A Third of Florida Counties Have Less Than 10 ICU Beds Left Amid COVID-19 Surge

Newsweek ^ | 07/17/2020 | Soo Kim

[SeekAndFind]

As novel coronavirus cases in Florida continue to soar, 49 hospitals across the state have reached full intensive care unit (ICU) bed capacity. That's according to the latest report from Florida's Agency For Health Care Administration.

The ICUs in at least three Florida counties—Nassau, Okeechobee and Putnam—were said to have reached full bed capacity.

A total of 971 ICU beds were reported to be available across the state, nearly 16 percent of the state's total number of ICU beds, as of Thursday.

More than a third (23) of Florida's 67 counties were reported to have less than 10 ICU beds available.

Eight hospitals in Miami-Dade, the state's most populous county, were reported to have hit full ICU bed capacity, with only around 15 percent of their total ICU beds available.

Hospitalizations in Florida have reached at least 19,334, according to the latest report from the Florida Department of Health.

Earlier this week, daily new cases in Florida, whose residents form about seven percent of the total U.S. population, were reported to make up nearly 25 percent of the country's total daily case count.

Over a quarter of the state's total cases are in Miami-Dade County, which has seen 72,317 confirmed infections to date.

The number of active cases in Florida began to rise on a sharper incline from about mid-June. Several reopened bars in Florida were closed again after customers tested positive for the virus.

[TexasFreeper2009]

Even in normal times ICUs are running near capacity.

and.. that’s exactly what I thought

[liberalh8ter]

One of the hospitals listed here (not saying which one) that is listed as having 0 beds isn’t true AT ALL. What was explained to me by someone who works there is there are ICU beds that are “appropriated” for other issues. In the case of this particular hospital, those other beds are empty at this time.

[Persevero]

Good information.

Now, how many are filled with COVID patients? As opposed to how many with other issues? And is there a four because so many people delayed health care or were denied “non essential” care such as kidney transplants and cancer surgery (I know first hand of those).

That would complete the picture. If I knew that most of these icu patients were COVID victims I’d be more convinced the the flatten the curve campaign was necessary right now I’m not.

[Sam Gamgee]

In media mentality what is a “surge”? Considering they call a 100 point move on the DOW as a “surge” then anything that moves from as low as 0.5% is a surge in their books.

[Popman]

So, go through the hospital and find out who is actually in the beds. Why not do something like that?

Hummmm, because you can't

Not even family can visit people in the hospital, let only in the ICU.

[qaz123]

Imagine that. And then, under HIPPA, no one is allowed to question anything.

[VideoDoctor]

NEWSWEEK story... FAKE NEWS!

[Svartalfiar]

Eight hospitals in Miami-Dade, the state's most populous county, were reported to have hit full ICU bed capacity, with only around 15 percent of their total ICU beds available.

Wait, so they're at full capacity? or they still have 15% of beds available?

Is this one of those bullshit-o-meters where 20% or fewer available is considered "full"?