South Georgia hospitals are filling up quickly, as delta variant spreads

SE Georgia hospitals cope with COVID-19 surge

Hospitals in southeast Georgia say they are coping with the worst they have seen in COVID-19 surges since the start of the pandemic.

ATLANTA - Michael Scherneck runs Southeast Georgia Health System, two hospitals that currently have about 250 beds in Glynn and Camden Counties along the southeastern corner of Georgia.

As of late Tuesday, Southeast Georgia Health System had 124 COVID-19 patients, with 39 in intensive care.

All but 3 of the patients in the ICU are unvaccinated, according to an SGHS' press release.

Scherneck says the patients, many of them younger, just keep coming.

This is the third and most severe surge the hospital has experienced in the last 18 months.

Millions still on the fence about COVID-19 vaccines

As the delta variant of COVID-19 spreads, 90 million Americans are still on the fence about the vaccine.

This time, Scherneck says, there is no end in sight.

"Our staff is just beaten down," he says. "It's really been hard for them. Right now, over half of our patients are COVID patients. It's the worst we've seen since the start of the pandemic, over a year and half ago."

The virus is spreading quickly along the south Georgia coast.

That area, known by state health officials as region J runs along the coastline from Savannah to the Florida border.

As of August 10, 2021, emergency department beds in region J are 99% occupied, ICU beds are 89% full and regular inpatient beds are 92% occupied, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Delta variant hitting Georgia hospitals hard

Hospitals in southwest Georgia are being hit hard as the delta variant of the COVID-19 virus continues to spread mostly among the non-vaccinated population.

Scherneck says the area's low vaccination rate appears to be driving the spread of the delta variant.

"Like a lot of Georgia, about 40% of our people here in Glynn County have been vaccinated, and about 29 or 30% in Camden County," he says. "Obviously, that has not been enough to protect us. As a result, we're seeing some really challenging cases, so many of whom are actually less than 59 years of age."

He says space and staffing have become major challenges, as their numbers continue to rise.

"Every day, we're looking at, where are we going to place patients, and where are we going to get staff to take care of those patients," he says.

Group demands Georgia universities implement mask mandates

As new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to rise, a group of gathered in Atlanta on Tuesday to demand the University System of Georgia implement a statewide mandate for all students and faculty regardless of their vaccination status.

Scherneck says they are also seeing a jump in COVID-positive children.

Late Monday, the hospital system had 4 COVID-19 patients between the ages of 12 and 19 and 5 in their twenties.

More than half their patients, he says, are in their fifties or younger.

"We've been trying to tell people, 'Get the vaccine,'" Scherneck says.

Emory's Dr. Neil Winawer on mask mandates

Emory University researcher Dr. Neil Winawer delves into the debate over mask mandates. Students are returning to schools and many are required to wear a face covering.

Still, he knows even those who get their shots today will not be fully protected for weeks.

With schools here set to open soon, Scherneck says, they are urging people to wear masks and social distance to protect themselves.

"Hopefully 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks out, maybe this will start to receded," Scherneck says " But, right now, the numbers are so high in terms of the transmission, we're just concerned that's not going to end well, if we're not careful."

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