TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Hospitalizations are on the rise as COVID-19 case numbers continue trending upward in Florida, but the Florida Hospital Association claims the medical system is better prepared for a surge now compared to the summer.
The organization reports there are about 4,800 patients currently hospitalized for COVID-19 across the state. That’s not nearly as many Florida saw during the summer surge, when over 10,000 patients were hospitalized.
Recommended Videos
“We’ve obviously learned a lot about the virus,” FHA President Mary Mayhew, the former secretary of Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration, said.
After speaking with hospital representatives throughout the state, Mayhew believes this time hospitals are better positioned to handle another surge.
“We’re not using ventilators as early on as we were back in March and April,” she said. “So that has certainly helped to improve the treatment, the outcomes.”
Part of the optimism is due to the promise of a vaccine, likely arriving within days.
“(It’s) incredibly important to have a strong workforce,” Mayhew said. “Vaccinating that workforce will help to ensure we have capacity in the system to care for individuals.”
Mayhew is also optimistic about new treatments for COVID-19, including monoclonal anti-bodies.
She predicts the combination of the treatment and vaccination of healthcare workers and vulnerable populations will keep hospitalizations at a manageable level.
Mayhew told us the biggest challenges facing hospitals now are the less visible effects of the pandemic. Staffing fatigue is one ongoing issue. Another is an increase in mental health issues and substance abuse.
“We can’t overstate the concern about the impact of the pandemic, the isolation that it has created and the loss of income, the impact that that’s having on families and individuals,” she said.
One silver lining Mayhew highlighted is the increase in telemedicine services, which has created greater and more timely access to healthcare, especially for those suffering from mental health crises.