AND OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEMS ACROSS
THE STATE ARE FEELING THE STRAIN
OF THIS INCREASE IN DISEASE
ACTIVITY.
ACROSS OUR STATE TODAY, ONLY
ABOUT 5% OF BEDS IN OUR
INTENSIVE CARE UNITS ARE
AVAILABLE, AND 5% OF MEDICAL
SURGICAL BEDS ARE AVAILABLE.
AND REPORTS OF PRESSURES ON
STAFFING AND STAFF AVAILABILITY
ARE COMING IN FROM HOSPITALS AND
LONG-TERM CARE PROVIDERS ALL
ACROSS WISCONSIN.
>> AMONG THOSE RECENTLY IN
INTENSIVE CARE WITH COVID-19,
WISCONSIN STATE SENATOR AN DREA
JACQUE.
HE WAS RELEASED TO AN
INTERMEDIATE CARE FACILITY THIS
WEEK.
ALSO THIS WEEK REPUBLICAN
CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR REBECCA
KLEEFISCH ANNOUNCED SHE HAD
RECENTLY TESTED POSITIVE FOR
COVID.
THE WISCONSIN HOSPITAL
ASSOCIATION REPORTS 1,0 72
PATIENTS HOSPITALS FOR COVID-19
TODAY, INCLUDING 335 IN THE ICU.
"HERE AND NOW" AN WAS INSIDE ONE
UNIT TO SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
FROM THE FRONTLINE HEALTH
WORKERS.
MARISA WOJCIK REPORTS FROM
MARSHFIELD.
>> THE PANDEMIC WAS LOOKING LIKE
IT WAS ESSENTIALLY OVER TWO
MONTHS AGO.
WE HAD ZERO TO TWO, MAYBE THREE
PATIENTS IN THE HOSPITAL.
>> WILLIAM MELMS IS THE CHIEF
MEDICAL OFFICER FOR THE MARSH
MARSHFIELD CLINIC.
>> THE NUMBER OF NEW PATIENTS
CONTINUES TO RISE AND THE NEW
PATIENTS PER DAY ARE THE KIND OF
LEADING INDICATOR OF WHAT WE CAN
EXPECT.
SO WE HAVE GRAVE CONCERNS YET
THAT WE'RE NOT NEAR THE END OF
THIS SURGE.
>> IN THE COVID ICU, DOCTORS,
NURSES AND RESIDENTS ARE BUSY
DISCUSSING EACH PATIENT'S
TREATMENT PLAN.
PATIENTS ARE HERE FOR WEEKS,
USUALLY IN A MEDIALLY-INDUCED
COMA.
>> THEY DO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING
AND THAT MAKES THEM EVEN MORE
SCARED.
>> HE SPECIALIZES IN
ADMINISTERING ECMO.
>> WHAT ECMO DOES IS WE'RE
ALLOWED TO HAVE THE LUNGS DO
BASICALLY NOTHING AS WE
OXYGENATE THROUGH THE MACHINE
AND KEEP THE PATIENT'S BRAIN AND
HEART AND KIDNEYS ALL HEALTHY
WITH OXYGEN.
>> IT CAN BE THE LAST TOOL
WORKERS HAVE TO SAVE A PATIENT'S
LIFE.
BUT ECMO RESOURCES ARE LIMITED
AND IN HIGH DEMAND AS THE DELTA
SURGE CONTINUES TO WORSEN.
>> THE PATIENTS ARE SICKER THIS.
WE SEE THAT THEY'RE DEER TEAR --
DETERIORATING QUICKER AS WELL
AND IT REQUIRES MORE RESOURCES.
>> VICKI VARSHO SAYS THE SYSTEM
IS BEING INUNDATED.
>> WE'RE GETTING CALLS FROM
CANADA, FROM THE EAST, FROM THE
WEST, FROM PEOPLE WE'VE NEVER
RECEIVED THEIR PATIENTS FROM
BEFORE BECAUSE THEY ARE SO
STRAPPED FOR BEDS AND RESOURCES
AS WELL.
>> COMPARING IT TO A HURRICANE,
LEAVING DESTRUCTION IN ITS WAKE.
>> THERE'S DEFINITELY A
DIFFERENT FEELING WHEN WE'RE
PUTTING A BREATHING TUBE IN
THESE COVID PATIENTS JUST
BECAUSE SO OFTEN WE'RE NOT ABLE
TO HEAR FROM THEM AGAIN.
AND KNOWING THAT GOING INTO THE
BREATHING TUBE IS VERY, VERY
DIFFICULT.
>> THEIR STORIES ENDURE AND SO
DOES THE TRAUMA.
>> HAVING TO CONVEYOR DO
FACETIME WITH THESE PATIENTS AND
THEIR FAMILY, WE'RE REALLY --
WE'RE THE MIDDLEMAN, HAVING TO
SAY HELLO TO THEIR SON WHO'S
GOING TO COLLEGE FOR THE FIRST
TIME OR PEOPLE ARE GETTING
MARRIED AND WATCHING THEM HAVE
TO SEE IT THROUGH A TINY CAMERA
ON THEIR PHONE WHILE THEY'RE
INTUBATED IS VERY TOUGH.
>> STAFFING SHORTAGES WERE A
PROBLEM BEFORE 2020.
AND THE PANDEMIC HAS MADE IT
WORSE AS MANY HEALTH CARE
WORKERS LEAVE THE PROFESSION.
>> BURN-OUT.
TURNS INTO A VICIOUS CYCLE.
THEY LEAVE, ANOTHER PERSON
REPLACES THEM AND THE ISSUE
ISN'T FIXED SO THEY GET THAT
BURN-OUT ALL OVER AGAIN.
>> AND THE EMOTIONAL TOLL IS
GREATER NOW, AS THE ISSUE OF THE
PANDEMIC ROLLS ON AND THE
PATIENTS ARE NOT ONLY SICKER,
THEY'RE YOUNGER.
>> WE HAVE HAD PEDIATRIC CASES.
THE YOUNGEST PATIENT WE HAD WAS
FOUR MONTHS OLD.
THE DEMOGRAPHIC OF THE PATIENTS
WE ADMIT IN OUR FACILITIES ARE
CERTAINLY YOUNGER THAN THEY WERE
LAST YEAR.
ABSOLUTELY THE CASE.
ABSOLUTELY THE CONCERN.
>> HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE HOPING
MORE PEOPLE WILL CHOOSE TO GET
VACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19 IN
THE WAKE OF THIS LATEST SURGE.
>> EVEN SOME FAMILY MEMBERS WHO
WERE VERY AGAINST THE VACCINE,
IT'S A LOT DIFFERENT WHEN
THEY'RE CRYING OVER THEIR
SPOUSE.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM HAVE
GOTTEN THE VACCINE THAT DAY OF
ADMISSION OR THE VERY NEXT DAY.
>> THE FRUSTRATING ASPECT OF
THIS PANDEMIC IS THAT WE COULD
BE PREVENTING SO MUCH OF THIS
AND WE'RE NOT.
>> FOR "HERE AND NOW," I'M
MARISA WOJCIK IN MARSHFIELD.
>> THE DIRECTOR OF THE CDC THIS
WEEK GAVE THE GREEN LIGHT TO
PFIZER BOOSTER SHOTS FOR HEALTH
CA