Austin health officials warn there are 16 staffed ICU beds left for 2.3 million residents as COVID cases surge
CBSN
Health officials in Austin, Texas, issued a dire warning on Friday: There are only about 16 staffed ICU beds left for the entire region, an 11-county area that's home to more than two million people. It's the lowest number of ICU beds available in the region since the pandemic began, the city said.
"The latest COVID-19 spike is putting extraordinary pressure on our hospitals, emergency departments and healthcare professionals, and it has further challenged hospital staffing due to a longstanding nursing shortage," a group of hospitals said in a statement from the city. All of the hospitals in Travis County — where Austin is located — and in 10 other counties are part of what the state calls Trauma Region O. Trauma Region O serves approximately 2.3 million people, according to the city's statement.Almost four out of every 10 people in the United States live in a place where air pollution is considered bad enough to put their health at risk, the American Lung Association warned in its latest "State of the Air" report released on Wednesday. That proportion of people — about 39% of the population — had risen sharply since earlier rounds of pollutant data were analyzed for the annual report last year, and the trends were especially pronounced in certain parts of the country.
Between now and 2030, about 10,000 Americans will turn 65 every single day, highlighting a growing concern about the nation's preparedness for elder care often falling on the shoulders of their adult children. This has given rise to a term known as the "sandwich generation," defined as adults who find themselves caring for their aging parents while still raising their own children.