The resurgence of COVID-19 cases reached 90,728 U.S. infections reported on Oct.29, the highest daily level ever. These cases are occurring in geographic patterns which put extreme pressure on America’s hospital system, drastically reduced over recent decades of financialized health care. Though in the U.S., improvements in hospital treatment of COVID-19 infections are significant, which reduce mortality rates, nevertheless, the higher volume of cases is now resulting in an increase in the number of deaths. .
In the past month, many hospitals are buckling under a 46% increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations. In El Paso, Texas, Dr. Joel Hendryxx, chief medical officer at University Medical Center, one of the largest hospitals along the U.S.-Mexico border, reported that, as compared to 30 coronavirus inpatients at the hospital a month ago, as of Oct. 27, there were 195 coronavirus inpatients. Citywide, authorities are putting up tents in parking lots. This began the same day this week as the Texas Emergency Management teams began creating a makeshift hospital in the downtown convention center. On Oct. 29, El Paso set a new record of 900 virus hospitalizations, with over 200 patients in ICU from the virus.
NPR reported Oct. 30 that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services documents which hospitals are filling up, including the metro areas of Atlanta, Minneapolis, and Baltimore, where inpatient beds are over 80% full. It also lists specific hospitals reaching max capacity, including facilities in Tampa, Birmingham, and New York that are at over 95% of ICU capacity and may run out of intensive care beds.
