a nightmare nexus of virus skepticism, underestimated rural spread, delayed action and an overburdened hospital system." https://www.grandforksherald.com/newsmd/coronavirus/6771217-How-Minot-became-the-COVID-19-capital-of-North-Dakota

How Minot became the COVID-19 capital of North Dakota | Grand Forks Herald

This recent viral surge has put Ward County at the head of North Dakota's outbreak. Of the state's seven most populous counties, Ward has the densest concentration of active virus cases, at 163 for...

https://www.grandforksherald.com/newsmd/coronavirus/6771217-How-Minot-became-the-COVID-19-capital-of-North-Dakota

7/ In Des Moines, extreme fatigue is setting in among hospital workers as doctors and nurses stay home sick or quarantined.

"The stress they're experiencing is not just at work. It spills into their personal life."
https://desmoinesregister.com/story/news/health/2020/11/06/des-moines-hospitals-urge-iowa-covid-precautions/6189284002/ (Des Moines Register)

Des Moines hospitals warn they could be overwhelmed if COVID-19 keeps soaring

Medical staff are weary after months of fighting the coronavirus, with cases breaking records and health care workers stretched thin.

https://desmoinesregister.com/story/news/health/2020/11/06/des-moines-hospitals-urge-iowa-covid-precautions/6189284002/

8/ New York City is better prepared than it was in the spring, but Covid is spreading quickly... https://nytimes.com/2020/11/20/nyregion/covid-19-nyc.html (NYT)

...and hospital-staff burnout remains a major worry there too...
https://wsj.com/articles/new-york-city-hospitals-get-ready-for-second-wave-of-covid-19-11605708003 (WSJ)

New York City Hospitals Get Ready for Second Wave of Covid-19

New York City area hospitals are preparing for a significant resurgence of Covid-19 patients, with staffing and worker burnout their primary concerns.

https://nytimes.com/2020/11/20/nyregion/covid-19-nyc.html

9/ In Oklahoma City, this month 1 in 100 metro residents tested positive! Hospitals are as full as after tornadoes. https://koco.com/article/oklahoma-hospitals-filling-up-with-covid-patients-as-hospitalizations-reach-record-levels/34719391

Mayor: "It's as if our healthcare workers are responding to the aftermath of a tornado every day, week after week, month after month."

10/ In St. Louis, some ICUs are at 100% capacity, others at 90%.

"Imagine an enemy massing at your border and you don’t have any reinforcements...We don’t know how we’re going to find room to take care of other patients, such as those with heart attacks.” https://www.bnd.com/news/coronavirus/article247302904.html

Some area ICUs are full and a field hospital may be needed for coronavirus patients

“Wear your mask,” one nurse says. “Trust me, it’s much better than being hooked up to a ventilator.”

https://www.bnd.com/news/coronavirus/article247302904.html

11/ In Wichita, Kan., Covid-positive patients are sitting in gurneys in the emergency room waiting for beds to open up. "It's getting to the crisis level."

https://kansas.com/news/coronavirus/article247217134.html (The Wichita Eagle)

Wichita hospitals holding COVID patients in ERs as surge outnumbers available beds

“A lot of people just don’t accept this is real,” Dr. Minns said.

https://kansas.com/news/coronavirus/article247217134.html

12/ In Morris, Ill., a hospital canceled several surgeries to make room for a 400% increase in patients. "Care will suffer for those with other unforeseen emergent conditions, such as heart attacks, cancer diagnoses, and motor vehicle accidents." https://mywebtimes.com/2020/11/18/covid-hospitalizations-up-400-at-morris-hospital/ay43t9w/

COVID hospitalizations up 400% at Morris Hospital

Morris Hospital has already canceled 3 surgeries necessitating overnight stays

https://mywebtimes.com/2020/11/18/covid-hospitalizations-up-400-at-morris-hospital/ay43t9w/

13/ According to a tally by healthcare publication Stat News, hospitals in at least half of states are critically short on medical staff. It'll get harder to share staff or transfer patients interstate. https://www.statnews.com/2020/11/19/covid19-hospitals-in-half-the-states-facing-massive-staffing-shortage/

Hospitals in half the states are facing a massive staffing shortage- STAT

Hospitals in at least 25 states are critically short of nurses, doctors, and other staff as coronavirus cases surge across the United States.

https://www.statnews.com/2020/11/19/covid19-hospitals-in-half-the-states-facing-massive-staffing-shortage/

14/ The politicization of Covid is taking a toll on hospitals, too. In Provo, Utah, conspiracy theorists tried to break into a hospital's ICU to expose what they believe is a hoax. https://ksl.com/article/50047970/utah-valley-hospital-strained-by-conspiracy-theorists-trying-to-enter-icu (KSL)

Utah Valley Hospital strained by conspiracy theorists trying to enter ICU

Officials stressed that the situations were few and far between, but the attempts are taking away care from those who need it.

https://ksl.com/article/50047970/utah-valley-hospital-strained-by-conspiracy-theorists-trying-to-enter-icu

15/ What's it like to work in a hospital now? The Idaho Statesman takes us inside a small rural hospital where seven staff tested positive one day before 10 a.m. https://idahostatesman.com/news/coronavirus/article247210669.html

This haunting account from a doctor says it all... https://twitter.com/MsJuneDiane/status/1328082983413157888?s=20

16/ Speaking of Idaho, which has the nation's 2nd highest Covid positivity rate, in Rexburg, 100+ protestors interrupted a city council meeting discussing a mask mandate, chanting "We will not comply!" The vote was delayed. https://eastidahonews.com/2020/11/live-rexburg-city-council-weighs-mask-mandate/

17/ In Ohio, it took ~20 weeks to get to the first 100k cases and 3 weeks to the next 100k. Cases are running 7x the number in Sept. Gov. DeWine: "Every single county is on fire."
https://wkbn.com/news/coronavirus/emergency-doctors-in-ohio-believe-surge-in-coronavirus-cases-linked-to-halloween-parties/

Ohio healthcare workers tell nightmarish stories https://radio.wosu.org/post/ohio-hospitals-dealing-covid-19-deniers-amid-worst-surge-yet#stream/0

18/ Across America, someone is dying of Covid every 48 seconds by my calculation. That rate is expected to fall to under 30 seconds. It was 3 minutes in July. https://covidtracking.com/data/charts/us-daily-deaths

It's even worse in Europe: every 17 seconds. https://telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/one-person-every-17-seconds-dies-covid-19-europe-warns/

19/ CDC urges citizens "to increase their vigilance" and not to travel during Thanksgiving. It's just a recommendation, though. https://wsj.com/articles/traveling-for-thanksgiving-please-dont-health-officials-say-11605781801

With no national mandate it's up to citizens to save our healthcare system #WearAMask

#SocialDistance https://wsj.com/articles/trump-biden-medical-experts-urge-public-to-help-stop-covid-19-spread-11605463687

Trump, Biden Medical Experts Urge Public to Help Stop Covid-19 Spread

Bars and restaurants should close or reduce capacity, holiday travel should be limited, and people should continue wearing masks and remain distanced from one another, public-health advisers said.

https://wsj.com/articles/traveling-for-thanksgiving-please-dont-health-officials-say-11605781801

20/ Here's to all the frontline medical professionals who are working grueling hours and putting their lives on the line. Paging Dr. Elvis...

I'll end it by commending all the journalists who tirelessly work to inform the public. Support quality news!

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