States That Had A Grip On COVID Now Seeing A Crush of Cases: OR, FL, AR, MS, LA, HI

[appalachiablue]

AP News, Aug. 12, 2021.

The COVID-19 surge that is sending hospitalizations to all-time highs in parts of the South is also clobbering states like Hawaii and Oregon that were once seen as pandemic success stories. After months in which they kept cases and hospitalizations at manageable levels, they are watching progress slip away as record numbers of patients overwhelm bone-tired health care workers.

Oregon — like Florida, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana in recent days — has more people in the hospital with COVID-19 than at any other point in the pandemic. Hawaii is about to reach that mark, too.

This, despite both states having vaccination levels higher than the national average as of last week. Arkansas and Louisiana were significantly below average, while Florida was about even. Mississippi, meanwhile, ranks at the very bottom for vaccination rates.

“It’s heartbreaking. People are exhausted. You can see it in their eyes,” said Dr. Jason Kuhl, chief medical officer at Oregon’s Providence Medford Medical Center, where patients are left on gurneys in hallways, their monitoring machines beeping away. Others needing treatment for cancer or heart disease are being turned away...

Read More,
https://apnews.com/article/business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-31590aa02655dc655f4fd06ff28b8e2b

[Anon-C]

1. ...

[VarryOn]

2. I live in AR...

I definitely am hearing of more people I know that are getting COVID. I know of 4 right now. Thankfully, no one is in the hospital or even in too bad of shape.

Months ago, I knew of fewer people with it, but they were usually in the hospital.

Even though more people have it now, the cases seem less serious.

I've had exposure 3 times the last two months where a test was warranted. I'm fully vaxxed, and I'm 3 for 3 for negative tests!

[crimycarny]

3. I wish that article would have clarified if most hospital beds are taken up by the unvaccinated

I'm assuming that's the case but the article states "regardless of high vaccination rates" which opens up interpretation to vaccination doesn't work, particularly to anti-vaxers.

A co-workers daughter fight leukemia was denied a bed yesterday due to all the COVID patients. Thankfully she was able to be admitted today but it's frustrating as h*ll. My friend had a great idea, open up sports arenas to the unvaccinated and have them treated by unvaccinated healthcare workers. Standard hospital beds are for vaccinated or those who legitimately can't get vaccinated.

[BigmanPigman]

4. I like the friend's idea.

I've gone from being silent and polite when I hear about or see something related to choosing not to get vaxxed to pissed off and mad as Hell. I'm fairly certain that my neighbors know my opinions on this by now since I am always yelling at the maskholes on TV....like right now while watching CNN. Fortunately, my neighbors are anti-maskholes too.

[Pobeka]

5. States are not homogeneous blends of politics.

Oregon, while firmly blue, has counties that are solidly red.
Same with Washington.

Those red counties for the most part have very low vaccination rates.

I wish articles like this could be a little more thoughtful and point out simple things like this that explain it a whole lot better...

[appalachiablue]

6. The people I know from Seattle and

Portland never mention the red, rural counties and areas in their state. It's utopia.

[Pobeka]

7. This shows it pretty well -- go east of the cascade mtns and it's all red

https://brilliantmaps.com/2016-county-election-map/

Population density is low so they don't make an impact on statewide elections. But there's all of that absurd red politics to be found.

[appalachiablue]

8. Tx, I looked at a few maps, it can be misleading

until you know the low population nos.