The rebound of COVID-19 infections can be seen in Louisiana hospitals as ICU bed space is growing short.
According to the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate higher than normal demand for beds is taking place in all nine hospital districts in the state.
It’s effectively April all over again as infection numbers rise and hospitals are pressed for more room.
On Friday there were just 36 available beds in the Baton Rouge area.
If the surge continues, hospitals will need to start shutting down other hospital services to attend to the COVID-19 patients.
There are 1,413 patients with COVID-19 in hospitals, that’s two-and-a-half times the number from a month ago.
“If the current surge continues and those numbers continue to increase, I think we are going to be very concerned,” said Dr. Lacey Cavanaugh, medical director for the Department of Health region that covers Lake Charles told the paper.
Ochsner has seen the number of coronavirus patients double in the past weeks.
And while the death toll is lower, the use of hospital space is still a major concern.