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California Reaches ‘Zero’ ICU Capacity, Though Beds Available in Many Hospitals
Breitbart ^ | 12/30/2020 | Joel B Pollak

Posted on 12/30/2020 6:30:28 AM PST by ChicagoConservative27

The State of California has officially reached “zero” percent in its intensive care unit (ICU) capacity as the state battles the nation’s worst coronavirus surge.

The San Francisco Chronicle notes that the “0%” figure does not necessarily mean there are no beds available. Rather, it means that according to an algorithm used by the state, the maximum number of licensed ICU beds has been reached, and many hospitals are now using their “surge” capacity to accommodate additional patients.

(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: bed; calfornia; hospitals; icu
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the 0 figure does not mean there are no beds? Then why spread more fear porn?
1 posted on 12/30/2020 6:30:28 AM PST by ChicagoConservative27
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To: ChicagoConservative27

I wonder how many of those ICU patients are illegals.

Asking for a friend.


2 posted on 12/30/2020 6:33:07 AM PST by a real Sheila (WuFlu be gone!)
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To: a real Sheila

According to a California doctor who did some research...@70% are Hispanic


3 posted on 12/30/2020 6:35:26 AM PST by goodnesswins (The issue is never the issue. The issue is always the revolution." -- Saul Alinksy)
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To: ChicagoConservative27

A lot of times the issue isn’t the physical beds, but rather the ICU trained staff to manage those patients. I can put 1,000 beds in a high school gym, but if there are no doctors or nurses to treat the people who are put in there, they’re going to have a bad day.


4 posted on 12/30/2020 6:37:55 AM PST by 2aProtectsTheRest (The media is banging the fear drum enough. Don't help them do it.)
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To: ChicagoConservative27

in an average year 165-190 people die in Los Angeles EVERY DAY! According to the Fake News 144 are dying daily from COVID, This is also the First Year ever that all the normal causes of Death have gone DOWN to levels NEVER SEEN BEFORE, coincidentaly the COVID Deaths have gone up by the same exact amount.

The DEATH RATE in Los Angeles is AVERAGE THIS YEAR. LOOK IT UP AND READ IT FOR YOURSELF

http://www.laalmanac.com/vitals/vi11.php#cause


5 posted on 12/30/2020 6:37:58 AM PST by eyeamok
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To: eyeamok

I believe similar stats in Oregon. ..on track for less deaths overall than 2018...and the population has increased


6 posted on 12/30/2020 6:40:09 AM PST by goodnesswins (The issue is never the issue. The issue is always the revolution." -- Saul Alinksy)
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To: eyeamok

The meme has changed from death rate to lack of ICU beds. The Governor has failed the state of California. Like most Democrats, he show up to collect his paycheck and does nothing.


7 posted on 12/30/2020 6:48:23 AM PST by DownInFlames (Ga)
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To: 2aProtectsTheRest

Meanwhile, in a country where people are packed together like sardines

https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/i-m-glad-to-be-living-in-india-at-this-time-926699.html

“Ivermectin is part of early treatment protocols in India. The irony is that an Australian professor pioneered the use of it, but it has been dismissed in Australia in favour of locking the door until a vaccine (hopefully) saves the day.


8 posted on 12/30/2020 6:48:52 AM PST by RummyChick (I BLAME KUSHNER)
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To: ChicagoConservative27

Both hospitals in Greenville SC has a lot of Covid-19 cases.

My wife is ER for some serious breathing issues, they will not let me in, the whole hospital is in lock down due to the surge. They are not able to get her a bed, she is stuck in ER.

We are waiting on our lung doctor to see if they can operate today. Hoping they are able to get her clear up so she get away from the Hospital.


9 posted on 12/30/2020 6:51:02 AM PST by DEPcom
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To: 2aProtectsTheRest

[A lot of times the issue isn’t the physical beds, but rather the ICU trained staff to manage those patients. I can put 1,000 beds in a high school gym, but if there are no doctors or nurses to treat the people who are put in there, they’re going to have a bad day.]


Could they start pulling in non-ICU trained personnel and begin to classify patients based on degrees of severity so that the less severe cases are handled by those personnel? I suspect it’s also a case of raw ability, much as fighter pilots can do things cargo pilots cannot (which is why the sorting process is rigorous), ICU personnel can do things that non-ICU personnel cannot. But in extremis ...


10 posted on 12/30/2020 6:53:24 AM PST by Zhang Fei (My dad had a Delta 88. That was a car. It was like driving your living room.)
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To: DEPcom

This is anecdotal, but out here in southern California many hospitals are indeed overflowing with patients. A friend’s father got COVID and the only treatment he received was in the ER. Chest X-Ray, Remdesivir, Azithromycin, Zinc, Vitamin D, and then they sent him home after 6 hours. No admission to the hospital as his case was deemed not serious enough and there were not enough beds.
He got much worse in the days after, at home. Terrible cough and breathing trouble. Luckily (and this is a small miracle) he gradually recovered over the next ten days. His wife gave him over-the-counter cold medications. That’s it. He is still weak but the worst is behind him.


