The number of patients with COVID-19 is growing: hospitals no longer have enough health workers

Imagine you find yourself in a hospital so overwhelmed that doctors and nurses with COVID-19 are allowed to continue working. Or you have a heart attack, you urgently arrived at the hospital, only to find out that emergency medical care cannot be provided there due to congestion. These scenarios have already come true. More people with COVID-19 have been hospitalized in the US this week than at any other time in the pandemic. More about what is happening in the United States, told the publication CNN.

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"The difference between what's happening now and what happened before is that the virus is now everywhere," said emergency physician Dr. Leana Wen.

“Previously, there were only a few hot spots throughout the country. There were health care workers who could travel there from less affected states,” she said. “But when the virus becomes so widespread, the country can be left without enough health workers, meaning patient care will suffer. And we will find ourselves in a critical situation."

Record hospitalization rate

Health experts say the current rise in COVID-19 cases is the result of closer indoor communication, reopening of schools, and human violations of safety precautions.

On Tuesday, November 19, 10 patients were hospitalized with COVID-61 across the country, according to the COVID-964 Tracking Project. This is the highest daily rate since the start of the pandemic.

“We are already seeing hospitals in some parts of the country being stretched to their limits. This means that the situation affects not only coronavirus patients,” Wen Jiabao said.

“This also means that elective surgeries are being postponed, such as hip replacements, cancer surgery or some heart surgeries,” he said.

The crisis is expected to worsen. On Tuesday, November 10, the United States recorded a record high of 136 new cases of COVID-325, according to Johns Hopkins University.

And a massive spike in new infections will lead to more hospitalizations and deaths in the coming weeks.

“Unfortunately, I think the 'new record' claim will be repeated over and over again,” suggests Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of Brown University's school of public health.

Hospitals can no longer admit patients

In Idaho, some patients needing a hysterectomy or joint replacement will have to wait.

“We are already making decisions not to close our pediatric units to conserve beds and staff,” said Dr. Joshua Kern, vice president of medical affairs at St. Luke's Magic Valley. “We are eliminating non-essential procedures that require the patient to stay overnight in the hospital.”

According to the COVID-19 Tracking Project, Idaho was one of 17 states that had a record number of patients hospitalized on Monday, November 9.

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“We got to the point where we had to send patients to one of our partner hospitals in Boise (which is a two-hour drive) as long as they have the resources,” Kern said.

Even patients who do not have the coronavirus are affected by the pandemic.

“We have a large backlog of hysterectomies, knee replacements, hip replacements, everything that can be put off,” he laments. “If someone needs spinal surgery or a hysterectomy, it shouldn’t be delayed.” But we are desperately short-staffed, so we are forced to make these decisions.”

California doctor who volunteered to help New York in the spring won't go anywhere now

When COVID-19 hit New York earlier this year, thousands of volunteers from across the U.S. came to the rescue.

Dr. Thomas Diaz, an emergency room doctor in San Francisco, volunteered for a month in a New York City hospital during the spring spike.

But for now, Diaz remains in California.

“Can I leave when my help may be needed?” Diaz asks rhetorically.

San Francisco is doing much better than many other cities, perhaps because of early mask mandates and shelter-in-place orders, he said.

But the situation can change at any moment.

“These are unprecedented times for all of us,” Diaz said.

“I had young patients - about 30-40 years old, relatively healthy. They fell ill due to COVID-19 and had to stay in the hospital for a long time,” he said.

People with a heart attack cannot get help

In Utah, hospitals are “really on the brink of not being able to take people in anymore, especially in intensive care units,” Gov. Gary Herbert confirmed.

Laurie Terry learned this the hard way. And she doesn't even have COVID-19.

Terry recently had a heart attack and needed special equipment in the intensive care unit. But the doctor told her family that due to the pandemic, hospital resources were insufficient.

In the end, Terri went to the hospital and was treated. But the patient's sister says her condition worsened due to the delay.

6 hours to the nearest available intensive care bed

While major cities were previously affected by previous outbreaks, COVID-19 cases are on the rise in rural areas of the country as well.

“Growth in rural areas is of particular concern because many rural hospitals have less room to expand and fewer resources,” said Nancy Foster, vice president of quality and patient safety policy at the American Hospital Association.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly said hospital capacity is currently a major issue in both rural and urban parts of the country.

She recalled a recent example from rural Kearney County, where the closest available ICU bed to a patient was in Kansas City—a six-hour drive away.

Doctors and nurses with COVID-19 continue to work

In North Dakota, staffing shortages are so great that asymptomatic healthcare workers infected with the coronavirus can work in COVID-19 wards.

“Our hospitals are under enormous pressure right now,” lamented Gov. Doug Burgum.

Some hospitals have already hired additional nurses and have suspended planned surgeries. But staffing "continues to be a problem with a large number of patients."

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Healthcare workers infected with the coronavirus can continue to work as long as they are asymptomatic, and also if they take additional precautions recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the North Dakota Department of Health.

Such precautions include taking daily temperature measurements and wearing a face mask.

Asking retirees for help

“Many retired nurses are returning to work to help cope with the crisis,” said Gerard Brogan, director of National Nurses United, the largest union of registered nurses in the United States.

Like many states, Wisconsin is struggling not only with the onslaught of COVID-19 patients, but also with a highly congested healthcare system.

“The number of employees not working due to illness or quarantine is also a factor in our staffing needs,” explained Laura Heeb.

So Bellin asked the retirees to return to work.

“They assist in some of our most in-demand areas such as testing centers, telephone calls and data entry. Some have worked in clinical fields, but due to age and other factors, most do not work on the front lines,” Heeb said.

The health system has reassigned or recruited more than 200 people, Hib said. These include retirees, as well as "a large number of teachers and students helping in low-level jobs."

Hib said there is a key difference between this surge in COVID-19 and previous influxes: "The number of inpatients is higher than last time."

Doctors call for personal responsibility

For months, Americans have heard, Brogan says, "We need to flatten the curve so that we don't overwhelm hospitals."

Nevertheless, they are here again: hospitals are almost full, doctors are postponing certain operations. Why?

"I think it's quite simple: people's behavior is not appropriate to the situation," Brogan said.

“There are many people who think there is no pandemic. “They don’t believe science,” he laments. — There is a myth among young people that they cannot become infected with COVID-19. People don't distance, don't wear masks. This is a campaign of misinformation that is making the pandemic worse.”

Dr. Emily Spivak, who has treated COVID-19 patients in Salt Lake City, says she is “very uncomfortable” when so many do not take simple steps to keep themselves safe. Physical distancing, wearing masks, and washing hands could help.

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“Nobody is doing anything to stop what’s happening,” she said. “It's like people just go out and live their lives without realizing that they are draining our health care system.”

It's important to remember that health care workers "are really putting their lives and their safety at risk," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Many died. More than 1700 U.S. healthcare workers have died from COVID-19.

This is a tragedy not only for their loved ones and colleagues, but also for patients who relied on their help.

Exhausted nurses working 12-hour shifts sometimes take care of twice as many patients as they should, Brogan said.

“Don't overload the system. Just because you don't have a close relative, loved one, or someone in your community who has been affected by COVID-19 doesn't mean you can't get it,” Brogan concluded.

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