INSIDER
Shortage of pediatric ICU beds amid early flu season, RSV cases
Read full article: Shortage of pediatric ICU beds amid early flu season, RSV casesA Texas Department of State Health Services dashboard, updated Monday afternoon, shows just 42 available, staffed pediatric ICU beds across the state. In San Antonio’s region, which covers nearly 2.9 million people and stretches to the Mexican border, there were only nine available.
Number of COVID patients in US hospitals reaches record low
Read full article: Number of COVID patients in US hospitals reaches record lowCOVID-19 hospitalization numbers have plunged to their lowest levels since the early days of the pandemic, offering a much needed break to health care workers and patients alike following the omicron surge.
Healthcare systems not immune to COVID related staffing shortages
Read full article: Healthcare systems not immune to COVID related staffing shortagesLocal healthcare systems are battling another COVID surge while simultaneously dealing with shortages with their permanent staff, forcing them to rely on outside help.
Omicron pushes Texas ICUs to the brink
Read full article: Omicron pushes Texas ICUs to the brinkA staffing crisis and the surge from the omicron variant have pushed the number of Texas ICU beds to a new record low. The shortage affects not just patients with the coronavirus, but every Texan seeking serious medical care.
Spain doctors win suit for lack of protection from COVID-19
Read full article: Spain doctors win suit for lack of protection from COVID-19Spain’s medical community has scored a victory after a court ordered that a regional government compensate doctors with up to 49,000 euros ($56,000) for having to work without personal protection suits during the devastating early months of the pandemic.
Military gives German hospital an edge in fighting COVID
Read full article: Military gives German hospital an edge in fighting COVIDAs hospitals across Europe brace themselves for a surge in coronavirus cases because of the new omicron variant, Westerstede Clinical Center is cautiously hopeful it can weather the storm.
Health minister tells Germans: Get vaccinated or get COVID
Read full article: Health minister tells Germans: Get vaccinated or get COVIDGermany’s health minister says the rapid rise in coronavirus cases means it’s likely everyone in the country who isn’t vaccinated will have caught COVID-19 by the end of the winter, and some of those will die.
Mother prays 4-year-old son will walk again after he was shot during drive-by shooting
Read full article: Mother prays 4-year-old son will walk again after he was shot during drive-by shootingA 4-year-old boy is fighting to walk again after he was shot in the back during a drive-by shooting on the city's Southeast Side. His mother is now fighting for justice while raising awareness against gun violence.
Russia marks another record number of daily COVID-19 cases
Read full article: Russia marks another record number of daily COVID-19 casesRussia has reported another daily record of confirmed coronavirus cases as a surge in infections has prompted the Kremlin to tell most people to stay away from work starting later this week.
Russian COVID spike persists, setting new death record
Read full article: Russian COVID spike persists, setting new death recordRussia is reporting a record high number of coronavirus infections and COVID-19 deaths as the country approaches a week of nonworking days aimed at stemming the sharp surge in cases.
A former ICU patient visits a San Antonio hospital every week to make a sweet delivery
Read full article: A former ICU patient visits a San Antonio hospital every week to make a sweet deliveryA misdiagnosis landed a woman in a local COVID-19 ICU unit. Now, she visits the hospital every week to keep her promise.
Ukraine sees new record high in virus deaths, infections
Read full article: Ukraine sees new record high in virus deaths, infectionsUkraine’s coronavirus infections and deaths have reached all-time highs for a second straight day, a growing challenge for the country where the share of vaccinated is one of Europe’s lowest.
As virus cases rise, so do pleas for Russians to get vaccine
Read full article: As virus cases rise, so do pleas for Russians to get vaccineIn Russia's fifth-largest city, Nizhny Novgorod, seriously ill coronavirus patients at an infectious disease hospital lie in crowded wards with little space between beds.
Oregon, once a virus success story, struggles with surge
Read full article: Oregon, once a virus success story, struggles with surgeOregon was once the poster child for limiting the spread of the coronavirus, after its Democratic governor imposed some of the nation’s strictest safety measures, including mask mandates, limits on gatherings and an order closing restaurants.
