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Post by majorminor on Dec 9, 2021 12:02:45 GMT -5
www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/no-end-in-sight-massachusetts-hospital-flooded-with-patients-amidst-covid-surge/ar-AAREC8y?li=BBnb7Kz'No end in sight': Massachusetts hospital flooded with patients amidst COVID surge Despite having one of the nation's highest vaccination rates, Massachusetts is in the midst of a full coronavirus resurgence. The state's daily case average is now at its highest point in nearly a year, and in the last month alone, new hospital admissions have more than doubled. In central Massachusetts, the UMass Memorial Health System is, once again, completely overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients. "We, right now, have more patients in the hospital, overall, than we have had at either of the two peaks previously. You come in one day and you say this is the worst we've ever seen it and you come back the next day and it's even worse. This is very concerning, what's going on right now," UMass Memorial Health Care President and CEO Dr. Eric Dickson told during an interview ABC News Wednesday. According to Dickson, many of the hospitals in the UMass Memorial health care system are currently at-capacity. At UMass Memorial Medical Center, all 450 beds, which are typically available, are full. There are 75 patients waiting in the ER for a bed, including seven ICU patients. "We're running at more than 120% of capacity right now," Dickson said. "There's really no end in sight, which is the scary part for all of us." The health system's latest surge is the result of the delta variant, said Dickson, who added that although the health system is actively sequencing patients, the omicron variant has yet to be detected in the patient population. On top of the "intense pressure" and significant increase in COVID-19 patients overwhelming health care workers, hospitals are also seeing an increase in winter trauma-related incidents, such as slips, heart attacks and strokes. "It's really the perfect storm for a bed crisis," Dickson added.  A strike among workers, in one of the hospitals in Worcester, has forced 100 beds offline, thus further reducing hospital capacity, while staffing shortages have greatly exacerbated the health care system's struggle. "You can't imagine how exhausted caregivers are right now," Dickson said. "The biggest challenge for us right now is that our people are extremely, extremely fatigued. This is their third surge over the course of about 20 months, and that's really taking a toll on them." In addition, compounding its woes, UMass Memorial Health was forced to fire 200 employees last week after they refused to get vaccinated. "We've got a problem getting patients out of the hospital, because there's no staff in the nursing homes and they're dealing with shortages," Dickson said. Dickson explained that he is greatly concerned by the fact that a state like Massachusetts, with more than 72% of its total population fully vaccinated, could be experiencing such a significant surge. "This pandemic is clearly not over," Dickson said. "This is really the toughest period of this whole pandemic right now for some of us," adding that he was "extremely concerned" about the health system capacity to handle potential increases in people needing care, over the next several weeks and months. The rest of the upcoming winter holidays also continue to be a major source of concern for Dickson and his teams, who saw a "big bump" in test positive cases and hospitalizations following Thanksgiving.  "Now you have a higher starting point, and you're going to add Christmas and New Year's on top of that. It really could get bad into mid January, and that's what we're most concerned about. We're holding on right now, today. But if this keeps on going up for the next five, six weeks, I'm not quite sure where we're going to get everyone in," he said. MORE: What to know about new COVID-19 variant omicron Although the majority -- between 60 and 75% -- of patients currently under care are unvaccinated, hospital officials have seen the impact of waning immunity over time. "We even have some breakthrough cases of people that have received the booster, so there's definitely a waning of the immunity over time, but it's still your best protection is getting your COVID vaccine and then getting a booster," Dickson said. Ultimately, it is critical for all residents to do their best to slow the rise in infections by getting vaccinated and boosted, and by following important mitigation strategies to control the spread, Dickson said.
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Post by Cornflake on Dec 9, 2021 12:09:16 GMT -5
What a mess.
I know several people who have had breakthrough cases, including my daughter. She and her SO had just become eligible for a booster and were making plans to get it when they got the virus. Of the people I know who have had breakthrough cases, only one was hospitalized, and he's the guy whose health was very shaky anyway. It's at least the third time he's been hospitalized this year.
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Post by aquaduct on Dec 9, 2021 12:26:24 GMT -5
Hmmm..... Makes one wonder if the whole government COVID/vaccine hype and oppression is true.
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Post by theevan on Dec 9, 2021 12:51:57 GMT -5
I mean if hospitals are being overwhelmed by breakthrough cases, explain again why it is do damned important I get the jab?
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Post by aquaduct on Dec 9, 2021 12:56:06 GMT -5
I mean if hospitals are being overwhelmed by breakthrough cases, explain again why it is do damned important I get the jab? It's to protect other people from getting your ickys silly. |
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Post by theevan on Dec 9, 2021 13:13:08 GMT -5
Well, my cooties are pretty nasty, I admit.
