LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles County has reported another 20,414 new cases of COVID-19 and 207 additional deaths, although 40 of the deaths were from a backlog associated with a Spectrum outage and holiday reporting delays.
The number of coronavirus patients in LA County hospitals rose to 7,613 Friday, the highest number seen during the pandemic, with 21% of those people in intensive care units.
Conditions continue to worsen at hospitals in the county, with ambulances waiting up to eight hours to off-load patients, leading to a shortage of paramedic crews on the streets and longer 911 response times. Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster has become “overrun by a large influx of COVID-19 patients,” and the hospital “is being forced to treat patients in overflow tents outside,” according to Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris.
“The current surge of patients … it’s kind of a hidden disaster,” Cathy Chidester, director of the county Emergency Medical Services agency, said earlier this week. “It’s not a fire. It’s not an earthquake. It’s not a train wreck that’s right in the public view and they can see what is happening and they can avoid that area. It’s all happening behind the doors of households and hospitals. So nobody is really, the general public, is not really seeing what is going on.”
Chidester said there are reports of hospitals being so overwhelmed that ambulances are waiting seven or eight hours in emergency bays, forcing patients to be treated in the ambulance. But more importantly, the delay is keeping the ambulances out of service, leaving them unable to respond to additional emergency medical calls, she said.
Chidester said in the Antelope Valley, the county is using ambulances and ambulance companies “that are not traditionally 911-response ambulances” just to keep up with the demand. The most recent figures from the county showed a total of 773 available and staffed hospital beds on Friday, including just 57 adult ICU beds. Those numbers change rapidly throughout the day.
With increased hospitalizations come increased deaths, and the county on Thursday reported a record 290 fatalities — though some of those deaths were attributed to the reporting backlog dating back to the Christmas holiday weekend. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer noted that 86% of people who have died from COVID-19 in the county had underlying health conditions, down from more than 90% in the early days of the pandemic.
That drop “indicates that, in fact, there are more people than ever not only passing away, but passing away without any underlying health conditions.”
Ferrer again pointed to younger residents for driving up the number of cases. She said among people aged 30 to 49, an average of 4,419 people per day are testing positive for the coronavirus, an 850% increase from early November, when an average of 463 tested positive daily. Among 18-29 year olds, the daily average has more than doubled.
But those younger patients aren’t the ones dying from it. In a standard pattern, younger residents are being infected more often, then passing the virus to older residents, who are at higher risk of being hospitalized or dying. Ferrer noted that among people aged 80 and older, an average of 40 people are dying every day from the virus — up from four in early November.
“With no decline in the number of new cases, our hospitals continue to be overwhelmed,” Ferrer said. “As more and more people are rushed to hospitals, the tragic fact is that hundreds more people will die every week from COVID-19.”
Chidester said if residents could see what’s happening inside hospitals, they would see the crisis in the eyes of health care workers.
“It’s like the deer in the headlights,” she said. “They are overwhelmed. They are pale. They are trying to do the best they can with limited resources at this point because there’s so many patients. … When you go into the hospital and into the ICUs, it’s still very quiet, but believe me, it’s a disaster. It is just heart-wrenching what is happening within our hospitals. … There is no doubt, and I’ll tell you right now, we are in the midst of a disaster.”
Nearly 4,737,000 individuals had been tested as of Friday, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, with 16% of people testing positive.
The county’s coronavirus toll now stands at 790,582 cases and 10,552 fatalities.
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Demented Joe says
I don’t wear masks and I eat burrito s from taco Abel s and I’m fine. Nothing is going on. Its just a flu. Just wash your hands and you’ll be ok buddy.
Barney says
… due to 03 November election irregularities, the COVID-19 hospital crisis is extended, indefinitely –
Thuderclese says
No irregularities the Cheeto Benito lost fair and square, if only he and his crybaby followers would face reality. Doesn’t matter if they do or not he’ll be out of office in less than three weeks anyway. As for you implications that somehow this crisis is fabricated I can assure that it is not. My sister works at both Palmdale Regional and AV Hospital and they are both being slammed by Covid-19 cases right now. Shame on all of these people that continue to behave selfishly like nothing is going on.
AV Illegal says
You mean like wearing masks and social distancing? How’s that all working out for the sheep? CA has the highest numbers and the worst lock downs in the country. Most excellent display of a strategy not working.
Now I see dirty used masks all over the place. Seems like you cant walk around without stepping on a mask or dirty diaper. What a wonderful 3rd world it will be….
Laughing says
Math. It is hard.
California has the highest population number. Therefore case numbers will be higher.
Deaths though, lower than Texas. Lower than Florida. Much lower than New York.
By percentage California is doing well.
Math. It speaks more truth.
Masked Marauder says
Wear your f-ing mask. Rex said it, I believe it, that settles it. I also host my own fireworks shows and gather indoors despite the rules. The heck with the rules. I’m like Rex. I follow the rules I want to follow.