I will be shocked if this season goes off as planned

[TigerDO]

I'm in Georgia. We have 145 COVID patients in this hospital. Our peak last year was 98. We normally have two ICUs. Right now we have 5. I have 10 patients or so on the floor that need ICU but nowhere to put them.

The average age of my 24 patients is 44.
I had previously healthy 26 and 27 year olds intubated in the past two days.
I've had more patients intubated this week than I usually do in a year.
We just got a freezer truck in our parking lot because all the funeral homes and our morgue is full.
We are nearing needing a tent in the parking lot but administration here has decided to make some of our regular (non covid) patients share rooms to prevent that.
Our ICU nurses normally have 2 patients each. Right now they have 5-6 patients each.
Of my 24 patients today, 1 is vaccinated.
Many are overweight however I think most of you fail to realize that you'd be medically considered overweight too....doesn't mean they are "fatties" as many like to say.
Had to watch while a 38 year old facetimed his wife yesterday before we put him on the ventilator so he could say goodbye. Just in case he said.

It's taxing and heartbreaking
It's going to literally break Healthcare if it keeps up.
I wish people knew what it's like in hospitals when these surges happen.
I pray for everyone's health, no matter which side of the debate you're on.
And I know the individual odds are great against this thing, but nothing has ever affected health care systems like this. And I pray nothing like this ever happens again.

 

[yoshi121374]

I'm in Georgia. We have 145 COVID patients in this hospital. Our peak last year was 98. We normally have two ICUs. Right now we have 5. I have 10 patients or so on the floor that need ICU but nowhere to put them.

The average age of my 24 patients is 44.
I had previously healthy 26 and 27 year olds intubated in the past two days.
I've had more patients intubated this week than I usually do in a year.
We just got a freezer truck in our parking lot because all the funeral homes and our morgue is full.
We are nearing needing a tent in the parking lot but administration here has decided to make some of our regular (non covid) patients share rooms to prevent that.
Our ICU nurses normally have 2 patients each. Right now they have 5-6 patients each.
Of my 24 patients today, 1 is vaccinated.
Many are overweight however I think most of you fail to realize that you'd be medically considered overweight too....doesn't mean they are "fatties" as many like to say.
Had to watch while a 38 year old facetimed his wife yesterday before we put him on the ventilator so he could say goodbye. Just in case he said.

It's taxing and heartbreaking
It's going to literally break Healthcare if it keeps up.
I wish people knew what it's like in hospitals when these surges happen.
I pray for everyone's health, no matter which side of the debate you're on.
And I know the individual odds are great against this thing, but nothing has ever affected health care systems like this. And I pray nothing like this ever happens again.

Thank you for your hard work and dedication. We are lucky to have the front line healthcare workers.

 

[Stoneynsc]

I'm in Georgia. We have 145 COVID patients in this hospital. Our peak last year was 98. We normally have two ICUs. Right now we have 5. I have 10 patients or so on the floor that need ICU but nowhere to put them.

The average age of my 24 patients is 44.
I had previously healthy 26 and 27 year olds intubated in the past two days.
I've had more patients intubated this week than I usually do in a year.
We just got a freezer truck in our parking lot because all the funeral homes and our morgue is full.
We are nearing needing a tent in the parking lot but administration here has decided to make some of our regular (non covid) patients share rooms to prevent that.
Our ICU nurses normally have 2 patients each. Right now they have 5-6 patients each.
Of my 24 patients today, 1 is vaccinated.
Many are overweight however I think most of you fail to realize that you'd be medically considered overweight too....doesn't mean they are "fatties" as many like to say.
Had to watch while a 38 year old facetimed his wife yesterday before we put him on the ventilator so he could say goodbye. Just in case he said.

It's taxing and heartbreaking
It's going to literally break Healthcare if it keeps up.
I wish people knew what it's like in hospitals when these surges happen.
I pray for everyone's health, no matter which side of the debate you're on.
And I know the individual odds are great against this thing, but nothing has ever affected health care systems like this. And I pray nothing like this ever happens again.

So what treatment do you give them before they are intubated? Does anything seem to be working or to help at all?

 

[rliner82]

Honest question. Of the people admitted to the hospital. How many comorbidities do each individual have? How is their gut health? What is their Vitiman D3 levels? Activity rate? These things need to be reported as well.

 

[Every name taken]

All I can speak for is MUSC in the Charleston area but they are not at 77%. Our system had no ICU beds open this morning.

Earlier you said you were in a small hospital. MUSC in Charleston?

 

[PawsFan_]

Homepage | SCDHEC

scdhec.gov

1711 ICU beds in the state
1381 are occupied.
438 are COVID patients.

Up to date as of yesterday.

