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A30 world news
Diaranson 30 December 2020

‘Like a bathtub filling up’: Alabama is slammed by the virus

large numbers of uninsured.
About 15% of people ages 19
to 64 have no coverage, the
13th-highest percentage in
the nation, according to the
Henry J. Kaiser Family Foun-
dation.

The state has seen the closing
of 17 hospitals, mostly small
rural ones, in the last decade,
a trend that left regional fa-
cilities to pick up the slack.

At Decatur Morgan Hospi-
tal, COVID-19 deaths have
tripled since September and
the intensive care unit is full,
said Dr. James Boyle. The
pulmonologist struggled to
maintain his composure,
pausing and pursing his lips,
as he discussed the possibility
of having to ration care in the
new year.

“I’ve been practicing in this
county since ’98. I’ve never
had more than two or three
people on ventilators with
the flu in the last 20 years,"
he said. "We always have a lot
of patients in the ICU in the
wintertime. To have 16 pa-
tients on ventilators with an
illness that we don’t usually
(AP) — With its dozen make COVID-19 even more the virus — is almost 40%, some of her Southern coun- have is unprecedented.”
intensive care beds al- dangerous, where access to one of the highest figures in terparts, imposed a statewide
ready full, Cullman Re- health care was limited even the country. And the state is mask mandate that has been UAB Hospital, which is affil-
gional Medical Center before the outbreak, and seeing an average of 46 deaths in place since July, but health iated with the University of
began looking desperately where public resistance to per day, up from 30 on Dec. officials have struggled to Alabama at Birmingham, has
for options as more and masks and other precautions 14 get people to comply. The brought in retired nurses and
more COVID-19 patients is stubborn. Republican governor also is- dozens of teachers and stu-
showed up. While ICUs nationwide sued a stay-at-home order dents from its nursing school
The virus has killed more were at 78% capacity dur- early in the pandemic but has to help.
Ten beds normally used for than 335,000 people across ing the week of Dec. 18-24, staunchly opposed doing so
less severe cases were trans- the U.S., including over Alabama's were 91% full, ac- again, saying, "You can't have Hospitals in Alabama are get-
formed into intensive care 4,700 in Alabama. Places such cording to the U.S. Health a life without a livelihood.” ting calls from neighboring
rooms, with extra IV ma- as California and Tennessee and Human Services De- states such as Mississippi and
chines brought in. Video have also been hit especially partment. As of last week, 15 California, in contrast, has Tennessee as doctors seek ex-
monitors were set up to en- hard in recent weeks. Alabama hospitals had inten- issued strict stay-at-home or- tra space for COVID-19 pa-
able the staff to keep watch sive care units that were at or ders in recent weeks in areas tients, but they are not able
over patients whenever a At Cullman Regional, a mid- above capacity, and the ICUs where ICU occupancy has to help as often as they did
nurse had to scurry away to size hospital that serves an ag- at six more hospitals were at reached 85%. in the past. The same is true
care for someone else. ricultural area 55 miles north least 96% full. within the state, with hospi-
of Birmingham, the intensive On Monday, there were “We have, unfortunately, tals that might help care for
The patch did the job — for care unit as of last week was 2,800 people in Alabama hos- people who are still getting patients after a disaster like a
the time being, at least. at 180% of capacity, the high- pitals with COVID-19, the together in groups, traveling tornado unable to assist right
est in the state. Other hospi- highest total since the pan- for the holidays, doing things now.
“We’re kind of like a bathtub tals are also struggling to keep demic began. that are unsafe,” said Dr.
that’s filling up with water up with the crush of people Scott Harris, Alabama’s state With thousands of people
and the drain is blocked,” the sickened by the virus. Experts worry the strain will health officer. already vaccinated with the
hospital’s chief medical offi- only increase after the holi- first of the two doses needed
cer, Dr. William Smith, said While a typical patient might days because of new infec- The Deep South state has to guard against COVID-19,
last week. need ICU treatment for two tions linked to travel and some of the highest rates of the end of the pandemic is in
or three days, Smith said, gatherings of family and certain chronic health condi- sight. But the toll on medical
Alabama, long one of the COVID-19 patients often friends. tions that increase the risk of workers in the meantime is
unhealthiest and most im- stay two or three weeks, caus- death or serious illness from mounting.
poverished states in America, ing the caseload to build up. “I think we are in dire shape. the coronavirus. Alabama has
has emerged as one of the na- I really do,” said Dr. Don the sixth-highest rate of adult “We do see death. That’s part
tion's most alarming corona- Alabama ranked sixth on the Williamson, head of the Ala- obesity in the U.S. and ranks of what we do; it’s part of our
virus hot spots. list of states with the most bama Hospital Association. third in the percentage of training," Boyle said. “The
new cases per capita over the “I fear our Christmas surge is adults who have diabetes. difficulty this year is just the
Its hospitals are in crisis as past week, according to Johns going to be much worse than tremendous number. We
the virus rages out of control Hopkins University. Ala- the Thanksgiving surge.” Alabama is also one of a doz- can’t grieve for one patient
in a region with high rates of bama's latest average positiv- en states that did not expand before we have to go take care
obesity, high blood pressure ity rate — the percentage of Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, Medicaid under the Afford- of another.”
and other conditions that can tests coming back positive for breaking at the time with able Care Act and thus has