The new Texas COVID-19 surge could be worse than anything the state has seen yet
Read full article: The new Texas COVID-19 surge could be worse than anything the state has seen yet“It’s going to be close,” one health official said as a record number of Texas hospitals run out of intensive care beds and warn that they may soon have more COVID-19 patients than they can handle.
San Antonio nurse working in pediatric ICU shares experience of working on frontlines during COVID-19 surge
Read full article: San Antonio nurse working in pediatric ICU shares experience of working on frontlines during COVID-19 surgeA nurse at University Hospital’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit says it has been difficult watching children suffer from COVID-19 as the surge of cases continues in Bexar County.
No ICU beds for children available in Dallas-area hospitals, county judge says
Read full article: No ICU beds for children available in Dallas-area hospitals, county judge saysThe COVID-19 situation in Dallas County is growing dire as area hospitals are reaching full capacity, resulting in no beds available for children in the ICU, according to Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.
“Tired of putting bodies in body bags,” this Austin ICU nurse scaled back her hours in the hospital
Read full article: “Tired of putting bodies in body bags,” this Austin ICU nurse scaled back her hours in the hospitalSheyla Moraes, an intensive care nurse, says this latest surge of the coronavirus pandemic is particularly draining because it was preventable. Listen in the weekend edition of The Brief podcast.
COVID-19 Delta variant putting younger children in the ICU, hospital officials say
Read full article: COVID-19 Delta variant putting younger children in the ICU, hospital officials sayCOVID-19 cases are soaring, and with the new Delta variant, the threat level has become severe in San Antonio, according to local health care officials.
Proning process increased better outcomes in ICU COVID-19 patients, researchers say
Read full article: Proning process increased better outcomes in ICU COVID-19 patients, researchers sayResearchers say they’ve learned lessons and gained valuable information from studying COVID-19 responses in the ICU.
Texas’ COVID-19 pandemic death toll edges closer to 50,000
Read full article: Texas’ COVID-19 pandemic death toll edges closer to 50,000FILE- A medical staff exits the COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) on New Year's Day at the United Memorial Medical Center on January 1, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Go Nakamura/Getty Images)AUSTIN, Texas – The number of people with COVID-19 who have died in Texas is edging close to 50,000, the third-highest death toll in the nation, researchers reported Tuesday. Johns Hopkins University researchers said 48,140 people with COVID-19 have died in Texas during the past year. State health officials on Tuesday reported 109 new deaths, along with 3,980 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases. State health officials said that 3,161 people with COVID-19 required hospitalization as of Monday, the latest total available.
Paris doctors warn of catastrophic overload of virus cases
Read full article: Paris doctors warn of catastrophic overload of virus casesFILE- In this March 19, 2021, file photo, a nurse tends to a patient affected by COVID-19 virus in the ICU unit at the Ambroise Pare clinic in Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris. The sobering warnings were delivered Sunday in newspaper opinions signed by dozens of Paris-region doctors. Since January, Macron’s government has instead imposed a nationwide overnight curfew and followed that with a grab-bag of other restrictions. But with infections soaring and hospitals increasingly running short of intensive-care beds, doctors have been stepping up the pressure for a full French lockdown. AdThe doctors predicted that softer new restrictions imposed this month on Paris and some other regions won't quickly bring the resurgent epidemic under control.
Brazil becomes 2nd nation to top 300,000 COVID-19 deaths
Read full article: Brazil becomes 2nd nation to top 300,000 COVID-19 deathsThe body of a COVID-19 victim lies in a body bag at the ICU of the Sao Jose municipal hospital in Duque de Caxias, Brazil, Wednesday, March 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)SAO PAULO – Brazil topped 300,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, becoming the second country to do so amid a spike in infections that has seen the South American country report record death tolls in recent days. The United States reached the grim milestone on Dec. 14, but has a larger population than Brazil. On Wednesday, Brazil's health ministry reported 2,009 daily COVID-19 deaths, bringing its pandemic total to 300,685. On Tuesday, the country saw a single-day record of 3,251 deaths.