 

[Tigerfaith]

Can we please make China a parking lot? I mean this is beyond ridiculous that we are even still having these conversations. At least make them have to pay something.

Obviously, you forgot who is President. Not a chance he does anything. After last weekend's horrific fiasco, no country fears us.

 

[tigerGUY]

Our system is seeing more hospitalizations of unvaccinated individuals than vaccinated. We also heard today that Pfizer/Moderna boosters will be recommended for individuals that have been vaccinated for 8 months or more starting in September.

Gotta throw shit on the wall to see if it sticks. It just appears to me that the powers that be have more questions than answers... which doesn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling.

 

[TigerDO]

So what treatment do you give them before they are intubated? Does anything seem to be working or to help at all?

Doesn't seem like much really helps.
We titrate oxygen of course.
We still give Remdesivir though I haven't seen great results
We were using plasma and Actemra some but now a nationwide shortage so we have none.
We use decadron (steroid) for all who need oxygen.
We give most VitC, vit D, and zinc.

Time seems to be the biggest thing
It's frustrating to struggle so much to get them better!

 

[Trading Tiger]

@Da Swami is all-in on the Trump shot. Very strange.

 

[Tkinard43]

My adopted Mexican son ( became a US Citizen July 8th 21 years after walking across the Rio Grand at age 16) has 3 landscape crews.

Roughly 12 guys( ages 20 to 36) and they all got it last week. All were out of work last week. No one went to hospital and all are back at work this week. There is not a one of them that I would fight. All flat bellies.

Except one.

Alfredo is 50lbs overweight, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

They expect him to die in the next couple of days when they finally have to put him on the respirator.

 

[Stoneynsc]

Doesn't seem like much really helps.
We titrate oxygen of course.
We still give Remdesivir though I haven't seen great results
We were using plasma and Actemra some but now a nationwide shortage so we have none.
We use decadron (steroid) for all who need oxygen.
We give most VitC, vit D, and zinc.

Time seems to be the biggest thing
It's frustrating to struggle so much to get them better!

Doesn't seem like much really helps.
We titrate oxygen of course.
We still give Remdesivir though I haven't seen great results
We were using plasma and Actemra some but now a nationwide shortage so we have none.
We use decadron (steroid) for all who need oxygen.
We give most VitC, vit D, and zinc.

Time seems to be the biggest thing
It's frustrating to struggle so much to get them better!

so y’all don’t use the Regeneron antibody treatment? I was hoping that would be a game changer.

 

[mcauleya]

HUGE THANKS to all in the healthcare industry speaking in this thread. You all are heroes. Flat out. I respect and appreciate you all more than I can put into words.

It's so hard living in the South where unvaccinated people are half the people I know. It just makes zero sense and is so damaging and selfish.

 

[TigerDO]

so y’all don’t use the Regeneron antibody treatment? I was hoping that would be a game changer.

It's being used as outpatient in offices to keep people put of hospital. Once they get here we don't use it. I cannot speak to the effectiveness as I only work in the hospital.

 

[tiger1995]

Meanwhile....a nurse in Florida reported this...."hospital administrators are banning medication and treatments. They are pushing ventilators while refusing to treat patients properly who decline. People are dying from neglect. They are going around Gov. Desantis and trying to turn FL into a man-made epicenter."

The CDC's recent fudging of Florida's covid numbers is evidence.

What a time.

 

[Tiger Guru]

I'm a hospital physician, ER and hospitalist, and let me say I'm not an alarmist. I've been skeptical of media overhype of this virus from the beginning. And I was 100% for opening everything and ending mask mandates. BUT this delta variant has been a game changer. We are in the middle of the surge crisis we all feared 18 months. My hospital is full of Covid patients. Our ER and every major ER in our area is on diversion. There are NO open ICU beds in the 7 hospital MUSC system that I work in. It is a crisis across the state. I'm afraid it is only a matter of time until the government feels they need to do something. I hate it and really want life to go on but it's hard to see them not doing anything.

What do we need to do to make it go away forever?

 

[Intracoastal]

Hospital system where I am a doc posts daily updates. Today’s update

86% of positive are unvaccinated
95% of positive ICU cases are unvaccinated
Average patient age is 60
50% ventilator usage
105 ICU beds occupied, 9 available

The current graph showing occupied beds, staffed and Covid 19 positives is at about 80% of the our January 11 peak

Not sure where you work but PRISMA (where my wife works) is reporting similar updates/numbers internally. This isn't the media. It's people on this board in the profession giving you real, unbias, information.

 

[CUFever91]

Meanwhile....a nurse in Florida reported this...."hospital administrators are banning medication and treatments. They are pushing ventilators while refusing to treat patients properly who decline. People are dying from neglect. They are going around Gov. Desantis and trying to turn FL into a man-made epicenter."

