Representatives from three Lexington hospitals are making similar assessments of intensive care stress based on current Delta variant COVID cases. They all speak with one voice about the need for additional vaccinations.
University of Kentucky Emergency Medicine Chair Dr. Roger Humphries, said emergency rooms are facing overcapacity concerns with coronavirus patients and all others seeking medical care through ER’s. He noted that reinforces the importance of limiting care to those with emergency needs. Humphries said changes in coronavirus are creating different demands.
“It’s gotten more infectious over time as opposed to less threatening. And we need to do everything we can do to protect ourselves from this threat,” said Humphries.
Unlike earlier cases, Humphries said the Delta variant is posing a threat to entire families. Daniel Rodrigue, infectious disease specialist with St. Joseph, admits at some point central Kentucky hospitals could run out of resources. He said rural hospitals are facing serious ICU space issues.
“We know for a fact that there are outlying hospitals that have 12 ICU beds, but 15 patients on ventilators and don’t actually have an ICU room. So, they have to be transferred and that’s what they’re working on,” explained Rodrigue.
Baptist Health Infectious Disease Specialist David Dougherty said his hospital is seeing patients in their 30’s on ventilators and in-patient care for more than one family member. He noted caregivers are not immune from the health risks of the current strain.
“Doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, all our staff, we have families. And our families, our kids could get sick in the community, outside of the hospital, and then we have nursing staff on quarantine. And that puts extra strain on the system as well. We have a finite number of staff here at the hospital,” said Dougherty.
Humphries at UK added the overall pool of caregivers nationally is not large enough to make it feasible to see more nurses coming to Lexington.
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