Many hospitals are preparing for the possibility of rationing care in the coming weeks as the number of COVID-19 patients exceeds the number of ICU beds.
COVID-19 Hospitals
Updated
Published
December 30, 2020 3:58 PM
File: Check-in tents at the Martin Luther King Jr. Outpatient Center. Hospitals are making plans to start triaging patients if infections continue to increase. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)
Hospitals across Los Angeles County are preparing to ration care and prioritize treating patients who are most likely to survive a dire but necessary step as coronavirus continues to spread widely in Southern California.
To make those decisions, hospitals are designating teams made up of people not directly involved in patient care.
Those steps are needed because the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals has been exploding, with more than 7,100 people now being treated. ICU bed availability also has plummeted.
COVID-19 Hospitals
Updated
Published
December 30, 2020 3:58 PM
File: Check-in tents at the Martin Luther King Jr. Outpatient Center. Hospitals are making plans to start triaging patients if infections continue to increase. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)
Hospitals across Los Angeles County are preparing to ration care and prioritize treating patients who are most likely to survive a dire but necessary step as coronavirus continues to spread widely in Southern California.
To make those decisions, hospitals are designating teams made up of people not directly involved in patient care.
Those steps are needed because the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals has been exploding, with more than 7,100 people now being treated. ICU bed availability also has plummeted.