Several hospitals in Alabama are struggling to cope with a wave of new coronavirus cases.
In the highly populated areas of Tuscaloosa, Montgomery, and Birmingham, beds in intensive care units are nearing capacity. The University of Alabama, Birmingham’s Dr. Jeanne Marazzo said some hospitals have been forced to move critical care patients to free up beds.
“We are approaching a critical threshold for our capacity to care for patients with COVID and everything else we need to provide care for over the next several weeks,” Marazzo said.
Dr. Don Williamson of the Alabama Hospital Association said that 82% of ICU beds in the state are in use after the sharp rise in new infections.
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More than 1,000 cases were reported by Alabama health officials on Thursday, which marks a record for the state. Marazzo said Alabama residents need to do a better job of social distancing as healthcare workers attempt to slow the spread of the virus.
“We are giving the virus more of an opportunity to jump from one person to another,” Marazzo said.
Not every hospital in Alabama is feeling the brunt of new cases, however, as some parts of the state continue to record a small number of coronavirus infections. This has also been the case in several states where coronavirus infections have spiked, including Arizona and Texas.
