Trending
CHARLESTON -- The West Virginia Hospital Association said Monday that hospitals around the state could see the highest number of COVID-19 hospitalizations since the pandemic began, which has the state's healthcare system "nearing a breaking point."
The WVHA said several factors are compounding the problem, including a national shortage of monoclonal antibodies and high numbers of patients seeking treatment for other medical conditions besides COVID.
"This combination has strained the health care system and now after nearly two years, the system is nearing a breaking point as health care workers are mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted," the association said in a release. "As a state and a nation, we are in this crisis together, and although there have been multiple calls for action in the past, we need your help now more than ever to ensure health care services are available for everyone who needs them."
The association asked that West Virginia residents recognize several issues, among them that hospitals are operating at contingency and crisis levels of care, leading to longer wait times; EMS personnel are stressed and overworked; and that delays could increase as pressure on hospitals and EMS services increases.
The WVHA asked residents to help alleviate those pressures by getting vaccinated against COVID-19, carefully considering where they get medical treatment, not delaying routine medical care and checkups, getting tested if exposed to COVID-19 and donating blood.