The Latest: Mexico's president knocks US over vaccines
Read full article: The Latest: Mexico's president knocks US over vaccinesA police officer patrols in the Chatelet area amidst the new coronavirus pandemic, in Paris, Saturday, March 13, 2021. Some of the nation’s governors routinely block access to public records, keeping the public in the dark about key decisions involving the coronavirus pandemic. Polling shows divides by race and politics, with Black Americans and supporters of former President Donald Trump expressing more skepticism about the vaccines. Richard Hall of the Berkshire COVID-19 Vaccine Collaborative spoke to the The Berkshire Eagle. Ad___WASHINGTON - Commercial air travel appears to be on the upswing despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Brazil hospitals buckle in absence of national virus plan
Read full article: Brazil hospitals buckle in absence of national virus planRelatives attend a burial service of a person who died from complications related to COVID-19 at the Vila Formosa cemetery in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Thursday, March 11, 2021. Ad“We have reached the limit across Brazil; rare are the exceptions,” Dias, who leads the governors’ forum, said. “In the whole country, aggressive use of the public health measures, social measures, will be very, very crucial,” he said. At the Vila Formosa cemetery in Sao Paulo, burials are being done one after another, with mourners and cars lined up awaiting their turn. Associated Press videojournalist Tatiana Pollastri contributed from Sao Paulo.
315 Texas COVID-19 deaths reported as toll nears 44,000
Read full article: 315 Texas COVID-19 deaths reported as toll nears 44,000Texas reported 315 more deaths Thursday from the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 as the state’s pandemic death toll neared 44,000. (Photo by Go Nakamura/Getty Images)AUSTIN, Texas – Texas reported 315 more deaths Thursday from the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 as the state’s pandemic death toll neared 44,000. The Texas Department of State Health Services said the state's COVID-19 death toll stood at 43,878 Thursday. The state's confirmed and probable coronavirus cases rose by 5,903 to 2,671,442. According to figures from Johns Hopkins University, over the past two weeks, the rolling average number of daily new cases in Texas has fallen by 7,265.7 per day.
Surging virus in French African outpost reveals inequalities
Read full article: Surging virus in French African outpost reveals inequalitiesIn the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, virus cases are suddenly spiking to their highest levels since the pandemic began, and demand for ICU beds is more than double supply. (AP Photo/ Sony Ibrahim Chamsidine)MAMOUDZOU – Mayotte’s main tourist office stands nearly empty, a lonely tropical outpost overlooking a people-less port. The Mayotte islands are the poorest corner of the European Union, tucked between Madagascar and the mainland coast of Mozambique in southern Africa - and were the last spot in France to receive any coronavirus vaccines. Local authorities feel forgotten and say their difficulties in fighting the virus reflect long-standing inequalities between France’s majority-white mainland and its far-flung multiracial former colonies. The French army is sending in medical workers and a few ICU beds, and President Emmanuel Macron’s government pledged Wednesday to step up vaccine deliveries.
Texas reports more than COVID-19 deaths in the daily report
Read full article: Texas reports more than COVID-19 deaths in the daily report(Photo by Go Nakamura/Getty Images)AUSTIN, Texas – State health officials have reported more than 300 deaths from the new coronavirus. The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 301 deaths Tuesday from COVID-19, the illness the coronavirus causes, raising the state’s coronavirus death toll for the pandemic to 39,001. The state also reported 12,966 new coronavirus cases Tuesday, bringing the number of Texas cases to just over 2.5 million since the pandemic began. Texas COVID-19 hospitalizations held steady at 9,401, department spokesman Chris Van Deusen said Tuesday. It was updated on Feb. 12 to remove a reference to the 300 new deaths being the most in Texas since mid-January.
ICU faces constant pressure as France waffles over lockdown
Read full article: ICU faces constant pressure as France waffles over lockdownThis is daily life in La Timone's ICU ward in Marseille, as France grapples with whether to impose a third lockdown and struggles to ramp up the pace of vaccinations. Ad“It’s been tense since the beginning of the second wave, around October or November,” Dr. Julien Carvelli, head of the ICU ward, told The Associated Press. “We’re afraid that, in the coming weeks, we won’t be able to take in and treat all ICU patients,” including those with illnesses other than COVID. But President Emmanuel Macron’s government says it won’t shut down the country again unless its hospitals are again at risk of overflowing with virus patients. His ward was lucky to have a free bed when the hospital’s pediatric department asked for a place for the 16-year-old virus patient.