The CDC's recent fudging of Florida's covid numbers is evidence.

What a time.

What's the source on that, sir?
I've read many articles that say patients that are about to be intubated are begging for the vaccine - which is too.late.

 

[bakedtater]

I’m curious what the treatment is if you have to be hospitalized? I tested positive back in February but only had mild symptoms. If I get it again, what will they do for me if it gets worse if I go to the hospital? Just put me on a ventilator or are there other treatments now?

I am immuno compromised. I tested positive for Covid on a Monday in March. I was very sick and on Friday of that week I got the monoclonal antibody treatment. On Saturday morning all my symptoms were gone. It took a few weeks to get back to normal strength but that treatment WORKED. At least for me.

 

[Old Man Herbert]

There has definitely been many more relatively younger people sicker this surge.

Is this an actual uptick or simply a perceived uptick due to so many of the 65+ vulnerable population being vaccinated? I would think with less of them being as susceptible would make it seem like the younger ages- even 50-65 - have spiked simply because that is now most prevalent when in reality it’s simply the most prevalent group of unvaccinated with potential for underlying health conditions many of which have not been diagnosed. Is that an accurate assumption or is there data related to younger aged people being admitted into the hospital more this round?

Also for clarity, I’m not being argumentative here. Just hoping for more insight. I work in elder care as a communications manager, hence my interest.

 

[CUnit5]

My kids have been in school for one week and their little tiny private school is eat up w/ covid already. Can’t imagine what public school is going to be like. If this is any indication of the next few months, no way we will have full capacity sporting events. Pray that I’m wrong but it ain’t looking good.

Same thing happening at my work. I work for a large company and positives are skyrocketing. It’s a matter of national security.

 

[clemsonu0219]

Homepage | SCDHEC

scdhec.gov

1711 ICU beds in the state
1381 are occupied.
438 are COVID patients.

Up to date as of yesterday.

1) I wonder how this compares with “normal” times?

2) Are Hospitals 100% staffed? Have Hospitals lost staff bc of shutdowns, etc? IOW, how would the staffing numbers look, percentage wise, now vs before COVID?

I was in the H last week and the Nurses complained that all of their staff numbers are way down and it’s significantly contributing to back ups. That said, I wasn’t in ICU.

 

[Intracoastal]

I am immuno compromised. I tested positive for Covid on a Monday in March. I was very sick and on Friday of that week I got the monoclonal antibody treatment. On Saturday morning all my symptoms were gone. It took a few weeks to get back to normal strength but that treatment WORKED. At least for me.

I know of at least 5 people that have had the antibody treatments that were not hospitalized but were going to be with no action. They were all outpatient and it worked on all of them.

If administered soon enough it's actually a pretty good approach to keep people out of the hospitals.

 

[Esso Porch]

1) I wonder how this compares with “normal” times?

2) Are Hospitals 100% staffed? Have Hospitals lost staff bc of shutdowns, etc? IOW, how would the staffing numbers look, percentage wise, now vs before COVID?

I was in the H last week and the Nurses complained that all of their staff numbers are way down and it’s significantly contributing to back ups. That said, I wasn’t in ICU.

Our ICU volumes are pretty normal but because of a rising amount of Covid patients occupying hospital beds, any elective surgeries likely to occupy an ICU bed are now being pushed out 10 more days. This includes valve replacements, aneurysm repairs, major brain & spine cases, etc

 

[clemsonu0219]

Our ICU volumes are pretty normal but because of a rising amount of Covid patients occupying hospital beds, any elective surgeries likely to occupy an ICU bed are now being pushed out 10 more days. This includes valve replacements, aneurysm repairs, major brain & spine cases, etc

I see, thank you. So is that a projection of what’s to come? Meaning that you’re cancelling elective future surgeries bc you’re predicting the beds will be needed for COVID?

How about staff numbers? Docs, RN, LPN, support, etc? Does it just simply come down to numbers of physical rooms/beds or have those numbers changed bc of staffing?

 

[1Clemson]

I'm a hospital physician, ER and hospitalist, and let me say I'm not an alarmist. I've been skeptical of media overhype of this virus from the beginning. And I was 100% for opening everything and ending mask mandates. BUT this delta variant has been a game changer. We are in the middle of the surge crisis we all feared 18 months. My hospital is full of Covid patients. Our ER and every major ER in our area is on diversion. There are NO open ICU beds in the 7 hospital MUSC system that I work in. It is a crisis across the state. I'm afraid it is only a matter of time until the government feels they need to do something. I hate it and really want life to go on but it's hard to see them not doing anything.

We live in SC, its easy to see the government not doing anything...

