SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – As COVID-19 cases surge across the country, hospitals are keeping their heads above water.
Dr. Olveen Carrasquillo, Professor of Medicine and Public Health Sciences and Chief of the General Internal Medicine division at the University of Miami Health System, told KCBS Radio's "Ask An Expert" this COVID-19 peak is unlike previous surges.
"For hospitals, the numbers have gone up slightly, but not like we've seen in the past. Our main hospital is operating at a medium risk level right now," Carrasquillo said.
He explained that the low impact on hospitals may be because of a milder coronavirus strain or because of increased vaccination efforts. However, he added that hospitalizations and death rates lag about two to three weeks so the numbers may increase moving forward.
So far, there's no shortage of hospital beds or supplies, providing a stark contrast from the delta and omicron surges. "We have two years of experience, so we have all kinds of plans in place ready to be turned on in the flip of a switch, but right now we're not being overwhelmed like we've been in past peaks," Carrasquillo assured.
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