OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Across the state, 25% of all ICU beds are being used for COVID patients which doctors say is straining hospital systems.
Despite Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts lifting the temporary halt on elective surgeries, some systems, like the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), have not gone back.
“That means people who require ICU care for serious trauma for cardiovascular post-op care, for people with strokes and heart attacks is not as readily available and that’s simple math of the situation,” said Dr. Mark Rupp, Chief of Infectious Disease at UNMC.
Rupp says the hospital is seeing an increased number of young people who are hospitalized, as opposed to early in the pandemic when those in the ICU were older with underlying health conditions.
The vast majority of those in the ICU are unvaccinated.
Download our apps today for all of our latest coverage.
Get the latest news and weather delivered straight to your inbox.