Coronavirus

Surgeon General, Others Warn Hospitals Can't Handle Surge

ICU occupancies have quadrupled in New York. In Ohio, doctors say you're 2.5 times more likely to get COVID and hospitals are struggling to keep up.

Surgeon General, Others Warn Hospitals Can't Handle Surge
Michael Reynolds / Pool EPA / AP
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Surgeon General Jerome Adams tweeted Monday our hospitals can't sustain high levels of care. 

In New York, ICU occupancies have quadrupled. 

It's worse in Ohio, where doctors say you're 2.5 times more likely to catch the virus and hospitals are struggling to keep up. 

"We're tired of seeing the fear on faces and tired of seeing people who are passing away," said Dr. Helen K. Koselka, chief medical officer at Trihealth. "We're trying to blast a siren. We need the community support."

As doctors answer the call to help, they're asking Americans to do their part like washing hands, wearing a mask and staying home. Otherwise, medical care might suffer. 

"We are here for you every single day, but we have to have the staff to be there for you," said Dr. Evaline A. Alessandrini, senior vice president and chief medical officer at UCMC. "And every time we add 20, 50, 100 patients with COVID, it's eliminating our ability."