California reveals data used to lift stay-at-home order
Read full article: California reveals data used to lift stay-at-home orderLast week, state health officials told The Associated Press they were keeping all the data secret because it is complicated and might mislead the public. Dr. George Rutherford, an epidemiologist and infectious-diseases control expert at University of California, San Francisco, was among the critics. Gavin Newsom announced a new stay-at-home order that was based on ICU capacity in each of five regions. At a news conference with Newsom, California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly promised to reveal some of the information behind the projections. But it’s currently stuck at 9.9% — virtually the same level it was two weeks ago when state officials abruptly lifted the stay-at-home order there.
Increase in COVID-19 deaths slows somewhat in Texas
Read full article: Increase in COVID-19 deaths slows somewhat in TexasAccording to reports, Texas has recorded more than 1,710,000 coronovirus cases, including more than 27,100 deaths. (Photo by Go Nakamura/Getty Images)AUSTIN, Texas – There has been a decrease in the number of reported new deaths in Texas due to COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, according to the state health department. There were 208 additional deaths reported Sunday after 407 new deaths were reported Saturday following three consecutive days of more than 1,200 new deaths, according the department. The seven-day rolling average of deaths in Texas has risen during the past two weeks from 260.57 per day to 326.14, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The Johns Hopkins information also shows the positivity rate in Texas has declined from 24.89% to 16% and the seven-day rolling average of new cases fell from 23,043.57 per day to 18,771.57.
Facing a crush of COVID-19 patients, ICUs are completely full in at least 50 Texas hospitals
Read full article: Facing a crush of COVID-19 patients, ICUs are completely full in at least 50 Texas hospitalsCurrently, COVID-19 patients take up almost half of that region’s hospital capacity, according to DSHS data — the highest percentage in the state. Many cities have had to divert patients to other hospitals as their local ICUs overflow, in addition to expanding and converting available beds to treat ICU patients. Melendez said counting available ICU beds doesn’t give the full picture at Texas hospitals because they are constantly adjusting to accommodate more patients. If an ICU is technically full, he said, many hospitals can still convert some available beds or units outside of that ward to give patients ICU care. Simmons and other Texas health care workers have expressed hope for the future after Texas’ vaccination process began on Dec. 14.
Texas reports 10,000 new COVID-19 cases, 46 more deaths
Read full article: Texas reports 10,000 new COVID-19 cases, 46 more deathsAccording to reports, Texas has recorded more than 1,710,000 coronovirus cases, including more than 27,100 deaths. (Photo by Go Nakamura/Getty Images)DALLAS – Texas reported more than 10,000 new cases of COVID-19 Monday and 46 more deaths from the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Coronavirus hospitalizations remain near their record high and intensive-care units in several regions are at or near capacity, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. The department reported 10,110 more confirmed cases of the virus Monday, as well as 695 probable case. Over the last week, more than 17% of coronavirus tests have come back positive in Texas, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Third confirmed coronavirus variant is reported in Texas
Read full article: Third confirmed coronavirus variant is reported in TexasFrontline healthcare workers check information at a COVID-19 testing site amid a surge of COVID-19 cases in El Paso on November 13, 2020 in El Paso, Texas. Texas eclipsed one million COVID-19 cases November 11th with El Paso holding the most cases statewide. Active cases in El Paso are now over 30,000. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)DALLAS – A third confirmed case of a variant of the coronavirus was been reported Saturday in Texas by Dallas County Health and Human Services. Texas reported a Houston-area man as its first case of a person infected with the new variant on Jan. 7.
Calls to reopen classrooms grow as teachers get vaccinated
Read full article: Calls to reopen classrooms grow as teachers get vaccinatedHe has said teachers should be eligible for vaccinations as soon as possible after those who are at highest risk. Illinois teachers are not eligible for vaccines yet, but Chicago officials are providing virus tests on school grounds for staff. New York State expanded vaccine eligibility to teachers this week. But educators said it is too soon to know when California’s 600,000 teachers can expect to be vaccinated. Jeff Freitas, president of the California Federation of Teachers, said vaccinations have to come first, then schools can talk about reopening.