 

[tallulahtiger30319]

Still hitting the elderly the most it seems, I thought I read previously the younger crowd was impacted far greater with the delta variant than before.

Also, is there any % of the 86% positive-unvaccinated that had Covid prior to being admitted?

wait. 60 is elderly?

 

[DW4_2016]

Then too bad IMO. We all make choices. Life for everyone else should go on as normal.

Get in a wreck and you’re dead. Bleeding out? Their ER is on diversion. Good luck

 

[d-tiger45]

Did anyone see any numbers for covid outbreaks post Lollpalooza where 400,000 folks were shoulder to shoulder for 4 days?

 

[Esso Porch]

I see, thank you. So is that a projection of what’s to come? Meaning that you’re cancelling elective future surgeries bc you’re predicting the beds will be needed for COVID?

How about staff numbers? Docs, RN, LPN, support, etc? Does it just simply come down to numbers of physical rooms/beds or have those numbers changed bc of staffing?

Where I am, our staffing is fine

I’m a doc, not an administrator so I haven’t cancelled anything. Also all my stuff is outpatient so I won’t have to. However, yes their line of thought is they don’t want to have guaranteed ICU beds in use when they don’t know what the ICU bed turnover time will be from Covid patients. For instance if someone is coming in for a certain surgery, you have a pretty good idea of how long they will be in an ICU bed. That’s not the case with Covid

 

[Jwilliamsiii]

We live in SC, its easy to see the government not doing anything...

Hope that's the case....I can watch the government do stuff in NY and CA on TV

 

[Buzzards Roost]

Other than vaccination status I would think that obesity is the biggest risk factor for the young. <55

 

[santee]

Does it seem like more of the hospitalizations are from vaxxed or non-vaxxed? Or maybe no trend one way or the other?

non vaxed

 

[michael1981]

Does it seem like more of the hospitalizations are from vaxxed or non-vaxxed? Or maybe no trend one way or the other?

In the northeast where I work Mass/RI 99% of the HOSPITALIZED patients are non-vaccinated.

 

[chassc]

I'm in Georgia. We have 145 COVID patients in this hospital. Our peak last year was 98. We normally have two ICUs. Right now we have 5. I have 10 patients or so on the floor that need ICU but nowhere to put them.

The average age of my 24 patients is 44.
I had previously healthy 26 and 27 year olds intubated in the past two days.
I've had more patients intubated this week than I usually do in a year.
We just got a freezer truck in our parking lot because all the funeral homes and our morgue is full.
We are nearing needing a tent in the parking lot but administration here has decided to make some of our regular (non covid) patients share rooms to prevent that.
Our ICU nurses normally have 2 patients each. Right now they have 5-6 patients each.
Of my 24 patients today, 1 is vaccinated.
Many are overweight however I think most of you fail to realize that you'd be medically considered overweight too....doesn't mean they are "fatties" as many like to say.
Had to watch while a 38 year old facetimed his wife yesterday before we put him on the ventilator so he could say goodbye. Just in case he said.

It's taxing and heartbreaking
It's going to literally break Healthcare if it keeps up.
I wish people knew what it's like in hospitals when these surges happen.
I pray for everyone's health, no matter which side of the debate you're on.
And I know the individual odds are great against this thing, but nothing has ever affected health care systems like this. And I pray nothing like this ever happens again.

I don’t know how people can hear accounts like this and still continue to dig their heels in and swear that we should just go on about our business. I’m a “live and let live” conservative, but how much more f*cking evidence do we need to see that we cannot sustain this.

 

[PawsFan_]

I guess under standing numbers isn't a science.

 

[NotLarryWilliams]

Did anyone see any numbers for covid outbreaks post Lollpalooza where 400,000 folks were shoulder to shoulder for 4 days?

Why you bringing up old stuff man?

 

[Orange-Addict]

Earlier you said you were in a small hospital. MUSC in Charleston?

I'm in a small hospital owned by the MUSC system. They own 7 or so and operate others.

 

[clemsonu0219]

Where I am, our staffing is fine

I’m a doc, not an administrator so I haven’t cancelled anything. Also all my stuff is outpatient so I won’t have to. However, yes their line of thought is they don’t want to have guaranteed ICU beds in use when they don’t know what the ICU bed turnover time will be from Covid patients. For instance if someone is coming in for a certain surgery, you have a pretty good idea of how long they will be in an ICU bed. That’s not the case with Covid

Makes sense, thanks!

 

[ctcseb]

In the northeast where I work Mass/RI 99% of the HOSPITALIZED patients are non-vaccinated.

Shouldn’t hospitals respect the rights of non-vaccinated to not believe in the medical field and simply send them home? Isn’t it a violation of their rights to have people whose knowledge and recommendations they don’t believe in provide medical care to them?