Twin Cities On 'Red Alert' For ICU Beds

ICU bed space is scarce because caregivers own infections or exposures


Only nine intensive care beds were available in the Twin Cities on Nov. 4 during a surge in COVID-19 cases, according to an article on the Star-Tribune website.

 ICU bed space is scarce because caregivers were unavailable because of their own infections or exposures.

"We're at a red alert for ICU beds,"  Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, said in the article.

A record 908 inpatient hospital beds in Minnesota were filled with COVID-19 patients, according to the Nov. 4 pandemic dashboard update. 

Some nurses say their employers still aren’t giving them enough N95 masks, according to an article on an earlier Star Tribune article.

A survey of Minnesota nurses this summer found 49 percent felt unsafe with the N95 reuse policies in their workplace. 

Read the full Star Tribune article.

 

 



November 9, 2020


Topic Area: Infection Control


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