Hospitals in a Pacific Northwest city now have 251 patients on ventilators as of Tuesday morning. This is a 34 percent increase in just one week.

Hospitals Scrambling Due to Fifth Wave of Pandemic

During a briefing on Tuesday morning, this remarkable statistic was sharing during the Washington State Association (WHSA) briefing. During which officials did deliver an update on the status of hospitals amid a fifth wave in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cassie Sauer, WSHA president, was joined by Harborview Medical Center obstetrics specialist Dr. Linda Eckert. Also Kittitas Valley Healthcare CEO Julie Petersen and Providence Health Care COO Peg Currie.

Increase in COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals

Even with a large in reporting due to the Labor Day holiday, Sauer has said, there was a 7% weekly increase of COVID-19 patients. This was in hospitals. That now totals 1,674 across the state.

Events Causing Strain

In recent weeks, hospitals have been under an overwhelming amount of strain as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. They have been rising exponentially through the month of August. It has been due to the delta variant.

Moreover, Currie did deliver an update for a hospital in a local city. This is where her staff is treating well over 300 COVID-19 patients.

In fact, she has shared her experience last week. It was walking through intensive care units, saying, “The patients there, I can’t describe it using any other word besides misery.” Moreover, there are people up there on oxygen leaned over gasping for breath.”

Crisis Standards of Care

Therefore, Currie did also explain that just 40 minutes away from her hospital in another state, it was declaring crisis standards of care. That is an official process by which the hospital must ration care from patient to patient. This after there is an overflowing with cases of COVID-19.

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