11 posted on 12/30/2020 7:01:22 AM PST by Deo volente ("When we see the image of a baby in the womb, we glimpse the majesty of God's creation." Pres. Trump)
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To: ChicagoConservative27

It is my guess that the state develops its statewide figure on ICU beds just like any statewide average would be done - merely adding up all the reported capacity, hospital by hospital, and then adding up all the ICU beds in use, hospital by hospital. In all likelihood, there are hospitals with way less than 100% ICU capacity in use, mixed with hospitals (L.A. county and S.F. area) that are managing with 100% plus ICU beds in use (conversion of other areas to ICU areas).

The Democrat governors love the broader geographic totals, instead of the greater difficulty of finer targets to precise areas of need and concern. That permits them the widest latitude on their demands for restrictions.


12 posted on 12/30/2020 7:03:59 AM PST by Wuli
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To: ChicagoConservative27

We have thousands of ventilators, thanks to Trump.

Military field hospitals, hospital ships, and more.


13 posted on 12/30/2020 7:04:41 AM PST by bigbob (Trust Trump. Trust the Plan. )
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To: ChicagoConservative27

Could it be that hospitals in Kalifornia are putting people into ICU who don’t need to be there because they collect more money from Uncle Sugar that way?


14 posted on 12/30/2020 7:07:18 AM PST by Fresh Wind ("This claim about election fraud is disputed.")
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To: goodnesswins
Except that isn't correct.

Source

Deaths in Oregon are well over average for the year. The state is on track to be about 12-15% above normal for the year. The state government hasn't yet updated that page with statistics for November.

15 posted on 12/30/2020 7:08:56 AM PST by 2aProtectsTheRest (The media is banging the fear drum enough. Don't help them do it.)
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To: ChicagoConservative27

Just to say it one more time....

“Beds” in a hospital are not ALL ICU beds.

The designation of an ICU bed has to do with the telemetry set up, and the staff to manage it.

Yes, each hospital can surge at about 125% of ICU beds into other areas (Cardiac ICU, Intermediate Care, etc.) But those rooms do not have the telemetry set up. The hospitals would need to get the equipment and the people to monitor it.

Finally, you do not simply “take” floor nurses and drop them into the ICU. For these cases you need respiratory techs, nurses, and ICU “qualified” nurses.

And remember, most ICUs are working at 75-85% capacity on any given day because of surgery, accidents, and major health issues like heart attacks and strokes.

What people on this thread are suggesting is that because you have an empty bay in a dealership garage that the sales people can go into the garage and do body work or transmission repair.

It simply doesn’t work that way.

I am not “defending” anyone. I am not spreading fear. I am merely explaining how hospitals work.

If someone telling you how hospitals work, have them explain how they know. Several years participating in daily “bed meetings” at 8 AM every morning gives me some experience in this. If the experience someone is spouting comes from a You Tube Video or some other comment on a sketchy web site...they are most likely wrong.


16 posted on 12/30/2020 7:18:46 AM PST by Vermont Lt (We have entered "Insanity Week." Act accordingly.)
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To: Zhang Fei

In a lot of hospitals that is not possible—as they are short regular staff. Some states (and a ton of contracts) have regulations on Nurses per bed. You cannot treat “regular” med-surg, ortho, and standard beds with lower ratios.

Second...there is a huge shortage of nursing staff in general. Or, if there are “extras” they are hundreds or thousands of miles away.

Third, many of these ICU personnel have been working 60 hours or more a week since early March. The burnout rate would blow you away. Think of being in combat, without a break, day after day for 9 months. And by combat, these folks are working in a very hostile environment, losing staff, losing patients, and without a significant break. The stress levels are pretty significant.

You can think what you want about the virus, but even at its least virulent—these nurses, residents, techs, housekeepers, etc have been working at this for months on end. It is simply concentrated there.

Regarding “qualifying” someone? Yes, its possible. But without the replacement for the nurse on the floor there is just no back up. And for things like respiratory therapist? You do not want the rookies training on patients in the ICU. A slight error on a vent “installation” would kill, coma-tize, permanently injure the patient. So...no you do not want to do that.


17 posted on 12/30/2020 7:26:07 AM PST by Vermont Lt (We have entered "Insanity Week." Act accordingly.)
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To: eyeamok
I'm sorry, but that's wrong. Here are the official stats from the state:

Source

As you can see, the official state numbers have Los Angeles county at significantly higher mortality numbers than any previous year. Upwards of 30% in some cases.

18 posted on 12/30/2020 7:26:26 AM PST by 2aProtectsTheRest (The media is banging the fear drum enough. Don't help them do it.)
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To: Fresh Wind

The reimbursement to the hospital for a patient in an ICU is negligible to the potential profit from the bed.

If that COVID person was not in the ICU bed they could probably have the bed occupied for a day or so from someone recovering from surgery. Trust me, a patient on full insurance AND medicare would bring much more to the plate than a COVID patient.

A hospital would rather have an empty ICU bed (without the associate staff/overtimne) and have the rest of the beds full of “insurance-pays” to be the most efficient/profitable.

The delusion that COVID money from the government is keeping hospitals afloat is one of the more egregious conspiracy theory lies on this site. I wish people would learn how shit works before commenting with authority.


19 posted on 12/30/2020 7:30:32 AM PST by Vermont Lt (We have entered "Insanity Week." Act accordingly.)
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To: ChicagoConservative27

Yet States with Republican Governors who have opened up their economy, such as Florida, see no such thing.


20 posted on 12/30/2020 7:32:00 AM PST by jdsteel (Americans are Dreamers too!!!)
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