LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – New video released Tuesday from Kaiser Permanente medical centers in Downey and Fontana shows the grim reality of the latest COVID-19 spike and the impact it is having on hospitals.
New video shows patients lined up in beds in hallways and more waiting outside while connected to oxygen tanks under tents. (Kaiser Permanente)
The video shows patients lined up in beds in hallways and more waiting outside while connected to oxygen tanks under tents.
“I see people dying alone,” says a health worker in the video. “I see nurses who are exhausted and miss their families.”
The video, released by doctors across the state during a virtual roundtable discussion about the pandemic, is intended to encourage people to stop the spread of COVID-19 by staying at home whenever possible.
“If people keep gathering for the upcoming holidays, we’re going to paralyze the hospital system,” said another health worker in the video.
Greg A. Adams, the chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente, spoke outside the Downey Medical Center Tuesday. He said that of the 278 patients currently admitted, 70% were diagnosed with COVID-19. In the hospital’s intensive care unit, that number jumps to 95%.
“As the number of hospital beds continued to decline, we just won’t be able to keep up as the COVID spike continues to increase,” he said.
State health officials said the current coronavirus rise seen in California comes from Thanksgiving celebrations and the subsequent ones.
“We are now seeing, through the videos and testimonials, the real impact of what happened after Thanksgiving,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency.
And when it comes to stopping the spread of the virus, health officials again called on people to stay at home and away from people as much as possible.
“We have a simple recipe that we want to prescribe to everyone: don’t share the sky,” said Dr. Thomas McGinn, Vice President at Dignity Health.
Kaiser Permanente, which operates 36 hospitals in the state, reported on Tuesday that it had exceeded 100% of its usual patient capacity.