Prognosis
Hospitals Are Counting Beds Again With Cases Rising
- Texas Children’s Hospital admits adults to handle surge
- Emergency doctors fear that ‘we don’t have that cushion’
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As several U.S. states see a rising swell of Covid-19 patients, hospitals are trying to avoid a scenario where they face more sick patients than they have beds to hold them.
The situation reflects the persistent threat that unchecked spread of the virus can overwhelm hospitals, as it did in Wuhan, China, and Lombardy, Italy. That fear prompted radical measures across the U.S. to lock down movement and commerce, allowing hard-hit areas like New York City, Detroit and New Orleans to handle the outbreak without needing to triage patients.