Delaware Doctors Describe Pressure on 'Overwhelmed' Hospitals Amid Omicron Wave

Four doctors in Delaware described the pressures their hospital departments were under amid the growing number of people being admitted to hospital with COVID-19 during the current Omicron wave.

Footage released on January 12 by the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) shows Dr LeRoi Hicks, Chief Medical Office, at the Wilmington Hospital explaining that they have as many patients in the emergency room with COVID-19 as they do emergency room capacity and that they have more patients in the hospital than they do beds.

Dr. Kelly Abbrescia, Medical Director for Emergency Services, at Bayhealth said: "We have so many sick patients. Many patients thought this was just a cold and are surprised at how ill they are and scared and on oxygen.

“The medical system in Delaware and around the world is completely overwhelmed and we need your help.”

Dr. Michael Benninghoff, Section Chief of Critical Care, at ChristianaCare said the ICU was operating at “170% of normal” and that there was “no end in sight.”

Dr. Roshan Prabhu, Associate Director of the Hospitalist and Family Medical, at Bayhealth said Omicron has “changed the game” with rapid transmissibility and urged people to get vaccinated.

According to state government data, 746 people were hospitalised with COVID-19, as of January 11, with 72 people in intensive care. DHSS said 70% of those hospitalised were not vaccinated. Credit: Delaware Department of Health and Social Services via Storyful