A CBS-affiliated crew in Georgia saw two patients die within 15 minutes of the group’s arrival at the COVID-19 unit on Monday, CBS 46 reported.
It was the first time in 2021 that a CBS46 crew entered a COVID-19 unit in North Georgia while trying to tell the story of the rising number of infections in the region.
As of Wednesday, hospitals in the northeastern Georgia health system had a total of 302 patients confirmed with COVID-19. At Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville alone, where the local affiliate visited, there are 184 COVID-19 positive patients.
The local affiliate reported that while visiting Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville, health officials needed to start being creative to keep patients going, as medical staff increased the number of patients admitted. .
“We have identified staff to make sure they see patients in the back of ambulance trucks, so they don’t have to wait. Our goal is to make sure patients are seen on time and that’s the best way. to do so, because we have physically run out of space in our emergency department, ”a nurse told CBS46.
Northeast Georgia’s vice president of health care and incident commander John Delzell told The Hill that the recent rise in Georgia has been mostly from those who are not vaccinated. Delzell also mentioned that this time they see many more younger patients with COVID-19.
Delzell believes this current wave will peak in the coming weeks.
“Well, I think the model that we used and that has been really quite accurate for Georgia and, and for our region in northeast Georgia, is predicting that this peak should continue or that the rise should continue. until it reaches its maximum around September 14, ”said Delzell.
“So we feel like there’s probably still a couple more weeks to go up. And then … it’s going to stay six more weeks later, as it goes back,” he continued. “So we know that, you know, during most of September and until mid-October we will be dealing with a large number of patients in our hospital. “
Overall, Georgia is experiencing a higher wave of COVID-19 cases, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data. The state registered more than 10,000 cases on Tuesday and approximately 7,700 new cases on Monday.
CDC data indicate that 61% of people 12 years of age or older in the state have had at least one dose of vaccine, while 49% are fully vaccinated.