Hospitals responding to latest surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) — It’s no secret that hospital beds are filling up throughout the ArkLaTex. And the leading cause is the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus.

The Arkansas Health Department reports there were 681 hospitalizations in that state as of Friday, July 16.

And just last week, Texas Medical Center took in 100 new patients each day.

In Louisiana, that state’s Health Department reports 711 patients were in the hospital as of Monday, July 19.

Dr. Jonathan Eaton, a critical care doctor at Ochsner LSU Health in Shreveport, said they have a plan in place in the event beds start to overflow. “It was almost a year ago this week where we relocated all of the women and children off of the main King’s Highway campus and St. Mary’s campus to create that surge capacity in the event the numbers continue to rise.”

Other Louisiana hospitals are cracking down in response to the rise in hospitalizations.

“Being a Level I trauma center, we have patients coming in with gunshot wombs, stab wounds and motor vehicle accidents daily that are also requiring those ICU beds,” Eaton said. “So while the ICU may not be just full with COVID patients, the ICUs are staying full with sick people.”

His main concern during this latest surge in COVID-19 cases is the new age group being impacted.

“The best thing we have is being vaccinated. Don’t think because your 30 to 40 years old you’re invincible to this.”

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