Chitra Roy, University of Calcutta
Several months into the pandemic and the coronavirus is not only reaching into remote areas but also to regions that had previously been battered by the virus. This has led to a recent rise in the number of cases in the U.S. The last seven-day average for new cases is more than 81,300 which is higher than recorded any other time in the pandemic. According to the epidemiologists, emerging cases are due to several contributing factors like pandemic fatigue and the reopening of colleges and universities. Officials have also reported that in this sudden steady rise in the number of cases in the U.S, most individuals under 30 are being affected owing to not wearing masks, visiting restaurants, the resurgence of weddings, and social gatherings. Making the situation worse altogether, also spreading the infection to the vulnerable population.
COVID-19 hospitalization cases in the U.S encountered its first peaks during mid-April and was soon followed by a second major hit in late-July. As the strict lockdown loosened, a new wave of infection is sweeping across the entire nation. The present situation is more difficult because the nation has already entered the ‘flu season’ which in normal scenario typically fills up hospital beds. Now, in the present pandemic owing to the latest surge in the number of COVID-19 positive cases, the situation is getting worse and is predicted to swamp the emergency departments and Intensive Care Units along with overburdening the available doctors and nurses, proving to be detrimental to the entire healthcare system.
Moreover, the consequences of staying in these overwhelmed hospitals are even more difficult. ‘You don’t want to be in an ICU without enough nursing’ as stated by Dr. Dixie Harris, an intensive care doctor in Utah, Salt Lake City.
In the previous year, around 400,000 people in the U.S were affected and hospitalized due to flu which was considered as a ‘moderate season’. So, currently, the overlapping cases of the flu virus and COVID-19 are becoming very challenging because hospital beds are quickly being occupied and fatalities are also surging.
Despite the difficulties being posed by the SARS-CoV-2, U.S is not giving up. Due to recent advancements in COVID-19 treatment strategies, the duration of hospital stays for positive patients have considerably shortened. Although this has eased the capacity strains in most hospitals the situation is not the same in the rural parts of the country where there are smaller hospitals with poor medical facilities and low medical professionals. However, the officials are trying to meet these needs as well. New treatment strategies or ‘great weapons in the arsenal of COVID-19’ like steroids and remdesivir are being imposed which is helping to improve patient care and shortening hospital stay. El Paso, the worst-hit city in Texas, which recently informed the state of their hospital facilities approaching its threshold, have been provided with additional tents. Medical equipment and personnel are also being sent to El Paso Convention and Performing Arts Centre for its temporary conversion to a hospital to support 100 beds. The state is also helping the hospitals by providing extra beds and around 900 medical workers to regional hotspots and newly affected remote areas to reduce the hospital overburdening.
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