Texas sees 1st case of new variant amid push for more shots
Read full article: Texas sees 1st case of new variant amid push for more shotsTexas also set new state highs with nearly 14,000 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, and 393 newly reported deaths. Texas joins a handful of states with at least one known case of the new variant of the virus that causes COVID-19. It was first identified in the United Kingdom and appears to spread more easily from person to person. But state health officials say there is no evidence it causes more severe disease, and say current vaccines are expected to still be effective. “The fact that this person had no travel history suggests this variant is already circulating in Texas,” state health Commissioner Dr. John Hellerstedt said.
Texas reports 326 COVID-19 deaths in a single day, shattering previous record
Read full article: Texas reports 326 COVID-19 deaths in a single day, shattering previous record(Photo by Go Nakamura/Getty Images)AUSTIN, Texas – The state health department on Wednesday recorded an additional 326 COVID-19 deaths in Texas, shattering the previous record of 278 deaths reported on July 23. That brought the Texas death toll for the eight-month-old coronavirus outbreak to 28,545, according to statistics compiled by the Texas Department of State Health Services. The state reported 19,535 new confirmed coronavirus cases and 4,026 probable cases on Wednesday, bringing to almost 1.9 million the number of confirmed and probable cases in Texas. Of those, 320,540 cases were active on Wednesday, a record 13,628 were hospitalized, the 10th consecutive record day. The convention center was pressed into service as a hospital previously during the July COVID-19 surge for up to 1,500 coronavirus patients.
California virus deaths rocket higher as ICU space tightens
Read full article: California virus deaths rocket higher as ICU space tightensCalifornia health authorities reported Thursday a record two-day total of 1,042 coronavirus deaths as many hospitals strain under unprecedented caseloads. California health authorities reported Thursday 583 new deaths and a record two-day total of 1,042. Carmela Coyle, the association’s president and chief executive, said the group has been negotiating with state officials but they aren’t acting fast enough. “It’s a slap in the face to safe patient care to actually call charting and documentation ‘red tape,’” she said. State health officials did not respond to questions on how they expect the heath orders to be applied or how many patients or hospitals might be affected.
As COVID-19 hospitalizations hit all-time high in San Antonio, health official warns deaths may ‘pile up’
Read full article: As COVID-19 hospitalizations hit all-time high in San Antonio, health official warns deaths may ‘pile up’(Photo by Go Nakamura/Getty Images)SAN ANTONIO – Even as more San Antonio residents get vaccinated, COVID-19 trends have continued at alarming rates, with virus-related hospitalizations hitting an all-time high at area hospitals on Tuesday. During the county’s daily COVID-19 update, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg confirmed the grim news about the hospitalization record. With more than 180 new COVID-19 hospital admissions reported, officials said area hospitals are currently caring for 1,318 people afflicted with the virus, the most since the pandemic began last year. The worsening situation will likely result in a greater number of deaths related to COVID-19, San Antonio Metro Health Medical Director Dr. Junda Woo said. The peak in hospitalizations comes amid rising new COVID-19 infections, although reporting dates have been staggered due to the holidays.
COVID-19 exhausting Texas ICU beds as hospitalizations soar
Read full article: COVID-19 exhausting Texas ICU beds as hospitalizations soarA medical staff exits the COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) on New Year's Day at the United Memorial Medical Center on January 1, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Go Nakamura/Getty Images)AUSTIN, Texas – Coronavirus cases are exhausting the availability of intensive-care unit beds in parts of Texas as hospitalizations with COVID-19 continue to soar to record levels, state health statistics showed on Tuesday. In all, the state estimated 314,465 COVID-19 cases were active. All ICU beds at hospitals in the Abilene and Bryan-College Station areas are full, while only two are available in the Laredo area with three in the Paris-Texarkana area. For seven days in a row, COVID-19 patients have filled in 15% of the Houston region's hospital beds, according to state health statistics.
Texas on brink of record 13K in hospitals as virus surges
Read full article: Texas on brink of record 13K in hospitals as virus surgesDr. Alan Glombicki examines a patient using an endoscope in the COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) at the United Memorial Medical Center on December 29, 2020 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Go Nakamura/Getty Images)FORT WORTH, Texas – Texas was on the brink Monday of surpassing a record 13,000 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 as the number of new cases after the Christmas holiday continued surging, including Rep. Kay Granger, who said she tested positive upon returning to Washington for the new Congress. She had been scheduled to receive the second dose Wednesday but will now wait until she is through quarantining, said Michelle Koepp, a spokeswoman for Granger. People are expected to get some level of protection within a couple of weeks after the first shot, but full protection may not happen until a couple of weeks after the second shot. Texas has set new highs for hospitalized COVID-19 patients seven times in the past eight days.
