The Utah ICU currently has a capacity of 99.4%, and the state reports 2,408 new COVID cases and 8 deaths.

Utah hospital intensive care units have never been so criticized during a pandemic, many of which are officially overcrowded. The state reported another 2,408 cases of COVID-19 and eight more deaths on Saturday.

The proportion of all ICU beds occupied throughout the state is currently 99.4%, filling 534 of the 537 beds.

In the 14 largest hospitals with the highest number of cases of coronavirus, the proportion of ICU beds currently occupied is 104.1%, or 480 patients, which exceeds the official capacity of 461 beds.

The University of Utah’s ICU used COVID-19 in addition to the usual cases to reach a point earlier this week that “no one could be hospitalized and lasted for several hours,” after which some patients left or were transferred. The bed opened. , There said Dr. Kensey Graves, Assistant Chief Medical Officer.

This happened earlier this year, despite the university’s conversion of some space into a new 23-bed “surge unit” ICU, which exceeds the usual 111 ICU spots, as the threat of coronavirus increases.

On Saturday, Graves said the university was officially 115% of its normal capacity, filling many of its surge units in addition to all its usual 111 beds.

According to Graves, he faces many challenges, not just getting a bed.

“We need a physical bed, a bed and a safe space for the staff to take care of the person in the bed,” she said. And we had to do all those things. “

This includes having to ask ICU nurses and doctors to work an extra 2-4 shifts a month. “Many of them at night,” she said.

More ICU teams were formed by moving doctors and nurses away from other locations and moving residents away from part of their normal rotation. She said some surgery was delayed because the patient needed an ICU bed.

Utah hospitals are also cooperating, Graves said. Therefore, if one ICU is full, the patient may be sent to another hospital with space. According to Graves, the university hospital also serves people around Intermountain West, so they need special care available here and carefully screen their transfers to make sure they can. I am.

“”There are still a lot of really sick patients there. So we have a lot of dead, “Graves said. But a good sign, she said, is that the percentage of positive test results has begun to decline recently. Fewer cases means fewer people and fewer people will be hospitalized in the ICU later.

Dr. Eddie Stenehjem, an infectious disease specialist at Intermountain Healthcare, also told reporters at a video conference on Friday that when a COVID-19 patient entered the ICU, it was “usually not a short-term hospitalization.”

He states: “In most cases, the average length of stay is 10 to 11 days, so it will take some time before these patients get well enough or unfortunately die where they can leave the ICU.”

The state reported on Saturday that 559 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19. The total number of hospitalizations since the outbreak is now 9,968.

Gustave F, responsible for Operation Warp Speed. General Perna said some of the problems were due to the federal government miscalculating how many times the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine could be given.

“It was my fault,” he said. “It was a mistake in the plan, and I’m responsible.”

Health officials tweeted Friday that Utah will receive 16,575 doses “instead of the 23,400 we planned” next week. This is a reduction of about 30%.

The Ministry of Health reported on Saturday that 3,648 people had been vaccinated in Utah, but said the reported numbers could be delayed by a few days.

In a statement on Friday, Intermountain Healthcare, which vaccinates front-line healthcare workers in several hospitals, said, “Thanks for what we received and started vaccination of caregivers. I’m excited. I’ll adjust and give the vaccine when a pandemic occurs. “

Similarly, a University of Utah official said, “We are currently busy immunizing our team with the supplies we currently have in-house.” Adjust your deployment plan as needed. “

Both Intermountain and the University of Utah Health have urged Utah to wear face masks, reduce social distance, wash hands, and stay home in case of illness.

The infection rate in Utah over the past seven days has been 80 per 100,000, well above the national average of 67 per 100,000.

The eight deaths reported on Saturday are:

• Five Residents of Salt Lake County — two men, one 46-64 and the other 65-84. 3 women, 1 46-64, 2 65-84

• A man from Box Elder County, 65-84 years old.

• Men in Utah County over the age of 85.

• Davis County female, 45-64 years old.

The total death toll in Utah from the coronavirus was 1,148 on Saturday.

The 7-day rolling average of positive tests is 2,454 per day. The 7-day rolling average of the percentage of positive laboratory tests was 22.1% and was stable on Saturday.