In recent hours, 6,749 new covid-19 patients have been reported in Texas. Since September, diagrams from the local Department of Health have almost always shown upward curves. This streak only collapsed the health system and the response of doctors and nurses to emergencies. With over 1.3 million infected Texans and nearly 24,000 dead, Texas is the second worst state.
With this account, the first doses of vaccine – about 19,500 – began to arrive on Monday in four centers and, for now, will be inoculated only to health workers. In total, according to official figures: 5,850 were delivered to the Methodist Medical Center in Dallas; 4,875 of the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston; 5850 UT Health of San Antonio; and 2925 at UT Health in Austin. On Tuesday, the injection will reach another 19 points in 12 cities, such as Edinburgh, El Paso, San Angelo, Corpus Christi, Galveston, Amarillo and Lubbock, some of them severely affected by the pandemic.
That’s not all. Several doses not only of the Pfizer vaccine but also of the Moderna vaccine, which will receive federal approval this week, are expected to arrive on December 21, Texas Department of Health Services spokesman Chris Van told reporters. Deusen.
Although the vaccine has generated some hope, the reality of the state is that it comes at a time when hospitals continue to receive positive cases and are on the verge of collapse.
More patients and fewer beds
On Sunday, Texas health centers were at 91% of their hospital capacity, according to figures from the Department of Health Services. Only 11,168 beds and 699 in the intensive care units were available. Same day , 9,230 people were hospitalized in the state. It is the second highest number recorded in July, when Texas reached the highest number of hospitalizations and positive cases since the beginning of the pandemic.
In Panhandle areas such as Yellow, the situation is critical: there are 1,040 patients in bed. This leaves only 234 free spaces available for more patients and only seven remain in the intensive care unit. In Lubbock, out of the 1,545 beds, only 238 remain in the general area and 10 in the intensive care units.
In El Paso, which has seen an unexpected increase in cases in recent months for which it has had to seek medical reinforcements due to lack of staff, they operate at 88% of their capacity.
The situation is no different when moving to more populated areas, such as Houston, home to nearly seven million people and home to one of the nation’s largest hospital cities. Of the 14,116 beds, only 1,946 are available. Only 130 remained in the intensive care units. at 94% of its capacity.
Texas Medical Center (TMC) warned on its website Monday that its intensive care units have a capacity of 99%, at a time when the infection rate at its Houston hospitals has nearly doubled since that month. last.
Based on its reality, TMC has come to a conclusion that can be applied almost anywhere on the map of Texas: “The capacity of the hospital is exceeded by the daily rate of increase in cases.”
