97 percent of ICU beds at Texas Medical Center now occupied as COVID-19 cases reach record highs

As the number of patients hospitalized with the coronavirus has reached record highs 12 days in a row, there are warning signs that Houston hospitals are nearing a tipping point.

At the Texas Medical Center in Houston, 97 percent of ICU beds were occupied on Tuesday. Twenty-seven percent of those ICU patients have COVID-19.

The normal base occupancy rate at the world’s largest medical center is 70 to 80 percent.

The hospitals have contingency plans to add additional ICU beds for temporary surges. But if the number of COVID cases continues at the current rate, the TWC could fill up all of those beds in the next two weeks.

T9R

Article URL : https://www.khou.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/texas-hospital-icus-crowded-with-covid-19-patients-as-coronavirus-continues-to-spread/285-aad0788d-256e-4454-8e3f-87f9c7956680