Severe scenario: Coronavirus cases surge as LA hospitals flood

Los Angeles, CA — Los Angeles County health officials paint very harsh pictures during their Monday afternoon vacation, take the pandemic seriously, and urge the public to stay home to protect frontline workers. It was.

Los Angeles County hospital space continues to shrink on Monday, with a surge in COVID-19 cases putting pressure on emergency and intensive care units, flocking to shopping centers on weekends and eating on restaurant patios, contrary to infection control regulations Health officials have accused the residents of the disease. ..

“If you’re shopping for your loved ones this holiday season, or if you’re planning a holiday gathering, the significance of the situation affecting hospitals in Los Angeles County, California, and this country. I miss it, “said Dr. Christina Garry, director of the County Health Services Department. “People are very ill in the hospital. They are dying there.”

Related: Coronavirus outbreaks in slum grocery stores in LA County

“And our hospital may not have the equipment, capacity, or resources to care for you the way you need or expect,” she said. “Although it may seem benign, these behaviors are so risky that they prevent the spread of the virus, do not prolong the proliferation, and increase the number of deaths experienced by families throughout the county in a few days. Do everything you can to avoid it, and in the coming weeks. “

Garry explained that people should only come to the emergency room if they are in an emergency.

Public health director Barbara Ferrer also continued to violate protocols by restaurants that allowed customers to buy takeaway food and sit and eat on the patio, despite being banned from eating outdoors. He expressed dissatisfaction with what he was doing.

“Our numbers are so scary in the county that I’m having trouble with this being still a conversation,” Feller said. “By all means, go to the restaurant, pick up the food and take it home so that you can eat it with someone close to you. That’s what we want. Our guidance is very clear. I think. The fact that the tables and chairs should be closed so that people are not sitting there. “

She also lamented the harassment of public health inspectors on the scene trying to enforce the rules.

“I don’t think the inspectors have been as harassed as they are now,” she said.

Without specifying, she said the county “is modifying our practices to address safety concerns.” She urged inspectors to call the county’s complaint line to those with problems.

“But it’s really inappropriate to have harassment of people in public health who are just trying to do their job,” she said.

The frustration and urgency expressed by health officials occurred a few days before the Christmas holidays. After the Christmas holidays, authorities are afraid of yet another post-holiday surge (a surge in addition to a surge) of viral infections that could lead to a runaway hospital.

As of Monday, a total of 776 beds were available in the county, including only 30 adult ICU beds, according to the county health services department. The county reported another record level of people hospitalized for COVID-19 on Monday. That number has reached 5,709, with 21% of those people, or nearly 1,200, receiving intensive care.

The county has an overall licensed ICU capacity of approximately 2,500 beds. According to the county’s DHS, 70 “911 consultation” hospitals with emergency departments surged in capacity to operate an average of 2,660 ICU beds per day last week. On average, these beds are occupied by 996 confirmed or suspected COVID cases daily, representing approximately 37% of beds with 2,660 staff. Last week the hospital had an average of 55 open and staffed ICU beds each day last week.

These 70 hospitals operated an average of about 10,000 non-ICU beds per day last week, 36% of which were occupied by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, with only about 300 beds placed daily. Not.

On Monday, the county reported an additional 56 coronavirus-related deaths, raising the cumulative total to 8,931.

Another 11,271 COVID-19 cases were also reported by the county, increasing the cumulative number from the entire pandemic to 634,849. Between November 1st and December 15th, the average daily number of new cases in the county increased by 862%, but has almost tripled in the last three weeks alone.

Hospitalizations increased by 481% between November 9th and December 17th, and the average daily death toll during the same period increased by 369%.

Support is progressing in the form of vaccines, with thousands more doses heading to the county this week, but it will still be weeks before the general public can inject.

According to Feller, the county received 82,873 Pfizer vaccines last week, with another 48,750 expected to arrive later this week. The county will also receive 116,600 newly approved Moderna vaccines this week.

And while the vaccine will provide the faint light of hope, Feller added, but still not enough to influence the surge in cases.

Pfizer vaccines will continue to be directed to hospitals for continued immunization of front-line healthcare professionals. The Moderna vaccine, which does not require the ultra-low temperature storage required for the Pfizer vaccine, is directed to 338 skilled nursing facilities in the county and receives an estimated 70,000 residents and staff. The Moderna vaccine is used by 15,500 EMT and EMT technicians, as well as about 300 healthcare professionals who are actually vaccinated.

Approximately 23,000 healthcare workers in the county have already been vaccinated with the first allocation of Pfizer vaccine since last week, according to Feller. She said about 506,000 front-line healthcare workers will be vaccinated.

Once these groups are vaccinated, priority shifts to intermediate and home care workers, community health workers, public health staff, and primary care, orthodontic, and emergency care clinic workers. Next comes lab technicians, dentists, and pharmacy staff.

After that, the priority shifted to people over 75 years old, first responders, teachers, school staff, nursery teachers, manufacturing workers, correction workers, post office workers, public transport, food and agricultural workers, grocery store workers. Indispensable workers such as people.

Next are people over the age of 65 and people over the age of 16 who are in critical underlying health at high risk of serious illness.

–City News Service and patch editor Nicole Charky contributed to this report.

Don’t miss regional and state-wide news about coronavirus development and precautions. Sign up for patch alerts and daily newsletters.