‘We’re at capacity.’ Lexington hospitals urge citizens not to come to ER for COVID testing.
The surge of the omicron COVID-19 variant is continuing to put extra stress on Lexington hospitals, so much so that health experts are encouraging people to avoid going to the hospital unless it’s necessary, especially when it comes to routine COVID testing.
“Our hospital is, for lack of better terms, we’re at capacity,” said Todd Gilbert, director of emergency services at Saint Joseph Hospital.
Gilbert said about one-third of the patients that walk into the emergency department at St. Joseph have COVID symptoms. Just yesterday the hospital tested 217 patients and produced 72 positive tests - a 33% positivity rate.
Out of the St. Joseph hospitals in Lexington, there are 50 hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients, according to Gilbert. Half are in the ICU.
At UK Chandler Hospital, there are 119 patients with COVID. 32 of those patients are in the ICU and nearly half of those in the ICU are on a ventilator.
Mark Spanier, medical director of the emergency department at Baptist Health Lexington, says his hospital is experiencing record numbers as well.
“We are seeing more patients then we’ve seen in the past ever and that’s put a big stress on our emergency department,” Spanier said. “We’re having to think outside of the box. We’re seeing patients in small rooms that we’ve never utilized previously. Sometimes in the hallway.”
Spanier said the surge in cases is also impacting the staff, as some aren’t even able to work due to experiencing symptoms themselves, and others are left to treat some patients who show a lack of patience due to the hospital’s large crowds.
Experts believe the best way to relieve the hospitals’ capacity limits is to avoid going to the hospital unless it’s necessary, especially when it comes to testing. People who go to the emergency room for a COVID-19 test are charged for an ER visit, while people who go to Wild Health for a test get tested for free.
Spanier himself even admitted to experiencing mild symptoms a few days ago and chose to get tested as an out-patient instead of the comfort of his own emergency department at Baptist Health.
“I really stress that people should be doing that because our emergency departments and our hospitals are overwhelmed and if you show up for routine testing, you’ll be delaying care of more critical patients,” Spanier said.
If you contract Covid, experts say you should only go to the hospital if you experience severe symptoms.
“I also feel that if you are having some significant chest pain, your shortness of breath is moderate to severe, those are really good reasons for coming to the hospital,” Spanier said. “Whereas if you have a runny nose and congestion and aches and fatigue, such as what I have, you should stay home and self monitor and set up an appointment for outpatient testing.”
This story was originally published January 11, 2022 at 1:53 PM.