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Post by Shannon on Dec 9, 2021 13:19:48 GMT -5
Data is missing from that story.
The relevant data would include the percentage of hospitalized patients who are vaccinated. If 72% of citizens are vaccinated, but a much smaller percentage of hospitalized patients are vaccinated, that argues that the vaccine is doing the job for which it is intended, which is to reduce serious disease, hospitalization, and death.
Just this morning, I had yet another patient who lost a family member to COVID. I have lost patients to COVID. I've lost numerous acquaintances to COVID. I and my colleagues have worked ourselves to the point of exasperation and exhaustion at times to deal with COVID.
One might reasonably debate the effectiveness or necessity of vaccines, and one could certainly debate the appropriateness of mandates. I have no real quarrel with those who sincerely have questions about those issues.
But anyone who suggests that COVID itself is government hype or oppression is either delusional or just mean beyond comprehension. I can assure you that the masses of grieving families and exhausted health care workers are not hype.
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Post by Marshall on Dec 9, 2021 13:26:08 GMT -5
I mean if hospitals are being overwhelmed by breakthrough cases, explain again why it is do damned important I get the jab? I heard in last night's news that hospitalizations are 85% non-vaccinated individuals. Besides, how else are we going to install a tracking chip in you? |
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Post by Marshall on Dec 9, 2021 13:29:05 GMT -5
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Post by Cornflake on Dec 9, 2021 13:31:15 GMT -5
Hospitals aren't overwhelmed by breakthrough cases. The article above says, "Although the majority -- between 60 and 75% -- of patients currently under care are unvaccinated, hospital officials have seen the impact of waning immunity over time."
"'We even have some breakthrough cases of people that have received the booster, so there's definitely a waning of the immunity over time, but it's still your best protection is getting your COVID vaccine and then getting a booster,'" Dickson said."
Here the proportion of unvaccinated people hospitalized has been reported by the largest hospital group as over 80 percent. I know a couple of people involved in treating hospitalized patients who have said that those dying from Covid are overwhelmingly unvaccinated.
It seems to me that in the US at this point, there's no reason for the vaccine rate and the infection rate to bear any particular relationship. Here the vaccination rate is 63.3 percent. That leaves over 2.5 million people in my state unvaccinated, which is a sufficient number to explain the spike we've had. The vaccines were predicted to be about 75% effective in preventing infections, which means that about 25% will get infected if exposed. That adds another million plus to the pool of people here in which the delta variant can do its thing. Last I heard, the vaccines were thought to be almost 95% effective in preventing very serious symptoms. It now appears that time erodes that effectiveness somewhat. Thus the need for boosters.
But that's a lay opinion. I think that being a do-it-yourselfer with pandemic numbers is very perilous.
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Post by aquaduct on Dec 9, 2021 13:35:27 GMT -5
Data is missing from that story. The relevant data would include the percentage of hospitalized patients who are vaccinated. If 72% of citizens are vaccinated, but a much smaller percentage of hospitalized patients are vaccinated, that argues that the vaccine is doing the job for which it is intended, which is to reduce serious disease, hospitalization, and death. Just this morning, I had yet another patient who lost a family member to COVID. I have lost patients to COVID. I've lost numerous acquaintances to COVID. I and my colleagues have worked ourselves to the point of exasperation and exhaustion at times to deal with COVID. One might reasonably debate the effectiveness or necessity of vaccines, and one could certainly debate the appropriateness of mandates. I have no real quarrel with those who sincerely have questions about those issues. But anyone who suggests that COVID itself is government hype or oppression is either delusional or just mean beyond comprehension. I can assure you that the masses of grieving families and exhausted health care workers are not hype. Nobody's suggesting COVID itself is hype. The heavy handed government enforced reaction to it, though, clearly is. The outcomes for the broader population (the 99+ percentage) that hasn't died from it have not even been acknowledged yet and indeed, probably haven't been fully seen yet. And it's not like nobody saw this coming. I remember discussing Geert Van Something's hypothesis (at the time firmly ridiculed by those here who clearly know more than anybody else) with Jeff and Jeff's response was "he seems to be saying that it's a mistake to mix vaccines with an active pandemic". Looks like the guy continues to be prescient. |
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Post by Cornflake on Dec 9, 2021 13:56:23 GMT -5
I just had good news. I previously posted that a good friend had been taken to the hospital in an ambulance with a breakthrough case of Covid. He's 74 and not in good health. The initial reports were that he was in very bad shape so we weren't optimistic. But he's doing much better. The hospital is planning to transfer him to some kind of rehab facility in a couple of days. I didn't expect to see him again but it looks like I might.