Texas reports new record high for COVID-19 hospitalizations
Read full article: Texas reports new record high for COVID-19 hospitalizationsAccording to reports, Texas has recorded more than 1,710,000 coronovirus cases, including more than 27,100 deaths. (Photo by Go Nakamura/Getty Images)DALLAS – Texas hit a new record high for COVID-19 hospitalizations Sunday, as a surge in the disease caused by the novel coronavirus continued to strain state medical resources following holiday travel and gatherings. State health officials reported 12,563 COVID-19 patients in Texas hospitals, an increase of more than 240 from Saturday. It was the sixth time in seven days that the state reported record breaking hospitalizations. Intensive care units in several parts of the state were full or nearly full Sunday, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Texas hits new record high of COVID-19 hospitalizations
Read full article: Texas hits new record high of COVID-19 hospitalizationsFILE - Medical staff members sort lines and pipes connected to a patient in the COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) at the United Memorial Medical Center on November 19, 2020 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Go Nakamura/Getty Images)AUSTIN, Texas – Texas hit a new record of COVID-19 hospitalizations Monday, smashing the previous high mark set in July, as the state continues to slowly give its first round of vaccines. Texas is nearing 27,000 virus-related deaths to date, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins University, which has been at the forefront of the global response to COVID-19. Priority would be given to Austin officers who are older than 65 or are at higher risk due to medical conditions, Escott said. Texas, like many other places, is still delivering its first round vaccinations to healthcare workers, EMTs and residents of long-term care facilities.
Hospital staffs stretched thin during California virus surge
Read full article: Hospital staffs stretched thin during California virus surgeIncreasingly desperate California hospitals are being "crushed" by soaring coronavirus infections, with one Los Angeles emergency doctor predicting that rationing of care is imminent. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)LOS ANGELES – Medical staffing is stretched increasingly thin as California hospitals scramble to find beds for patients amid an explosion of coronavirus cases that threatens to overwhelm the state's emergency care system. In hard-hit Los Angeles County, Nerissa Black, a nurse at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, estimated she's been averaging less than 10 minutes of care per patient every hour. California was experiencing “some of the darkest days of our COVID-19 surge,” Gov. Supermarkets have been hit hard by the virus surge, further straining an essential service that remains open during the latest stay-at-home order.
'Such is life': In virus wards, death is a foe but a fact
Read full article: 'Such is life': In virus wards, death is a foe but a factAs one of the man's carers, Brissaud had been more physically intimate with him than many people are with their friends. This is what it is to encounter death, over and over, in the COVID-poisoned days of the 2020 pandemic. It was also where the ICU patient in room No. The man's age and the fact that his death wasn't unexpected made it easier for his carers, Busch determined. She says the virus death of a young lung-transplant recipient made one ICU paramedic “very angry.” Another came to her “in tears, saying, ‘They are all dying.
Most of California to enter sweeping new virus lockdown
Read full article: Most of California to enter sweeping new virus lockdownSome counties have opted to impose them even before the mandate kicks in, including five San Francisco Bay Area counties where the measures also take effect starting Sunday. San Francisco resident Michael Duranceau rushed to a market to load up on supplies. “I can’t emphasize this enough – everyone must take personal steps to protect themselves and protect others.”The other three regions — Greater Sacramento, Northern California and San Francisco Bay Area — were all around 21% capacity. The changes begin to take effect Sunday night in San Francisco, Santa Clara, Marin, Alameda and Contra Costa counties, as well as the city of Berkeley. ___Associated Press writers Olga R. Rodriguez and Juliet Williams in San Francisco, Robert Jablon and Brian Melley in Los Angeles and Adam Beam in Sacramento contributed.
