Rapidly increasing daily cases in the past week worries county authorities
Both public and private hospitals could be overwhelmed.
Photo:
VALERIE MACON / AFP / Getty Images
The health authorities of Los Angeles released a warning Monday in response to the rapid advance of the pandemic in the country's most populous county. and what could leave without hospital beds to the angelina community.
Health professionals said that now they face one of their biggest fears: that the reopening of the county coincides with an increase pronounced infection that threatens to collapse the public and private hospital system.
Los Angeles County has long been the epicenter of the coronavirus in California – with more than 100,000 cases and 3,300 confirmed deaths– but the authorities warn that the situation is worsening.
Barbara Ferrer, director of public health for Los Angeles County, said the new data shows "Alarming increases in cases, positive rates and hospitalization". "This definitely indicates that we have increased community transmission ”Ferrer added.
With an eye toward increasing hospital admissions for the first time after the health crisis seemed to subside, Los Angeles County is projecting the possibility of run out of hospital beds in two to three weeks. Intensive care beds could run out during the month of July.
The county is now able to cope with hospital demand, but many patients who have already been exposed to the virus will occupy beds in the coming weeks. It can take three to four weeks for infected people to develop severe symptoms that require hospitalization, and four to five weeks for some of these patients to die.
Both public and private hospitals must prepare to treat more patientssaid Dr. Christina Ghaly, director of the county health service. These health centers can increase their capacity by reducing non-urgent procedures and operations and take steps to discharge patients who do not require hospital care faster.
