Metro East hospitals bracing for “fourth wave”
Thursday, Aug 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Belleville News-Democrat…
Mike McManus, president and CEO of Memorial Hospital, projects the worst is still to come from the COVID-19 pandemic.
During St. Clair County’s weekly COVID-19 briefing Wednesday, McManus said his medical group has seen coronavirus hospitalizations jump from the mid-20s last week to the low-40s this week, with 91% of those individuals unvaccinated. And that number, he projected, will continue rising until at least the second week of September.
“We could reach or exceed the highest we’ve ever been in by the second week of September,” he said. “And the St. Louis Pandemic Task Force says these projections out there, they show the week after Labor Day, the curve is going up pretty high. And, again, 91% of those likely will be unvaccinated.”
He also noted the trickle down from significant portions of the population remaining unvaccinated, while calling the present situation the “fourth wave” of COVID.
“The more unvaccinated we have — at least from my perspective — the more hospitals will be overwhelmed; the more schools in my opinion will likely be shut down because there’s going to be an outbreak somewhere because under 12 you don’t get vaccinated; travel I think will be impacted. Not to mention creating an environment for new variants among unvaccinated,” he said. […]
“The last five weeks, we’ve seen a trending up and we’re seeing younger patients of all ages trending up,” he said. “The one bright spot I can say in this right now, is the 75+ age group is flat or declining over those last five weeks. Every other age group is going up. That’s because that 75+ group is largely vaccinated. So that’s good.”
McManus also noted the disproportionate amount of Black patients they’ve seen compared to the white population. He said the shift is a sharp change from what McManus called “the previous three waves.”
The Biden administration, the Pritzker administration and local public health departments need to up their games now. All of the polling shows that Black people are no longer overtly resistant to getting the shots, unlike hardcore white Republicans. That means something else is going on.
- Smalls - Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 10:38 am:
Just look at the data our of Israel. They are back in exponential growth mode. And over half of their hospitalizations are in fully vaccinated people. But the vaccines still help in preventing death. And we are doing next to nothing in IL to prevent spread. Not even a general mask mandate yet, just a recommendation.
- thisjustinagain - Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 10:41 am:
Still waiting for the door-to-door and streetcorner pop up shot sites needed in South Cook County in black majority towns. Cook County is still focused on large sites not everyone can get to. Calumet Park has 36.6% full vaccination; Riverdale 22.2%; Harvey 26.4%; Robbins 30.3%; Calumet City 32%; Burnham 22.2%; Phoenix 29.5%.
- dan l - Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 10:42 am:
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And we are doing next to nothing in IL to prevent spread. Not even a general mask mandate yet, just a recommendation.
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Do you think it would help or just generate more squawk from the miscreants?
- Donnie Elgin - Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 11:14 am:
Hoping that the situation in Metro East starts improving soon. Statewide the situation is much better
IDPH hospital data as of 8/18/21
ICU Beds
Total ICU beds: 3,162
ICU beds open: 593 (19%)
ICU beds used: 2,569
COVID + PUI4 patients in ICU: 437
% of total ICU beds occupied by COVID + PUI patients: 14%
% of ICU beds in use occupied by COVID + PUI patients: 17%
COVID-19 Patients
Total COVID + PUI in Hospitals not in ICU: 1,540
COVID + PUI patients in ICU: 437
Total COVID + PUI in Hospital: 1,977
Percent of All Hospital Beds in use that are occupied by COVID+PUI patients: 8%
- Amalia - Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 11:14 am:
it’s coming up from the South. Look at Texas. Vaccinate now or you will be in the most dire trouble Wear a mask.
- twowaystreet - Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 11:43 am:
A family member who is a PT, in a different state, was just notified that they should expect sicker patients as hospitals are beginning to release non-COVID patients early to make room in the hospitals that are hitting full capacity.
Not a good situation at all…
- Sir Reel - Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 1:45 pm:
The older I got the more burned I get with the “freedom” crowd. It reminds me of the motorcycle helmet debate. Cyclists get to choose but when they suffer a significant head injury, the rest of us taxpayers and health insurance consumers end up paying for their freedom, sometimes for the rest of their lives. Who will pay for all the hospitalization and long term care for the Covid19 patients? Why do the responsible pay for the irresponsible?