LA County health officials today reported another 20,414 cases of COVID-19 and 207 deaths. Of the newly reported deaths, 40 are still coming from the backlog of Christmas Day, when a spectrum disruption delayed reports.
The country also set another record for hospitalizations, with 7,613 COVID-19 patients are now being treated. To put it in context, it’s about a thousand more people than this time last week. Of the patients, 21% are in ICUs.
At the same time, the state reported the most coronavirus deaths in a few days to date: 585.
Cathy Chidester, the director of the country’s emergency medical services agency, said this week that staff could not keep up.
“It’s like the deer in the headlights. They’re overwhelmed, they’re pale. They’re trying to do the best they can with limited resources, because there are so many patients. But believe me, it’s a disaster.”
And this is what she means by ‘disaster’: hospitals are so overwhelmed that ambulances wait seven or eight hours in emergencies. Patients are therefore treated in the ambulance instead of in the hospital. And more importantly, Chidester says that delay means fewer ambulances responding to 911 calls and longer response times.
Health officials are very worried about a resurgence after the new year of people meeting, despite repeated pleas to skip the festivities this year. Such a boom could overwhelm a healthcare system that is already struggling to keep up.
Chidester calls what is currently happening in hospitals a ‘hidden disaster’.
“It’s not a fire. It’s not an earthquake,” she explained. “It’s not a train wreck that’s right in public view, and they can see what’s happening and they can avoid the area. It’s all happening behind the doors of households and hospitals, so no one really or the general public sees it. . What is happening.”
Provincial rural health director Barbara Ferrer said she expects the trend of record cases, hospitalizations and deaths to continue until January – and even beyond – unless the majority of us change our behavior.
The latest LA County numbers came as teams from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers prepared to help six hospitals in Los Angeles upgrade their aging oxygen delivery systems.
In a release from the governor’s office, it is said that the amount of oxygen needed to treat COVID-19 patients with breathing problems has too much tax on older technology in those facilities. The hospitals are:
- Adventist Health White Memorial Hospital in LA
- Beverly Community Hospital in Montebello
- Emanate Health Queen of the Valley Hospital in Western Covina
- Lakewood Regional Medical Center
- Mission Community Hospital in Panorama City
- And the PIH Health Hospital in Downey.
These assessments can already start on Saturday 2 January.
GENERAL LOOK AT THE COUNTRY NUMBERS:
Here is a look at longer term trends in the country. For more information, visit us California COVID-19 Tracker and select LA County or any other county in California that interests you. These numbers are valid on Thursday 31 December:
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