Southern California, San Joaquin Valley under restrictions
Read full article: Southern California, San Joaquin Valley under restrictionsSome counties have opted to impose them even before the mandate kicks in, including five San Francisco Bay Area counties where the measures also take effect starting Sunday. San Francisco resident Michael Duranceau rushed to a market to load up on supplies. The 11-county Southern California region, which includes the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, had only 12.5% of its ICU beds available, the California Department of Public Health reported Saturday. The figure was 8.6% for the San Joaquin Valley region, composed of a dozen counties in the agricultural Central Valley and rural areas of the Sierra Nevada. ___Associated Press writers Olga R. Rodriguez and Juliet Williams in San Francisco, Robert Jablon and Brian Melley in Los Angeles and Adam Beam in Sacramento contributed.
San Francisco Bay Area issues new stay-at-home order
Read full article: San Francisco Bay Area issues new stay-at-home orderThe health officers in six San Francisco Bay Area regions have issued a new stay-at-home order as the number of virus cases surge and hospitals fill. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)SAN FRANCISCO – The health officers in five San Francisco Bay Area counties issued a new stay-at-home order Friday requiring some businesses to close and banning all gatherings, as the number of virus cases surge and hospitals fill. The Bay Area counties are so closely connected that it was much easier to implement a regional order, officials said. The Golden Gate Restaurant Association in San Francisco said most restaurants “cannot make it financially on takeout alone." ___Associated Press writer Jocelyn Gecker in San Francisco and Brian Melley in Los Angeles contributed.
Photo of Houston ICU doctor embracing elderly COVID-19 patient on Thanksgiving goes viral
Read full article: Photo of Houston ICU doctor embracing elderly COVID-19 patient on Thanksgiving goes viralHOUSTON, Texas – A viral photo of an ICU doctor in Houston embracing an elderly COVID-19 patient on Thanksgiving is tugging at heartstrings all across social media. According to a recent report from USA Today, Thanksgiving Day marked the 252nd consecutive day of work for Dr. Joseph Varon, pictured in the viral image. Dr. Varon is seen in the viral photo wearing full protective gear as he embraces an elderly COVID-19 patient. Thank you Dr. Varon. #hounews (1/3) pic.twitter.com/3qEinpRXFk — Houston Health Dept (@HoustonHealth) November 28, 2020The three-day report is due to city officials not reporting Nov. 26-27 for Thanksgiving cases.
Greece faces renewed lockdown as pressure on hospitals rises
Read full article: Greece faces renewed lockdown as pressure on hospitals risesGreece has seen a major resurgence of the virus after the summer, leading to dozens of deaths each day and thousands of new infections. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)THESSALONIKI – Greece is set to extend its lockdown measures beyond the end of November given the spread of COVID-19 and the pressure on hospitals, the country's health minister warned Monday. The second nationwide lockdown, including school closures, was imposed earlier this month until Nov. 30. The field hospital is to have 50 normal beds for COVID-19 patients and two ICU beds. On Monday, authorities said the nationwide occupancy of COVID-19 ICU beds was 86% — and roughly 99% for northern Greece.
Romania: Fire in COVID-19 intensive care unit kills 10
Read full article: Romania: Fire in COVID-19 intensive care unit kills 10The facade of the hospital is blackened by smoke from the ICU unit following a fire in Piatra Neamt, northern Romania, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020. (ZIarPiatraNeamt.ro via AP)BUCHAREST – A fire at a hospital treating COVID-19 patients in northeastern Romania killed 10 people Saturday and injured 10 others, seven of them critically, officials said. The blaze spread through the intensive care ward designated for COVID-19 patients at the public hospital in the city of Piatra Neamt, local Emergency Situations Inspectorate spokesperson Irina Popa said. were hospital patients, . News outlets reported that Piatra Neamt Regional Emergency Hospital has long been poorly managed, with eight government-appointed managers overseeing the facility in the last year.
State sends emergency medical personnel, supplies to El Paso as COVID-19 cases rise across Texas
Read full article: State sends emergency medical personnel, supplies to El Paso as COVID-19 cases rise across TexasEl Paso health officials reported 1,161 new cases of the disease on Thursday, continuing two weeks of record-level cases in the area. El Paso is home to the Fort Bliss Army base, which includes William Beaumont Army Hospital. As of Thursday, the seven-day average of hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in the El Paso area was 500, with 571 people hospitalized on Thursday, including 159 in intensive care. New COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are on the rise across the state. Houston's COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations haven't risen as fast as in other parts of the state.
