ICU Beds Run Out in California, USA

Hyperbaric Oxygen Device Failure Due to Surge in Patients
Some Regions Report Highest New Infections and Deaths

[Asia Economy International Department Reporter] CNN reported on the 2nd (local time) that intensive care unit beds have run out in Southern California centered around Los Angeles (LA) and the San Joaquin Valley area.

Also, in six hospitals in LA County, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was deployed because the devices supplying high-pressure oxygen were not functioning properly due to a surge in patients. As COVID-19 patients flooded in, the demand for oxygen necessary for treatment surged, and the aging infrastructure could no longer handle it.

In California, on the 31st of last month, the number of deaths from the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) reached 574, marking the highest number since the pandemic began.

In Texas, on the 1st, the number of COVID-19 hospitalized patients exceeded 12,400, setting a record for the fifth consecutive day. Georgia recorded a new high with about 8,700 new infections, and Maryland reported the second-highest number of new confirmed cases on the same day. Arkansas also saw about 4,300 new infections, marking the day with the highest number of infections.

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson wrote on Twitter, "As we start the new year, our first resolution must be to follow the guidelines," adding, "We all must do our part."

Many forecasts suggest that the situation will worsen. The effects of many people traveling and meeting family and relatives during the Christmas and New Year holidays are expected to become visible in January and February.

For example, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington School of Medicine predicts that more than 110,000 additional deaths will occur in the United States during January. This institute recently projected in its COVID-19 forecast model that the cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. would reach 459,324 by February 1.

Johns Hopkins University reported on the 2nd that the cumulative number of COVID-19 confirmed cases in the U.S. was about 20.17 million, and the cumulative number of deaths was about 348,000.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.