Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ICU capacity explained

One of the main drivers of the COVID-19 pandemic is Intensive Care Unit (ICU) capacity as resources such as hospital staff and personal protective equipment (PPE) are continuously used up. Although disaster planning for such a contingency had already taken place (and indeed has been updated),^[1] the sheer scale of the impact first became apparent on the state level in late November 2020.^{[2] [3] [4]}

Not least amongst the concerns is the tremendous strain on staff and the inability to transfer patients to other hospitals which are likewise swamped, a particular problem in rural states which have commensurate health care infrastructure.^[5]

So serious is the issue that Governor Newsom of California issued a strict stay-at-home order to take effect 48 hours whenever any of that state's five regions -Northern California, San Francisco Bay Area, Southern California, Greater Sacramento, San Joaquin Valley, and Southern California reach 15% remaining capacity as projections were that hospitals shall be swamped by Christmas.^[6]

Notes and References

1. Web site: McCarthy . Niall . 2020-05-22 . States Compared [Infographic] ]. 2020-12-02 . Forbes.
2. Web site: Phelan . John . 2020-11-20 . Minnesota's total ICU capacity has fallen by 229 beds – 10.6% – since early October . 2020-12-02 . Center of the American Experiment.
3. Web site: COVID-19 Data Dashboard – Patient Impact & Hospital Capacity. July 16, 2020. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
4. Web site: Soo . Kim . 2020-10-20 . Utah Hospital's ICU at 104 Percent Capacity as State Sees Record COVID Hospitalizations . Newsweek.
5. Web site: Simmons . Tommy . 2020-12-01 . Some Treasure Valley hospitals faced decisions on ICU capacity Monday night as COVID-19 cases rise . Idaho Press.
6. Web site: Moon . Sarah . 2020-12-04 . Newsom issues regional stay-at-home order based on ICU capacity to battle record Covid surge in California . MSN News.