Page 33 - HOH_Neat

A26 U.S. NEWS
Monday 20 July 2020
As virus surges in some U.S. states, emergency rooms swamped

By JAY REEVES cases, and South Africa
Associated Press — with more than 350,000
A fast-rising tide of new cases, roughly half of all
coronavirus cases is flood- confirmed infections in Af-
ing emergency rooms in rica — entered the top five
parts of the United States, this weekend.
with some patients moved In the United States, where
into hallways and nurses infections are soaring in
working extra shifts to keep many Sunbelt states, Me-
up with the surge. gan Jehn, associate pro-
Patients struggling to fessor of epidemiology at
breathe are being placed Arizona State Universtiy in
on ventilators in emergen- Tempe, said it's important
cy wards since intensive to monitor emergency
care units are full, officials room visits since increases
say, and the near-constant there can signal that the
care they require is over- virus is spreading more rap-
taxing workers who also are idly. But it's difficult to get
treating more typical ER a complete picture of how
cases like chest pains, in- emergency rooms are far-
fections, and fractures. ing in many places. In Ari-
In Texas, Dr. Alison Haddock zona, one of the few states
of the Baylor College of that reports data on visits
Medicine said the current In this July 16, 2020 file photo, Registered nurses Army Lt. Col. Oswaldo Martinez, left, and Maj. to the emergency room
situation is worse than after Andrew Wieher, right, with the Urban Augmentation Medical Task Force, work to setup a nurses by people with confirmed
Hurricane Harvey, which station inside a wing at United Memorial Medical Center, in Houston. or suspected COVID-19
swamped Houston with Associated Press symptoms, numbers started
floodwaters in 2017. The to spike in early June and
state reported a new daily said nurse Mike Hastings. tion that has been shown of fatalities reported Satur- peaked earlier this month.
record for virus deaths Fri- "What's really frustrating to shorten average hospi- day to 147. More than 2,000 people
day and more than 10,000 from my side of it is when talization times — to treat Confirmed coronavirus went to an ER with corona-
confirmed cases for the a patient comes into the the coronavirus patients cases around the world virus symptoms on a single
fourth consecutive day. emergency department, who are filling up beds. In have surpassed 14 million, day, July 7. On Friday, CO-
"I've never seen anything and is not really having response, Gov. Ron De- and deaths rose above VID-19-related hospitaliza-
like this COVID surge," said symptoms of COVID, but Santis announced 30,000 600,000, according to a tion figures for Arizona were
Haddock, who has worked they feel like they need vials of the drug were be- tally from Johns Hopkins near but below recent re-
in emergency rooms since that testing," said Hastings, ing shipped to the state University. On Saturday, cords set after the state be-
2007. "We're doing our best, who works at an area hos- — enough to treat about the World Health Organiza- came a national hot spot.
but we're not an ICU." pital and is president of the 5,000 patients. tion, which also tracks the Dr. Robert Hancock, who
Patients are waiting "hours Emergency Nurses Associa- On Saturday, Florida re- virus, reported a single-day works at multiple hospitals
and hours" to get admitted, tion. "Sometimes we're not ported more than 10,200 record of new infections in Texas and Oklahoma
she said, and the least sick able to test them because new cases of the virus and — over 259,000 worldwide and serves as president of
people are lying in beds in we don't have enough 90 additional deaths, while — for the second day in the Texas College of Emer-
halls to make room for most test supplies, so we're only Missouri recorded a pan- a row. The true toll of the gency Physicians, said
seriously ill. testing a certain set of pa- demic-high 958 new cases pandemic is thought to some Texas emergency
Around Seattle, which was tients." in one day. Arizona, which be even higher, in part be- rooms are facing backups
the nation's first hot spot In Florida, another state conducts periodic reviews cause of shortages in test- of patients awaiting ICU
for the virus that causes that is seeing surging case of death certificates, re- ing and shortcomings in beds. And many of them
COVID-19, a new wave of numbers, hospitals say they classified 106 deaths as data collection. are on ventilators, meaning
patients is showing up at are in desperate need of having been from COV- The United States, Bra- they require more attention
emergency departments, remdesivir — a medica- ID-19, bringing the number zil and India top the list of than other patients.q
Applications taken for 1 day to replace Rep Lewis on ballot

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Demo- the city of Atlanta. face Republican Angela Stanton-
crats will gather Monday to decide The Democratic Party of Georgia King in November. Stanton-King is a
a replacement on November's bal- is accepting applications for the reality TV personality and was par-
lot for U.S. Rep. John Lewis, who died nomination online until 6:30 p.m. doned earlier this year by President
Friday after serving for more than 30 Sunday. Donald Trump for her role in a stolen
years in Congress. A special seven-member commit- car ring, after serving six months of
The seat will remain empty until tee of Democrats - including At- home confinement in 2007.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp sched- lanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Lewis won more than 84% of the
ules a special election. The Repub- 2018 gubernatorial nominee Stacey vote when he last faced a Republi-
lican governor has given no indica- Abrams and 2014 gubernatorial can opponent in the district in 2016.
This June 16, 2010 file photo, Rep. tion when he will hold an election nominee Jason Carter - will choose State law allows the governor to call
John Lewis, D-Ga., participates in with just over six months left in Lewis' between three and five candidates a special election to fill the seat as
a ceremony to unveil two plaques
recognizing the contributions of term. from the applicant pool. long as he gives 30 days for candi-
enslaved African Americans in the State law allows the Democratic The state party's executive commit- dates to register and campaign. But
construction of the United States Party to replace Lewis on the ballot tee will then meet Monday, choose that would leave at most less than
Capitol on Capitol Hill in Washing- in the 5th Congressional District, but a nominee and submit the name to five months before the winner of the
ton. the decision has to be made quickly the Georgia Secretary of State by general election is sworn into office
Associated Press
for the district that includes much of 4 p.m. Monday. The nominee will in January.q