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Post by John B on Dec 9, 2021 14:58:16 GMT -5
I just had good news. I previously posted that a good friend had been taken to the hospital in an ambulance with a breakthrough case of Covid. He's 74 and not in good health. The initial reports were that he was in very bad shape so we weren't optimistic. But he's doing much better. The hospital is planning to transfer him to some kind of rehab facility in a couple of days. I didn't expect to see him again but it looks like I might. I hope so, Don. |
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Post by epaul on Dec 9, 2021 15:34:11 GMT -5
My two cents, the darn government dithered way too long before approving booster shots for the general population. I recall the situation this last August. Israel had gobs of good data indicating that the Pfizer vaccine was starting to lose effectiveness after six months and that a booster was needed (not unusual in vaccine world). Israel decided to start giving booster shots (and reports are it saved their bacon*). Meanwhile, against the best data, our guys were arguing about whether a booster was ethical or really necessary. (I went with the Israelis and got my booster at a walk-up last August (no ID required) before it was approved.) Three months later our guys were still arguing about the booster and Delta was spreading her wings. Now it is four months later and only 20% or so of the 2-shot vaccinated population has received a booster. (and why go with 8 months when the data they used to finally make the decision said 6 months?) The "breakthroughs" we're seeing are exactly what Israel predicted and moved to prevent by authorizing a booster shot. The current Covid vaccines are proving to be, like many of our other vaccines, much more effective when a booster shot is applied down the road a ways. The booster campaign in this country should started months earlier and it should have been for everyone. * www.cnn.com/2021/11/24/health/israel-covid-booster-lessons-intl-cmd/index.html |
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Post by epaul on Dec 9, 2021 15:45:17 GMT -5
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Post by TKennedy on Dec 9, 2021 15:53:09 GMT -5
It’s becoming very clear, vaccination and getting the necessary booster at the appropriate time is extremely safe, and although not 100%, is very effective for preventing serious illness requiring hospitalization/ICU treatment and death.
I agree with Shannon, to think otherwise is delusional. You can legitimately argue about mandates and status of acquired immunity (which also fades over time) but the safety and effectiveness of the mRNA vaccines has been demonstrated to my complete satisfaction.
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Post by coachdoc on Dec 9, 2021 16:21:53 GMT -5
It’s becoming very clear, vaccination and getting the necessary booster at the appropriate time is extremely safe, and although not 100%, is very effective for preventing serious illness requiring hospitalization/ICU treatment and death. I agree with Shannon, to think otherwise is delusional. You can legitimately argue about mandates and status of acquired immunity (which also fades over time) but the safety and effectiveness of the mRNA vaccines has been demonstrated to my complete satisfaction. I repeat what my two most reliable posters have said. The initial shot and a booster is very worthwhile and dithering about it requires ignoring the preponderance of good science. There is no measurable downside to this approach and running around unvaccinated is taking quite the risk. |
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Post by robjh22 on Dec 9, 2021 17:40:01 GMT -5
It's interesting to see where the new cases are cropping up: www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.htmlIllinois, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine .... Vermont? What's going on here? Weather? Population density? It's 79 degrees in Dallas as I write this, and 22º in Burlington, VT. 35 in Lansing, MI 38 in Madison. WI 21 in Bangor We have those kinds of temperature coming soon down here .... |
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Post by robjh22 on Dec 9, 2021 17:48:43 GMT -5
I just had good news. I previously posted that a good friend had been taken to the hospital in an ambulance with a breakthrough case of Covid. He's 74 and not in good health. The initial reports were that he was in very bad shape so we weren't optimistic. But he's doing much better. The hospital is planning to transfer him to some kind of rehab facility in a couple of days. I didn't expect to see him again but it looks like I might. I'm happy for you and your friend. Hardly a week goes by these days anyway without my hearing of the passing of yet another colleague in the Dallas area. Heard about one just yesterday. I'm no longer surprised, not really, not because Covid is again on the march, but because they have almost all of them been in their late 60's, as am I. "Only" one or two died of/with Covid. Carpe diem. |
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Post by Shannon on Dec 9, 2021 17:51:33 GMT -5
It's interesting to see where the new cases are cropping up: www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.htmlIllinois, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine .... Vermont? What's going on here? Weather? Population density? It's 79 degrees in Dallas as I write this, and 22º in Burlington, VT. 35 in Lansing, MI 38 in Madison. WI 21 in Bangor We have those kinds of temperature coming soon down here .... Temperature is an interesting theory, but I don't think that is really it. We already survived our big Delta spike here in the Southeast, and it occurred in August through October. Certainly no cold weather involved down here during those months. It remains a big mystery as to the timing of these spikes. |
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