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Added on the 29/03/2021 12:03:16 - Copyright : France 24 EN
UPI reports new research shows it's a very good idea to insist that healthcare workers get an annual flu shot. That's according to researchers from the University of Georgia, Montana State University and Monash University in Australia. They found that states with mandatory flu shots for hospital workers saw statewide reductions in deaths from influenza and pneumonia. They estimate that during the 2016-17 season alone, nearly 2,000 deaths were averted in the 15 U.S. states that had mandatory vaccination laws at that time. The findings suggest that health-worker vaccination laws may be a good way to protect the country's most vulnerable populations. The researchers say it's possible that similar benefits could also be seen with mandatory COVID-19 vaccination of hospital workers.
Chula Vista, Feb 6 (EFE/EPA).- Located by the Mexican border, the Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center in California has been recognized as a center of treatment for COVID-19patients and has received many Mexican nationals who crossed the border seeking care for the disease. (Camera: ETIENNE LAURENT).SHOT LIST: HEALTH PERSONNEL TAKE CARE OF COVID-19 PATIENTS AT THE SHARP CHULA VISTA MEDICAL CENTER IN CHULA VISTA, SOUTH OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US.
If you're unlucky enough to need a bed in an intensive care unit for COVID-19, cross your fingers that you'll get a bed at the right time. That's because ICU patients treated during periods of increased demand are almost twice as likely to die compared to those treated in low-demand periods. UPI reports intensive care units operating at 75% to 100% capacity were classified as 'high demand.' 'Low demand' was classified at less than 25% of capacity. The study showed patients in ICUs operating at high demand had a 94% higher risk for death compared to those in facilities operating at low demand. Hospitals in many parts of the country have reported being overwhelmed with patients requiring ICU treatment during the pandemic. Research suggests up to 30% of COVID-19 patients require treatment in the ICU, with many needing mechanical ventilator support to breathe.
Pulse oximeters measure the percentage of oxygen in the blood when clipped onto a fingertip. And according to HuffPost, they're becoming increasingly popular for home use. People are buying them to monitor a family member if he or she becomes seriously ill with COVID-19. Doctors praise the use of pulse oximeters because they can alert people who don’t realize they’re gravely ill to the fact that their body is struggling for oxygen. One of the biggest worries with COVID-19 is when someone doesn’t realize their oxygen levels have dropped because they don’t actually feel unwell. It's a phenomenon sometimes referred to as happy hypoxia or silent hypoxia. As a normal reading usually ranges from 95-100%, if your reading is under 95%, it's a red flag. Seek medical attention immediately.
New COVID-19 infections have soared in Los Angeles County, with about one in five residents who get tested receiving positive results. In just over a month, the county doubled its number of infections, climbing from about 400,000 cases on November 30 to more than 800,000 cases on January 2. According to CNN, the deluge of cases has translated to a surge of COVID-19 patients, overwhelming hospitals. Los Angeles County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer says every 15 minutes, one person dies from COVID-19. The situation has become so dire that LA County ambulance crews have been told not to take patients with little chance of survival to hospitals.
As cases of the novel coronavirus surge, California is setting up tents and trailers to use as field hospitals to take in more patients. Hospitals are building field hospitals outside their facilities in an effort to deal with the overflow of COVID-19 patients. The state's 'mass fatality' program is for when 'there are more deaths in a given time period than the local coroner or medical emergency personnel could handle.' California has seen a 19.4% increase in confirmed cases over the past week, with more than 37,000 new cases on Monday alone. Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and UC Irvine will add 50 more beds in mobile units "equipped with running water, lighting and air purifiers."
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