CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Hospitals in the Chicago area and beyond are filling up with COVID-19 patients.
Hospitals throughout Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana are, in some cases, treating more COVID patients than at any time during the pandemic. Some are only treating coronavirus patients, reverting to the situation they faced early in the pandemic.
Some Illinois hospitals are limiting elective surgeries and adding more beds for COVID-19 patients. Others are still making those decisions.
Wisconsin and Indiana are experiencing the same thing.
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"We are in the midst of a catastrophe," said Dr. Dale Paterson at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, who spoke to WSBT after the state put out a call for retired doctors and nurses to join the effort.
"Lots of surgeries are being canceled, procedures are being canceled. We expect it is going to be hard and hard to get people the care they need; and as long as the numbers keep going up it is going to get worse and worse."
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In Wisconsin, Ryan Westergaard, chief medical officer with the state’s Department of Health Services, said they’re close to the tipping point and may not be able to save everyone who needs saving.