Now one person dies every 10 minutes from COVID-19 in Los Angeles County and hospitals run out of beds available in the ICU and with sufficient oxygen supplies.
There are now 6,708 COVID-19 patients in Los Angeles County hospitals, a number that has steadily risen to unprecedented levels in recent weeks, as the available ICU capacity in the region is 0.0%.
Dr. Anu Seshadri with UCLA Health says that while there is no shortage of supplies to her hospital system, independent oxygen tanks and plastic tubes are vital to this fight.
“That’s what we were afraid of. It’s supply and demand,” he said. “We’re afraid demand will outstrip supply. That’s what’s happening right now.”
Los Angeles County officials are studying whether a new strain of the virus that has appeared in South Africa and the UK has made its way here. The new strain is considered more contagious, although not necessarily more deadly than previous varieties.
“Given that LA is a hub when it comes to travel, the people who visit here, the family that goes out, the schools, it wouldn’t be surprising that this new strain identified in the UK is identified here in Los Angeles.” . Seshadri said.
Much of the recent increase is attributed to meetings during the Thanksgiving holidays.
Health officials have warned people to stay home during the winter holidays, but millions of Americans continue to travel. On Christmas night, the TSA examined about a million people.
There is also new information about a rare COVID-related syndrome that affects children.
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Hilda Solis says the county is seeing an increase in cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C).
She says the county has seen 51 cases of MIS-C, including the death of a child. All cases were hospitalized and about half ended up in the ICU.
“It’s heartbreaking that every day, more than 14,000 Los Angeles County residents test positive for COVID-19,” Solis said. “It’s even more painful to see a growing number of children infected with MISC-C.”
“There is a misconception that COVID-19 only affects those who are older or with underlying diseases. At this time of crisis, we can say with certainty that COVID-19 has serious consequences for people of all ages, including children, and even without underlying health conditions. In Los Angeles County, the Latinx community bears the brunt of the COVID-19 and MISC-C cases. ”
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