“Worst surge we’ve seen”: Some hospitals in delta hot spots close to breaking point — AAMCNews

Unvaccinated people are being hospitalized with COVID-19 at alarming rates, particularly across the Southern region of the United States. Indeed, despite more than 70% of adults having received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 81% of people 65 and over being fully vaccinated, hospitals are filling up with younger and sicker patients. “Hospitals are approaching a breaking point,” says James McDeavitt, MD, executive vice president and dean of clinical affairs at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Writer Bridget Balch examines how hospitals are coping, especially given a growing shortage of nurses and other critical care providers.