Hospitals Reaching Maximum Capacity Adds Urgency to COVID Vaccination Efforts
Even though some aspects of daily life may have returned to normal, COVID-19 is still a major threat. Like most health care systems nationwide, Washington hospitals and health care workers are under tremendous strain due to staffing shortages and increased numbers of COVID-19 patients.
The fifth pandemic wave has increased the number of COVID patients in hospitals statewide, even more than during the third wave of November and December 2020.
When hospitals are at or near capacity, it means all beds in a hospital are full, or the hospital staff are caring for the maximum number of recommended patients.
This makes it harder for people to get the care they need, whether it’s for COVID-19 or something different. Many hospitals have been forced to place necessary procedures on hold, delaying care. Some of these procedures include surgeries for people with cancer and long-term pain treatments. In some cases, emergency department patients may have to wait hours for care. Hospital staff may make hours of phone calls to find a hospital that can take a patient. Staff and doctors are exhausted and burned out.
We talked with Dr. Mabel Bodell, a nephrologist (kidney specialist) at Confluence Health in Wenatchee, about what she’s seeing in her hospital.
“This is no longer a disease of the old and sick,” says Dr. Bodell. “This is now a disease of the unvaccinated — this is a preventable disease.”
Since the pandemic began, Dr. Bodell has helped educate Central Washington communities on preventing the spread of COVID-19 and the importance of getting vaccinated. Dr. Bodell’s outreach focuses mainly on the Latinx community, but it applies to all.
During the first spike of COVID-19 cases, Central Washington hospitals showed an excessive number of COVID-19 cases among the Latinx population. Through outreach, education, and community support, many older community members were motivated to get the vaccine, thanks to Dr. Bodell’s efforts.
Now, the hospitals are seeing yet another surge in COVID-19 cases due to the highly transmissible Delta variant. Once again, it’s affecting the Latinx community at a higher rate than other populations. Of the people hospitalized due to COVID-19, 95 percent are unvaccinated.
At Central Washington Hospital, about one-third of the 153 adult beds were filled with COVID-19 patients in late September. Of the 51 patients with the virus, 44 were not vaccinated. The hospital reported 27 COVID-19 deaths in September.
“This surge has been the worst because I’ve seen too many younger people dying in the ICU — they’re all unvaccinated,” said Dr. Bodell. “Because I’m a kidney specialist, by the time people get to me I can’t do much but watch them die. It’s heartbreaking, especially when it’s people in my age range (40–50 years old) who are dying.”
Though community outreach has helped, there are still too many people who aren’t vaccinated.
“People choosing not to get vaccinated is creating a crisis in the hospitals, for the entire medical field, and for the greater community,” says Alma Chacon, co-founder and executive director of CAFE, Community for Advancement of Family Education, which works with Latinx communities in the Chelan, Douglas, Grant, and Okanogan counties. “Not only are people risking their lives by not getting the vaccine, but they can pass COVID-19 onto others, even people who have been vaccinated.”
Chacon says people are turning to unreliable information too, and that her work is primarily focused on spreading the truth about COVID-19 and the benefits of the vaccine to as many people as possible.
“In order to prevent hospitalization and death, we still have to focus on the basic preventative methods like wearing masks in public, social distancing, practicing good hygiene, and of course, getting the vaccine,” says Chacon.
Dr. Bodell echoes Chacon’s advice: “We have three safe and effective [and cost-free] vaccines available. It’s the best method of prevention we have right now and is keeping people alive.”
Dr. Bodell works closely with organizations like CAFE, sharing information and answering questions during weekly Facebook calls and her YouTube channel, La Doctora Mabel, that speaks directly to the Latinx community about COVID-19.
“We need to stop underestimating the effects of COVID-19 and [stop] overestimating the [potential negative side] effects of the vaccine,” says Dr. Bodell.
Both Chacon and Dr. Bodell continue to educate others and pass along reliable and trustworthy information about COVID-19 and the vaccines, urging people to get vaccinated. Outreach is at an all-time high and fortunately, it’s helping. But, as the numbers show, there’s still more work to do.
“We are all working together to promote positive and true [COVID-19] messages,” says Chacon. “Our motto is ‘Spread the Truth.’”
More information
This blog is accurate as of the date of posting. Information changes rapidly, so check the state’s COVID-19 website for the most up-to-date info at coronavirus.wa.gov. You can also sign up to be notified whenever we post new articles.
The COVID-19 vaccine is now available to everyone 12 and older. For more information about the vaccine, visit CovidVaccineWA.org and use the vaccine locator tool to find an appointment. The COVID-19 vaccine is provided at no cost to you.
WA Notify can alert you if you’ve been near another user who tested positive for COVID-19. Add WA Notify to your phone today: WANotify.org
Answers to your questions or concerns about COVID-19 in Washington State may be found at our website. You can also contact the Department of Health call center at 1–800–525–0127 and press # from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday — Sunday and observed state holidays. Language assistance is available.
