Fogbow

More Arizona hospitals may have to ration care amid COVID-19 surge

Two years into the pandemic and hospitals are still overwhelmed. Hospital leaders say unvaccinated patients are flooding and straining the healthcare system.

The state's largest hospital system, Banner Health, doesn't have enough staff to maintain beds. If the hospitalization trends continue, doctors might have to start deciding who gets treatment and who doesn't.

Meanwhile, Dr. Sam Durrani, chief of staff at a Valley hospital, says other hospitals are already cutting back on care.

"Long waits in the ER, care is being delivered in unusual locations, ICU care is being delivered sometimes in the recovery room for surgery or on the floors," said Durrani. "Only the sickest patients are getting treated in the ICU."

Covid-19 infections and hospitalizations are rising once again, prompting a new wave of cancellations and disruptions as the country prepares for another pandemic holiday season.

With the US averaging 118,717 new Covid-19 cases each day -- 40% higher than a month ago, per Johns Hopkins University data -- some colleges and universities are moving to online classes and exams while multiple Broadway shows are canceling performances and professional sports leagues are postponing games.

In New York City, the test positivity rate of PCR tests doubled between December 9 and 12, rising from 3.9% to 7.8%, according to mayoral adviser Dr. Jay Varma, who tweeted Thursday, "We've never seen this before in #NYC."

Nationwide, 1,326 Covid-19 deaths are being reported each day on average, according to Johns Hopkins data, a 12% increase compared to a month prior.

Phoenix520 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 16, 2021 3:05 pm The world has been In the Soup for two years. Can someone explain why there havent been public health moves to, oh, say, designate 1 hospital in every major metro area as non-COVID, for all other needs? This would seem to be a good time to step out of the box in our thinking.

Also, too, and this is just me: after July 4, 2022, if you are willfully unvaxxed, prepare to be massively, globally shunned. Shunning in one’s community is much more effective than shaming.

I fully expect LM K to have something to say about it and I’d love to hear what it is.

Volkonski wrote: ↑Thu Dec 16, 2021 6:14 pm

p0rtia wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 11:28 am I say this for all of us here:

Duh.

pipistrelle wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 11:50 am

p0rtia wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 11:28 am I say this for all of us here:

Duh.

Everyone knows. I suspect even the cult knows. They don’t care. Until they end up intubated, when they admit COVID is real and please throw all the medical resources at it possible. Until they die.