‘Making Room Where We Can’
Health officials say the impact of the recent holiday gatherings on the latest surge isn’t likely going to be known until mid-January.
Hersk said her hospital’s intensive care unit has gotten full over the last few weeks since Thanksgiving. That’s led her to care for patients in other areas of the hospital.
“We’re making room everywhere we can,” she said. “We are now seeing patients in chairs and in hallways. I saw a patient outside.”
Regionally, the Bay Area’s ICU bed capacity has remained below 10% over the past few days — still a far cry from the much more dire situation in Central and Southern California. Dr. Grant Colfax, San Francisco’s health director, recently urged folks to keep their guard up — to avoid further straining the local hospital system.
“Unlike many parts of the state, hospitals in San Francisco have enough room to care for COVID-19 and other patients locally,” he said during a Tuesday briefing. “While we have those ICU beds now in San Francisco, it is plausible with our regional or statewide surge that those numbers of ICU capacity will drop sharply.”
By Thursday, California health officials had ordered hospitals in less overwhelmed counties to accept patients from areas that have been hit the hardest.
‘Giving 100% Every Day’
Like many of her colleagues, Dr. Hersk said she has felt physically and emotionally drained.
“It’s really scary to watch the way people die from COVID-19 … short of breath and alone,” she said. “Personally, I believe our nurses have taken the brunt of the challenge. Having to be in the rooms with these patients for long periods of time undoubtedly increases their risk.”
