Record-breaking case numbers: ER's full, hospital staff out sick
While most of the state is still in the early stages of feeling the effects of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, it has been spreading through Metro-Detroit and surrounding counties, including Washtenaw, for weeks. It is true that overall it is a milder strain and fewer people infected will require hospitalization, but it is a much more contagious strain so the potential exists for a much higher number of people to be infected at any given time than with previous variants. This alone could put a strain on hospitals, but add in many hospital employees all testing positive at once, and you get hospitals pleading for help.
On Friday, Washtenaw County Health Department (WCHD) reported that within the previous 24 hours, the county had 1,403 cases of COVID-19 reported, the highest case count they've ever had (by a huge margin).
They posted on social media, “Case numbers are *incredibly* high, but we're thankful for our county's high vaccination rates. Our hospitalization rates are high, but they have not increased at the same level as case rates. We’ll know more about whether the current high case numbers are leading to serious illness in the coming weeks.”
One day earlier, President of University of Michigan Health, reported that 500 staff members currently were out with COVID and ERs were crowded. He stated, "Our emergency departments are crowded; we’re having to defer some scheduled procedural and surgical care, and the net result is significant challenges for patients in need of care across the region and the state.”
He asked that anyone needing COVID testing to avoid coming to the ER and find testing elsewhere. The Washtenaw County Health Department reiterated that statement on their social media and provided a link to their webpage set up to help people find COVID-19 testing sites (https://www.washtenaw.org/3158/Testing)
Michigan also experienced its highest case count to date on Friday with reported 40,692 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday and Friday, or 20,346 cases a day, far surpassing the previous high of 13,673 a day, reported on Wednesday last week.
Hospitalizations in Michigan also hit a high Friday, rising to 4,797, just above the previous high of 4,782, reported on Dec. 13. Officials, though, said some of those cases are likely people who came into hospitals for other conditions and were unaware they had COVID-19 until they were tested. And even though they may not be being treated for COVID, because they are COVID positive, the hospitals still require additional staff, equipment, and space to isolate these patients and keep COVID from spreading in the hospital.
Bridge Michigan reported on Friday that widespread infections have hit many Michigan hospital staff members, forcing them to stay home. They report that more than a quarter of the state’s hospitals, 44 of 164, are reporting critical staffing shortages, the most since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began collecting this data.
The Michigan Department for Health and Human Services (MDHHS) are asking everyone that if you have a mild cough and cold symptoms, get tested at a local pharmacy, testing site, or use an at-home test. They also have a webpage set up to help people find testing sites: Michigan.gov/CoronavirusTest. They state, “Call 911 or visit the nearest emergency department for life-threatening conditions. Choosing the right point of care for your medical needs can help you feel better faster and help relieve the burden on our state's health care systems.”
MDDHS are asking Michiganders to reconsider using emergency rooms for conditions that are not life threatening. They suggest going to a health care provider or urgent care clinic for colds, the flu, sprains, rashes, minor burns, sore throats, ear pain, animal or insect bites, or allergies, in addition to COVID tests. They suggest calling 911 or going to an emergency department right away for life-threatening medical conditions or emergencies (like a heart attack or stroke), choking, head injuries, severe burns, severe chest pain or pressure, broken bone, or severe respiratory distress.
Some relief is coming to one hospital. A 30-person Disaster Medical Assistance Team has been deployed to Michigan by the Federal Government. This team will start at Henry Ford Hospital in Wyandotte today (Monday, January 10), and will include advanced practice physicians, emergency and intensive care nurses, paramedics, pharmacists and logistics and supply chain personnel. They will be in place for 14 days. This will be the fifth team deployed to Michigan, in addition to teams sent to Beaumont Hospital in Dearborn, Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, Covenant HealthCare in Saginaw, and Mercy Health in Muskegon.
Beaumont, however, is still overwhelmed. Bridge Michigan reported that last Thursday Beaumont announced it is "at a breaking point" because 430 employees were off work with COVID symptoms amid the surge of patients.
WCHD states that it is imperative that we ALL are doing what we can to limit further spread including wearing a well-fitting mask with multiple layers in indoor public spaces. (Surgical, KN95, and N95 masks are more protective than cloth masks.) Get vaccinated if you haven’t already and get your booster as soon you’re eligible. Limit gatherings, and stay away from others if you are sick.
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