Wisconsin ICUs are 92 percent full

[Tetrachloride]

The unvaccinated as usual.

https://www.channel3000.com/how-close-are-madison-area-hospitals-to-reaching-capacity/

As reported elsewhere, University system and its leader Republican former governor Tommy Thompson is fighting back against Republican legislators.

A majority of Wisconsin’s best hospitals are in blue areas of Madison and Milwaukee. But 92 percent means that the red areas are packed or will be.

edit: Republican former governor

[FBaggins]

1. If they are... it isn't just COVID doing it

The state is averaging 3-4 deaths per day, but they were closer to 100 back in November. Their infection rate has climbed significantly from ~100/day to ~1,500/day... but their peak was around 7,000. If today's numbers result in full ICUs, then November's numbers should have resulted in overflowing everywhere.

[xmas74]

2. Could it be because other states are sending patients in?

I read an article just a few days ago about someone in Kansas life flighted to Wisconsin because there are no ICU beds available. And I personally know someone who had liver and kidney failure here in Missouri who had to wait for an ICU bed. All surrounding states were supposedly full. She died last night while the hospital tried to find her a bed even further out.

Not everyone in those beds are from that area or even that state.

[FBaggins]

3. A reasonable theory, but the story looks about the same in Kansas

Infections up... but nowhere near as high as at the peak. Deaths up, but barely a tenth of what they were at the peak.

Missouri is a little worse, but infections are about half and deaths peaked at about 1/3 of the highest level (and that peak has already subsided to close to the lows). IL has smaller spikes and IA has almost none at all.

[cadoman]

4. are they using surge capacity yet?

92% is actually quite common from what I've heard. If they're 92% of surge capacity that would be an issue.

Keep in mind, hospitals want their emergency rooms appropriately sized for a region. They don't want to be sitting at 50% capacity -- that means they overbuilt and are wasting space and equipment and have staff twiddling their thumbs.

What they aim for instead is a high capacity and then to have surge capacity for emergencies. This is why so often when you go into the emergency room for a basic injury you end up being there half a day--they're at capacity and they're ok with your ass sitting around for 12 hours because it's more profitable for them to have a doctor work on you in between the real emergencies.

This came up during the last big wave of COVID and my understanding is that until surge capacity is in use it's not even worth discussion--unless the intent of the article is to motivate people with fear in the interest of policy initiatives.

[a kennedy]

5. If I'm not mistaken, Thompson IS a repub. 😳

[Tetrachloride]

6. ty. switched adjectives

former Republican governor
Republican former governor