UN: New daily record as COVID-19 cases hit more than 350,000
Read full article: UN: New daily record as COVID-19 cases hit more than 350,000A medical team member is disinfected before leaving the COVID-19 ward at the Severo Ochoa hospital in Leganes, outskirts of Madrid, Spain, Friday, Oct. 9, 2020. Now, a well-oiled machinery saves some lives and loses others to coronavirus, but without the doomsday atmosphere of March and April. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)GENEVA – The World Health Organization has announced a new daily record high in coronavirus cases confirmed worldwide, with more than 350,000 infections reported to the U.N. health agency on Friday. The new daily high of 350,766 cases surpasses a record set earlier this week by nearly 12,000. As the virus continues to surge across Europe and elsewhere, Ryan acknowledged that restrictive measures might be warranted at some point.
Czech Republic tops record infection surge in Eastern Europe
Read full article: Czech Republic tops record infection surge in Eastern EuropeHealthcare workers attending to COVID-19 patients in an intensive care unit (ICU) at Na Bulovce hospital in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. A record surge of new coronavirus infections in the Czech Republic in September has been followed by a record surge of those hospitalized with COVID-19. The Czech Republic currently has more people testing positive daily than any other country in Central and Eastern Europe, even neighboring Germany whose population is eight times bigger. The new confirmed day-to-day increase reached a new record high of 5,335 on Wednesday, almost 900 more than Tuesday's previous record. Prime Minister Igor Matovic called the development “a serious moment for Slovakia.” Matovic said he will consider further tightening restrictions for travelers from the Czech Republic.
COVID beds fill up as virus pressure builds in Marseille
Read full article: COVID beds fill up as virus pressure builds in MarseilleA medical crew works at a patient affected with COVID-19 in a Marseille hospital, southern France, Thursday, Sept.10, 2020. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)MARSEILLE – All five intensive care beds dedicated to COVID patients are in use at the Laveran Military Training Hospital in Marseille, and its doctors are bracing for more. The 70 ICU beds dedicated to virus patients in France’s second-biggest city and the surrounding Bouches-du-Rhone region were all occupied by Tuesday. The number of ICU virus patients in the region has doubled in the past 10 days and now surpasses 100. Among the new virus patients, Pierre-Yves said, “Some are older but not all.
What is rehab like after COVID?
Read full article: What is rehab like after COVID?It was like the flu on steroids, shared COVID-19 survivor Clarence Troutman. It just, really took a lot of intensive rehab, added Kat Aksamit, PT, DPT, NCS, a physical therapist at University of Colorado Hospital. Were seeing a lot of neurologic damage with people that have had COVID disease and a lot of blood clots, elaborated Dr. Niehaus. University of Colorado Hospital was one of the first facilities to begin actively rehabbing patients that are still COVID positive. Hospitals around the country are revamping their rehab procedures evaluating patients daily, revising how much rehab patients can handle.
San Antonio nurse featured on ‘GMA’ after working 31 days straight, surprised by ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ stars
Read full article: San Antonio nurse featured on ‘GMA’ after working 31 days straight, surprised by ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ starsSan Antonio nurse featured on ‘GMA’ after working 31 days straight, surprised by ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ starsPublished: August 10, 2020, 10:16 amMoments after “Good Morning America” interviewed San Antonio nurse Kristen Knott about her experience working in the ICU, she was getting ready for another day on the job. Her story about working 31 days straight in a local ICU — and her viral Facebook post about 31 things she’s learned during the COVID-19 crisis — was featured on the show’s “Make your Monday” segment.
10 Things to Know for Today
Read full article: 10 Things to Know for TodayA COVID-19 patient undergoes treatment in one of the intensive care units (ICU) of the Germans Trias i Pujol hospital in Badalona, Barcelona province, Spain, Wednesday, April 1, 2020. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:1. UK HEALTH SERVICE GEARS UP FOR VIRUS PEAK Britain’s National Health Service is facing the biggest test in its 72-year history as the government races to ensure medical facilities have the staffing and equipment they need. ‘COFFEE & KAREEM’ A LEWD BUDDY COP COMEDY A new Netflix film puts a daffy police officer together with a potty-mouthed pre-teen on a series of crazy hijinks in Detroit.