ICUs nearing capacity in at least 18 U.S. states – “The sudden and steep rise in cases due to omicron is resulting in unprecedented daily case counts, sickness, absenteeism, and strains on our health care system”
By Monique Beals
13 January 2022
(The Hill) – At least 18 states have less than 15 percent capacity remaining in their ICU facilities as the United States grapples with surging COVID-19 cases, according to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) data.
The states include Delaware, Georgia, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Kentucky, Alabama, Indiana, and New Hampshire.
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 in the U.S. reached a record high of 155,935 on Thursday, according to the HHS data, as medical facilities are already overwhelmed with staff shortages due to the rising risk of COVID-19 exposure and infection.
In New Hampshire, National Guard personnel and federal emergency teams have been deployed to hospitals and long-term care facilities in need of assistance. Other federal medical teams are soon expected to go to Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, and Rhode Island to help stressed hospital systems, according to the White House. […]
“The sudden and steep rise in cases due to omicron is resulting in unprecedented daily case counts, sickness, absenteeism and strains on our health care system,” said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky. [more]
