Omicron pushes hospitals to breaking point
Rash of infections causes Beaumont to cut back on elective procedures
The COVID-19 Omicron variant may produce milder symptoms for the vaccinated who are infected, but it is causing major headaches at hospitals across southeastern Michigan.
Beaumont Health will begin a new ad campaign on Sunday hoping to draw attention to the crisis.
“We are really at a breaking point. We have to meet our obligations to take care of the community.
We want to show support for our staff but we really want to tell the community we’re at a point where it’s the worst it’s ever been and we’re afraid it’s going to get worse next week,’’ said Dr. Jeff Fischgrund, chief of Clinical Services at Beaumont Health, on Thursday.
At Beaumont Health they are cutting back on elective procedures.
“We know we have to take care of the acute needs of the community but in order to do that effectively now, we’ve asked all 5,000 of our physicians, and our nurse practitioners and physician assistants to really screen down and try to postpone any elective procedures, surgeries, testing, anything that can be safely postponed,’’ Fischgrund said, “It has two messages: we’re trying to take care of the community but we’re also trying to take care of our staff. We know our 33,000 staff are working as hard as they ever worked. Again, they didn’t sign up for two years of COVID,’’ Fischgrund said.
Beaumont has also issued more visitor restrictions.
“I think I’m not understating it when I say this virus is extremely explosive. It is probably one of the most, if not the most, contagious viruses we have seen in the modern era,’’ said Dr. Nick Gilpin, Beaumont Health’s medical director of infection prevention and epidemiology.
“(It has a) shorter incu
bation time. Each person with Omicron can spread the virus to as many as 6 or 10 people then those people can pass it onto another 6-10 people. It’s frankly a juggernaut,’’ Gilpin added.
Beaumont Health is currently caring for more than 750 COVID patients in its eight hospitals.
About 62% of those patients are unvaccinated. More than 430 Beaumont
employees are also out with COVID symptoms which is a substantial increase over the past few weeks.
Henry Ford Health System had 480 COVID patients in its five hospitals with 686 employees infected, as of Tuesday.
“We’re really taxing both sides of the equation. We’ve got more COVID patients in our hospital and we have fewer staff to care for these patients, really creating a mismatch and creating a lot of challenges for our system,’’ Gilpin said.
At Beaumont Health of
all the COVID inpatients, only 8% have had the booster shot which Gilpin said proves it works. About 65% of the COVID patients are unvaccinated. In the intensive care units about 2025% of the patients are vaccinated.
“Vaccination is still a winning strategy. It may not prevent all disease but vaccination is extremely effective at keeping people out of the hospital and even better if boosted … It’s as high as 80-85% effective in keeping people out of the hospital. I’m telling you it’s
a total no-brainer,’’ Gilpin said.
He said mathematical modeling and data shows that Omicron has taken a foothold in the Midwest where the Centers for Disease Control estimates that 93% of COVID cases are from the Omicron variant.
Gilpin said he’s confirmed this with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
As always the doctors have the same recommendations they have had for months: Get vaccinated, get the booster if possible,
wear masks when indoors in groups; socially distance, wash your hands and stay home if you’re feeling ill.
At Beaumont Dearborn the U.S. Department of Defense medical team will now spend an additional 30 days after the original 30day medical mission was scheduled to end on Jan. 2.
The DOD team consists of six registered nurses assigned to the Emergency Center, eight registered nurses assigned to the ICUs, two respiratory therapists, two advanced practice providers, plus DOD leaders.