A California hospital “on the brink of a catastrophe.” 25,000 dead

Angels – California has surpassed 25,000 coronavirus deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic, pushing the limits on Thursday as an ongoing surge hits hospitals and could further increase nurses and doctors after vacation I reported a severe milestone that I was taken.

Jahmaal Willis, a nurse and emergency room leader at the Providence St Mary Medical Center in Apple Valley, said: “We are exhausted and calm before the storm.” It’s like we’re fighting a war, an endless war, and running out of ammunition. Before the next battle, it’s Must be put together. “

Public health officials continued begging residents not to meet for New Year’s Eve celebrations just hours before the start of 2021.

In Los Angeles County, where COVID-19 kills an average of six people an hour, the Public Health Service tweeted a fragment of life lost every ten minutes.

“A hair stylist who finally worked for 20 years to open his own store.”

“Grandmother who loves to sing to her grandchildren.”

“A bus driver who sent his daughter to college and was proud to shine.”

A tweet containing the message “slow spread” while wearing a mask, physically distanced, and at home. “Save lives” came the day the county reported a record 290 deaths. A backlog is included, but this is a mortality rate of 1 person every 5 minutes.

Los Angeles County, with a quarter of the state’s 40 million inhabitants, is California’s third state with 40% of deaths and 25,000 deaths. According to Johns Hopkins University, nearly 38,000 people have died in New York and more than 27,000 have died in Texas.

The infection is spreading rapidly, and California confirmed on Wednesday that it had found a second reported US case of a variant of the coronavirus that appears to be more contagious. It is not clear where a 30-year-old San Diego man was infected with this variant and whether it led to the spread of the disease.

Agricultural San Joaquin Valley hospitals, especially in the middle of Southern California and the state, are flooded with virus patients and there is no intensive care unit for COVID-19 patients.

In Los Angeles County, hospitals are “on the brink of catastrophe,” said Dr. Christina Garry, director of health services. “This is not just sustainable. Not just for hospitals, but for the entire health system.”

Cathy Chidester, director of the county’s Department of Emergency Medical Services, said the hospital faces oxygen problems in a large number of COVID-19 patients who need oxygen because they have difficulty breathing. It was. Older hospitals have difficulty maintaining oxygen pressure due to their dilapidated infrastructure, and some hospitals are scrambling to find additional oxygen tanks for discharged patients to take home.

She said the ambulance had to wait up to eight hours before it could be transferred to the hospital, and in some cases doctors were treating patients in the ambulance.

About 60 miles (100 km) east of Los Angeles, the Providence St. Mary Medical Center has an alarm dissonance that sounds when a patient’s heart stops, and the constant hiss from oxygen keeps many alive. Willis said. The hospital fills the triage area with beds and evaluates new arrivals in the parking lot. Three dozen patients were waiting for hospitalization.

“We are overflowing. We treat patients in chairs and in the corridors,” Willis said.

In Santa Clara County, home of Silicon Valley, only 8% of ICU beds were available. This is better than many places. The hospital is still “stretching to the limit,” said Dr. Ahmad Kamal, the mayor of healthcare preparation.

Two months ago, there were 4.5 cases per 100,000 people in the county. Currently, there are 50 cases per 100,000 cases.

“What we are seeing right now is not normal,” Kamal said. “This is an order of magnitude larger than we saw just two months ago. We are not outside the woods. We are thick in the woods. And we all need to double our efforts. there is.”

According to Kamal, the hospital’s lack of additional pressure for new cases after Christmas and Thanksgiving has led to the current surge.

However, public health officials are afraid that the double distress from people gathered on Christmas and New Year’s Day will skyrocket. They made a final plea and persuaded people to stay at home, one of the biggest party nights of the year.

“We are aware of temptation and frustration. You may be lost overnight to celebrate with your friends, but you only need one exposure per exposure,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of public health at Los Angeles County. A slip, the coronavirus has found another host, another victim, and a dangerous surge continues. “

Most of the states are under curfew and newly extended restrictions at 10 pm, closing or reducing corporate capacity. People are encouraged to stay home as much as possible to slow the spread of the infection.

Mayor Eric Garcetti said police in Los Angeles are patrolling the streets and trying to close the New Year’s Eve rally. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria has issued an executive order directing stricter enforcement of state and local public health regulations.

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The story was amended to report 25,000 coronavirus deaths on Thursday instead of Friday, indicating that San Diego men with a new variant of COVID-19 are 30 years old instead of 20 years old. ..