The latest COVID surge hits the hospital: “Omicron is certainly growing an ugly head”

Hospitals in Chicago are preparing for more patients as COVID-19 patients are on the rise and the highly contagious type of virus is spreading in the Midwest.

In some large hospitals, coronavirus cases have increased by 50% over the past week, as Omicron variants are rapidly becoming the predominant form of COVID.

It has a medical system that is preparing to expand the space for onslaught of COVID patients, strengthening staff even if healthcare workers infect themselves, and increasing the number of visitors to the site. Restricted and begging unvaccinated Chicago citizens to take shots.

“Our biggest concern is that if the number of COVID-19 cases continues to grow at the current rate, we will not have beds or staff to care for our patients,” said Chief Quality Officer, University of Illinois, Chicago. Dr. Susan Blairsdale and her infectious disease doctor said in a press conference with city officials on Tuesday. “This is a rapid increase for us, faster than we saw last winter.”

According to Blairsdale, the beds in the intensive care unit were full at UIC as of noon on Tuesday. In an interview, Blairsdale said the bed opened after the patient was discharged.

Cases of COVID surged 50% in just one week to 45 patients in the hospital, Bleasdale said. According to Chicago Health Department statistics, more than 80% of intensive care unit beds are full throughout the city.

“Yesterday, COVID-19 accounted for only 20% of patients in hospitals in the city, but our medical system is rapidly overwhelmed as Omicron cases double every 2-3 days. There is a risk, “Bleasdale added.

“If you haven’t been vaccinated, ponder your decision,” Blairsdale said.

At the University of Chicago, there were 102 COVID patients in the hospital on Tuesday, an increase of almost 50% from the previous week, according to a note from Chief Operating Officer Jason Keeler.

“With the dramatic increase in COVID-19 activity, we are making changes to the entire system to provide safe patient care,” says Keeler.

Note states that these changes include limiting visitors to hospitals and returning more employees to a remote work environment. The U. of C. also seeks to maintain a sufficient supply of COVID testing by strictly limiting testing to patients exposed to the virus and sick employees.

At Cook County Health Department, authorities are expanding space for COVID patients at Stroger Hospital. Stroger said the spokesman said that admission to the emergency room was increasing.

Some hospitals struggle to provide adequate staff, especially as some healthcare professionals themselves test positive for COVID, primarily due to vaccinated breakthrough infections. Said.

Hospitals are looking to temporary nursing employees. This can be a heavy burden for small hospitals that can hardly afford to pay higher costs.

Inglewood’s St. Bernard Hospital, for example, is struggling to staff an increasing number of patients. There were 18 COVID patients in St. Bernard on Tuesday, and another 15 were waiting for the results of the virus test. Ten of the hospital’s 15 intensive care units were occupied by COVID patients, said Rochelle Bello, director of infection prevention at the hospital.

Like other hospitals, staff are infected in St. Bernard.

“Omicron is certainly growing its ugly head,” Bello said. “Everyone in the community is influenced by COVID.”

At Advocate Aurora Health, the largest hospital system in Illinois and Wisconsin, COVID hospitalizations have nearly tripled to 911 in the last two months, a spokesman said.

“This situation is becoming more and more difficult day by day,” the proponent said in a statement. “Beds are tight, waiting times are long and team members are nervous.”

At Rush University Medical Center, authorities haven’t said much, but the number of cases is growing rapidly. To do this, hospital officials say that staffing, beds, equipment, medicines, and other trends need to be accurately tracked.

Dr. Paul Casey, Rush’s Chief Medical Officer, said:

Brett Chase’s environmental and public health reports were made possible with a grant from the Chicago Community Trust.